West District, Edward Street, No. 6.
Iconsul Bernard pressed his black top hat, pointed at the door of the house behind the fountain pool, and said to Klein, Isengard, and
When he mentioned the mirror, he paused significantly. Klein could hear the strain in Iconsul's voice and felt a bit of sympathy for him.
"Is it the owner of this house?" Cassandra asked, almost certain.
"Yes, a portrait of the house's owner can confirm some things. Ah, he never takes photographs," Iconsul replied frankly. "Also, neighbors have reported seeing a large black dog in the area, many times."
"That essentially confirms the target is the 'Apostle of Desire'." At that, Isengard suddenly laughed. "Sorry, we're too impatient. We didn't give you a chance to introduce the suspect."
Iconsul walked around the fountain pool toward the front door, speaking quickly: "The owner of this house is Patrick
"In his social class, he employs far too few servants. Every time he hosts a dinner or dance, he needs to hire temporary waiters from the 'Metropolitan Society for Helping Family Servants'. His explanation is that he has sleep problems and too many servants would disrupt the quiet he needs."
"It seems he has many secrets to hide, so he dares not hire too many servants," Isengard said half-jokingly.
Klein, who hadn't hired any servants at all, said with a hint of guilt: "Perhaps it's just that his financial situation isn't as good as everyone thinks."
"Yes, that's a factor we can't rule out," Isengard said as he stepped up to the front door.
Iconsul glanced at Klein, seeming to realize something. "You don't hire servants, only letting the landlady's maid do temporary cleaning twice a week, just to hide the secret that you're a Beyonder?"
Among all my secrets, that's the smallest one... Klein forced a bitter smile. "Yes."
As he spoke, Iconsul pushed open the front door, and an indescribable stench wafted out.
"The smell of decay..." Isengard instantly judged.
Iconsul called over a member of the "Machinery of Hearts" team: "Carlsen, any findings?"
The Beyonder named Carlsen, wearing thick-lensed glasses, said with a complex expression: "We found many bodies here.
"In the concrete of the basement, in the thick walls, in the overgrown gardens, there are bodies hidden everywhere. The earliest might date back ten years, and the latest are servants who were alive just a few days ago.
"Some are nothing but bones, others have only just begun to rot. Deacon, this place is like a human slaughterhouse!"
As he spoke, members of the "Machinery of Hearts" and carefully selected police officers carried out body after body.
Some bodies were completely dismembered, with tongues, fingers, stomachs, eyes, etc., haphazardly arranged. Others were just piles of bones.
"It looks like many of
Klein saw a nearly trailing intestine, exhaled, and turned to examine the house's surroundings.
Carlsen of the "Machinery of Hearts" muttered a few more words: "Jason paid his servants high wages and gave them many holidays. The neighbors' servants were all envious... Jason's cook had promised his child that he would go home this week and take him to the circus to watch a show..."
"Truly a demon..." Cassandra said with slight emotion.
Klein looked around, restrained his emotions, and asked seriously, "Why is the house's furnishings so simple?
"As a banker, even if his bank is small, Jason should have precious porcelain, excellent paintings, luxurious wall clocks, and various items made of fine silk. Why don't I see these? Hmm, the wood of his furniture is still good."
Carlsen glanced at Deacon Iconsul, and after receiving a nod of approval, he said, "It's clear that Jason planned this revenge for a long time. He gradually sold off the valuable but inconspicuous items in the room, and even agreed to the Bavatte Bank's acquisition of his property."