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Cake took a moment to clear his throat, ensuring his voice remained steady. He extended his hand to return the envelope and briefly averted his gaze. Cake glanced at Lady De Polcester's fearful eyes.
"So what are they doing now?" Cake asked, turning to each individual one by one.
"The deadline is about two weeks." Aunt Mildsven handed over a letter to Cake. "This letter was delivered directly by someone in a black van while I was trimming the grass outside."
Cake examined the letter briefly. It contained instructions for the exchange of Mlle. Ren's life with one million pounds and a sample of Michizaburo Shio's final experiment. Accepting the letter, Cake briefly turned to Aunt Mildsven. "Directly?"
"Yeah," Aunt Mildsven nodded confidently.
"Until now, have there been any other pieces of information? Such as surveillance results and suspicions?"
(Lady De Polcester showed me some photos given by Agnes, depicting three individuals. Two women and one man with unique curly hair. Lady De Polcester introduced each one to me.)
(The man with curly hair is named Grunt Wilchard, the light brown skin and half-blonde-haired woman is Sistine Bruness. The woman with slightly Asian features is Ren Shiomi.)
"Ren Shiomi is my daughter. By faking her death and raising her in an orphanage, I was too naive to think it was safe. Aunt McMurtagh was her caregiver, but only for two years after Ren turned seven and supposedly died. She was then taken care of by Aunt Thompson, who later introduced me to Aunt Mildsven. I also know that Ren used to be close with these two children, Grunt and Sistine," Lady De Polcester explained, pointing to a photo of the Asian-European mixed-race woman.
"Forgive me, but didn't you retire from work? Who informed you about Mademoiselle Ren's condition periodically?" Cake asked.
"Ah, sometimes Agnes, sometimes Miss Beryl. Well, at that time I was working at a new place. I will provide that information when you solve this case. I can assure you that the information has no connection to this matter," Lady De Polcester replied.
(I had my doubts when Lady De Polcester said that. But perhaps she was telling the truth. Besides, what's the point of keeping a secret that hinders the success of the case?)
"Hm... please continue," Cake responded shortly.
(Furthermore, Lady De Polcester mentioned that after turning 12 years old, Ren left the orphanage to travel, which caused her panic. Lady De Polcester suspected that one of the orphanage staff deliberately let Ren escape. Lady De Polcester began to doubt their trust. With no time left, she instructed Agnes, the only person she trusted, to secretly monitor Ren over time.)
(And at the same time, she took Sistine and Grunt to be enrolled in a different school, so that one day they could protect her beloved child, Ren.)
"Yeah... I always lived in the same apartment with her... During high school, she regretted staying in England where the cost of living was suffocating. That's why... I slowly approached her... talked to her, and then recommended her to Scotland. Especially when she decided to go to college. Because in the end, she decided to move, just like me," Agnes explained, casually munching on grapes.
"Did you notice any signs of someone following her while you secretly trailed her, Agnes?" Cake asked, resting his chin on his hands, which were clasped together on the table.
"Well... it's hard to admit..." Agnes hesitated. "I only caught glimpses, but it was enough to confirm their next plans. They are indeed cunning," she added.
(Agnes continued, revealing that she had applied for a janitorial job at the university Ren attended, which happened to have a job opening. Agnes considered herself lucky because she didn't have to enroll as a student, which would have been more expensive. Gradually, Agnes observed Ren and, once again, rented a small flat near her. Day by day, Agnes noticed something peculiar.)
"Agnes argued with me one night when I was tired from work. She even visited me in the middle of the night on a different day," Lady De Polcester said, turning to Agnes.
"I was just thinking through my methods. It's just between me and Madame De Polcester to determine who was wrong," Agnes replied, closing her eyes as if to say, "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Because Agnes knew that Ren was with Sistine and Grunt, and those two couldn't be there because of you...?" Cake guessing.
"I sent both of them to another school. I intended to reap the ripe fruit later. They owed me a debt of gratitude. That's why I convinced Agnes that the Grunt and Sistine she was watching were not the real ones," Lady De Polcester confidently stated.
(Lady De Polcester even blatantly gave me her cell phone so I could confirm the real Grunt and Sistine situation myself. She also insisted that I could make a video call for concrete evidence. Well, I don't think that's necessary. If she said so, that mean dhe also did the same thing before. Since she is smart, maybe she also had time to visit them.)
(Agnes and Lady De Polcester agreed at that time to focus on the other two individuals, the other Grunt and Sistine. Who are they really? If that's the case, what is their purpose, and how did they know about the two individuals? That was the conclusion of their debate at that time.)
