There is snow all over the sky, but the sky is still as gloomy as ever.
In this harsh climate, all the shops in Woolworth have already run out of snow brooms. Without the open shelves and pedestrians, only the sound of wind is left on the street.
Outside the city, a team of walkers was slowly advancing in the wind and snow.
Soon... we are about to enter the city.
Stank, who was walking at the front of the team, thought this while lifting the thermal mask that had slipped from his nose.
The wanderers walking against the cold wind could only feel each other's presence through the sound of heavy breathing. No one spoke, no one raised their head, and no one cared about the condition of their companions.
Obviously this bounty mission went smoothly and he did not encounter any demons, but there was no trace of joy on Stan's face. Instead, his eyes were full of anxiety.
Yes, he is the only one who is anxious to go back.
He has not seen his wife and daughter for nearly a month.
Kate must be very angry...
His wife Kate was always sick, especially in the winter. Although he hired two maids to take care of Kate, Kate still did not want him to accept the long-term reward and asked him to spend more time with her.
She’s a mother and still loves to act like a baby, haha...
The memories made Stan feel warm.
Kate and her daughter live in the central area of the city, while Stan rents an attic near the north city gate so that he can leave the city at any time. In the past winter, he would always reduce the frequency of accepting bounties and spend more time with his wife and daughter. But this time, after the murder in the attic, he joined the team of homeless people cleaning up the Pingding area and left without saying goodbye.
What will Kate's expression be like when she sees her next time...
How many times should I say sorry...
He regretted extremely that he had left them without permission.
He was also helpless.
The guards at the city gate let them in without asking. The city was as deserted as the outside, but no one complained - they had never expected anyone to come to greet them.
However, there are still people to greet you.
Stank saw a man looking towards them under a tree not far away.
Brown short hair...not someone I know.
After confirming, Stan decided to continue on his way.
Without anyone making an announcement, the Wanderer team spontaneously dispersed and left without looking back.
The snow on the streets in the city is much lighter than outside the city, so it’s not difficult to walk. You should be able to see Kate soon.
While thinking this, he quickened his pace.
"You are Mr. Stank, right?"
The person who made the sound is the man with short brown hair.
"Who are you?"
It seems that he is waiting for himself.
Mr. Stank stopped and looked at the other party.
The person in front of him was a handsome girl. She was not an acquaintance of Stank, but she was waiting for him at the city gate.
Her shoulders and head were covered with white snow, and it looked like she had been waiting for Stan for a long time.
What does she want from me?
Have I seen her somewhere...
When the girl took out her police officer ID card, all the doubts in Stank's mind disappeared.
"First time we meet, I am Officer Manda of the police station, responsible for handling the murder case that occurred in the attic where you lived before."
Well, it turned out to be that case.
It seems that I can't go to see Kate immediately... I'm really unlucky.
Stank sighed. The wind was no longer very strong at this time, so he took off his mask.
"I understand. If you have any questions to ask me, can you let me go to the joint mission first? I have to collect the reward."
"Of course."
Stank nodded slightly and walked towards the temporarily secretly changed destination - the Wanderer Alliance.
He didn't have to look back to guess that Manda was following him.
At the same time, Mr. Stank's Manda finally swept away the fatigue caused by the long wait and became full of energy.
After deciding on the division of labor with the detective, in order to confirm the information about Mr. Stank, the "forbidden area" that she rarely set foot in before - the Wanderer Alliance became a place she must visit every day.
And every time she received a negative answer, she would wander around the city gate with an unwillingness after finishing the rest of the work.
Therefore, seeing Tank immediately when he enters the city is the greatest achievement and a sign of victory.
I can definitely do it as long as I work hard!
Manda raised her lips proudly.
Stanke walked leisurely, without any intention of getting rid of Manda.
It's already noon, and there's still not much sunlight.
This winter is particularly depressing.
It’s time to join the Wanderers Alliance.
Stan went to collect the reward. When Manda saw this, he planned to wait for him in the lobby, but Stan said:
"We've followed you this far, it doesn't matter if you continue to follow."
"Well...if you can, thank you very much."
With the idea of "gathering more information", Manda was not polite.
Stank was talking politely to the counter lady, but he was thinking about the murder case...or how to solve this case quickly so that he could put his mind at ease.
He handed his traveler's certificate to the lady at the counter for verification. After the other party looked at it, she attached a check and handed it back to him.
"This is your reward, a total of 3,700 spiritual coins. Please go to the Cross Bank to withdraw it yourself."
"Thank you."
Stank took the check.
Such a generous reward... was probably the only thing that gave him comfort among the many unhappy things.
With this money, there is no need to pick up other bounties throughout the winter, and I can spend time with Kate...
Stank carefully put the check into the deepest pocket of his clothes, and then let out a long sigh of relief as if he was done.
As for Manda, she was surprised by the scene before her.
