In an instant, all the hair on Barton's body stood on end.
Although he couldn't be sure that what he smelled was blood, his slightly abnormal spiritual perception told him that it was the smell of blood.
Vernal met with misfortune? Just like the archaeological team I was in back then? No, there's no blood residue on this envelope at all. Why would it emit the smell of blood? After a brief moment of extreme fear, Barton stood up.
As an ordinary person, he only had one instinctive reaction when faced with such a situation.
Call the police!
Just as Barton took the envelope and left his seat, he suddenly remembered something.
The Rouen Antiquities Collection and Conservation Foundation had clear rules on how to deal with similar situations. If a frightening or inexplicable phenomenon occurred in a project, everything was to be stopped immediately and the Compliance Department would be reported to, and they would be responsible for the follow-up.
Barton had never understood why he had to go to the Compliance Department. From what he knew, this was a department that examined whether a project had violated any rules. It had nothing to do with dealing with unknown dangers.
However, the founder of the foundation, Miss Audrey Hall, hadn't made many changes when she reviewed the internal work rules. She had only added this one rule, so the higher-ups weren't willing to argue with her over it.
Obviously, I'd rather go to the head of security … Barton mumbled as he walked out of the office and went all the way to the Compliance Department at the end of the corridor.
Knock, knock, knock. He tried his best to calm down and knocked on the door three times in a gentlemanly manner.
"Please come in." A nondescript voice came from inside.
Frankly speaking, Barton didn't know much about his colleagues in the Compliance Department. All he knew was that they were ruthless and swift, and they had caught one internal parasite after another who defrauded the foundation of funding.
Taking a deep breath, Barton twisted the doorknob and pushed open the door.
In his imagination, the Compliance Department should be working in an abnormally dark environment. Everyone maintained their silence, and from time to time, they would whisper a few words to decide the fate of a project and its person-in-charge. However, the first thing that entered his eyes was the bright sunlight, the brightly colored furnishings, and the grand and spacious layout.
"What's the matter?" A black-haired, brown-eyed, and ordinary-looking Compliance Department employee greeted him.
He was wearing a heavy black coat that didn't seem to be able to withstand East Chester's cold and damp winter weather.
In addition, Barton noticed that the Compliance Department employee had a Baekeland accent. He was either born there or had stayed there for a long time.
She's not that cold, mechanical, and difficult to get along with. She even gives off a sense of familiarity … As such thoughts flashed through Barton's mind, he hurriedly said,
"One of our partners seems to be in trouble!
"The letter he sent was just an envelope. There was no content, and it smelled like blood."
The Compliance Department employee's expression didn't change as he nodded slightly.
"Show me the envelope."
Barton then handed over the "letter" from the archaeologist Vernal.
Only then did he realize that he had been a little impolite.
"Sorry, how should I address you?"
The Compliance Department employee raised the envelope to the sunlight and carefully read it.
"Pacheco Dwayne, deputy director of the Compliance Department, an experienced lawyer. You can just call me Pacheco."
Without waiting for Barton's response, Pacheco lowered his arm and said with a serious expression,
"There's indeed a certain abnormality.
"My preliminary judgment is that this letter came from the Clough Hotel in the city. I once stayed there for a period of time, and I know that they like to print lavender castles on special envelopes and stationery."
"Do we need to call the police?" Barton blurted out.
Pacheco shook his head.
"Not for now. Let's go to the scene to confirm the situation.
"I'll need some help from you. Look, I don't know this partner."
"… Alright, I'll go with you," Barton replied hesitantly.
After exiting the Loen Relic Search and Preservation Foundation and boarding a rental carriage, Barton noticed the awkward silence. Hence, he took the initiative to ask,
Hence, he took the initiative to ask, "Pacheco, are you from Baekeland?"
"No." Pacheco shook his head. "I'm from Midseashire. I've only lived in Baekeland for nearly fifteen years."
"Why did you leave Baekeland? I heard that it's the most suitable city for a lawyer to grow up in, "Barton casually said.
Pacheco smiled.
"But it's also full of competition.
"Alright, I'm just joking. I used to be the personal lawyer and business partner of the steam-powered car tycoon, Framey Cage. Later, he invested in the establishment of the Baekeland Bicycle Company, and I started working as the company's legal consultant."
Barton suddenly understood.
"Miss Audrey owns a large number of shares in this company. Is that how you know her?"
"Yes." Pacheco sighed and said, "In the previous war, Flami unfortunately passed away, and his property fell into many disputes. As his friend, I had helped his widow and children secure a sizable share of the estate, thereby offending some people, which made things difficult for me in Baekeland. Fortunately, Miss Audrey extended an olive branch and invited me to East Chester County to work in the foundation as the deputy director of the compliance department. "
Seeing that Pacheco was even telling him such a thing, Barton felt even more amicable toward him.
Puzzled, he asked,
"Why would he target you? You're just doing your job as a friend and a lawyer.
"Those people should have targeted Framis Cage's widow and children."
Pacheco said with a self-deprecating smile:
"I used some dishonest methods.
"Besides, Framey's widow and children have other friends to take care of."
As they chatted, the rental carriage arrived at Clough Hotel in the heart of Stoen City.
The location of this hotel was quite good. It was located in a beautiful and quiet street, and it was only a ten-minute walk to the busiest streets of the city.
After entering the hotel and finding the owner, Pacheco asked bluntly,
"We're looking for a friend named Vernal."
Through the small talk earlier, he had already grasped the general situation of his target.
The boss frowned in confusion.
"If I remember correctly, there shouldn't be a customer named Vernal checking in."
When Barton heard this, he quickly added,
"He's a little taller than me, and he looks very muscular. His nose is always very red, and he often smells like alcohol …"
He described Vernal's appearance in detail.
The boss thought for a moment and looked at the waiter next to him.
"There's such a customer," the waiter immediately replied. "He lives in Unit 309."
Under the waiter's guidance, Barton and Pacheco arrived outside Vernal's room and knocked on the wooden door.
Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! There was no movement inside.
Just as Barton was about to suggest calling the police again, Pacheco suddenly bent down and picked up a handful of white, soft hair from the gap at the bottom of the door.
No, it wasn't hair. It was closer to the condensation of fog.
With the touch of Pacheco's fingers, they spread out and fused into the surrounding air.
At the same time, Barton, whose spiritual perception was slightly different from ordinary people, vaguely heard an ethereal and weak male voice.
"Tamara … Tamara …"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
