An unexpected answer

A few minutes later, seven or eight policemen rushed out.

Lorry had already left his original spot and blended into the crowd. The corner of his mouth twitched as he shot an irritated glance at the newsboy following the policemen.

Ruthless little brat... there goes your one soli... he thought spitefully, committing one policeman's face firmly to memory.

The man was tall and broad, with a square face that carried an innate air of authority, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a black mole the size of a fingernail at the corner of his mouth.

Inspector Gana... Lorry murmured silently, moving forward with the crowd. When the old man had mentioned this former colleague, he had casually described his appearance.

Evening soon arrived.

Inside the police station, office 16.

Inspector Gana closed the case file in his hands and leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh. Then he stood up, ready to finish work for the day.

He finished the tea on his desk, locked away the file, his service revolver, and his baton, straightened his uniform, and headed outside.

"Heading home already? Not joining us for a few drinks tonight?"

A colleague he knew greeted him with a smile in the corridor.

Inspector Gana shook his head slightly.

"Next time.

"I haven't been in the mood lately."

His colleague reached out and patted Inspector Gana's shoulder, offering consolation in a subdued voice.

"Come on, Gana. I know you and old Perry were close, but what's done is done. We can't let the dead drag down the living.

"The chief has his own difficulties, too. Besides, he promised he'd do what he could to restore old Perry's reputation once this is over. Go apologize to him in a few days. For old Perry's sake, I don't think he'll keep making things difficult for you."

"Yes, I understand." Inspector Gana forced a faint smile. "Tomorrow-no, in a few days, once this week's pay comes in. I'll buy you a drink."

He said goodbye to his colleague and continued outside, exchanging a few pleasantries with people he met along the way until he stepped through the police station's front entrance.

Only then did his forced smile fade, leaving his eyes dark and brooding.

Night fell, and crimson moonlight spilled over the earth.

Under the glow of the gas streetlamps and the red moon, Inspector Gana headed home, soon reaching a relatively quiet street.

He took out his key and was about to open the door when he suddenly felt something cold against his throat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dagger. At the same time, a low voice sounded behind him.

"Keep unlocking it. Don't stop. I know you live alone."

Inspector Gana's heart tightened. He regretted not bringing his service revolver and baton-even though doing so would technically have violated regulations.

"Young man, I'm a policeman. Do you know what you're doing?

"You're challenging the kingdom's Police Headquarters!"

The voice behind him spoke again. "Please do as I say, officer."

"All right." After a few seconds of silence, Inspector Gana slowly uttered those words. He took the key from his pocket, slipped it into the lock, and gently turned it.

Click.

He pushed the door open, and the person behind him followed him inside.

"Young man, what exactly do you want? Money? Revenge? The money's in the bedroom cabinet. As for revenge, I don't remember hearing your voice before. I don't think I'm the one who put you in prison."

Inspector Gana spoke slowly, discreetly scanning his surroundings for anything he could use as a weapon. His body tensed as he searched for a chance to fight back.

But the moment he finished speaking, something entirely unexpected happened.

His captor chuckled. "Inspector Gana, I'm sorry to meet you this way. To be honest, I've been unsure whether I can trust you."

"But I trust that old man. He said you were his old partner, a good friend, and someone worth trusting. So I decided to take a gamble."

Still steeped in confusion, Inspector Gana suddenly felt the coldness at his throat disappear. The other man had released him!

He lunged several steps forward, then turned to look back.

A face he had never seen in person yet knew all too well came into view. Inspector Gana's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open in astonishment. "You?!"

He had never expected his captor to be Lorry-the fugitive wanted in the Koyar Village case!

Inspector Gana frowned deeply. "I've read the crime scene examination records. I know you had nothing to do with that old fellow's death. But you must realize how bad your situation is right now, and you still dared to stay in Backlund..."

Before he finished, he suddenly recalled a case shared by another police station that day. His body involuntarily tensed, and he said gravely, "A couple of days ago, a gang boss named Cyril disappeared in the East Borough."

"That was me." Lorry toyed with the Serrated Dagger as he calmly explained why. "Glowa went to Koyar Village on his orders."

"Consider that a gesture of good faith for this meeting." He pulled out a chair and sat down, then pointed at the nearby sofa without the slightest regard for his status as a guest.

"Let's sit down and talk, Inspector Gana."

"To be frank, I took the risk of coming here because of the Koyar Village case.

"The scene that day should have made it obvious that Glowa and his men killed first. I killed them both to protect myself and to avenge that old man.

"What happened afterward? Why did I become a wanted man?"

Inspector Gana dropped onto the sofa and sighed bitterly. "Someone powerful intervened in the case. The Koyar Village incident was classified as a clash between two gangs, with you as the sole survivor."

"A gang clash... heh." Lorry sneered. "You're a policeman, too. You just stood by and watched your former partner get slandered?"

Anger flared across Inspector Gana's face, but quickly faded.

His arms hung limply against the sofa as he snapped in a low voice.

"I've been a policeman for over a decade, and I'm still only a sergeant. I'm not even a probationary inspector. What do you think I can do?

"Protest to the chief? I did!

"He pointed right at my nose and cursed me out. I nearly lost the uniform on my back!

"I've finally seen it clearly. Sergeant or inspector, all we can do is throw our weight around in front of ordinary people. To the real nobles, we're no different from ants on the ground!

"Young man, I can't help you with this. But since you avenged that old fellow, I won't report you, either.

"You'd better leave Backlund as soon as possible. The farther away, the better."

"How can I leave when this isn't over?" Lorry shook his head with a derisive smile and tapped

the chair's armrest, saying gravely, "Inspector Gana, I know you have your own difficulties. I didn't come here today to mock you."

"I want to know whether the powerful person you mentioned is Baron Percival."

"Baron Percival?" Inspector Gana paused, then shook his head. "I only know someone intervened. I don't know who pulled the strings."

"But I do know of that baron. His family received their title during the Oathbreaking War. They were once among the kingdom's foremost nobles and important members of the Conservative Party."

"Even after declining generation after generation until only a barony remained, they still wield considerable influence in the kingdom thanks to their backing from the Conservative Party."

At this point, he suddenly seemed to remember something and said with certainty, "No, it couldn't have been Baron Percival."

"The chief's political allegiance is to the New Party!"