London Police Headquarters, fifth floor, Commissioner's office.
As the highest-ranking officer of the London police force, Lestrade was humbly bowing his head slightly at this moment, trying his best to show the respect in his smile. However, because he usually did not smile, his expression looked more like a strange twitch.
Facing the short old man on the sofa, he hesitated for a long while. He glanced at the clock on the wall from the corner of his eye and finally spoke,
"Reverend, Scotland Yard has been expanded four times. The corridors and stairs are a mess. Could Miss Catherine be—"
He did not dare to utter the word "lost" because it might be misinterpreted as being directionally challenged or having a bad brain.
The old man in front of him clearly did not care so much. He only smiled and waved his hand. "Don't worry, she should be arriving soon."
Sure enough, a few minutes later, the office door was pushed open, and the young woman in the strange nun's habit walked in.
Her long black hair was tied up at the back of her neck, and her eyes were very sharp, causing her to naturally exude a pride and coldness that did not match her age.
At this moment, there was obvious indignation on her face… It made Commissioner Lestrade uneasy.
"Did something happen?" The old man on the sofa stood up and asked.
"Nothing. It was just that I ran into an uneducated bastard." Catherine closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying her best to suppress the anger in her heart.
The Commissioner's heart skipped a beat. He secretly cursed everyone in the police station.
He had clearly instructed everyone that the person they were going to receive today was somebody, and that they had to be polite when they saw an unfamiliar face. Why was there someone who didn't have a brain?!
"I promise that anyone who offends the sanctity of the Vatican will be punished severely!" he said quickly.
Catherine shook her head and did not want to dwell on this matter. She turned to look at the Commissioner and said solemnly, "Have you found the candidate?"
The Commissioner's smile froze. He was so troubled that he almost cried. "Miss Catherine, although I'm the Commissioner of the London police station, your request… is too difficult."
…
Actually, it was not a big deal originally. It was just that a perverted murderer had suddenly appeared in the old district. In half a month, he had brutally killed 12 women. After each of them had been crazily violated, their limbs were amputated, their blood was drawn, and their internal organs were ripped out and scattered all over the ground.
That was all.
In this era where hell had invaded the real world, demons were everywhere. Even walking at night could result in one dying without an intact corpse. It was really difficult to attract enough attention when a serial killer appeared.
However, the bad thing was that this guy seemed to be enjoying himself as he killed…
He was no longer satisfied with continuing to commit crimes in the downtown area. Instead, he moved his target to the uptown area. Last night, he tortured and killed a beautiful lady.
Actually, it was not a big deal if it was just a resident of the uptown area. At most, the bounty on his head would be raised a little. However, the victim of the uptown area… was the wife of a deacon of the Vatican!
This was going to be huge!
As everyone knew, after the Gates of Hell opened, the Vatican became the only hope for the continuation of the human race. Whether it was the churches built in the city districts, the tens of thousands of fanatic war maniacs in the south who used their flesh to resist the invasion of demons, or the ubiquitous [Holy Light], they were the last pillars for humanity on the verge of extinction.
Before the children could read and their worldview was formed, these words had already been memorized in their young hearts. It was like the sun rising and the moon setting. It was some established rule of this world.
"I don't care what method you use." The woman's face was dark. "Someone has killed the family member of the Vatican. This is a blasphemy against the Holy Light. The murderer must be found within 24 hours."
"But, but, you only gave me one spot. This…" Commissioner Lestrade mustered his courage to explain, but when he saw Miss Catherine's slightly furrowed brows, he quickly swallowed the rest of his words.
There was no way. The murder of a deacon's wife was even more appalling than the mayor of London liking Japanese dogs. If word got out, it would tarnish the supreme authority of the Vatican.
Therefore, this matter had to be resolved as quickly as possible. The fewer people knew about it, the better!
'But…'
Wasn't it a fantasy to ask a person to investigate a serial murder case and nab the murderer within 24 hours?
Unless…
Unless!!!
Commissioner Lestrade gulped, extremely helpless and uneasy as a name came to mind.
The moment this thought sprang to mind…
"Eh? Could it be that you've thought of someone?"
The short old man in front of him suddenly spoke, his gray pupils lifeless under a pair of drooping eyelids.
The Commissioner did not know what came over him, he nodded subconsciously. "Yes, if there's anyone who could do it, it has to be him."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly came to his senses and broke out in cold sweat. He looked at the short old man who had been smiling in front of him. There was a hint of fear in the respect he originally had.
That sentence just now was definitely not spoken according to his own will.
Instead, it was driven by some abyssal power…
So, this Reverend was not just a covenant person, but he had also evolved to the second stage?!
"Is there finally someone in mind?" Miss Catherine asked.
Commissioner Lestrade clenched his fists. Sweat had already seeped out between his fingers. He knew that there was no point in hiding it now. He could only answer nervously, "Yes, there's a candidate. He's a… private detective…"
…
Ten minutes later, in the police station's cell.
The old gas lamp sizzled, reflecting dim light in the dampness.
A few police officers were struggling to move a huge suitcase that was oozing blood. If not for the eerie writhing coming from inside from time to time, no one would even believe that there was a person stuffed inside.
In the laws of the empire, death row prisoners did not have the right to civil suits, so no matter how roughly they had been treated, there was no place to reason this out.
After all, these people were going to be escorted to the execution ground.
But… but this was too pathetic.
"Slash—"
The zipper of the suitcase was unzipped, and a creepy sound of bones rubbing against each other could be heard, followed by the sound of breathing as the lungs finally relaxed.
There were no screams or cries for help, only the most inaudible miserable moans. That person was like a puddle of mud, slowly 'dripping' out.
In front of the box, the short old man in a long robe was shocked. He looked at the police officers at the side and realized that they were all looking sideways, not daring to look at the person lying on the ground.
"The detective you're talking about… is he always like this?"
One of the officers nodded timidly.
"Yes, High Priest. In his words… it's more convenient to escort the prisoners this way."
At the same time, on the third floor of the police station, Commissioner Lestrade and Miss Catherine stood in the doorway of the lounge.
The Commissioner pointed to a sofa, where a man, with a slender figure, was sitting at this moment in a trench coat. He was reading a book in his hand. He looked like a down-and-out noble who had lost all interest in life.
"This is the person…" the Commissioner said humbly.
Before he finished his sentence, he suddenly noticed the expression of the lady beside him.
"Uh… Miss Catherine, you… don't look too good."