When Zach and Benjamin returned to the Grand House, it was already evening. As the seasons changed, the daylight hours gradually lengthened, and the city of Barton was in the dusk of sunlight and darkness.
The two of them returned home late because after leaving James' attic, they took a detour to the place where the police had found the only work of the kidnapped suicide, hoping to see if there were any clues that could be found, but there was no result, so they had to Bathed in this dusk, return to Grande.
The ambiguity of light and darkness should be cherished, but the Grande family seems to disdain such a time.
Old Hank was nowhere to be seen, and Jin Zheng stood naked in the kitchen, enjoying the results of waiting all afternoon. Alice was sitting with Louise in Zach's second-floor room watching 'Cook's Kitchen'.
Alice is an absolute fan of 'Cook'. A few days ago, this cooking show was moved forward and placed in the relatively unpopular Five. This simple succubus even wrote a letter to the TV station to protest: "Six, most of the jobs are People have just finished work, and when they get home and turn on the TV, they can only see food that has just been baked, but they don’t know the cooking ingredients and techniques. This is wrong!”
Of course, the Banshee’s letter did not receive any response, but the next day, a slightly chubby Cook expressed his optimism on the show: “Being able to teach housewives to prepare a perfect meal for their husbands and children before dinner. Dinner is also a pleasant thing.”
The succubus melted.
Zach stood by the door, watching Alice reluctantly saying goodbye to the people on the TV and promising to meet again on time tomorrow, he couldn't help but feel a sense of joy.
"There were a few calls." Louise waited patiently for Zach to immerse himself in it for a while, "I didn't answer it, I left a message."
Zach smiled and the three of them left the room, and Alice was about to start preparing dinner. Apparently she turned down Laura's celebration party at Parker School for Cook.
Zach returned to the office, poured himself a glass of wine as usual, and pressed the play button on the answering machine.
Some routine appointments and consultation calls were written down on paper by Zach.
"Grand Funeral Home, Mr. Grand. Uh, I'm Wells from the Barton Land Planning Authority."
The voice coming from the answering machine was a little dull, and the owner's fatigue was evident in his tone. Zach raised his eyebrows and continued listening.
"I made this call because, well, the West End Cemetery once planned for Grand House has been taken back by the city government and is now in the preliminary investigation stage for reconstruction."
Zach took a sip of wine and looked at Anthony. The mayor actually touched this land so quickly.
"Uh, so we need to check some information and hope to get Mr. Grande's cooperation. Well, that's it. I don't know if Mr. Grande will have time tomorrow. Uh... Anyway, if you receive the message, contact me by phone. Oh, and please contact me during business hours. Thank you.”
The sound of the phone hanging up. Zach looked at the time and happily put the matter behind him.
The answering machine continued to spin.
"It's me again, Wells. You didn't call back, so maybe you weren't here or something. Uh, but I'm getting off work."
Zach sighed, still the tired, weak male voice. Zach listened helplessly.
"Anyway, you will always come back to listen to the message at night. Anyway, I will go to the Grand House tomorrow morning. Please be sure not to leave. That's it, uh, thank you, goodbye."
Zach smiled helplessly, he could already hear the helplessness and impatience of this government worker. Zach put down his glass, thought for a moment, and decided not to embarrass this guy and just wait for his arrival tomorrow.
But before that, Zach picked up the phone and dialed the private line in Anthony's office. Government workers' words are always vague. Zach doesn't know what the other party wants to investigate. Asking Anthony should be helpful.
"Who?" Anthony was always direct.
"Zach." Zach swung his glass.
Sighing heavily, Anthony's tone on the other end of the receiver was more impatient than any other government worker, but it was understandable that it was already six months and the mayor of Barton was still working hard in the office. This was a good thing! Right! Right
"What's the matter with you?"
In the receiver, there was a trace of a woman's unique gasping sound that could not escape the vampire's ears. Zach curled his eyes, it seemed that the beautiful secretary was captured.
"Did I interrupt something? Maybe I should wait and call later." Zach said with a chuckle in his tone, and he could even imagine Anthony getting angry on the other side of the phone!
Snapped! The call was hung up.
It's past seven when the phone rings. Let's applaud Mayor Anthony of Barton.
"What's the matter with you?" Anthony's previous impatience was swept away, and a voice with a hint of joy came from the receiver.
"Tomorrow, people from the Barton Land Planning Administration will conduct a survey on the cemetery in the West District." Although Zach was not happy for his friend, his tone unconsciously brought a friendly smile, "I should pay more attention. What?"
"Oh!" Anthony was reminded and remembered something: "Nothing, just a routine investigation. Just prepare the funeral records in the West District."
"It's very simple." Zach thought of what he saw at the Ford Cemetery this afternoon. Government workers were harassed. He believed that the situation of the former owner of the cemetery, the Ford House, was not much better. Zach hesitated again: "Anthony, do you really want to touch the land over there? You know that many big shots in Barton City are buried there."
