Getting off the carriage, they found themselves once again at the humble house of Mr. Pyncheon. Before approaching, they needed to ask others about this pair of husband and wife.
"We're already short on daylight. Let's split up from here. Lucas, Alexa—you both go and visit the market Elizabeth frequented and interview the passersby. We'll try to talk to the man, and I want to look through the house too," Xerxes instructed, handing his badge to Lucas.
"Use this if needed."
While Lucas and Alexa headed to the market behind the houses on foot, Xerxes and the others knocked on the man's door one more time.
It took him a while to answer, but the front door eventually opened.
"Welcome back?" Mr. Pyncheon greeted them with a displeased expression.
The man's breath stunk of alcohol, and he seemed a bit drunk, walking unsteadily back inside the house while gesturing for them to enter.
Xerxes hadn't examined the house's structure much the previous day, so he intended to do so thoroughly this time. The front door opened into the parlor, with a small, cramped staircase leading straight upstairs. Beyond the parlor was a kitchen, likely the most well-maintained room in the house. In stark contrast, the parlor and bedroom were beyond recognition in just a day. The amount of mess the man had made was concerning, to say the least.
Upstairs, the room was a bedroom with a double bed. It appeared to have been Elizabeth's space—her belongings were visible in the wardrobe and the drawers of the nightstands. The items seemed quite old, reflecting their financial struggles. The house itself was in critical condition: the paint on the walls was peeling, and the damp smell of leakages filled the air, making the place feel freezing cold.
Xerxes rubbed his red, cold nose and sniffled as he descended the staircase. Nova and Kai were standing together with the man next to the sofa, talking about something.
"What's the matter?" Xerxes asked as he approached them.
"Mr. Pyncheon is just now informing us about the basement in the house," Nova said in a suggestive tone.
The man seemed unperturbed. He threw himself roughly onto the sofa. "I forgot to mention it yesterday because it's nothing special. We intended to use it as a storage room," he said irritably.
"Can we go into the basement?" Xerxes politely asked.
The man looked up at them, saying nothing. Suddenly, he got up. Kai flinched at the unexpected movement, but the man ignored them, moved to the middle of the room, and pushed the carpet aside to reveal a small, square trapdoor latched into the unpolished oak wood flooring.
"Be my guest," the man said with a wicked smile, holding the trapdoor open.
"Nova, you stay here. I'll go down with Kai."
Xerxes held a stuttering oil lamp in one hand and Kai's hand in his other as he crouched down to enter the dark basement. The lamp lit the dark for them as they came down the old shelves with dusty jars, and brownish brick walls came into view.
The basement felt suffocating, the air even damper than in the house. It was mostly empty, with just a few shelves and a tool bench in the right corner. There was nothing of note and nowhere to hide.
"It smells of Elizabeth mostly here." Kai lifted his head and sniffed in all directions multiple times.
"Does she come down here often?" Xerxes asked loudly from the steps.
"I was always busy with work. I never saw her in the basement myself, but she might have come down here when I wasn't home," the man recalled.
"She came here recently. The smell is still fresh," Kai whispered just loud enough for Xerxes to hear.
"We can't really do much with this information. Let's go back for now," Xerxes said, glancing around the basement one more time before leaving.
***
"I hope to hear some good news next time," the man said before shutting the door in their faces.
"He's a bit rude. I don't like him," Nova voiced his opinion.
It was right on four o'clock—the time they had set to meet up. They waited a few more minutes in front of the man's house for Lucas and Alexa.
"He's staring at us from the window. Can we go somewhere else?" Kai asked, shifting uncomfortably.
"No, let him stare. We decided to meet here, and we're not leaving," Xerxes refused sternly.
Just then, a large carriage stopped in front of them. Lucas spotted them through the open window of the carriage and signaled for them to get in.
The coachman dropped them off at their destination: the police station.
"This feels like a nightmare where you can never clock out from work," Alexa dreaded as they entered the station for what felt like the hundredth time.
"You guys go ahead. I have to meet with someone. I'll join you shortly," Xerxes announced, turning toward the side office where others were busily working.
"Who?" Nova caught Xerxes sneaking away by his hand.
"I don't think you know him. He's a junior of mine called Sam—I worked with him on a case," Xerxes said, slowly wriggling his hand free.
"He's quite efficient." With that, he quickly fled.
Xerxes awkwardly walked into the office lined with many small tables and chairs. The constables stood up one by one, greeting him in surprise.
"Greetings, Sergeant."
"Good evening, Sergeant."
"Good day, Sergeant."
He nodded at them, trying to maintain a poker face while urgently searching for Sam, who wasn't in the room. Not seeing the familiar face, Xerxes turned to leave, only to bump into someone on his way out.
"Sergeant Xerxes," Sam said, holding his head as he backstepped from the collision.
Before Sam could fully regain his composure, Xerxes grabbed him and dragged him into his own office. Sam willingly allowed himself to be led.
Once they stopped, Sam spoke.
"Sergeant, what's the matter?"
"Sam, I have a new case for you," Xerxes replied with a smile on his face.