Bruno woke up, sat on the sofa, wiped his face, and looked at Mary Etta and Clayton in confusion.
"I think there's a better way than just bursting my bubble."
"Businessmen should pursue efficiency."
Clayton handed him the little water left in the cup that hadn't been spilled, and he drank it all at once, washing away the sticky feeling in his mouth.
Regaining some spirit, Bruno looked at them in surprise.
"When did you two meet?"
"We don't know each other," they answered together. Then, in unison, they said, "We're here for business this time."
Clayton turned his head to observe Mary Etta, and from Bruno's words, she should also be someone Bruno knew. And seemingly feeling his gaze, Mary also looked back at him directly, matching him stare for stare.
This strange tacit understanding made Bruno a little suspicious that he was still hungover.
He shook his head, scratched his ears, and then made sure everything was real:
"Alright, who wants to go first?"
Bruno pointed to the bedroom, indicating that the next person to discuss business should go in with him.
He usually drank and rested in the living room, so the bedroom was cleaner. One-on-one communication could also prevent employers from leaking privacy.
Without any dispute, Mary Etta stepped forward. But she didn't look in the direction of the bedroom:
"Let's talk here."
"Fine, state your requirements."
Bruno took out a pen and paper, spread them on the table, and began to write an event acceptance record, ignoring Clayton. Since the employer had no objections, he didn't ask Clayton to leave either.
Mary sat down opposite the table: "I want you to follow and investigate someone who has a strong suspicion of crime."
The rustling of writing came from Bruno's pen, paused slightly, and then he looked up: "But you are a sheriff. Why not arrest him on the spot when you see a crime?"
Clayton thought it had nothing to do with him, facing the door and waiting for them with his back.
Mary Etta's voice continued to come: "It's just a suspicion, and I was on patrol that day, so I missed the opportunity to inquire. When I returned to the sheriff's office, the case about him had already been closed. That person is also a well-known gentleman in the area, and no one else is willing to offend him. Now, to find out the truth of the case, we can only rely on private actions."
"You are really dedicated."
Bruno scratched his straw-like hair, and he was already used to the sense of justice of this female sheriff: "So, is there any personal information about him that you want to tell me?"
"His name is Clayton Bello, and he runs an antique shop in the Saint Moret Parish. Black hair, green eyes, and a goatee. He is about thirty years old."
Bruno's pen stopped.
He was now sure that Clayton and Mary did not know each other at all.
And by the door, Clayton's breathing became heavy. He never expected that this female sheriff had come to hire Bruno to investigate himself.
The body of the monitor he had previously sent to the sheriff's office had indeed aroused suspicion.
"I need you to follow him for two weeks, and if there is any unusual situation, record and report it to me. Be careful to keep your distance and don't sneak into the house to investigate. This person is very brutal and has good fighting skills. If he finds out, he is likely to use the excuse of self-defense to kill you, a private detective, and then frame you with a non-existent crime."
It was definitely the trouble caused by being too neat when he killed the monitor!
This misunderstanding was too serious.
But why would she dare to ask these questions in front of him when she already knew what he looked like?
Clayton frowned and turned around, hesitating whether to explain it now.
However, Bruno had already agreed.
"It sounds risky, the fee is fifteen pounds, with a deposit of three pounds first, no problem, right?"
"No problem."
Mary Etta paid the bill readily, then got up and walked towards the door.
Clayton by the door unconsciously moved his lips, which she noticed. She looked at Clayton with pure curiosity, and her eyes did not fluctuate in front of the described appearance:
"Why, does this gentleman have anything to say to me?"
Clayton opened his mouth, and finally said, "No, miss."
Mary Etta pulled the door open and left, slamming it shut.
After she left, Bruno lit a cigarette, took a puff, and suddenly started coughing and laughing.
Clayton went over and sat in the seat Mary Etta had just occupied, very dissatisfied with his reaction: "What's so funny? She can report my personal information, but she doesn't recognize me in person, which is very strange."
"Don't worry, she's always like this, otherwise she wouldn't always be assigned to patrol tasks. Because only on-the-spot arrest tasks can make her recognize who the criminals are."
Bruno reached for the bottle, but the green glass long-necked bottle was already empty, and he had to give up.
"Then I really appreciate her contribution to the city." Clayton slapped a hand-drawn "Broken Winged Angel" club entry ticket on the table from memory.