" Madam Shermane?" Dunn clearly recognized the widow of Baron Hoy, the most famous socialite in Tingen City.
Congressman Maynard's wife glanced sideways at the thin woman who had accompanied her to Blackthorn Security Company, but did not speak.
The slender woman, also dressed in a black dress and hat, hesitated for a moment before speaking:
"Yes, Madam Shermane, the wife of the late Baron Hoy, she, she..."
After stammering for a few seconds, the thin woman suddenly blurted out angrily:
"She's a bitch!"
Upon hearing this profanity, Klein suddenly recalled the "dirty video" he had seen and Madam Shermane's seemingly timid yet actually calm demeanor at the time. This made him somewhat certain of the related rumors, and he silently sympathized with the deceased old Baron.
It's not that Madam Shermane can't remarry, but this kind of promiscuous behavior... sigh, the old Baron's grave is probably covered in green grass...
Dunn, without changing his expression, sat down on the opposite sofa and said in a mellow voice:
But that has nothing to do with whether she's Criminal or not.
"You know, and I know, that Madam Shermane has a lot of influence in Tingen City. Following or monitoring her rashly could easily lead to unsolvable problems and very serious consequences."
"She's Criminal!" the thin woman said angrily. "She caused my brother's death, but her lovers put a lot of pressure on the police department, forcing them to conclude that my brother died suddenly due to excessive drinking and continuous indulgence in sex. They, they are all Criminal!"
Those... Klein felt another second of sympathy for the old Baron, and then figured out the frail lady's identity: she was Senator Maynard's sister.
That's true. They certainly wouldn't bring maids up for something involving such a scandal. It's safer to leave it to their own family... He nodded in realization.
Mrs. Maynard patted the thin lady's hand and added in a low, cold voice:
"She's Criminal!"
"If you suffer any harm as a result, I will help you resolve the issue and compensate you for your losses."
That tone... no wonder she's the daughter of New Party bigwig... If the police hadn't been so confident in the results of my Spirit Channeling, they probably would have succumbed to her pressure... Klein thought to himself.
Dunn remained silent for over ten seconds before saying:
"Okay... I have one more question. You seem very confident that we can find out something?"
The thin woman nodded and said:
"We were introduced by tobacco merchant Vickroy. He praised you as the top elites in the industry, capable of accomplishing tasks that others cannot."
Tobacco merchant Vickroy... Who is this? Klein subconsciously looked at the captain, only to find that Dunn Smith also looked puzzled.
"I was so stupid. Why did I expect the captain to remember something like this... After all, I don't even remember it myself..." He sighed inwardly.
Seeing the two elite "mercenaries'" puzzled expressions, the thin woman added:
"You rescued his kidnapped son."
So it was him... That kidnapping case led me to the clues in the Antigonus Family Notebook... Klein suddenly realized.
Dunn nodded slightly in agreement.
"I see."
Seeing this, the thin woman set out her terms:
"You will follow and monitor that bitch for two weeks. Even if you can't find evidence of her crimes, you must Record who visits her house and whose house she visits. We will pay you 50 gold pounds for this."
"And if you can find evidence or clues that she committed a crime, we will pay an additional £200."
This is a huge commission fee... Klein suddenly felt ashamed when he thought that he had only spent 7 pounds to get Detective Henry to collect so much information on Red Chimney Houses.
Dunn thought for a moment and said:
"No problem, we can sign the contract now."
You need to prepay £20.
Captain, we're short-handed lately, with that big case involving Lanarvus... Klein hadn't expected Dunn Smith to agree to this mission, although he himself was quite tempted.
Mrs. Maynard nodded slightly and said:
"No problem."
"I believe in you, and please don't let me down."
Dunn smiled but didn't speak, then turned to Rozanne and said:
Go and draft a contract.
After the contract was signed and the deposit was accepted, Dunn watched Mrs. Maynard and the thin lady leave Blackthorn Security Company, then turned to Klein and said:
"This task is entrusted to you."
"Huh?" Klein looked completely bewildered.
Dunn smiled and said:
"Weren't you looking to learn tracking and surveillance techniques? This is a great opportunity for practice, especially since your part in the Lanarvus case has just ended."
"Okay..." Klein did not refuse.
As soon as he agreed, his mind started racing:
According to the rules, half of the mission reward must be given to Mrs. Orianna and the team's treasury, with the remainder to be divided equally among the participating team members. However, it seems that I'm the only one who has taken on this mission...
Regardless of whether the investigation is successful or not, there is a guaranteed income of £25, and you will continue to receive your regular salary... If you do find some clues, you can earn a full £125!
