Mystery: Start with the Reader

"Who are you going to track down?" Xio always felt that he owed Abner favors, so he was extremely eager to hear that the other party needed help.

"It's a gentleman who runs a clothing store. His behavior has been a little strange recently..." Abner briefly introduced Grant's situation.

After listening carefully, Xio said thoughtfully: "It's really not like having an affair, but it might be doing something dangerous, and I don't want to implicate my family." She is very experienced in this, and every time she recites She was always sneaky like this when she led Forsi to Mang Yibo.

Hugh's guess is also in line with Abner's judgment. He is so concerned about this matter not only because he agreed to Jane's entrustment, but also because he is afraid that the danger that Mr. Grant may bring will threaten Jane's safety.

"I've accepted this request. Don't worry, I'll investigate the matter tonight." Xio felt that with her ability and experience, following an ordinary person would not be a big problem.

"Thank you!" Abner thanked, then took out a brass charm from his bosom and handed it to Xio, saying, "You should also be careful, try to follow and observe, and don't put yourself in danger! In addition, this It is the 'Words of Chaos' spell, and the opening spell is the 'Blue Star' in the ancient Hermes script, which can make the victim's brain confused for a second or two. You can take it for self-defense." After sending this one out, Ai Buner only had the last brass charm in his hand, but the effect of 'Words of Confusion' was more suitable for surprise, and one was enough.

Xio nodded, and silently accepted the spell. Now she is not being polite to Abner anymore, she just thinks that if she can't use it, she will return the spell to the other party another day.

After having breakfast together, Abner and Hugh waved goodbye, and then took the subway to the Jorwood area. His goal was several public libraries in the area. As a "reader", not only must learn the knowledge of mysticism, but also the history, politics, literature, etc. of ordinary people in this world, so that they can digest the potion more quickly.

"Quotations of Emperor Roselle", "Life Records of Intis Consul", "Secret History of Julius Caesar"...Looking at the rows of 'history' created by the senior 'traveler' on the bookshelf, Abner He stroked his forehead helplessly. What should he say? Is it admiration that Russell's coffee rank is high enough, even after more than a hundred years, it is still popular?

However, these are obviously part of the 'knowledge' of this world, so you should read them.

...

The reading time always passed quickly, and it was already one o'clock in the afternoon when Abner came out of the library. He bought a Dixie pie to fill his stomach, and rushed to the teacher's house to prepare for the afternoon study.

As a result, as soon as he walked to the door of the teacher's house, he saw Detective Essinger Stanton coming out of the house fully dressed.

"It's just in time for you to come back. There is a case in Severas Field that needs my assistance. Come and be my assistant. I will also guide you how to investigate the case." Detective Essinger directed the servants to arrange the carriage, while Commanded Abner.

Abner was also very interested in this, so he nodded and said, "Okay, teacher."

The two sat in the carriage prepared by the servant and drove all the way to the police station in Jowood District.

On the way, Detective Essinger told Abner about the case they needed assistance: "I don't know the specific situation, I just heard that there have been several cases of missing persons in the Jowood area since last week. The sheriff led a search for a week, but found nothing."

It's all so detailed and still not clear about the specific situation? There must be your old informant at the police station, right? ! The corners of Abner's eyes twitched when he heard this, and he firmly believed in the rumor that his teacher was "very influential" in the Sivelas field.

After arriving at the Jowood District Police Station, Sergeant Farthing, who wore a black and white checkered uniform with three Vs on his shoulders, personally received the two and let them into his own office.

"Mr. Stanton, I'm going to trouble you again this time!" The sheriff with a short brown beard under his chin said respectfully to Detective Essinger.

"You're welcome, aren't we old acquaintances?" Detective Essinger waved his hands with a smile, and then asked, "Did you bring the case file?"

"Yes, they are all here!" Farthing replied, pointing to the paper bags stacked nearly half a meter on the table.

"I will borrow your office to look at these files first, and then I will go to the possible scene to investigate. You should send someone to arrange it first." Detective Essinger commanded ably.

"Okay, I'm very happy to assist you, and I hope you can bring those missing people home safely as soon as possible." Sergeant Farthing replied without any displeasure.

After the sheriff went out to arrange work, Essinger saw that his student was still a little dazed, so he asked, "What are you thinking?"

"As a police chief, why does he obey you so much?" Abner asked in puzzlement. Even the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Scotland Yard is not so harmonious, is it?

