Chapter 396
Chapter 396
«I will leave you for a moment. Lady Elsa and I need to talk.» – Kyon got up, glaring at his sister.
«Couldn’t you find a better assistant, my friend?» – Lindia mumbled.
Kyon took a few steps towards the door and saw that his wretched sister hadn’t even budged! He repeated, emphasizing each word: «I said that… Lady Elsa and I… need to talk! Face to face!»
Elsa tch’ed and rolled her eyes but followed him out of the room.
«Are you trying to double-cross me?» – Kyon barked at her.
«I’m trying to solve the case. What’s your problem? Isn’t that why I am here?» – Elsa sounded hurt as if she was being wrongly accused.
«We had a deal! You help me with my investigation, and I solve ten “A” rank cases for you! I didn’t ask you to throw a spanner in the works!»
«I am helping you. We didn’t agree that I would indulge your every whim.» – Elsa retorted.
Kyon clenched his fists. He would achieve nothing if he did not insist: «If you think I am good for nothing, I have the same opinion about you! Alright, let’s take a different approach. If you don’t help me, then I won’t help you either.»
Elsa narrowed her eyes: «Actually, we had a deal. The Stones never break their words. Or maybe you are not a Stone?»
Kyon snorted in disdain: «A handshake seals a deal, which you refused to do! But I will keep my words if you help me with the investigation.»
Elsa glared at him for a couple of seconds and gave up: «Stubborn idiot. You’re such a nuisance!» – She headed for the guest room. The fat, stupid investigator only complicated things. Anyway, she will get to the truth no matter what. No obstacles, even so corpulent, wouldn’t stop her.
Kyon breathed a sigh of relief, put on his mask and followed his sister.
«Why is he still here?» – Lindia exclaimed indignantly.
«I am sorry, my friend, but he has to stay. He has unusual talents that might help me to conduct an investigation… You see, fate had to make up for his ugliness.» – Elsa assured her.
«Lady Elsa is telling you the truth.» – Kyon added. – «Otherwise, how could I become an investigator of the third rank at my age and with my cultivation? That’s it!»
Lindia looked at her friend, then at the masked freak, and finally gave in to their pressure: «Alright! But do it quick! The mere presence of this goblin spoils my mood… And I am pregnant! I can’t get upset!»
«Then let’s get started. Do you know anything that the department doesn’t know?» – Elsa asked calmly.
Lindia crossed her arms and mumbled: «No.»
«Do you remember anything that happened that night?»
«No! What a stupid question?» – Lindia sounded really offended.
{What extraordinary stupidity and tactlessness.} – Kyon thought with a grin. What was she going to achieve with these questions? Either his little sister was a fool, or she was deliberately trying to make Lindia angry. But what was the point? Did she want to fight? Or did she have some of Juno’s sadism?
«I am sorry, but it has to be this way. Do you love Stein?» – Elsa continued her interrogation.
«Of course I don’t! I am not going to answer your stupid questions!» – Lindia was already steaming.
The knight stood tall like a mountain between Elsa and his lady, making it clear that the guest would regret another insulting question.
«Andrew, don’t.» – Lindia asked. – «I am sure she means well.»
The knight stepped back, but his intent gaze was suffocating. His cultivation seemed to be at the beginning of the imperial phase. Damned monster.
«That’s it. Lady Elsa has asked enough questions.» – Kyon stepped in.
«I am not done yet!» – Elsa snapped, glaring at the fat freak.
«It’s your ugly assistant’s turn! I hope he will be more tactful.» – Lindia said, shaking her leg nervously.
«Thank you, my lady.» – Kyon said.
Elsa snorted and turned away. This stupid fat freak was wasting her time.
«How would you describe your condition in the morning after the party? Any head fog, dizziness, disorientation, tingling sensation in the back of the head? Give us as many details as possible. Every detail counts.»
«I’ve been asked this question five hundred times! I had common hangover symptoms! A headache, dizziness… In a word, as usual. Next question, please.» – Lindia blurted out impatiently.
«Did you feel groggy?» – Kyon asked.
«Yes… No… I don’t remember!»
«Numb fingertips? Goosebumps on the back of your head?»
«I don’t remember anything like that…»
While Dick Baker was asking questions, Elsa snorted contemptuously to herself: {He is a mediocrity, as expected… A failure of the Stone family! How did he become a high-ranking investigator? Did he kiss Milan’s enemy to death?}
Lovr asked Lindia another question, seeing she was running out of patience: «Did you have a feeling that your body didn’t obey you? As if it acted with a weird delay?»
«I don’t remember! Wait… Yes, I felt something like that!» – Lindia raised her eyebrows in surprise.
{Hm… Interesting.} – Kyon had just discovered a rare symptom of the Red Beetle Energy Tincture, a drug meant to pull a patient out of any abnormal condition with minimal side effects. Such drugs were used in various situations: to wake the patient up after giving them tranquilizers or sleeping pills, get rid of narcotic effects or enzyme intoxication, and much more.