"I know." Anthony put away the remaining frivolity: "That's why there is an investigation. You should also know about the chaos at Ford, so we hope that the planning of the next few cemetery areas can be stable. The specific work This is nothing you should worry about, just cooperate." Mayor Barton obviously made a clear distinction between public and private matters and did not reveal more because of his relationship with Zach.
Zach was already satisfied to get such a response. Anthony would not let the legitimate rights and interests of Barton citizens be infringed, and Grande was also a member of Barton. Zach most appreciates Anthony's fairness and hopes that James can do the same.
"Okay." Zach looked over the phone and thought for a while. He didn't mention the problem James encountered. Instead, he reminded Anthony to protect himself as usual and hung up the phone.
The night in Grande is no different from ordinary people's homes. The breathing and heartbeat of life continue steadily in the darkness. Inanimate things, such as the coffin in the showroom, the decorative furniture in the office, the hay in Benjamin's warehouse, the vampire lying next to Louise, the earthbinder floating in the house humming the Beavers song... In short, everyone will find it. Way to give yourself a break.
until…
Old Hank opened his eyes before dawn, pushed open the door of the Grand House, hunched his back, faced the early morning sunshine, and went to collect today's newspaper. Alice was shaken awake by the Great Dane and entered the kitchen rubbing her sleepy eyes. Benjamin stretched his bare upper body in front of the sun, and the light hair covering his strong body was gilded with a layer of gold in the sun. Zach slowly waited for the blood in his body to revive, then covered Louise with a quilt who was still sleeping, and finally drove away Ryan, who was showing the unique wretchedness of a teenager.
This is how a day at Grand House begins.
Less than nine minutes later, an old car parked in front of the Grand House. A government worker named Wells was wearing a formal suit that had been washed repeatedly and was somewhat faded. He held a brown briefcase with frayed corners, pushed up the large-framed glasses on the bridge of his nose, and stood at Zach's desk. opposite.
"Well." Wells, who looked less than thirty, stretched out his right hand, Zach took it and separated it, "Thank you for your time." Wells said polite words, but his eyes were cold and in line with Zach's attitude. Impressions on all government workers. He retracted his right hand and pulled out a work ID card from his wallet and handed it to Zach: "Wells Pitt."
Zach glanced at the work permit and handed it back to the other party: "Nice to meet you, Mr. Peter."
"Just call me Wells." Wells showed a self-deprecating smile. His impression of Grande was not very good because he did not reply to the call yesterday. But now it seems that the other person is at least a polite guy.
"Then just call me Zach. I was out yesterday and missed your call. I'm really sorry." Zach smiled and apologized for yesterday.
"Uh, it's okay." Wells took out a few pieces of information from his bag and handed them to Zach. This guy really didn't want to waste any time: "It's good that you are here today. This is the answer to this investigation. Take a look."
Zach took the information and glanced at it. Apart from the official rhetoric such as 'for better planning of the land in Barton City', the important thing was to obtain the burial records of the Grand House in the West End Cemetery.
Zach: "I heard some news about this and I was ready last night." Zach pointed to the side of the desk and neatly arranged a pile of documents, "But I still need a search warrant from the court." Zach Look at the civil servant with a smile.
"Uh--" Wells stared blankly at Zach in front of him with his eyes behind the lenses.
"You should know that when the funeral industry was privatized, this information has changed from public information to private information. If you want to see it, I need a search warrant from the court." Zach looked at Wells who didn't seem to understand. Explained again.
"Of course, you can also directly count everyone's names in the cemetery, so there is no need for this." Zach kindly reminded this guy who had just developed a liking for Grande.
After a brief silence, Wells put away the information he had just handed over with a slumped face, and walked out of Zach's office without saying goodbye. A moment later, the sound of the engine of an old car rang, leaving the Grand House.
Just after nine, the phone on Zach's desk rang. Zach picked up and it was Anthony's voice. It seems that the mayor finally received the message Zach sent him last night.
"you sure?!"
"I'm pretty sure, I confirmed what happened at that time to Hank." Zach said flatly.
"Where is he?!" Anthony's voice was full of strange emotions, excitement, anger, and fear.
"North Park, fourth column, second row east, anonymous."
Yes, Zach didn’t want to make things difficult for the ordinary civil servant named Wells, but he thought it was necessary to inform Anthony about what he had discovered. The decision-making power was not in Zach’s hands. He had to respect Anthony’s ideas. Therefore, the West District The cemetery planning schedule must be delayed.
Maybe you will wonder why someone like Old Hank is so accepting of a bunch of inhumans. Here is the answer, because Old Hank buried one with his own hands. Although he was engraved with 'Anonymous' on the tombstone, his real name was retained in the data backup out of respect.
who is he? The last 'Toledo' of the Vampire Clandestine Alliance, Zach's first 'child', the person who made Mayor Anthony of Patton City receive the Purple Heart Medal from the federal government - Anthony's brother Ian Anthony. (Purple Hearts are awarded to those disabled in the Union wars and are accepted by the family if the grantor dies.)