"Oh, because his immediate superior and I are also 'old friends'!" Detective Essinger chuckled lightly and said meaningfully.

Only then did Abner suddenly realize that before he could continue asking, he saw the teacher throw a stack of files at him, and heard the other party say: "Please tell me the age, gender, hobbies, missing time, and scope of activities of the missing persons in these files. And social circles are listed, and then see if you find anything."

Seeing that the teacher had already entered the working state, Abner also hurriedly opened the file, and began to organize and analyze while recording.

After more than an hour, Abner looked at the information about the characters listed in his notebook, quietly opened his pure white eyes, and then fell into deep thought. After a while, he looked up at the teacher and said, "Teacher, the missing 11 people should not be the work of a group of people!"

"Oh? Did you see it?" Detective Essinger was a little surprised. He was impressed by the student's logical thinking ability, but he didn't know that the other party "cheated". He smiled and took a puff on his pipe, and said: "You guessed it right. Six of these 11 cases are very weird, almost unrelated and similar, but the missing ones are the most thorough. I think it was a group of people. Yes. Of the other 5 cases, three should have been committed by human traffickers or people serving them, just like the member of the Gnosis Society who attacked Miss Hugh before. These three cases were because I had previously reported that there were cultists in the Church of Steam They pay more attention to the matter of human trafficking, and this file has already concealed that they have launched an investigation, so we don't have to worry about it anymore."

"The last two cases have relatively clear clues?" Abner had already analyzed some clues in the state of pure white eyes, but because of the short time and lack of experience, he was still no match for the seasoned detective Essinger.

"Yes, and they are two separate cases." Detective Essinger stood up at this point, and then continued, "You will go to the scene to investigate these two cases... I will investigate the six clueless ones." .”

"Okay, teacher!" Abner was also a little eager to try, he found that he liked the feeling of investigating and solving crimes, at least it was much better than reading "Quotations of Emperor Roselle".

Sheriff Farthing had already arranged for the police officers on duty to wait, although those police officers were obviously not friendly to private detectives.

Looking at the low-level police officer with only a V on his shoulders, Abner said politely, "Mr. Atris, please take me to Grave Street."

The police officer named Ai Tris curled her lips in displeasure, and said, "I hope you can find something, Mr. Detective!"

...

Abner's first destination was No. 17 in Grave, which was a standard garden house in which Mr. Heidi, his wife and their two children lived.

The missing person is Mr. Heidi's youngest son, fifteen years old this year, who disappeared on Wednesday, that is, yesterday afternoon. According to Mr. Heidi's eldest daughter, Miss Rachel, who happened to be practicing piano at home at the time, said that Mr. Heidi's friend called him outside the garden at that time, so Mr. Heidi went out, but he never returned. The maid hired by the family said that she didn't hear anyone calling him before Mr. Heidi went out, but she definitely didn't have anyone knock on the door, because she stayed in the servant's room not far from the door all afternoon. .

Recalling the description in the dossier, Abner looked at this bungalow with a garden area that was definitely not small, and couldn't help but sighed, and said to Ai Triss beside him: "Won't you conduct a practical drill when you investigate the case?"

"What do you mean?" Alice asked blankly.

"Then is your voice loud?" Abner asked again.

"It's not small... But what does it have to do with investigating the case?" Ai Triss was still very puzzled.

"Hehe, can you stand here and call Mr. Little Heidi, and let Miss Rachel, who lives in the room on the other side of the house and is surrounded by beautiful music, hear his brother's name?" Abner raised a Simple example. This is difficult to do unless you are a superhuman.

"Ah, you're saying Miss Rachel is lying?!" Actress finally realized, but he immediately frowned and said, "But why did Miss Rachel do that? She has no motive..."

"It's not necessarily that she wants to do that, maybe someone wants her to do that. For example, her younger brother, Mr. Heidi." When Abner read the file, he felt that the missing person was the most suspicious , because he actually brought a lot of money and necessities with him before he disappeared, did he know what he was going to do? After coming here, it is even more certain that he made a 'friend' out of nothing.

"Mr. Little Heidi?! What do you mean? Could it be that he kidnapped himself?" Ai Triss felt that her brain was not enough.

People in this era don't have enough imagination... Thinking of this, Abner chuckled lightly and said, "Why not? It's written in the file that this little Mr. Heidi is keen on collecting beautiful people." My model, recently he took a fancy to a master's work, but unfortunately he doesn't have enough pocket money!" Just like a certain vampire 'Moon' in the future.