"Again?" Before she even entered the door, she heard her boss screaming in disbelief. "Gods, has this girl changed her career to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"
What a stupid thing to say, Agatha thought. "Unless you allow me to resign." She opened the door with a bang, "Where is my report?"
Sheriff McCann Johnny's mouth twitched and he almost fell off his chair. He grabbed the backrest, took his feet off the table, stuffed them into his shoes, and jumped up. "You broke into my office without permission again!" he yelled at her, his voice sounding like a hair dryer peeling potatoes by itself.
It's my neighbor's fault. Ever since Uriel blurted out to call him "Vegetable Sheriff", Agatha would think of crops every time she saw her boss.
"Not once more. Give me back that report from last time, Chief Johnny. Quick!"
Generally speaking, the communication between the superiors and subordinates of the Sheriff is not so weird. But unfortunately, the crime rate in the Floating Cloud City has increased significantly recently, and the Public Security Bureau is very worried about being blamed from above. McCann Johnny placed all his hopes on Agatha, hoping to rely on capable subordinates to keep his official title. Even if I specifically ask him to pour tea, I'm afraid he will try it when no one is around. But she felt that this opportunity should be used to improve the efficiency of investigation.
Sure enough, this guy just glared at her. "Last report?"
"A similar case has occurred, maybe a serial murder case." The detective pushed him away impatiently, opened the drawer, and rummaged through a pile of documents. "If you want to consolidate the case, you need the original report... Huh?" There was a letter on the table.
Sheriff McCann quickly reached out and crumpled the letter into a ball. "The report is in the cabinet." He motioned to Agatha to get the key.
The detective tore off the key chain and slipped it into his pocket, spreading his other hand in front of him. "Give it to me." Her tone was so matter-of-fact.
"For you? This is not your report!" Sheriff Johnny waved his hand, trying to scare her. "Big secret! You police officers are not allowed to read it at will."
"If your eyes are useful," Agatha pointedly revealed, "you should have seen that this thing is an invitation. As expected, it's for me."
"Of course I can see that..."
"There's my name in the corner of the envelope. Or do you recognize the second Agatha Poirot?"
Sheriff McCann was startled. "Good idea." He looked around furtively, "That's it. I'll find a guy who's willing to change her name, and then let her go to the appointment. They won't find out."
Agatha laughed in anger: "Only a fool would do it! I am the Queen of Detectives, one of a kind. Come on. What kind of invitation is this?"
Sheriff Vegetable coughed. "Transfer questionnaire from the Affairs Department. Maybe the president wants you to sit in the office."
Turns out he knows what I hate. "Very well, Division of Exclusions," added what she heard. "Is it an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"
"Why exclude it?... There are other departments in the tower, guess the Ministry of Foreign Affairs!" The police chief was anxious and angry, looking even more ridiculous. Agatha stared at him wordlessly, and beads of sweat rolled down Johnny's forehead. Eventually, he gave up covering up. "I...I promised Lord Prophet that I would never let you get involved in the affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Even His Excellency, the Ambassador of Qing, cannot..."
"You still don't understand? Your wishes and mine don't matter." Agatha interrupted him, "Okay. It's probably not the Deputy Minister. He has been very busy recently and has no time to care about me, a nobody. Who is the sender? Seal What is it?" She dragged her boss's chair behind her.
Sheriff Vegeta reluctantly unfolded the letter and glanced at it: "The White Envoy..."
Agatha almost sat on the floor.
"...Oh, no. The seal is his. All letters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must be stamped with the commander-in-chief's seal." The sergeant muttered, opening the folded page. "The sender is Ms. Helen Dorothea Red Shield, from Astronomy. room."
The unfamiliar name stunned her. For a moment, Agatha could not remember this person at all. She sat down slowly. "Astronomy room? Why is it the seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"
"Personnel transfers between subordinate countries are managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." Johnny reminded, "This is a normal process." He scratched his hair and peeked at her expression: "Do you know this Ms. Dorothea, Agatha?"
do not know. Agatha was spinning in her chair, still thinking about the serial murder case. But just as she was about to say no, the surname "Red Shield" suddenly aroused an impression. "Your Excellency Helen." The swivel chair braked suddenly. "The Witch of Destiny."
The boss blinked, as if he still didn't understand. If there is a questionnaire, you don't need to use this person's reaction speed as a reference for the average level of local people.
"Red Shield is the surname of 'Victor' Veronka, which is relatively rare." Agatha explained, "Her Excellency, the Witch of Destiny is a descendant of the winner, so it is natural to bear his surname."
Johnny frowned and looked at the envelope: "This lady is the Witch of Destiny... Your Excellency?"
