"Where were you between x time on x month x day and x time?"
Zach looked at the police officer across from him and answered, "Sanitarium, visiting Porky Quinn."
"Oh." The guy took a sip of coffee and swallowed a little loudly. Then he probably skipped a bunch of questions and flipped through the document in front of him until the last page. Pushing a photo on the iron interrogation table, "Mr. Grande, do you remember this man?"
The honorifics are all out.
Zach looked at the photo and said, "Remember, he is a nurse. I visited Pochi Quinn several times..." Since this name is so easy to use, let's mention it a few times, "He was always under his care."
"Okay." Not knowing what to expect, the guy continued, "When the gentleman was visiting, um, Mr. Porky Quinn, he must have happened to be in a fire accident."
"Yes, just in time." Zach nodded, "I was very lucky. When the fire broke out, it happened to be a break between visits. The male guard took me to the bathroom. In the corridor on the first floor, the fire alarm was triggered. We didn't suffer any injuries other than being drenched. And it was so close to the main entrance that we were able to leave the nursing home quickly and take shelter."
Zach answered in detail because he was too lazy to spend too much time with the other party. He was now even more curious about what Wes failed to finish.
"Oh, okay, okay." The guy opposite quickly recorded something, "Then, it's okay! Mr. Grande, thank you for your cooperation."
"You don't have to be polite to me." Since the other party said it was okay, Zach stood up and said, "Mill also wants to thank you for taking care of me."
In fact, when he received the summons call, Zach was a little confused. It was not that Pierce, the chief of the Southern District Police Department, had contact with Grande (forcible protection during the club case). Coupled with the cooperation of the mill, if you just need some testimony, there is no need to go through such a rigid and troublesome process.
In fact, Zach was too generous, and the interaction between Grande and Director Pierce was not very pleasant. First of all, it is necessary to make it clear that Pierce is Ethera's man, and Zach, who definitely supports Anthony, is the opposite; then remember, Zach went to save James and the others in order to get rid of the police's 'protection'. It was like blowing the tires of several police cars in front of the chief; in the end, all responsibility was suppressed by the North District Police Department.
I'm afraid no one in the Southern District Police Department likes Grande except Wes, let alone Zach, Grande's master.
This time is an example. If you can make Grande's master go to the troublesome place, try to make it as troublesome as possible.
"Haha..." The other party's expression was slightly weird, but he didn't reveal much, "This time it was because of the male nurse's request. Oh, by the way, his name is Sloan. He was originally a suspect in the last fire, because after the incident, the nursing home He disappeared while checking on patients and employees, and this time he suddenly came back and was taken to the bureau. He said that he could testify for him to eliminate the suspicion, so I would like to trouble you, sir."
"Oh, that's it." Zach pretended, 'I see.' "So is my testimony useful now?"
"Yes. Now his suspicion has disappeared." The other party nodded. "Uh, I have to go and let him go. Oh. Sir, you can leave now. I wish you a pleasant stay." He also stood up and prepared to leave, probably to let him go.
Zach nodded, but, "I'll go with you. I think I did him a big favor, right? I want to hear him thank me personally."
The police officer looked at Zach with a raised eyebrow, twitched the corners of his mouth, but still didn't make any comments and nodded. "Here, go this way."
Zach has visited all the police stations in the three districts of Barton. Needless to say, in the North District, I occasionally look for James, and when I bail out the mermaid Mollman. In the West End, I also stayed there for a day when I was asked to provide a list of employees of the former West End Branch of the Grand Funeral Home (the 'Valmina' incident, the West End Illegal Youth Activity Center case).
The one in the Southern District is now. I have to say that the Southern District Police Station is so shabby. The office area in the west and north districts is equivalent to the total area of the south district police station, and the other two districts of the detention center are separated from the office area in at least two buildings. But here in the South District, Zach just followed the police officer downstairs and came to the evidence reporting area and detention area that were stuffed into the underground floor at the same time. Is this really reasonable? Forget it, what do you care about this
For a guy who was thrown behind the bars for a day, Sloan was in unusually good condition, "Are you finally going to let me go? Don't you have any compensation for an innocent person like me who was imprisoned for a day?"
