Chapter 154: Threatening Letter

Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Four
Threatening Letter

On Tuesday morning, the weather remained the usual cold and damp of the season.

Klein tightened the collar of his wool coat, put on his hat, and opened the front door.

He was going to the mailbox at the end of the street to mail his letter to Detective Stuart. The distance was not far at all, and there was truly no need to dress so formally and so warmly. But Klein’s cold had only just recovered, so out of caution, he wrapped himself up thoroughly.

Perhaps because strong winds had blown through the night before, Backlund’s air was unexpectedly decent. Klein instinctively slowed his steps and enjoyed this rare morning.

As he passed Jurgen’s house, he heard the creak of the bow window opening. He instinctively turned his head and looked over.

Standing by the window was Madam Doris, wearing a black plush soft hat and wrapped in a thick grayish-blue scarf. Compared to before, her complexion had worsened again, and her figure had grown more stooped.

“Good morning, Detective Moriarty. Thank you for taking care of Brody during this period. He says you are a good person. Is that right, Brody?”

The elderly Madam Doris bent down and lifted the black cat with emerald-green eyes.

Brody used all four paws to struggle desperately in her arms. Finally, he jumped down and landed lightly on the windowsill.

But he did not leave. Instead, he paced back and forth there, constantly rubbing the side of his head and body against Madam Doris. He did not look at Klein at all.

Was I just given the good-person card by a cat?

Klein mocked himself and smiled sincerely.

“It was a happy thing. And what makes me happier is that you have finally recovered and left the hospital, Madam Doris.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he took his leave and continued walking toward the end of the street with a smile.

He had only walked a few steps when he heard Madam Doris call from behind him:

“Once Jurgen returns, I will have him give you the payment!”

…Do I look like I took that job for money?

Klein’s smile suddenly stiffened. He could only half turn around and wave to show he understood.

Once he had moved away from Jurgen’s house, his expression gradually turned solemn, with a faint sigh hidden in it.

He had just used spirit vision to observe Madam Doris’s aura colors and discovered that the situation was not very good. This was partly because of her advanced age, and partly because Backlund’s cold, damp climate and poor air had an especially harmful effect on lung diseases.

Madam Doris should be able to smoothly survive this late autumn and winter, but the next one, and the one after that, will be difficult to say… If she wants to live a few more years, she probably has to move south—to the Desi Bay area… What a pity. Solicitor Jurgen likely does not have those conditions yet… I have not even been to Desi Bay myself…

Klein muttered a few lines, found the mailbox, and slipped the letter inside.

This would be the prelude to the performance.

And this evening, he would visit Harvest Church as a detective to complete the remaining preparations.

After conveniently buying a Dixi pie for breakfast, Klein returned by the original route in a rather leisurely mood.

Before he had drawn close to his own door, he saw an elegantly decorated carriage stopped outside. Two ladies wearing black hats with ribbons were anxiously pulling the doorbell, while maids and bodyguards were scattered around them, as though guarding against something.

Madam Stelyn… Madam Mary… Do they have a commission? It looks urgent…

Klein, holding the paper bag containing the Dixi pie, approached and chuckled.

“Ladies, this should be breakfast time.”

Seeing that the person turning back was Detective Sherlock Moriarty, Madam Mary visibly let out a breath.

“Detective, you must help me.”

In Klein’s spirit vision, the anxiety, nervousness, and fear she felt were not false in the slightest. Therefore, he nodded and pointed toward the front door.

“Let us talk inside.”

As he spoke, he glanced at his landlady, Madam Stelyn, and discovered that her state was completely different from the previous two days. She had become very depressed and dispirited, as though she had no interest in anything.

What happened to her? Though the landlady likes showing off a little, she still loves life very much…

Klein took out his key and opened the door.

After entering, before they had even sat down properly, Madam Mary could not wait to say, “Detective Moriarty, I received a threatening letter!”

A threatening letter?

Klein put down the Dixi pie and clasped his hands together.

“What did the letter say?”

Madam Mary turned her head to glance at Madam Stelyn. Seeing that the latter was not as active as usual, she had no choice but to choose her own words carefully.

“The letter demanded that when I conduct the atmospheric pollution investigation, I must treat factory smoke fairly and acknowledge its contributions. Otherwise, it will make me end up like the doll that came with the letter…

“That doll’s head had been removed, and its arms and legs were broken.”

Madam Mary seemed to recall the sensation of opening the letter, and her voice trembled as she said, “This is the first time I have encountered something like this. I do not know whether it will become real. I did not know that becoming a member of the investigation committee would mean enduring something like this. I did not know…”

Madam, perhaps Emperor Roselle once said something like this: the deepest hatred between people comes from only two things—murdering someone’s parents, and ruining someone’s income…

With a serious expression, Klein gave a slight nod and said, “My suggestion is to call the police.”