(Indeed, it was not easy, and it required diligence. Agnes realized that the two individuals left very little trace of carelessness. Agnes believed that they were both competent and mutually protective in their attitudes, behavior, and habits. They seemed like a natural pair. Until Agnes found something.)
"You found a hidden microphone?" Cake asked.
"Sooner or later, if what Madame said is true... There was... there was no better disguise than being a janitor, not even a hint of suspicion despite working at night... I found it in the toilet... just as the woman named Sistine came out. No matter how clever a squirrel jumps, it eventually falls. Lack of attention... and so on... just as I expected," Agnes explained.
(At that point, Agnes continued to reel in her line until the surface. Eventually, she discovered that Sistine always hid in the toilet. That's when Agnes occupied another cubicle to eavesdrop.)
(Agnes was now certain that Lady De Polcester's statement was true. From the conversations she overheard, she learned that they wouldn't hand over Ren until they obtained what they were after. Agnes suspected that the woman frequently visited Ren's flat and found what she was looking for. It became her motivation to try and seize it.)
"In other words, because the item is valuable, they are giving us time. That's the good part. The problem is..."
"They will plunder Lady De Polcester's fortune and offer no guarantees. They will take everything from a distance and celebrate!" Aunt Mildsven exclaimed angrily, slamming her right fist onto her left palm.
"Oui!" Cake nodded in agreement.
(Then I immediately asked about 'something they are after' of course besides the recipe for the perfection of the medicine that is in the blood of the descendants of Michizaburo Shio. Lady Polcester replied that it was a sapphire gemstone necklace. Lady De Polcester and her husband invested in something unique for the sake of greater safety they believed. They hired the services of a craftsman in Wales, making a very strong wooden box to store the secret. While having prepared two gems, a ruby and a sapphire of the same size as the key. I don't understand the mind of Lady Fogarty De Polcester, or Monsieur Michizaburo Shio.)
"Keeping love with protection. The ruby necklace is in the box as a symbol of love, while I gave the sapphire necklace to Ren. That was the philosophy my husband created. I was skeptical about it at first, but he told me to trust him. He said that jokingly, someday people would understand his way and call him the crazy savior," Lady De Polcester explained with a bitter laugh.
Cake actually wanted to see the box, but considering that his client only shared information that she deemed necessary, he decided against it. However, one thing he pondered now was, for what purpose did Lady De Polcester's husband take such a reckless action?
"I still have reservations about it, milady! Entrusting such a valuable item to your daughter will only worsen the situation! Perhaps at a different crossroad, we will not only be facing those villains, but others as well!" Aunt Mildsven exclaimed in frustration.
Cake agreed wholeheartedly with Aunt Mildsven's statement, but at the same time, he pondered the character of Lady De Polcester's husband, who was said to have unique ideas. Cake lowered his head, contemplating deeply.
(For a moment, I thought Lady De Polcester's husband was a visionary. By incorporating that assumption, I unexpectedly arrived at my own conclusion. Perhaps he included the necklace as a role, not just an object. Once the sequence was determined, anyone who wasn't vigilant wouldn't have a clue about the reasons.)
(With that in mind, I started questioning myself, how was the sapphire necklace assigned a role? Naturally, the gemstone attracted the attention of the villains. So, I forced my monkey brain to explore its potential and came up with another foolish idea.)
(The sapphire necklace was given at a specific and precise time, then it was known by a specific and precise person, creating a strong perception. So, if ordinary people became aware of this, they should be suspected. This would facilitate the selection, like catching alluring golden spiders and trapping their prey.)
"Through whom did you give the necklace?" Cake asked, reflexively tilting his head and turning to Lady De Polcester.
"Mrs. McMurtagh, her first nanny," she replied.
"Did you give any specific messages?"
Lady De Polcester's eyes turned downwards, slightly slanting. Her lips moved hesitantly, about to open.
"Through Madame McMurtagh I gave the message. I-I have always been troubled by this, but... I tried to follow my husband's instructions. I told Ren not to sell the necklace, no matter what happens because it's a protective necklace. To protect her from evil spirits, ghosts, and the like," Lady De Polcester explained, her eyes fixed on Cake with tension. "Could it be that I was wrong?"
Cake narrowed his eyes for a moment and thought maybe there was no harm in thinking that way? What is clear is that sending a message for someone to really take care of that object is the most likely thing to do. After all, that can also be used as evidence so that her daughter could realized that later.
"No, I'm sure your husband is smiling down from above," Cake smiled faintly. It wasn't a sad smile, but one of satisfaction.
ns 15.158.61.39da2