"Yes. You don't know her real name?"
"Maybe I've heard of it, but..."
"It doesn't matter if you forget." Heck, the fundamental reason is that we only remember the title of the great astrologer and rarely mention the name. "Anyway, you don't have the chance to address me face to face." Agatha stood up and said, "Give me the letter. I'm afraid I have to leave this time."
The vegetable sergeant had no choice but to hand back the crumpled paper. There was compassion in his expression.
Agatha couldn't stand it anymore. "I don't want to leave either, sir. That trip to San Carlos, the City of Fog, was just an accident." The accident that almost killed me... "I'm not the main character. To be honest, your eyes look like you're looking at a terminally ill patient."
"Compassionate?"
"Obviously."
"That's not for you, but for myself. You are a smart person, Agatha, and you don't need the mercy of an incompetent person like me." This guy knows a lot. McCann Johnny stretched out on his carrot-like legs and swayed back into the Sheriff's seat. "If you leave, who will take pity on me? Now it's great, I don't even have the report to conclude the case."
Agatha was speechless. It seemed like I was the only one in the entire Sheriff's Department who could close the case. There should be a limit to exaggeration, but McCann... most of his grief was not staged.
"So." She took out the key, "I took away the last report?"
Sheriff Johnny looked up. "Put it down! Before you come back, don't even think about...hey!"
Agatha quickly inserted the key into the keyhole and clicked the metal open. A large number of document bags were placed on the shelf. She pulled out the unsealed one at the top, stuffed it into her clothes without even looking at it, then got up and rushed out of the room.
When she escaped from the Sheriff's Department, she could still hear Sheriff McCann screaming "Stop!" But obviously, everyone pretended not to hear it just like her.
But this chaos actually reached the ears of the great astrologer, which Agatha did not expect. She didn't realize the problem until she boarded the shuttle station of the Port of Far Light as promised and the Witch of Destiny teased her casually.
"He must be worried that you will never come back, Madam Poirot."
"What's there to worry about? I'm going to Hocolin, not San Carlos." The former is an important town, while the latter is just a border. Are there other rumors inside the tower? Agatha frowned suspiciously. Sheriff McCann was just a mortal, and her internal channels were far inferior to her, Croita's graduate apprentice. It was impossible that news that only a great astrologer knew would reach his ears first.
"San Carlos may be safer these days," the witch replied. "The Bansi Banshee has appeared in Hokolin."
I see. "Undead."
"Some people claimed to have seen their shadows." The magic patterns on the ground were flashing. Depending on the length of the journey, the time taken by the elevator will vary. The team going to Hocklin was not a small one, but Helen named the "Detective Queen of Blumnot" to go with.
Now she understood that Her Excellency the "Witch of Destiny" was going to discuss the case with her: "I think since I have worked hard for You and several guests, this must be the truth and not just what is claimed."
"Yes. Larsen believes that Bansi's appearance is an omen."
"I know nothing about omens," she admitted, "but the omens observed by mortals may not be given by Otto."
"You have great ideas, Miss Agatha." Helen smiled. "It is very possible that someone fabricated the prophecy. I agree with this. The astronomy room has been busy with other matters recently, and I can only be responsible for expelling the Bansi banshees. As for the real reason for their appearance in Hokolin, I hope you can explain it to me by then. .”
Other matters? Agatha was dubious. Now the astronomy room was the most unpopular place in the tower, and Professor Larson summoned every astrologer who could work and asked them to work overtime until the early hours of the morning. Starting from the Frost Moon, the Public Security Bureau's requests to the Affairs Department for astrologers to assist in solving cases were all rejected, and they could only wander the streets in disgrace.
The incompetence of the Blumnot Sheriff's Department was entirely understandable, she thought. We're so used to being helped by astrology and prophecies. Once the case is handled independently, problems immediately manifest themselves.
This is a good time to train your subordinates. But although Agatha was happy to see her colleagues improve themselves, she was also very curious about the purpose of working overtime in the astronomy room.
But the mystery doesn’t have to be solved right away. "It's my job," she replied.
"I believe you can complete the mission." Witch of Destiny nodded, "We have all seen your ability. The Detective Queen of the Floating Cloud City."
She began to like the astronomy master. There are dull guys like Sheriff McCann Johnny everywhere, but the Great Astrologer is different. Agatha observed all her fellow travelers and found that Helen's mind was very quick and her speech and behavior were also extremely elegant.
Of course, in her opinion, this elegance would reduce efficiency, but for Helen herself, it was just an add-on brought by status, family education and personal cultivation. After all, Knox's princess doesn't have to race against time to solve the case like Agatha.
