I instructed one of the hotel staff members to call the police and quickly left the hotel.
On the way, I met with Inspector Jaguar from the Londia City Police Department and explained the situation to him. I knew that I would likely become a suspect as well, so I decided to consult with the inspector at an early stage.
“I need to go to Bromley immediately as I’m worried about the acquaintance named Lewis. Inspector, would it be possible for the police to lend me a horse?” I requested.
“Understood. I’ll accompany you. Lewis, the girl, must be in possession of the stolen ring, right?” Inspector Jaguar replied.
“Just to clarify, you are also a suspect. However, I personally do not suspect you,” he added.
The mention of the stolen ring caused a pang in my chest.
However, I couldn’t run away from reality.
I thought that perhaps by looking at the ring, I might understand why Jane was targeted.
It was already past 3:00 of the earth (around 20:00), and Lewis’s family home in Bromley was shrouded in darkness.
I felt a sense of urgency, thinking that the thieves might have already attacked. But after knocking on the door for a while, lights turned on inside, and both the inspector and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Who’s there at this late hour?”
A displeased male voice could be heard from inside the door.
“It’s the Londia City Police. Is Lewis Osborne here?”
“Huh? The police?! I haven’t done anything!”
There came a familiar, slightly high-pitched voice, prompting me to speak up as well.
“Lewis, it’s me. Barton Wolf. Could you open the door for us?”
“Ehh!? Sir Barton? Why?”
The sound of a latch being removed resonated, and the door swung open.
“Indeed, it’s Sir Barton. Have you become a police officer?”
She asked, mistaking me for one due to my prison guard uniform.
With no time to spare, I didn’t bother denying her words.
“Could you let us in? We have something important to discuss.”
“Sure thing. Dad, is it alright?”
The person who first appeared turned out to be Lewis’s father.
Although the interior was small, the entrance led directly into a room that served as a dining room and living room combined. There seemed to be a bedroom further inside.
“Lewis, do you have anything entrusted to you by Jane?” I inquired.
“Yes, I have a small package. But how did Sir Barton know about it? Oh, you’ve met Jane!” Lewis innocently chuckled.
Her response left me perplexed.
“Lewis, please show that package to Inspector Jaguar here,” I requested.
“Sure, I’ll get it right away,” Lewis replied.
Jane had claimed that Lewis knew nothing. It seemed that she was indeed unaware of the contents of the package as well.
Inside the received package was a large ring.
It was made of gold, and its upper part was disc-shaped, adorned with intricate engravings.
“It looks like a family crest of some sort,”
The inspector commented, handing me the ring.
Lewis illuminated it with the flame from the candlestick she held, revealing the depiction of a beech branch, three stars, and a single tower.
“This is the crest of Baron Rossell,”
Memorizing emblems was one of the basic skills of a butler.
I was surprised by how easily the memory came back to me, even though I was no longer a butler.
“Speaking of Baron Rossell, he is an advisor to the Development Bureau.”
“Yes, his main mission is the development of the recently liberated Northern Territories from the Demon King’s rule. The region is known for its abundant coal and peat deposits. And Mr. Essel, the fuel merchant we encountered, operates in that area. It wouldn’t be strange if they were acquainted.”
“I see,”
“What should we do?”
“For now, let’s wait here. The person responsible for Jane Lloyd’s murder is bound to come here tonight,” the inspector replied with determination.
“Murder!”
Lewis let out a small cry as she overheard our conversation.
“Sir Wolf, what do you mean by Jane’s murder?” she asked.
“Lewis… That’s right, Jane passed away earlier,”
I explained in the dimly lit living room, recounting everything that had happened.
“If only she had been honest with me, things might not have ended up like this. With a theft worth only 20,000 gils, her sentence could have been much shorter… maybe just a few months of imprisonment and a few lashes.”
Indeed, it should have been a sentence of less than half a year.
“It’s because you were there, Sir Wolf,” Lewis spoke up.
“Huh?”
“That girl… she had always liked you… She couldn’t bring herself to tell you that she was the thief… Ugh… Sob…”
“I see… That’s why…”
Perhaps Jane denied the accusations because she knew that I was a prison guard and understood she would be sent to Alban Prison. Thinking about it, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Jane.
“Shh!”
Inspector Jaguar interrupted our conversation, pressing a finger to his lips.
There was a sense of someone’s presence outside the door. It seemed that the assassin had finally arrived.
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