The Pretty Lady

By now, Li Wei was almost certain that the "pretty lady" was a key figure in Edwards's death. Or, to put it bluntly-she was the murderer!

Access to the Royal Academy of Medicine was not particularly strict. Not just anyone could come and go, but most people were allowed in if they had a valid reason. The last time Li Wei had come to investigate Edwards about Amelia, he had only needed to register at the gate.

However, his interviews with Edwards's teachers, classmates, and research colleagues suggested that Edwards had followed a very regular routine, moving almost exclusively between his classroom, the library, and the laboratory. Any outsider approaching him would have been easily noticed. That made it highly likely that the murderer was someone within the Royal Academy of Medicine. If Li Wei could keep watch here for an extended period, he might find some clues.

Unfortunately, this was the Royal Academy of Medicine, not somewhere he could linger as he pleased.

But coming here every day would be such a hassle...

Just as Li Wei was considering what to do next, he walked out through the academy gates. There, he spotted a young woman looking his way with a nervous, uneasy expression. At the sight of him, an excited smile spread across her face, and she hurriedly straightened up and approached him.

"Hello, Mr. Detective."

"Ah, hello, Miss Betty."

Looking at the lovely young woman with her blond hair and blue eyes, Li Wei touched the brim of his hat and gave her a slight nod. In the days since the incident, Betty and her friend had stayed away from school, taking leave to recuperate at home. This did not surprise him.

Anyone who went through something like that would want a few days off to recover emotionally. From the look of things, Miss Betty was doing quite well.

"Are you still investigating the case? Have you made any progress? Ah... sorry, that isn't something I should be asking..."

Betty was clearly a little excited and rattled off several questions before catching herself and lowering her head in embarrassment. Looking at her, an idea occurred to Li Wei. Perhaps... this could work too?

"I'm still investigating. I have a few clues, but not enough yet. By the way, I have a question."

"A question?"

"Yes. I heard there's a pretty lady at the Royal Academy of Medicine. Do you know who she is?"

"A pretty lady? How pretty?"

"That I don't know. I only heard someone mention her, so I thought I'd ask."

"I see..."

After hearing his answer, Betty thought for a moment.

"Well, Miss Elizabeth from the literature department and Miss Crest from the physics department are both very popular and admired by the gentlemen..."

"I see. I was just asking."

At that, Li Wei paused to consider.

"If possible, there's something I'd like your help with. Would that be all right, Miss Betty?"

"My help?"

Hearing his words, Betty immediately raised her head in surprise and looked at him.

"O-of course. I'd be delighted... what would you like me to do?"

"It isn't anything particularly dangerous."

Li Wei waved a hand, signaling for Betty to calm down.

"I'd like you to help me keep a record of certain things at Shuo Academy."

"Certain things?"

"Yes. I can't come to Shuo Academy every day to investigate. That would also disrupt classes. So I'd like someone to help me keep track of things, such as what happened at Shuo Academy that day, or any rumors going around. For your own safety, I don't recommend actively asking around. Just attend school as usual, listen to what happened that day, and write it down."

"Oh... that won't be a problem."

Betty breathed a sigh of relief. She had been afraid Li Wei would give her a difficult task and that she would embarrass herself by failing to complete it. But now it seemed there really was nothing unusual about it. She already wrote about the day's events in her diary after coming home. This would simply mean making an extra copy...

"Whether anything happens or not, you must write me a letter every day. That way, I'll know not only what's happening here, but also whether you're safe."

"Y-yes, Mr. Detective..."

At his words, Betty felt her heart begin pounding again. This famous detective was so handsome, gentle, and gentlemanly. He was exactly like the Prince Charming of her dreams!

"Just send it to this address using the post office's express service."

As he spoke, Li Wei took out a business card and handed it to her. He had already paid for a year of express delivery service at the post office. Thanks to the pressurized pipes used to transport parcels and letters, mail delivery within Fog City was actually quite fast, generally arriving the next day. Express mail, however, arrived the same day. Simply put, when Betty took her letter to the post office, the staff would see the address and add it to the express delivery list.

