Inspector Jaguar asked me to check if Binks was at home or not.
“Wolf, just go to Poe’s house as usual and complete your mission. But could you please find out if the neighbor is home when you do?”
Since it didn’t seem too dangerous, I agreed.
There were plainclothes officers waiting around in various places on the street.
It was cloudy, so I couldn’t tell the position of the sun, but there was still about an hour left until sunset.
I knocked on the door, and a tall woman in her forties appeared.
Poe had described his wife as a “woman with a wild boar’s head atop an orc’s body” but that description was exaggerated. She was a bit on the heavier side, but just an ordinary-looking wife you could find anywhere.
As soon as I mentioned that I had come from Alban Prison, she immediately began pleading her husband’s innocence, saying things like, “He hasn’t done anything wrong, I swear.” It was a common occurrence, but such pleas had no impact on the sentencing, regardless of what the guards were told.
If only I could have directed her to the police or a judge, but it seemed like they were all seen as the same to these women.
Come to think of it, when Poe was admitted, he had argued the same points with the guards. They must be a similar type of couple.
“I understand your thoughts, ma’am. Your husband’s trial is in four days, so it would be best to present what you just said to the judge at that time,” I gently advised, wanting to move on to the main topic.
However, this woman was the type who didn’t listen to others.
“But you see, my husband was just selling bread. And not just any bread, but the finest quality. We even used the best wheat flour,” she insisted.
I was starting to feel fed up with the situation when suddenly the door next to us opened, revealing a thin, pale figure resembling a skeleton. He held a large package in his hands.
For a brief moment, he looked startled upon seeing my face, but quickly turned away and hurriedly walked off. That must have been Binks, without a doubt. The police were unfamiliar with Binks’ face, and it worried me.
Should I immediately follow him and inform Inspector Jaguar that the person was indeed Binks?
“Ma’am, was that person who just left your neighbor Binks?” I asked.
“Huh? Oh, yes, that’s him. He’s a rather creepy fellow, works at a pharmacy or something. I have no idea which one, though, even though he’s our neighbor. But let me tell you, that man…”
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Leaving the woman, who continued her chatter, I pursued Binks.
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