The black car with a red and white circular logo carried Colin and Devlin through the noisy neighborhood and turned into a muddy path.
The wheels rolled over the bumpy road, and the people on the car rose and fell.
"This car is a little bumpy."
Feeling that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Colin took the initiative to start chatting and wanted to comment on the car's shock absorption. He thought he had some research in this area - before traveling, he was studying the parameters of domestic new energy sources, but unfortunately he didn't have time to try it out.
If you drive, the person will die.
"Bumps? Do you understand? This is an authentic product from the Leopoldin Engine Factory! LMW, you know that, right?" Devlin raised her eyebrows and muttered, "This is the most valuable public property of our team! There are many great things.
All the big shots ride this brand of car!"
She was sincerely dissatisfied, and finally couldn't help but ask: "Have you ever been in any other good cars?"
I have actually ridden one, and the shock absorption and suspension are much better than this one, but it was only in a previous life, so it was only twenty or thirty years ahead of this era.
"What's wrong?" shouted the police sergeant at the top of the stairs, "Don't waste time, we have to go back and report back."
This situation continued until the morning of the third day.
Sheriff Langley nodded: "You are right."
"..."
"Here?" Colin's eyes changed, "How much is the rent here?"
"..."
Narrow roads, dilapidated and crooked telegraph poles, advertising paper posted on the poles, and bungalows made of bricks and wooden boards are scattered on both sides. Most of the houses have white walls and no unnecessary decorations. Clothes lines and clothes to dry are lying across the road.
Between the house and the telephone pole.
Colin said hello to the driver, then opened the door and went out, then opened the trunk, took out his luggage, and looked forward.
"It turns out it's Patty, the detective's cat, so..."
"Look, I can raise the price a little higher, but it won't be much higher than the market price. We sign a long-term contract and you pay me six months, no, one year's rent. Don't you have a spending target? This can help you in the future.
If you spend more before the end of the year, we will split it 30-70, of course I will have 70-70, after all, it is my house."
Crunch.
His good mood lasted until half past eight the next morning.
A young man with a perm, wearing sunglasses, a flight jacket, and bell-bottom pants is riding a bicycle, with a girl sitting on the back seat; several young people wearing large T-shirts are playing skateboards, and they laugh loudly when the cold wind blows.
laugh.
"This is just your guess. Maybe if we pray to the Lord of Death, we will find the murderer of the victim faster." Sheriff Langley turned and walked towards the stairs.
"She is Patty," Devlin's voice was a little low after noticing Colin's gaze, "She is the captain's pet."
"Meow?"
By the way, the police detective said that there is an assessment required to join the team, but I don’t know what it is.
"Come in." Devlin opened the door and waved, "Your room is on the first floor, the innermost one on the left. The bathroom is on the right. Be careful at night."
the other side.
"This is the southeast corner of the Lille neighborhood." Devlin also looked out the window, "It's not far from the Ruther neighborhood where your home is located, but it hasn't been developed much and retains the flavor of the old neighborhood. Your temporary residence is here
This piece.”
Not long after Colin left, a construction team came over outside his apartment building and quickly repaired the door.
After Colin petted the cat for a while and looked back, Miss Devlyn Moran had already walked up the stairs. She said: "I live upstairs. If someone comes to chase you in the middle of the night, remember to keep your voice down and don't disturb my sleep."
!Goodbye!" Then he went upstairs with his little leather boots "thumping thumping".
"You're welcome, this is actually my thanks. You're so poor, so don't waste your money." Devlin said heartbreaking words, and then hurried upstairs, "I'm too tired today, so I'll go to bed first. Don't forget it tomorrow.
Yes, I have a mission at night and will go out, so I don’t need to prepare my breakfast tomorrow.”
After staring at Colin for a long time, Devlin said angrily: "You'd better find an agent to list the property! Really, you're actually trying to use public funds! Also, why are you so skilled! You turned out to be in Teblon...
…Ah, don’t try to trick me!”
Ahead, as Colin approached, the originally listless orange cat suddenly raised her head, as if she had discovered something. Then she jumped up from the fish tank, stood lightly on the edge of the fish tank, and sniffed at Colin's stretched out hand.
He sniffed and then rubbed his head.
Hearing that he could no longer intervene in the last case, Jim was a little unwilling, but then he sighed and said with a wry smile: "At least it won't be worse than now. The director also said that he will use all available resources to find all help. Mr. Varlan is a
Option, there is nothing to lose by giving it a try.”
Devlin's face turned slightly red and she said solemnly: "Placing you here is not just because the rent is cheap! This is a good hiding place! It is convenient for us to start our work!"
"Let's go," Chief Langley comforted the young police officer, "If you want to be open-minded, it's not really that we can't survive without him."
"Jim, you can talk to him when you get in later." In the lobby on the first floor of the apartment, Inspector Zhi carefully instructed, "Tell him directly that we need his help and don't go around in circles."
"Miss Moran," seeing Devlin finish her breakfast, pick up her coat and leave in a hurry, Colin couldn't help but said, "About work..."
"?"
"Don't worry, I'm helping you inquire, but you know, the recent environment is not good, there are layoffs everywhere, and jobs are hard to find, so you have to be patient." She walked to the door.
"We're here." Devlin opened the car door and got out first.
But the car stopped at this moment.
When Colin saw this, he temporarily stopped thinking, and then thought of Detective Jameson's final request. He thought that since the woman in front of him was a subordinate of the detective, she probably knew the news about Miss Petty.
When the team left with the tools, two policemen came face to face, one was slightly older and the other was still green.
