"Ah, I was out on an inspection too, you see. We received reports that there were multiple explosions recorded in this area."
She pulled down her shades and continued.
"You wouldn't have perchance seen anything, would you?"
She stared straight into my eyes.
This was it. My poker face was about to be tested.
'I'll keep the innocent act for now until I'm sure of her intentions. I have to avoid fighting.
If I keep stalling by staying silent, she is surely going to follow me. I also have to prevent that.'
"No, I didn't see anything but…"
I turned towards the grass that I had touched earlier and pointed towards it.
The best way to lie was by speaking the truth.
"The grass there smelt burnt. However, visually nothing seems different. The air here feels clean but I can sense that there are multiple residual mana from different sources present."
The lady kept looking at me as I spoke.
"Explosions most likely took place here…no, explosions did take place here. It was probably a fight with multiple people involved. But someone covered it all up. I believe it was the one who won the fight."
She opened the door and got out of her car.
"Hm, interesting. My mana sensor barely picked up the signature."
Her gloves glowed as she waved her hand in the air.
'Is she saying that it was extremely uncanny for a boy my age to be able to detect what her mana sensor couldn't?
I need to control the ebb of this conversation more.'
"It seems like the person who did this also skillfully took care of the aftermath without leaving any evidence. The only reason I could feel it is probably because I'm sensitive to such mana changes in the atmosphere." I spouted whatever logical bullshit came to my mind the quickest.
"I see… but.."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Why do you think a fight took place here? It could have just been another terrorist bomb blast."
I had mistakenly uttered a word that had come to bite me back, but luckily, an answer came to my mind.
"Look at the buildings around here." I gestured towards the surrounding apartments and shops.
"None of them look damaged. If it were really an attack on civilians, there would be no meaning to cover it all up. It would lose the purpose of creating fear."
"Indeed, it would be better to have the wreck on display to create fear." She released the tension but immediately said something provocative again. "But such fear isn't necessary, is it?"
What is she trying to say? That fear wasn't necessary for them to carry out their plans? That they tried to create a distraction? Or that they wanted people to gather here?
"Blasting a bomb would naturally scare a majority of people. So the area would more or less become clear of disturbances. That rules out the theory of a terrorist attack aimed at civilians. On the other hand, it would be perfect for them to conduct their business here. But I have never seen anyone conduct any business involving bombs in broad daylight on a city street other than fighting."
She smiled after hearing my words.
"But even a student like you is here even though you heard 'loud noises'. Hopefully, it wasn't a highschool brawl between young students, right?"
She was still trying to make me spill the beans if I had any.
"The explosion seems to be focused near the riverbank since the density of residual mana there is the most."
"Yes, an ideal place for boys to fight out their differences."
She again tried to allude me to the events that took place here.
I was fed up with her passive-aggressive interrogation. I had to end this and move on.
"Yes that is true, but…"
Time to turn the tables.
"Isn't it funny that no police is here?"
She dropped her smile.
"If it were just a 'highschool brawl', then surely an eye witness would have called the police or sent the security camera footage to the authorities."
I gestured towards the camera on the street. "I don't know what highschoolers would even do with bombs."
"You never know, students are very strong and creative these days." She tried to be aggressive again.
Hah, about time I end this.
"You know what I think? The fact that there are no police, no eye witnesses, no one here except me and you… that could mean two things."
I raised my fingers.
"One, either you or I belong to the group that fought here and are trying to convince the other party that we didn't.
Or…"
She made a serious expression.
"The ones who fought here belong to the gangs and have successfully managed to evade the police while you as an independent investigator are trying to extort me as a prime suspect."
There were other possibilities but I only needed these two to shut her up.
"Pffft" Suddenly she smiled again,
"Hahaha", and started laughing.
"You're right, I already know the gangs are involved in this. Hahhaha", she wiped the tears from her eyes. "But it was so fun to coerce you."
She calls it fun?
"It's obvious that a fight took place here and since your clothes are completely clean, I know you didn't take part in the fight."
She stopped laughing.
"Not directly at least."
She wore her shades again.
'That logic is bullshit. This woman...she thinks I'm directly involved in this.'
Woosh
After getting in her car, she threw a card towards me.
I caught it and looked at her business card.
[Cindy
Private Investigator
Phone no: xxxxxxxxxxx]
"You seem like a smart person, Ray Astraeus."
She opened her gloves and let me see the black nail polish that she had worn.
"I'll be sure to keep in touch. Ciao."
She then drove off into the sunset.
Keep in touch? But SHE gave me HER card? Did it have some tracking mechanism or call back feature?
I looked at it but it just looked like a normal card to me.
Sigh…
I guess for now, I'll keep it. If I die in this unknown world, at least my actions would be seen by someone other than these whimsical Gods.
Keeping the card in my pocket, I started walking towards John Elton's home.
Little did I know back then, that someone was already looking at me from far away.