A postal worker would then take the letter straight to the sorting box at the back of the post office and send it through the pipes to the post office in Li Wei's neighborhood. A second transmission would deliver it directly to his home.

Of course, this service was expensive, but for Li Wei, information and time were a detective's lifeblood.

Ordinary mail was cheap, certainly, but if someone was already dead by the time the letter arrived, what good would it do?

"Remember, don't actively ask around. Just tell me what happens at school each day. Even if you encounter something strange, you absolutely must not investigate it. Understood?"

Li Wei reminded her once more. In his experience, unless he explicitly said so, the other person would most likely take it upon themselves to do something they should not.

"This is a very serious and dangerous matter, not a game."

"Y-yes, Mr. Detective."

Seeing his gentle, warm smile give way to a solemn expression, Betty grew nervous too. She nodded hastily, reached out to accept the business card, and carefully tucked it into her purse.

"Very good."

Seeing Betty nod obediently, Li Wei smiled slightly.

"This is a secret between the two of us. Don't tell anyone else."

"A-all right..."

With her answer, Li Wei gave her a slight bow, then turned and left. Betty watched him go, remaining silent for a long time.

After a day of investigation, Li Wei returned to the Clock Tower. As expected, Katie was there. He told her the results of his investigation at the Royal Academy of Medicine, and when he described the woman he suspected of being the murderer in detail, Katie's eyes immediately lit up.

"A pretty lady? How pretty?"

Betty asked the same thing. Women...

"I don't know. The people I asked couldn't tell me either. They couldn't even describe her hair color or clothing. All they knew was that she was a pretty lady. That really is rather strange."

"So the murderer is a vampire? The legends are true? Anyone she bites becomes a vampire too?"

"Who knows..."

Li Wei sighed again. After all, these were myths and legends. Who knew whether they actually matched reality?

"Ring, ring..."

Just then, the Telephone rang. Li Wei set down his teacup, walked over, and picked up the receiver.

Officer Fletcher's panicked voice came through.

"Is that Mr. Li Wei?"

"Yes. What's wrong?"

"We have a bit of trouble... Edwards's body has disappeared!"

"...Hmm?"

Li Wei frowned, while Officer Fletcher hurried on at the other end of the line.

"We were planning to return Edwards's body to his relatives tomorrow, so we were conducting the final examination tonight. Everything was fine, but after we finished the examination, we went out to get the coffin. When we came back to put him inside, we found that the body was gone!"

"...Understood. I'll be right over."

Li Wei hung up and glanced at Katie, who was nibbling on a pastry. Noticing his gaze, she tilted her head slightly.

"What is it?"

"You called it. The body has disappeared."

Li Wei motioned for Erin to bring him his coat as he strode toward the Elevator.

"Huh? So he's turned into a vampire?"

Katie jumped to her feet, brimming with excitement.

"I don't know, but we'll find out when we get there!"

By the time Li Wei and Katie arrived at the Police Station by carriage, it was already late at night. Only a few staff members were on duty, and their calm expressions suggested that they had not noticed anything amiss. Li Wei nodded to the guard at the entrance, then led Katie inside. There, he saw Officer Fletcher pacing frantically around the lobby.

Only when he saw Li Wei arrive did Officer Fletcher breathe a sigh of relief. He hurried over to the two of them and gestured.

"Follow me."

As he spoke, Officer Fletcher quickly led them across the lobby to the Elevator on the other side. He pressed the button for the third basement level. Only after the Elevator doors closed did he speak again, his voice tense and uneasy.

"It's really strange. We have absolutely no idea why his body disappeared. By all rights, it should be impossible..."

"We? Who else is down there?"

"Coren, the forensic examiner..."

"Ding."

As they talked, the Elevator stopped. Its chain gate rattled open, and a bone-chilling wave of cold struck them, making even Katie shiver.

Under the pallid lights, there was not a single person in the corridor.

Only a long trail of blood stretched into its depths.

"...What..."

At the sight, Officer Fletcher's face turned deathly pale, while Li Wei reached out and tightened his grip on his pistol.