"We gave you the opportunity to defend yourself and find a lawyer, but you don't want it yourself." The police officer who released him curled his lips. This was probably the first time he had experienced this kind of situation. You must know that legally, if you are just a suspect, the police But there is no right to detain him for more than twelve hours. Just call a lawyer, even if he just sends a business card, Sloan can leave.
"I don't need those." Sloan looked at Zach and actually gave a smile, "Isn't there someone here to testify for me?"
Zach didn't respond. Sloan seemed to be in a state of complete confidence. There was no need to 'encourage' him at this time.
After Sloan got his things back, the two were taken out of the police station and given polite blessings again. The police station behind them gradually moved away, and the real conversation was about to begin.
Zach didn't lack for any thanks, "Wes said you know my true identity." Zach waved his hand to Wes, who had chased him out of the police station and seemed to be about to come over, saying that there was no need to come over, and his words were natural. To this Sloan, "I feel like there's something unfair."
"Haha." Sloan laughed, "It's not fair or unpleasant. Do you think that all the aliens in Barton should have contact with you and be required to abide by the agreement that is entirely for your own safety?"
The topic immediately became serious, didn't it? Sloan had clearly stated that he was a foreigner.
"Humph, he's still a foreigner from the South District where you live." Sloan kept walking, and was one position behind Zack without any consideration at all, using our vampire as a shield from the sun, "You and Alpha didn't notice me when he first came to Barton, and he still didn't notice me after he settled in Grande. Haha, even if he saw me a few times, he didn't notice me, even now. You have no idea what I am. ."confidence.
Zach tilted his head, "You put it that way, I'm a little bit unhappy." He squinted his eyes, confident that our vampires can do it too. "What? Now I need to treat all the aliens in Barton equally, and make an agreement with you that is purely for my own safety, right?"
The smile on Sloan's face disappeared, "Forget it, I'm of no use to you Grande, and you can't provide me with anything. Your agreement is just a threat in my opinion."
That's how it is. Looking at the agreements between Zach and Harrison, Walter, and Cliff the Inheriter... they are basically two-way threats.
Zach turned his head sideways and walked in the direction of the bus stop on the other side of Route 27. Come along for the ride. Going back, Zach was not going to walk back under the afternoon sun. "Then I'm even more curious. You seem to have hidden yourself very well. At least the other alien races in Barton don't know your existence. Why did you deliberately look for me this time?" , expose yourself.”
Sloan, who always maintained his position with Zach, seemed to be traveling in the same direction as Zach. "You are wrong. There are still guys who know me." He twitched the corner of his mouth. He seemed to be in a bad mood, "Just his existence is special."
Zach stood on the platform. The dusty seats couldn't be used. Fortunately, the awning was big enough. Zach then took out a metal wine bottle and made some supplements. I digressed casually, "Your home doesn't seem to be in this direction?"
Sloan glanced at Zach and frowned, "Have you been to my house?"
"Of course." Zach raised his shoulders, "After the fire in the nursing home. Lip..." Zach closed his mouth because he didn't know what the relationship between Sloan and Lip was in front of him. The previous speculations had followed Lip's The human identity is revealed (the son of Mr. Green, the director of the sanatorium) and canceled. Zach shook his head, "Something made me want to find you, but you disappeared."
"It's not a disappearance, it's a departure. Something I didn't want to see happen. I felt betrayed and I was very angry, so I left."
Who knows what this guy is talking about, but Zach is lucky, a bus is pulling at the stop. Zach now has two choices, one is to continue to satisfy his curiosity here, and the other is to return to Grande. Curiosity and Louise, the latter is more important.
"But now that you're back." Zach glanced at Sloan, withdrew his gaze, and raised his feet when the bus door opened. He was about to get on the bus. "I can look for you at any time in the future. Don't move around, Sloan." Long." Curiosity can wait for a while.