Three thousand and seven hundred dimension books for one spirit book is not a small amount. You must know that one spirit book alone is equivalent to one month's salary of the seniors...
There is no doubt that a huge amount of money.
Even if Manda is not a wanderer, she naturally knows that the amount of the bounty is determined by the difficulty of the bounty task.
Is the task of cleaning up the pacification area so difficult...
Since it would be too rude to question directly, Manda did not express her confusion.
But Stan noticed.
The moment he turned around, he glanced at Manda inadvertently.
Judging from the expression on his face for a moment, the young police officer definitely noticed something was wrong.
Have you really conveyed what you meant?
Stank closed his eyes.
I hope it has been conveyed.
Young police officer, there's only so much I can do to help you.
......
"So, Mr. Stank, may I start?"
"Ask me, I will answer you to the best of my knowledge."
"Thank you."
Manda followed Stan to Kate's residence. After waiting for Stan to have a small chat with his family, he started questioning him directly.
They were sitting in the study, and in order to reassure Kate, Stan left the door open.
"On the night of the crime, when did you return to the attic?"
"About nine o'clock."
"Did you go back to the room directly after that?"
"Yes, I said hello to Mr. Wyatt on the way."
"Did you leave the room afterwards?"
"No..."
Mr. Stank doesn’t have an alibi for after eleven o’clock either...
Manda was very serious whether she was asking or listening, and she refused to miss any detail.
"What is your relationship with Miss Harriman?"
"We meet and chat occasionally... we can be regarded as ordinary friends."
"How did you meet?"
Only by digging into the root of everything can we distinguish the true part from the mass of information - this is Manda's creed.
"Well... I probably met through Miss Xue... Miss Xue and I are both wanderers, and Miss Xue and Miss Harriman are friends. Over time, we got to know each other.
."
Is it snow again...
The name Manda coming out of Stank's mouth is all too familiar.
In Manda's view, Xue is undoubtedly a subject worthy of interrogation.
She has confirmed with the No Walker Alliance that Mr. Stank and Xue are both part of the No Walker team cleaning up the pacification area, so Xue should be back at this time.
In fact, the main thing Manda was waiting for near the city gate was not tanks, but snow.
"Okay, does Miss Snow often hang out with Miss Harriman?"
"This...I don't know for sure, but their relationship is really good. This case will probably have a big impact on Miss Xue..."
"Well..."
Originally, if it weren't for the request of a certain detective, Manda would definitely meet with Xue first, and then go to Mr. Stanker - after all, she always believed that Xue was more suspicious.
But... one thing that cannot be refuted is that Schimuel and Snow are friends.
This is also a question that Manda has been thinking about - if Xue is the real murderer, why did he kill his friends?
The motive for the murder cannot be determined...
No...the more I think about it, the less I understand. You have to do the things in front of you first.
Manda shook her head, interrupted her thoughts, and refocused all her energy on the conversation with Mr. Stank.
"Did you hear anything unusual in Miss Harriman's room that night?"
"Well... there was a room between me and her, and I didn't pay much attention at that time, so I didn't notice anything."
"That's right, that's right..."
Stank listened to the police officer asking questions one after another involving details of many aspects of the case, and answered them unhurriedly with an indifferent attitude.
He doesn't care whether he can help the other person, he only accepts questions out of obligation.
From Manda's words, it was not difficult for Stan to tell that she had an extremely detailed understanding of the case and must have done a lot of related investigations.
Although he didn't know what happened in the attic that night, he could vaguely feel that the police officer had deduced most of the facts.
Next, maybe the truth will be revealed...
Come on, little girl...
Stank looked out the door of the study, and happened to catch his eye with his daughter who was quietly looking inside.
He couldn't help but reveal a long-lost smile.
......
The forty-minute interview ended, and when she stood up to say goodbye, she suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, Mr. Stank, if there is anything unusual around you recently, please be sure to contact me in time."
As soon as these words came out of her mouth, she suddenly realized.
It turns out that guy had thought of it a long time ago...
"That guy" refers to the private detective who works with her on the homicide case.
Manda came to the street and prepared to go back to the police station.
Along the way, the guy's words kept echoing in her mind.
At present, she and the guy have decided on their respective division of labor.
Manda is responsible for investigating from the perspective of "the murderer wants to kill Shimuel", while that guy focuses on the other direction - "the murderer will attack again".
There are the same things that need to be done in these two directions, such as this meeting with Mr. Stanke.
Of course, since that guy is desperately asking for his help, it’s not like I can’t help him...
Having said that, she chose to split up because she was not completely convinced of the guy's point of view.
Since no one could be found to have a motive for killing Schimmel, it was too arbitrary to judge that "the murderer will attack again"...
Unless...
No, no, no, absolutely impossible...
The idea that popped up was quickly rejected.
Manda thought of that guy's careless appearance, and an unknown fire ignited in her heart.