Arthur looked at his partner, who had absolute confidence in him, with decidedly mixed feelings.
In the end, a thousand words boiled down to a single sigh-
You really are too kind.
"It wasn't a ghost."
Arthur spoke with absolute certainty.
Then he walked from where the carriage stood toward Fountain Square, bent down, and touched the still-damp ground.
Cold.
A cold that didn't belong in this season.
Arthur immediately understood.
Then he continued searching, still bent over.
A few minutes later, he raised a hand to beckon Maltz over.
"Is this... ice?!"
Following Arthur's pointing finger, Maltz spotted a few tiny crystals that were still melting, and froze.
Then the chief looked at the carriage, then toward Fountain Square, and blurted out,
"They paved the road with ice!
What a cunning bastard!"
The patrol officers exchanged looks, their faces filled with surprise.
Until then, none of them had thought of paving a road with ice.
It was already autumn, and after last night's downpour, the temperature in South Los had dropped rapidly. A road paved with ice could last quite a while. Once the sun rose and the temperature climbed, the ice would melt, leaving no one any the wiser!
Without realizing it, the patrol officers cast admiring looks at their consultant.
Whoever had come up with that trick was impressive.
But their consultant had seen through it at a glance, which clearly made him even more impressive.
Under everyone's gaze, Arthur remained composed. To someone standing on the shoulders of giants, this was truly routine. He didn't think it warranted any attention.
Yet that calm, unconcerned demeanor only made the patrol officers admire him more.
If they had uncovered a trick like this, they would have shouted in excitement, eager to let the whole world know.
But what