In his view, Madam Mary was now a member of the Kingdom Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Committee. Her status was completely different from before. The police department would certainly not treat the threats she had suffered casually.

Moreover, this involved the formulation of an important kingdom policy. It was no ordinary matter. Therefore, the police department would most likely transfer the case to the Church’s Beyonder organization, striving to solve it as soon as possible.

Given Madam Mary’s identity as a believer of the Goddess, the Nighthawks would be the inevitable choice.

That way, even if Klein wanted to earn some reward, he would not get dragged in.

“I have already done that, but it did not reassure me.”

Madam Mary pursed her lips.

“Do you know what they said? They said the threatening letter was made by cutting newspaper words and pasting them together, and that the doll was the kind that can be bought everywhere. It would be very difficult to find the sender within a short time! And they only plan to send one policeman to protect me! Goddess, is that how they treat a helpless citizen seeking aid?”

Madam Mary paused, then looked at Klein earnestly.

“Detective Moriarty, I believe you can help me. This is not only because of your performance in that matter, but also because of Mike’s approval, Alan’s praise, and Talim’s compliments. And I know that in that serial murder case, you also made an outstanding contribution. Do not worry. I will pay you enough.”

Your words make me happy, but this matter seems a little wrong…

Unless the police department has already been bribed, they should hand the case over to the Nighthawks. And with Beyonder means such as divination, a letter pieced together from newspaper words cannot avoid detection at all. The sender would either already have been found, or would possess some method of interfering with divination… And the latter would cause the Nighthawks to formally intervene on a large scale…

Whichever it is, the current handling does not quite match…

Klein did not answer Madam Mary immediately. Instead, he carefully analyzed the abnormality revealed by the matter.

The sitting room became unusually quiet. That feeling of silence inexplicably made Madam Mary and Madam Stelyn uneasy.

At some point, Klein had taken out a coin and was letting it leap and roll between his fingers. It seemed to be a habit he had when concentrating.

Suddenly, the coin flew up, then steadily fell back into his palm, showing tails.

Klein was now astonished. What he had divined was whether this matter carried danger, and the result was no.

If there were truly such a threat, then even if the sender had almost no strength at all, it might still create some degree of danger. It would not show absolutely none…

Only a simple threat? Or…

Klein suddenly thought of another possibility. He smiled.

“Madam Mary, there is no need to be nervous. Return home with peace of mind. If, over these next two days, someone comes to discuss publishing this matter in the newspapers—letting the public clearly see those factory owners’ true faces and igniting the people’s anger—then nothing will happen to you.”

The possibility Klein had just thought of was that the threatening-letter incident was a setup, a setup arranged by their own side. Its purpose was to incite the public, using their rage to allow the atmospheric pollution investigation to proceed smoothly and ensure that the later bills favored their own side.

That could explain why the police department had reacted as it currently had.

“…Why do you say that?” Madam Mary asked, frowning.

Klein responded with a smile.

“This is my reasoning.”

“What if nothing like what you said happens within two days?” Madam Mary pressed.

Klein answered sincerely, “Then I will provide protection.”

There is no danger anyway…

He added silently in his heart.

After reassuring Madam Mary and seeing her off, he went above the gray fog and confirmed the matter again, receiving the same result as before.

By then, his Dixi pie had already gone cold…

…

Madam Mary returned home somewhat uneasy, wondering whether she should invite Stelyn to stay with her for a few days.

Just then, her butler told her that Earl Hall’s eldest son, chief secretary of the Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Committee, Mr. Hibbert Hall, had come to visit.

After they entered the sitting room, before Madam Mary could open her mouth, that handsome gentleman with brilliant blond hair spoke first:

“Madam Mary, I heard what happened to you. This is a disgrace to Backlund, even to the entire kingdom. I am deeply sorry and sympathetic.

“Rest assured. Every member of the committee will stand with you!”

“Thank you for your concern,” Madam Mary answered gratefully.

Hibbert Hall considered for a moment before saying, “Madam, I would like to find reporters to interview you regarding this matter, to tell everyone what happened to you, and to tell them of that despicable act. I want the public to see how rampant those who polluted Backlund’s air have become! They show not the slightest remorse!

“I ask that you please agree to my request.”

This… This is exactly the same as Detective Moriarty described…

For a moment, Madam Mary could not say anything.

…

After breakfast and a period of rest, with nothing else to do, Klein entered above the gray fog, preparing to divine the Biological Toxin Bottle’s origin.

This time, he did not delay in the slightest.