Others are far less reliable than the Witch of Destiny. Arriving at Hokolin, Agatha saw many familiar faces. The lion-man with blond hair and an arched back is undoubtedly Roma Penelope. Before Uriel became the apprentice of the White Envoy, this person was the most powerful person in the tower. If even half of the rumors about her were true, then this kid could do anything.
Agatha considered trying to get everything out of her way at work. But in a sense, Miss Roma is easier to deal with than Uriel.
She was prepared for Roma's appearance, but others...
"Look, our neighbor." A large ball of candle-like orange creatures poked its companion, its voice completely undisguised. After noticing the look Agatha cast, he waved without embarrassment: "Miss Detective?"
"Queen of Detectives," she corrected, "it's really distressing that other people always praise you like that. But if you're wrong, I'm even more distressed. It's weird. Isn't it?"
Sita blinked: "Okay. Let's be serious. What do you call it?"
"Agatha Poirot."
"York. York Shayne. What prefix do you think should go with this name?"
So natural. Agatha forced herself to smile. Asking a woman you meet for the first time a custom title? I should learn from him. Ashamed of myself.
His companions were closer to normal people. It's behavioral proximity, not status. "Your Excellency Helen." The night elf greeted politely, then turned back and patted Sita's fingers away.
"Dalton Shadowfang Nathanael. My friend Uriel has mentioned you, Madam Poirot. I believe this is not our first encounter." He ignored Theta's question.
"That's right," Agatha replied, "I found the newspaper on the porch rug. The postman has never been so attentive. They just throw the newspaper into the letter basket on rainy days. How considerate of you."
"Easy to do."
"You helped me a lot." But to be honest, Agatha knew very well that he had secretly collected information about her. To an ordinary lady this would have been offensive, but Agatha was the constable of Brumnot. She soon realized that this was Nightingale's habit.
She wondered if he liked this positioning. Many things prove that this person first became a nightingale in Knights Bay. Before that, his duty was to act as a guard and protect certain people. It always seems like your enemies know your work better than your peers...
The little lion looked around: "Is this Huo Kelin?" she said with surprise. "I thought I hadn't left Blumnot."
"What? The Floating Clouds don't look like this." York disagreed.
“The cities, ports and people are all very similar.”
"There are still differences," Agatha said. "There are no terraced mountain forests in Hokolin. The local climate is changeable and suitable for plants with short growth cycles."
"No wonder. This island is so bald." Roma announced his opinion of Sky Island. She didn't change her mind until she arrived at the garrison's branch.
What a childlike travel companion. Agatha thought. My journey is no longer boring, it is countless times better than San Carlos. To be honest, their mission to Huo Kelin this time was like an autumn outing specially arranged for the lion girl.
But Agatha's views soon changed.
Receiving them was the local garrison, Omer Nagris. This man was born in Bloomnot, the city of floating clouds, and had been stationed on Sky Island for forty-seven years. He has started a family with a local and is about to apply for retirement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Not surprisingly, Omer will choose to stay in Hokolin to spend time with his family.
Agatha had no intention of embarrassing him. Resident Naglis is a man of real talent and hard work, but solving crimes is not his area of expertise. Faced with rumors and undead ghosts circulating around Huoklin, he was completely helpless.
Before meeting Agatha, Omir had arranged everything. The guests checked into the hotel and immediately enjoyed meals and hot water. Visit requests from local officials and nobles were dispersed in an orderly manner and arranged over the next two weeks. Their gifts are listed. When Agatha put down her luggage and rushed to the temporary office without hesitation, Nightingale had already presented the intelligence to her.
Treated like a queen. She was simply flattered. Now I can be considered the real "Queen of Detectives".
Comprehensive and meticulous preparation leads to efficient progress: "The first sighting of the Banshee was at Sisini Cross Street?"
"Recorded sightings," Omer Naglis answered cautiously.
Someone must have seen it earlier. However, due to some reasons, the witnesses failed to report the incident to the Sheriff's Department. This situation is normal. Agatha scanned the map and discovered at a glance that the Sky Island Detection Station was located near the sighting location.
"According to the direction, the personnel on duty at the detection station that night should be able to find traces of the banshee." She casually drew a line along the route, "Not to mention astrology - the building is surrounded by open areas, with strict sentries, and streetlights, so the field of view is It should be very clear. Have you asked this person?"
"The inquiry results of all surrounding residents have been classified and summarized here..."
Agatha opened the report. The records of the Hocklin Sheriff's Department have a familiar feel, very similar to those of the police officers in the Floating Cloud City. This is the style of the Secretariat, she thought to herself, realizing that the high tower's regard for Huoklin was actually very close to that of the headquarters, Blumnot. This is interesting.
