The warm and old hut still has the dining table covered with light yellow tablecloth.
The lights illuminated the sizzling grilled chicken, the grilled beef tongue covered in sauce, the steaming polenta, the "artistic" yellow fried starfish and other special delicacies.
Three people sat around the dining table.
Dean glanced at the two people opposite him. Tribeca, who was wearing a woolen shawl and a tropical printed dress, and her hair carefully combed, had a strange old man beside her.
He is over 1.9 meters tall and has a slim build. He wears jeans, casual shoes and a large black coat.
Her short, flaxen hair with strands of silvery white was combed into a side parting with hair wax. She had a high nose bridge, high cheekbones, deep wrinkles on her face, and a prim and serious appearance.
"Tribeca, no wonder you are willing to replace the beans, pork and rice that have not changed for thousands of years and prepare such a sumptuous meal. Are you planning to bribe me to work hard?"
He glanced at the old man, grabbed a roasted chicken leg and took a big bite. It was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, tender and juicy, and left a fragrant mouthful.
"Talent and talent will slowly become rusty if they are not used regularly. Just like an old friend of mine is in some trouble, I just wanted to ask you if you have time to deal with it as a training exercise?" Cui Beca's kind face wrinkled with laughter, and she looked at the man beside her, "This is Marco Van Helsing, from Reno."
Reno?
Dean recalled that this place was a city more than four hundred miles north of Las Vegas, and it also belonged to Nevada.
"I heard from Tribeca that you are a talented private detective who has solved several almost impossible commissions for people in Las Vegas." The old man smiled at Dean, stood up and extended his hand. "And I happen to be in a really big problem."
His voice was hoarse and full of authority.
Dean raised his eyebrows and saw Tribeca's gray hair shaking, indicating that she had not revealed any secrets to him.
"Mr. Marco, right? I'm not a real detective yet. I'm at most a lover of bizarre events." Dean put down the bare chicken bones, wiped the grease on his hands and the man He reached out and shook his hand, and immediately noticed several irregular scars on the back and side of his right hand, "Are you a pet doctor?"
"Yes, how did you find out?" the old man asked,
"These scars are all caused by bites from small animals." He tapped the back of the other person's hand. After all, he had learned something after hanging out with Holden for so long.
"Good observation skills." The old man's eyes softened when he looked at Dean. "I'm quite famous in Reno. If you have cats or dogs that need treatment, just come to me. For the sake of Tribeca For your sake, I’ll give you a discount.”
"Back to the topic, my son Ruben Van Helsing is missing. I hope you can help find him." The old man took out a photo from his dark wallet and placed it in front of Dean.
The photo showed a man in his thirties in a black trench coat. His height, body shape, and appearance were similar to those of the old man, but he was much younger. In addition, his temples were slightly sunken, and his lips were angled downward, giving him a grimace.
His cheeks and limbs are tense and stiff, and there is a faint melancholy between his eyebrows, which is reminiscent of a literary young man.
He tilted his neck slightly, as if he didn't like taking pictures.
"How old is your son, and what is his occupation?" Dean picked up the photo and held it close, wondering if he was related to the disappearance case. Last time it was Grace, and this time it was a man.
"Lu Ben is thirty-six years old. He works..." The old man pressed his hands on his knees and pinched them, with a hint of bitterness on his face. "He is a freelancer and has never held a regular job since graduating from college."
"Then he was still living with you before he disappeared?" Dean asked,
The old man hesitated for two seconds.
"He rented an apartment outside, and I paid him some living expenses regularly every month."
Dean smiled. A thirty-six-year-old young man is being supported by his sixty-year-old father. Isn't he the American version of an old man?
Seeing that the old man didn't look very good, Dean changed the topic.
"How long has Luben been missing? Where did he disappear?"
"He disappeared one night six months ago after visiting a bar in downtown Reno."
Half a year?
"You really think highly of me." Dean immediately took a sip of polenta to calm down his shock, "Don't you think this time is too long? It's almost a hundred times the golden detection time. I can guarantee that 99% of the evidence is It has disappeared over time or been destroyed artificially, so I don’t think there is much hope.”
