The courtesan

"What?" Charlie couldn't believe his ears.

Lumian was equally surprised and cast a glance at Charlie.

He felt that Charlie had no motive to murder Mrs. Alice. After all, as long as the other party was alive, Charlie could get 500 Felkine every month for the next six months. According to some magazines and newspapers, this was close to Doctor The monthly salary of, Lawyer, mid-level civil servants (section chief level), senior middle school teachers, senior engineers, Deputy Police Superintendent, is a very considerable amount of wealth for a person who almost starved to death before and now can only work as a trainee Waiter.

Seeing the two companions walking upstairs, the police officer who handcuffed Charlie simply explained, "This morning, Mrs. Alice was found dead in White Swan Hotel's room, and according to many witnesses, you slept there last night and didn't leave until nearly midnight."

Charlie is scared and confused:

"How could it be, how could she die..."

After muttering to himself, he suddenly looked at the police officer and said urgently, "She was still alive when I left, really! I swear to Saint Viève!"

The police officer said in a deep voice, "According to preliminary Autopsy Report, Mrs. Alice's death time was between 11 o'clock last night and 1 o'clock in the morning, and except for you and Mrs. Alice, there are no traces left by anyone else there."

Maybe the others are not human? Lumian thought of Montsouris Ghosts and couldn't help but sneered.

If he didn't lack enough disguise and didn't want to attract the attention of the police detectives, he would definitely say it directly.

"Impossible, damn, this is impossible!" Charlie shouted loudly with his eyes widened.

At this moment, a Police who had quietly left just now came down from the fifth floor, wearing a White Gloves on his left palm and holding a Diamond Necklace that was flowing with brilliance.

"I found this!" he said to the leading police officer.

The police officer nodded, stopped explaining to Charlie, looked at him, and said seriously, "Charlie Corrente, you will be arrested for a murder case. You have the right to remain silent, but everything you say will become evidence in court."

"I didn't! Did you hear that? I didn't!" Charlie screamed, struggling with all his strength.

This had no effect, he was carried away from "Golden Rooster Inn" by two Police.

At this time, several tenants had heard the sound and came to the stairs and saw this scene.

This includes Gabriel, who seems to have just stayed up late to finish the manuscript.

"Do you think it was Charlie who did it?" Lumian looked at the corridor where there was no one left, and asked Playwright who was standing next to him thoughtfully.

Gabriel came out early and roughly understood what happened to Charlie.

He shook his head and said, "I don't believe it was Charlie who did it. He is not a good person, but he is not a bad person either."

"Why do you say that?" Lumian asked, turning his head.

Gabriel pushed Black-Rimmed Glasses on the bridge of his nose:

"He was defrauded of money before and almost starved to death, but he never thought of stealing items from our neighbors.

"This shows that he either has his own principles and bottom line, or is very afraid of the law, and no matter which possibility is enough, it is enough to prove that he will not murder Mrs. That One."

Lumian nodded first, then chuckled:

"But people are impulsive and can change."

After saying that, he went up the stairs step by step and reached the fifth floor.

This is the top floor of "Golden Rooster Inn". The ceiling above has large areas of marks that were wetted and dried by water. It seems that water will seep in when it rains heavily.

Lumian walked to the door of room 504 where Charlie lived, took out the small piece of wire he carried with him, and opened Wooden Door.

Charlie's suitcase, Bed and Wooden Table were all turned over by the two Police before. Various items were placed in a mess, but their number was quite limited.

--When I was drinking and chatting with Charlie at Basement Bar, Lumian heard him mention that when he was unemployed, he went to a pawn shop to mortgage his only formal suit and mortgaged a lot of things, but he has not been able to redeem it until now.

Stepping inside, as his eyes moved slowly, Lumian suddenly saw a portrait.

It is posted on the wall opposite Bed, depicting a Women wearing green Long Dress.

That Women looks like he is in his mid-twenties, with brown-red hair, Eyes green hair, rosy lips, delicate face, and elegant temperament.

Lumian was stunned for a moment, feeling that the woman in the painting looked very familiar.

He knew that this should be the famous prostitute Suzanne Matisse who was mistaken for Saint Viève by Charlie.

But he had never seen this woman before, so there was no reason for him to think she looked familiar.

After pondering for a while, Lumian suddenly remembered something.

When he jumped Summoning Dance in Room 207 some time ago, he attracted a translucent figure that was obviously stronger than other creatures.

That figure is also Women, very similar to Suzanne Matisse in the portrait, except that one has green hair, and the other has brown hair, one is long enough to cover the naked body, and the other can only be styled in a normal bun.

Also, that figure is more Fascination, as if it can directly arouse the hidden desires in everyone's heart, while Suzanne Matisse's portrait does not make Lumian excited.

"Has random prayer caused problems?" Lumian nodded slightly.

