After breakfast, I sent Bevis off and noticed a small box at the corner where the busker had been last night under the streetlight—it was where he kept his money. Strange, why hadn't he taken the box with him?
Walking over, the street was bustling with people, most of them hurrying to work. No one paid attention to this corner.
The box was empty. Perhaps he had taken the money.
The morning breeze was chilly, and the late autumn had arrived abruptly. Standing at this corner, I could see everything happening on the two intersecting roads—the beautiful clothes in the shop windows, the lavender-painted windows of the residential buildings, the withered vines clinging to the walls, the towering, timeworn structures in the distance, and the pigeons circling in the sky… all within my view.
Suddenly, I realized that the once-charming Avion no longer felt innocent. Perhaps it was because of the vampire last night—those eerie monsters truly roamed this beautiful human world. Maybe there were hidden vampires among the crowd passing by right now!
Safety felt as fragile as glass.
My nerves were on edge as well. My mind kept flashing back to the baron's crimson eyes and fangs, but he hadn't harmed Bevis or me. Maybe he wasn't as bad as I thought. Remembering the needle marks on Bevis's arm, I couldn't help but chuckle. After watching so many movies, I never knew vampires could be so picky.
Just as I was about to leave, I stepped on something.
Looking down, it was the bat ring the busker had worn last night.
Picking it up, I was astonished—it was a genuine solid gold ring, with a bat spreading its wings, exquisitely carved, and its small crimson eyes inlaid with two rubies.
How could that guitarist have such a valuable ring?!
Suddenly, I remembered the eerie scream last night when we returned, and the bloodied vampire who had barged into the shop. Could it be… that the busker had met with a grim fate?
Or perhaps, he was a vampire too?
Holding the ring, I returned to the shop and called Bevis. "I found a busker's ring, shaped like a blood bat. If I'm not mistaken, he might have met with a grim fate. Should I report it to the police?" I was filled with panic and anxiety, afraid another vampire might barge in. The table by the window only heightened my unease, as if I could still hear last night's gunshots. I was truly on edge.
"Margie, listen, throw that ring away, as far as you can! Don't call the police—aren't I the police? Vampires who wear rings are often of high standing, and their rings often carry mysterious powers. Remember, close up shop before sunset and lock the doors and windows." Bevis finished and hurriedly hung up.
I glanced at the ring in my hand, dismissing it, but doubts about Bevis began to creep in.
He appeared to be swamped. Was the police station really that hectic?
What was even stranger was, why did he know so much about vampires? Was it because of the recent bloodshed, or had he been studying vampires all along?
I still called the Avion Police Station, not to report anything, but to discreetly ask Bevis's friend what he was so busy with.
The response I received was, "On your brother's 28th birthday, he suddenly became gravely ill. He didn't want us to worry you, so he went to the hospital himself. The very next day, he tendered his resignation. Were you unaware?"