The captain was very wise!
Dunn glanced at him and said:
"You spent the morning learning tracking and surveillance techniques from Leonard and Frye. Your afternoon combat training is suspended for the rest of the week. Hmm... I think you've grasped it pretty well. I'll send someone to inform Gawain."
Learning tracking and surveillance techniques from Leonard and Frye? That seems a bit far-fetched... Klein paused, thinking that the only method Leonard would use was to play the Feynapotter, recite beautiful poetry, seduce Madam Shermane into bed, and then closely track and monitor her. But Frye's demeanor was very peculiar—cold and gloomy—making him a target of attention wherever he went. How could someone like that be tracked and monitored?
After much deliberation, Klein answered earnestly:
"OK."
Dunn nodded slightly and walked towards the partition. Suddenly, he stopped, turned around, hesitated for a moment, and said:
"Do you remember that tobacco merchant? What was the kidnapping case about?"
... So, Captain, you didn't remember anything, you didn't understand anything... How could you act so calm and confident! Klein covered his face with his hand.
Following Leonard's instructions, Klein didn't rush to follow Madam Shermane, even though he knew perfectly well that she lived on Olsna Street in the East Borough.
"It's very easy to run into problems if you follow a target rashly before you understand their patterns of action, and it's difficult for a single person to observe everything unless you stop eating, drinking, sleeping, and going home." These were Leonard's exact words. So, following his instructions, Klein went to the Hound Tavern, found a gang leader, and paid him 5 pounds to have his men take turns monitoring Madam Shermane and Record her daily activities.
Thankfully, this is reimbursable... It feels like there are layers of subcontracting... On Friday afternoon, Klein received the investigation report provided by the gang leader.
This was supposed to be an investigation report? It was clearly an insult to professional private Detective. None of the gang leader's men knew any words; they relied entirely on pictures and symbols. Then, their semi-literate leader, who had only attended Sunday school for a year, compiled and explained it. Klein's head throbbed as he read it, and it took him a long time to finish.
"According to the surveillance footage, Madam Shermane has rarely gone out recently, and she has also had very few guests... It must be due to the death of Councilor Maynard... Those gang members are quite capable, they've even managed to get in touch with Madam Shermane's maid... Hmm, she's going to a Conservative Party banquet in the city tonight, she might come home very late, or she might not come home at all... This is an opportunity to put her plan into action." Klein quickly made a decision, intending to sneak into Madam Shermane's house tonight and quietly search it.
With the conclusion of his part in the Lanarvus case, the suspension of the combat training, and the end of the " Admiral Hurricane " Qilangos incident, Klein only had two things to do recently: inspecting the Red Chimney House and tracking and monitoring Madam Shermane, so he was relatively free.
Two days ago, he received a reply from Mr. Azik, which contained only one sentence:
"I received ' Creeping Hunger,' and I remembered some things."
This finally confirmed to Klein that Mr. Qilangos had killed Azik, and that the long-lived amnesiac instructor was a High-Sequence powerhouse. However, he didn't dare ask what the other had remembered through " Creeping Hunger," because Azik clearly didn't want to say that if he were willing to share, he would have described it directly in the letter.
In his reply, Klein offered only greetings and a reminder to Mr. Azik that the " Creeping Hunger " would crave the flesh and soul of the living, and that a safe way to seal it must be found.
Furthermore, " Justice " and " The Hanged Man " still hadn't made any requests of him, but Klein was no longer worried, understanding that the two members were concerned about potential surveillance and wouldn't rashly recite their titles.
On the night of Olsna Street, gas lamps illuminated the flat road, Crimson Moon hung high in the sky.
Klein, who had sneaked out, used " The Clown's" balance and agility to silently scale the wall of Madam Shermane's house.
He walked through the garden to the side of the house, climbed the water pipe, and slipped into the second-floor balcony.
For Klein, who had never succeeded in climbing a tree as a child, this was a unique way of making history.
Klein pulled a tarot card from the pocket of his black trench coat, inserted it into the crack of the balcony door, and gently flicked it to open the latch.
"The servants are so careless... they didn't even add an extra lock, otherwise I would have had to try climbing through the window..." Klein muttered silently, then slipped into the house.
Based on the information provided by the gang leader, he easily located Madam Shermane's bedroom, turned the handle, and deftly slipped inside.
As he carefully closed the door, he suddenly smelled a faint, alluring fragrance, reminiscent of a woman's scent that aroused the blood.
Klein was momentarily dazed, and even felt a slight reaction in his body.
He quickly calmed himself down through Cogitation, and muttered to himself:
"Is this some kind of aphrodisiac being used as incense?"