In the past, he would not have thought there was anything wrong with what Charlie did at that time - if he really could avoid the fate of starving to death, let alone thinking that she was the patron angel of Trier, even if he knew she was a prostitute, he would pray sincerely.

And now, through Aurora's Witchcraft Notes, after having a certain understanding of the twenty-two Divine Pathway entry Sequence, sacrificial taboos and related Mysticism knowledge, Lumian knows that sometimes, praying indiscriminately is a very dangerous thing.

After checking for a while, he left room 504, took Carbide Lamp, went to Market Avenue and took Public Carriage to Observatory District.

Entering Underground, on the way to the area where Aosta and special Roul usually appeared, Lumian looked at the darkness behind Stone Pillars from time to time.

In response, he laughed at himself and said, "You won't meet Montsouris Ghosts again, right?"

If this is the case, he has to consider whether there is a special connection between Montsouris Ghosts and something in him, or whether Corruption of That One is sealed, but it has indirectly changed his "Zodiac", making his luck extremely bad.

Fortunately, Lumian's worries did not come true. He successfully saw the bonfire and Aosta·Special Roul sitting under Stone Pillars.

The man wearing Hood and Black Robe glanced at Lumian and smiled from the bottom of his heart:

"Mr. K allows you to attend our Occult Gathering, every two weeks Wednesday at nine o'clock in the evening."

Aosta's eyes were extremely sincere, as if he was saying it was time to give him money.

The day after tomorrow at nine o'clock in the evening...Lumian smiled and nodded:

"Where is the party?"

"You come to my place to find me an hour early and I will take you Past." Aosta replied without hesitation.

Lumian said "hmm":

"I'll pay you the balance then."

"Okay." Aosta Although a little disappointed, it's still acceptable.

Lumian asked instead, "What should I pay attention to when attending that party?"

"Cover your face and conceal your identity." Aosta said with experience, "You don't want other Participant to be caught by the authorities and turn you in, right? Except Mr. K can control everything, no one else can."

Lumian laughed:

"You have seen my face and know my identity. After the first party, should I consider burying you in some corner of Underground Trier?"

Aosta shuddered instinctively, forced a smile and said, "You are so funny."

"But I don't know who you are, where you live, or what you do. Besides, your current appearance shouldn't be the most realistic."

After scaring the other party and having fun, Lumian found a rock to sit down, enjoying the warmth brought by the campfire, and asked casually, "Have you heard of Suzanne Matisse?"

"I know." Aosta replied a little excitedly, "For a while, she was my dream girl, and I bought a lot of posters and postcards with her photos on them. In the past few years, she was the most famous prostitute in Trier, the kind who could attend high-society dinners, and many There have been scandals among many members of parliament, high-ranking officials and wealthy people, and it is said that she can earn hundreds of thousands of ferkin every year. However, in the past two or three years, she has not appeared much. Her position as a famous courtesan in Trier was taken away by 'Nana'. Hey, she may have become someone's regular mistress."

Hundreds of thousands Felkine? Lumian was a little surprised:

"A senior Courtesan earns more than most best-selling authors?"

"Isn't this normal?" Aosta had a weird expression on his face, "The senior Courtesan can sleep on the bed of Member of Parliament, Banker, and Senior Official, but the best-selling author can't."

Lumian said funny and self-deprecatingly, "That's right, Poet Baudelaire once said that there is no difference between a writer and a prostitute. The only difference is that one sells his mind and the other sells his body." (Note 1)

"I prefer the body." Aosta is quite honest.

Lumian asked again, "Then have you ever heard of the legend of Women Ghost. Her hair is turquoise, long enough to wrap around her body, and her facial features are very delicate. She can Fascination most men and arouse their desire."

"No." Aosta shook his head.

He then said with a longing look on his face, "If there really is such a Women Ghost, I would really like to meet it once."

Lumian stood up and laughed softly, "Then be prepared to come dozens of times a night and eventually die suddenly."

"..." Aosta's expression instantly froze on his face.

Three o'clock in the afternoon, Market Avenue 27, Honest Market District Police Headquarters.

Lumian, who spent nearly 300 Felkine to buy three sets of clothes of different grades, affordable Cosmetics, and other disguise props, appeared in the extremely noisy hall with people coming and going.

Some people were brought in, some were lucky enough to leave, some were arguing loudly, swearing, some were slamming the table and banging the stools...

Blond Hair Blond Hair was neatly combed back, with a straight nose Black-Rimmed Glasses, two beards on his mouth, and obviously white cheeks. Lumian was wearing a black formal suit, carrying a brown Briefcase, and walked towards a police officer Men who was in charge of the reception.

He stopped in front of the other party, raised his head slightly, and said very confidently, "I am Charlie·Public Defender of Corrente, and I want to see my client."

Note 1: I have the impression that Baudelaire said it, but I can't find the source for the moment. It may be said by someone else.