There are dozens of cheaper and more effective analogs, but they were easy to detect. Kyon had read about the Red Beetle Energy Tincture in an ancient book in the Boston Library. This drug was so rare that no doctor in the empire would recognize it from the previously mentioned symptom.
Kyon was a step closer to solving this case.
«By the way, I often have this feeling… Is it because I am pregnant?» – Lindia asked, harboring a tiny hope to get to the truth. It was the first reasonable question she had heard so far. Elsa was right when she said that her assistant has some talents to compensate for his monstrous looks.
«You often have this feeling?» – Kyon grunted, thinking about what he had heard. Then he said: «May I talk to your family alchemist?»
«Sure. I’ll call him.» – Lindia took out a sound transmitter.
After she finished the call, Elsa asked Dick curtly: «Are you done?»
Kyon made an inviting gesture with a smile.
Elsa asked Lindia some more questions, this time not so provocative. However, in Kyon’s opinion, they didn’t make any sense.
Finally, the door opened. A wiry old man in a white coat entered the guest room. He was about 70 years old with thinning hair and wisdom in his eyes.
The alchemist politely greeted everyone: «How can I help you, Lady Lindia?» – He asked her in a hoarse but gentle voice.
«Albert, these investigators want to ask you some questions.»
«I will be happy to help.» – The alchemist sat in the chair and looked at the dazzling blonde girl and the fat man in the mask. – «What may I do for you, gentlemen?»
Kyon cleared his throat: «Sir, you are considered the best alchemist and doctor in the whole empire. Tell us a little about yourself, please.»
Elsa rolled her eyes and walked to the nearest window. Damned investigator! The stupid fat guy asking useless questions that would get her nowhere.
The old doctor was flattered: «Several years ago, after the world tournament in honor of the goddess Danna, my son and I decided to leave stuffy Saturn and move to a quiet and peaceful place like Dantes. The reason for this decision was simple…»
While Albert talked about himself, Kyon grunted thoughtfully. Even a mediocre alchemist of the 1st ranking empire would be an unrivaled authority in Rosarrio. However, very few people would leave their family and home in the big city to start their careers in the “slums.” Yet, the doctor had come here with his son, leaving his past behind and burning all the bridges behind them.
«…since then, I have been working as an alchemist and have achieved great results. The Clintons have sheltered my son and me, for which we are deeply indebted to them.» – He looked warmly at the patriarch’s daughter. – «Thank you so much, Laly Lindia!»
Lindia smiled shyly: «Don’t mention it… It’s my family who should thank you! You are a real asset to the family, and your son Andrew is the best knight in the world, so loyal, caring and above all strong! Unlike the previous one… May he never rest in peace.»
Kyon asked another question: «Sir Albert, what do you know about the Red Beetle Energy Tincture?»
«Hm…» – The alchemist touched his temple and shook his head apologetically. – «I am sorry, but there’s always room to grow even for a highly-respected alchemist like me.»
«I see. May I have your sound transmitter frequency?»
«Sure.» – The old doctor took out a piece of paper and handed it to the masked investigator.
«Thank you. I am done. No more questions.»
«What do you mean no more questions?» – Elsa quickly turned around from the window.
«So soon? Will you share your ideas with me?» – Lindia looked disappointed.
«I am sorry. Thank you for having us here.» – The fat investigator said with a bow and left the room, taking off his mask.
Elsa caught up with him and grabbed him by the shoulder: «Are you an idiot? Why did you finish the investigation? The Clintons have dozens of suspects you haven’t even met! And you haven’t interrogated those you have met properly!» – It was not Dick’s stupidity and negligence that drove her nuts but the fact that he didn’t let her conduct a proper interrogation! She knew that he would be a nuisance, but this moron had ruined her chances of finding the culprit…
«I’ve learned enough.» – Kyon coughed dryly.
«And what did you find out?»
«Hm… Nothing much.»
{Why is he lying?!} – Elsa clenched her fists and said through her gritted teeth. – «You are… a disgrace… to my family name! It was madness to use a fool like you! I am ashamed to have a Thomas Stone in my family!» – Elsa wanted to hit his fat impudent face several times, but she would not stoop to that. She felt already humiliated by the fact that Dick Baker had gotten under her skin.
«Lady Elsa, don’t be mad at me! You said that I am your assistant, so go back to Lindia and interrogate the remaining suspects. Nobody can forbid you to do this.»
{Oh… It’s true…} – Elsa felt stupid. Why did she convince herself that she couldn’t conduct an investigation without Dick Baker? Embarrassed by her own stupidity, she turned back, saying before she left: – «I expect you will keep your promise today. Hopefully, our cooperation will be limited to delivery of folders with information only.»
«You wound me…»
«Great.» – Elsa snapped coldly, slamming the door behind herself.
As Kyon left the Clinton territory, a diabolical cunning twinkle sparkled in his dark eyes.