This was probably a sign of high status. When he said this, Zach didn't even look at Sloan behind him.
But this gesture soon fell apart—
"I don't have any money, you pay for the ticket." Sloan almost pressed against Zach's back and got on the bus.
Zach glanced at Sloan, who was sitting next to him, with a crooked eyebrow, "You..." As the bus started to move and swayed over, the conductor had already stretched out his hand, holding two tickets skillfully between his two fingers, and the other two. He spread his fingers, waiting to be stuffed with two pieces of change.
"Where are you going?" Zach was genuinely confused.
Sloan didn't answer. He actually pushed Zach and looked at the conductor's fingers that were opening and closing impatiently. "Buy the ticket first."
Zach pursed his lips, took out two dollars, took the ticket, and remained silent for a while. After the conductor swayed back to the empty seat and sat down, he spoke again, "You don't want to follow me back to Grande, do you?" ?”
Zach's casual guess was correct.
"yes."
"Why?" Still sincerely confused.
"Is Lip still buried in Grande?"
Lip? Wait, what does 'still buried in Grande' mean
Zach frowned, this Sloan is indeed related to Lip! "What's your relationship with Lip?"
"He is the person in Patton who knows my identity." His voice lowered. Although there were not many passengers on the bus in this direction, it was better to be careful about this topic.
Zach cooperated and also lowered his voice, "Human Lip or Dream Demon Lip, you need to be more clear."
"They are all." Sloan frowned, dissatisfied with Zach's statement at the time, "You shouldn't look at him separately. Humans and dream demons are both Lip."
Zach pursed his lips and looked straight ahead, "It's not important. To answer your question, he was buried in Grande. I think you can guess my next question, how did you know that human Lip was dead?" of."
"It's the same reason I can keep my identity secret." Sloan's gaze was also forward. If he didn't put his ear between the two people, he wouldn't have noticed that the two people were chatting. "Lipp would tell him in advance. In my future, I can avoid incidents that reveal my identity."
Zach thought for a moment and adjusted his tone, because he talked about the future, a future where people living in the present seem useless and confusing, "Do you have any special reason why you need to keep your identity secret? "
After the same brief thought, his tone was a little bit, well, unhappy, "No, Lip's original words are that I am just an irrelevant guy. Whether I have it or not, it has no impact on the future. If I keep it secret, I can live a more free life." , nothing more.”
From the corner of his eye, Zach saw Sloan shaking his head slightly, "As soon as the fire in the nursing home broke out, I knew the future had been changed..."
Yes, the fire is the truth. Everyone remembers that Lip did it in order for Zach and Seth to quickly complete Quest's commission so that they could rush to deal with the 'Colt' incident.
Sloan continued in a low voice, "Although I have nothing to do with the future of freedom that Lip once described, it is gone. I feel betrayed. Lip ignored the feelings of my friend and insisted on affecting the future, so I Very angry, so angry that I don’t want to stay in Barton.”
Zach really couldn't say anything about it, except, "But you're back."
"Yes, I'm still back." Sloan shook his head slightly in his peripheral vision, "I made a gamble, betting that the future would not change drastically, so Lip would die around this time. Being a new student and becoming a dream demon, I missed my friend. If I still want to see my friend, I must come back now. I need to rescue Lip, who has lost contact with the present, and pull him out of the infinite dream. "
There seemed to be something incomprehensible about the conversation. The only part we can barely guess is the connection once Benjamin and Zach explained to James what kind of existence the incubus was - illusion and reality, and the 'lost connection with the present' refers to the death of Lip, a human being who existed in reality. .
It doesn't matter, Zach said, "What on earth are you."
"Soul Walker." The person who answered Zach was not Sloan sitting next to Zach, but "Sloan" who was standing in the bus corridor.
The blue translucent body walked towards the conductor, and its transparent fingers reached for the bag on the conductor's waist. It seemed to have caught something and disappeared.
Sloan, who was sitting next to Zach, raised two fingers and handed a one-doll note to Zach, "I'll pay you back for the ticket." (.)