But now is not the time to stretch out fragmentary thoughts. The detective quickly browsed the directory, but failed to find the required information: "There is no relevant inquiry. What happened? There was no one at the detection station at the time?"
"I don't know." Nagris was stopped by her question. The Sky Island garrison frowned. "Strange, there must be someone on duty that night."
"Of course." Otherwise, the Nightingale would be worthy of its name. The detection station is the eyes of the city and one of the guarantees for the peaceful coexistence of mortals and mysterious creatures. It never stops functioning.
But the problem is, it just happened. Agatha read the report carefully, but couldn't find even a single word related to the detection station. It seemed that the absolute core organization of the city's intelligence collection was an empty shell.
What a strange thing. She looked over the report over and over again, doubting the reliability of her own people. After witnesses report the crime, the Public Security Bureau will definitely seek confirmation from the detection station. They asked everyone around them and missed the detection station that provided intelligence? Are the flaws around us most easily overlooked?
There is irrefutable evidence for the appearance of the Banshee Banshee. Although Agatha only saw those who died in the attack, the great astrologer in the tower was undoubtedly sure of this.
Witnesses discovered the undead earlier than the detection station, and the latter undoubtedly had the greatest suspicion. Hell, it’s hard for the Sheriff’s Department to ignore it…
"We will have an answer soon." Omir informed Ms. Sluger at the detection station. She rushed to the southeast corner of Sky Island in the evening and got into Agatha's temporary office. Best of all, she thoughtfully brought the entire duty roster for the past month.
"Very good." Agatha quickly scanned the form and found no blank spaces in the form. "Obviously, we have made sure that there are no omissions in the rotation arrangement that night." The key is implementation. No matter how strict the arrangements are, some people will inevitably be absent from work. "The next thing is the night of the crime..."
"It's Alisie's turn to be on duty," Slug replied. She said while reaching for her glasses. "I've asked her about that night."
"She missed work?"
"I'm afraid that's what happened. Alicia had no idea she was required to be on duty that day."
"Is it a communication issue? Who is responsible for delivering the day's roster?"
Slug continued to push up her glasses, and the bridge of her nose seemed oiled. "I am in charge, my lord. It is inefficient to send someone to deliver the news about the shift. I always inform the other party myself."
After all, she was the one who decided on the list. Agatha understood. "I suppose you won't forget...?"
"I'm pretty sure I informed someone, but it's not Alicia." Slug lowered his head, and his glasses suddenly slid down a lot. Her eyes showed confusion behind the glass: "I'm sorry, but I can't give an answer. I can't imagine it at all! There must be other reasons... these confessions... maybe she is not Alicia, but I Can’t tell who she is.”
"Can't tell who she is?" the detective asked, "What do you mean?"
"Before asking her family, I thought the person in the office was Alisie," Sluger said. "But then... Alisie did miss work that day. She didn't come to the station at all, let alone be on duty. ." The webmaster lady shook her head. "That night, Ashley's family and neighbors testified that she never left."
Being able to take a break and get paid at the same time is a good thing in the world. "The problem lies with the detection station." Agatha concluded, "Your office is closed to others?"
"That's right." Zhuoer replied. The Lord Witch rested early, and the lion-man Roma was enjoying dinner with York. Only he followed Agatha's rhythm and chose to come to listen to the case exchange first.
"The detection station is the city's security hub, and people inside cannot move around at will." He told Agatha.
"Then, someone sneaked into the detection station." The detective gave the only answer.
Omir and Slug looked at each other. The former looked depressed, while the latter seemed a little uneasy. Their attitudes are clear to see. The detection station is the eyes of order. It sounds like a complete joke for the astrologers to be quietly hidden in the house without noticing.
"You know nothing?" Dalton was surprised.
"In fact, we didn't even discover the problem of duty." Omer confessed. "The Public Security Bureau and I checked the duty list countless times and found no gaps." He looked at Agatha with admiration, and the latter wrinkled. eyebrow.
In her opinion, this matter was not her fault at all. If it were that guy Witek, he would definitely be able to find the problem. Hell, there's no logical way anyone could ignore that. After all, isn't it just to prevent accidents when we arrange for people to be on duty at night?
Agatha studied the two natives. If they were working together to make up lies, she couldn't figure out why. But to believe such nonsense...
"Mysterious effect." The detective put down the file. "You are under the spell of magic. Call the priest."
Divine magic is an effective means to dispel abnormal conditions. Omir nodded and immediately started preparations. But when he opened the door, he found a blond girl standing outside. "Miss Penelope?"
The little lion ignored him. "Dalton!" she screamed, slamming into the house. "There's an assassin in the attic."