The old man was silent.
"By the way, have you called the police to investigate?" Dean asked again,
"I not only called the police, but also hired two private detectives, posted missing persons notices, published newspapers, and TV news reports. I tried everything. I spent a lot of money and time, but it was of no use." Marco's forehead has a deep bulge. Deep in the ravine, his face was as gloomy as water, "My son ran away as if he had disappeared from the world."
Dean's expression also became a little more solemn.
"As you know, tens of thousands of people go missing in the United States every year for all kinds of strange reasons, but in most cases no one has ever seen them again, and no so-called detective can find them, not to mention I'm just an amateur. "
"I understand what you mean, the hope is slim, but I still want to give it a try."
The old man raised his head slightly and looked into the air, scolding,
"My useless son has not married and had children, leaving a descendant for the Van Helsing family. If he is gone, our family will be extinct."
But his slightly red eyes and anxious expression showed concern.
"If I were twenty years younger and could still have children, I wouldn't be so unwilling. Now, I can't give up on him no matter what."
"My child, how about helping him for my sake?" Tribeca reached out and grabbed Dean's hand, a flash of light flashed in her vicissitudes of eyes, "And Marco's ancestors were engaged in a business related to you. .Help him and you will never suffer a loss."
Causes related to me.
Dean thought. Tribeca's business should refer to hunting non-human monsters and legendary species.
Could it be that Marco Van Helsing was an expert in the field of monsters who had witnessed supernatural beings?
Marco saw Dean's hesitation, his face straightened, and he made a decisive promise,
"You are the person recommended by Tribeca. I believe you must be outstanding. As long as you are willing to help, go to Reno. No matter whether you can find someone or not, I will pay two thousand dollars for the trip. If you help me find him, Luben, no matter life or death, I will repay you extra hard."
"I'm a little curious, do you mean cash in return?" Dean's head filled with anticipation.
The old man's cloudy eyes rolled, and a trace of physical pain flashed across his old cheeks.
"The commission is very tricky, and the rewards are naturally generous. If you find the way, you can get an after-tax reward of $100,000, or choose another reward."
"Well, I heard from Tribeca that you are interested in occultism and some monsters in folklore...and my grandfather, who has passed away many years ago, was an expert in this field and left several precious antiques and collectibles at home. At that time, you can pick one at will, and rest assured, you will never be disappointed.”
As the old man finished speaking.
A prompt flashed in front of Dean, you triggered a new event - Reuben Van Helsing.
The last male member of the Van Helsing family disappeared after a night out at the bar.
His father, Marco Van Helsing, made a big promise to you to help find someone.
You need to find out the causes and consequences of Luben's disappearance, and let Marco at least see Luben again.
…
Event Difficulty: Unknown (lack of key information)
Progress (5/100)
Deadline: Undetermined
Reward: At least 30 experience points + difficulty bonus.
Penalty: None
…
Unknown difficulty? This also means that it may just be an ordinary disappearance, or it may be mixed with mysterious powers, which is a big risk.
But facing the expectant eyes of the two old men, he thought of the mysterious family collection that Marco had promised. In addition, he also planned to leave Las Vegas alone to travel around and fill up his new skill column.
He could find no reason to refuse,
"Can I go see your ancestor's collection first?"
"Let's wait until the investigation is over." There was a hint of test in the old man's eyes.
"Then I've been entrusted to take over." Dean muttered, "But I can't guarantee that someone will be found, and the time is limited. The investigation will last for a week at most. After one week, I will leave regardless of the result."
Marco and Tribeca, who was full of relief, exchanged glances and nodded heavily.
"I will reimburse all your food, clothing, housing, transportation, and various investigation expenses this week. Without further ado, shall we set off immediately?"
"Wait a minute, I have to go back and make some preparations," Dean thought. If the difficulty of the event is unclear, he must prepare for the worst.
Therefore, grenades, sniper rifles and other weapons must also be brought there.
"By the way, instead of flying, I'll drive there myself. It takes seven or eight hours to get to Reno from Las Vegas."
"Then I'll ride with you in the car." The old man said, "We'll talk about the clues we've found on the way."
(End of chapter)