"What a warm-hearted girl. In that case, let's wait. Joining the special search team is always the top priority." Colin touched the orange cat in his arms.
Colin looked at the cat and his eyes widened in surprise. Before he could ask, he encountered the detective's final entrustment.
"You're worrying too much." Devlin rolled her eyes, "The rent is all allocated by the organization. As I just said, I chose this place to deceive others, not for cheap. We have a target for spending money. We are not afraid of spending too much. We are afraid of overspending.
Can’t spend it.”
It's stable, safety is guaranteed, and there must be experts at the workplace!
The older one is the senior detective Langley who interviewed Colin, and the younger one is the police officer Jim who had a relationship with Colin.
After all, it is old.
"No, but, wait for my good news. In fact, I have some progress here, but as you know, it takes time to clear up and contact people. Because I don't want you to worry too much, I didn't tell you. So, see you in the evening."
After putting on a loose suit and zipping up her boots, Miss Moran left in a hurry.
"Hmph, stop your stupid behavior. Patty is a lady. I advise you not to embarrass yourself. She will not be tempted by you. Even I..." Devlin was talking, but then her voice suddenly stopped.
And stop.
Devlin was stunned. She recalled the scene when she tried to pet the cat yesterday when she was feeding the cat food, but was rejected by the orange cat, and her mood became much gloomier.
When you enter, you will see a two-story building with large white walls and a roof that is somewhat of a Nordic style. The overall look is very simple and clean, with a large glass door on the front.
However, when you get closer, you can see the mud at the base of the wall and the dirt on the glass.
"Do you know her?" Devlin was a little confused after hearing what Colin said.
The shouts from all directions seemed strange and familiar at the same time, giving Colin a sense of dislocation in time and space.
Inexplicably, his heart trembled slightly, and he felt a chill fall between his eyebrows.
Poverty made Colin feel depressed, but the thought of a new job soon cheered him up, and he wondered whether he would join the team directly.
Officer Jim frowned, and then said, "But I think he can help."
"No, no, I mean, I have a friend named Petty, who has the same name as this cat." Colin wanted to go over and pet the cat. He thought that he might have a new job - to be a qualified poop scooper.
official.
Colin was full of doubts and didn't know how he had offended the other party, but he soon came to his senses.
His waiting was effective, and Miss Moran handed him a note that evening.
Devlin did live on the second floor, and apart from her, there were no other residents in the house.
"Oh, okay." Officer Jim came back to his senses. He touched his eyebrows, then shook his head and followed quickly.
"No, I mean, I can find it myself." Colin stayed here for two days and finally remembered the agreement with "Dear Mr. Mobender". It was already the third Monday in December.
He couldn't wait any longer, "I saw the recruitment notice on the electric pole outside."
Knowing that he had picked a bad topic, Colin decisively shut his mouth and turned to look at the scenery outside the window.
"But……"
"Thank you so much, Miss Moran! I will repay you when my finances are better!" Colin happily took the note, which read: No. 144, Birch Street, see Chloe.
"……All right!"
The cat had a round face and a thick body. After hearing the movement, it looked up at Colin listlessly, then lay down with its eyelids drawn.
In her arms, Miss Petty tilted her head, her round eyes filled with confusion.
"Miss Moran, do you live here too?"
"This is the address. I have agreed with them that at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, you will go directly to report. Remember to dress more formally. Although it has already been decided, it is very important to leave a good impression! In addition, there is no need to worry about safety issues.
, it’s still very safe there.”
The fish tank is tilted, obviously it cannot bear the weight of the orange cat.
"Petty!?"
"That is no longer our responsibility and has nothing to do with us." Sheriff Langley shook his head, "We are just here to ask for his help this time, but are you sure he can help us?"
"Don't go to a place like that!" Devlin bent down and picked up her shoes, "Mr. Varlan, you now have special qualities and are the talents the country needs. You have to believe in the country! In those factories outside, with your physical condition, you can't go there at most.
You can maintain your health for a month!”
The house is very spacious. The entrance door faces the stairs, and the entrance hall is connected to a large living room. There are sofas, carpets and a floor-to-ceiling fish tank. The fish tank is empty, and there is an orange cat lying in it.
"I mean," Colin considered his words, "do I have to share the rent as I accept protection? I... you know, I'm unemployed now."
"Really?" Colin immediately had an idea, "What do you think of my apartment? I think it's quite secluded. Do you want to rent it for a while? If I live here, the other side will be empty as well.
"
"I hope, if praying to the Lord of Death can really punish the murderer and bring justice, I will pray sincerely." Officer Jim said the same thing, still very unwilling. When he turned around and was about to leave, his sight touched a gap on the guardrail opposite the door.
Traces of distortion.
But she gets up early and stays late every day, rarely staying in the house, which even makes Colin feel that if there is any danger, the other party will not be able to come to the rescue in time. He will only see Devlin during breakfast - for the sake of the breakfast he prepared,
Devlin would chat with him for a few words, but she would be unhappy every time she saw Miss Petty clinging to Colin.
"Ah this..."
"Do you want to bring up the last case again?" Jim asked.
But a few minutes later, they stood outside the door of Colin's apartment with disappointed faces.
Colin dragged his suitcase in, looked around, and nodded.
Thinking of leaving a good impression on his new employer, Colin got up early, then took the public tram, changing three lines in a row for more than an hour, and arrived at No. 144 Birch Street half an hour early.
Birch Street is located in the southern suburbs of Bursenberg.
In the cold wind, Colin, wearing his only suit, looked at the sign in front, his hair messy in the wind——