After making an agreement with the two ghosts, Shad returned to the lawn in front of the entrance to the underground tomb in the cemetery and waited.
The wait lasted for more than half an hour, and there was a simple farewell ceremony in the crypt. The guests who came to the funeral also understood Mrs. Watson's feelings.
While Shade was standing under the tree, someone finally came up to him and started a conversation. It was Mrs. Watson's business partner, who owned a coal processing plant in the south of the city.
He knew Xia De's identity, so he asked Xia De if he could help deal with some troublesome license documents:
"In order to make the air in the city better, Tobesk recently put forward requirements for the operation time of factories like ours that emit exhaust gas. Mr. Hamilton, do you know how much money this will cost me?"
The middle-aged fat businessman in a tie coughed. He wasn't just pretending. He seemed to have real problems with his lungs:
"As for me, there is no evidence that the fog in the city is harmful to the human body, nor is there any evidence that the thick fog will make people sick. I even think that this 'industrial smell' can make children stronger. Mr. Hamilton, I won't let you help me in vain."
He coughed again, his face flushed, and his lungs sounded like a broken bellows.
Of course, Shade was short of money, but he would not take such wicked money, not to mention that he had no way to smooth things over at the city hall. So he politely rejected the fat businessman's request, and the latter seemed to think that Shade was dissatisfied with the insufficient reward, so he could only walk away grumbling, complaining in a low voice about the greed and shamelessness of the "noble gentlemen".
“There are all kinds of people.”
Xia De thought to himself and gained a deeper understanding of the madness and ignorance of this era.
During the waiting period, the originally gloomy sky finally began to drizzle. The people on the lawn could only hurriedly return to the chapel to wait, while Mrs. Watson's servants waited for the group to return with umbrellas.
The rain was getting heavier, so when the priest, the gravekeeper, and Mr. Watson's relatives returned to the church, Mrs. Watson simply said a few words of thanks and announced that the funeral was over.
The guests left, and old Mrs. Watson and the gravekeeper stood by the church pulpit, talking about the management of the tomb where she would be buried after her death.
John Watson, the younger brother of Mr. Watson, the protagonist of the funeral, stayed to talk with Shade. In fact, even if he didn't come to find Shade, Shade would still go to him, after all, there would be some reason for the conversation with old lady Watson later.
There was no connection between Shad and the middle-aged man, but young Watson still attached great importance to Shad's identity. His words revealed that he knew Shad was favored by Duchess Carina. In addition to thanking Shad for coming today, he also talked about his family affairs in a half-complaining way, which was considered to bring Shad closer:
"Before this funeral, we had not had any contact with that woman for more than ten years. My father and mother always believed that she had killed my brother. Even though her brother had died of illness, our family was unwilling to forgive her."
But in Xia De's opinion, whether it is the man who has an extramarital affair or the woman who kills after drinking, they are both at fault. Fortunately, this is someone else's family affair and has nothing to do with him, so he doesn't have to bother to judge.
"Maybe this will be a balance. I just need to watch, not think."
This thought popped into Shad's head.
Echoing Mr. Johns Watson's words, the two exchanged business cards. Shade then realized that this noble descendant who did not inherit the title, in addition to his own business, actually worked in the tax department of the city hall.
Since he still had to wait for his reward, Xia De had a good reason to stay and wait. However, the rain was getting heavier, making Xia De a little worried about how he should get back. Then he wondered if the windows at home were closed and whether the cat at home would be scared by the rain.
Summer is the rainy season in Tobysk, and sudden rainstorms are actually very common.
A mixture of damp and earthy smells drifted in from outside the church on the wind, but at the same time it also dispelled the midsummer heat.
Seeing that Mrs. Watson's conversation was not over yet, Shade stood up from the bench and walked to the church door, watching the rain falling from the eaves, blocking the church door like a curtain. This heavy rain can at least cool Tobesk for a while. The first summer that the stranger spent in this world seemed to be not much different from the summer in his hometown.
When almost all the people had gone away, Mrs. Watson finished talking to the gravekeeper and sat down in the front pew of the church to talk to Shad.
"I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. We were just talking about the afterlife and accidentally ended up talking a little more with the gravekeeper here."
The old woman smiled embarrassedly, her voice still so slow, and the wrinkles on her face gathered together when she laughed.
She signaled the servant to hand the reward to Shade, who took it while thanking her. He put the 20 pounds in cash directly into his pocket and played with the special rule Rhodes card in his hand:
Kasenrick Southern Folklore Moon Dance Festival, color: Sun 4.
When you draw this card, if you have cards of the Moon suit in your hand and the sum of the points does not exceed 7, then if you bust this round, the total points will be adjusted to 1.
Except for the Genesis Silver Moon, this card is very useful among all the special Rhodes cards that Shade has seen. With this card, you can bet your luck with your opponent without any worries, and in the gambling game of doubling the card, you can also lose less.
Shad had heard about the Carsonrick Southern Folklore series of cards from Baron Lavender. This series of Rhodes cards was issued more than fifty years ago, and the price of a single special card would definitely not be less than 70 pounds.
"You are very generous."
Shad put away the cards and expressed his gratitude to the client, saying that the reward far exceeded his efforts.
"My husband also liked Rhodes cards when he was alive. This was his old collection. He didn't spend many pounds when he bought it. Rather than waiting for it to be taken away by those who divide up the inheritance after I die, it's better to give it to a young person like you."
said old Mrs. Watson, her cloudy eyes seeming to recall the past days.
The two ghosts beside Shad started discussing the topic of Rhodes cards, so Mr. Watson, who had originally had a bad image in Shad's mind, was labeled as "a gambler".
After putting away the cards, Xia De pretended to be unintentional and then said:
"Speaking of which, Mr. Johns Watson, Mr. Watson's younger brother, just now said a few words to me."
"What did he say?"
The old woman asked vigilantly. Shad looked at the servants and guards standing nearby, so Mrs. Watson asked them to prepare umbrellas and the carriage for the return trip.
There were other people in the church, such as two young priests who were cleaning and a priest who was watching the rain at the church door. But they were far away, so Shade could speak without worry:
"He just said... Sorry, I shouldn't say this, but the Watson family seems to think that Mr. Watson's death..."
He shook his head.
"I mean no other thing, except that I am telling you this now that we are on the subject. They seem to think that you and Mr. Mason have been in league with each other in the murder of Mr. Watson."
The old woman sat there expressionless:
"They have been thinking this way for so many years. Maybe this resentment will go away with me into the grave."
Shade glanced at the two ghosts standing aside and listening attentively:
"Mr. Johns Watson mentioned to me that after what happened that year, in addition to putting pressure on Redwich Field, Earl Watson also hired a private detective to conduct an investigation."
“But they obviously didn’t find anything.”
"Yes, but..."
While Xia De praised his acting skills in his heart, he looked around and said in a low voice:
"But I just heard from Johns Watson that he plans to hire another detective to investigate what you found behind the wall in the basement. He seems to think that there is some key evidence hidden behind the wall."
"Mr. Hamilton, he wants to hire you?"
the old woman inquired, using honorifics.
Xia De nodded with a serious expression:
"He didn't ask for my opinion directly, but he had such intention. He thought that I could easily gain your trust, so I was more suitable for this job than other detectives. But I don't do this kind of thing. My current business scope only includes finding people, finding pets, marriage investigation, playing cards and sending letters, transporting goods, purchasing on behalf of Lengshui Port... You are my current client, I can't harm your interests, so..."
He lowered his voice even lower:
"If there is any evidence, please hide it well."
"Mr. Hamilton, I thought you would ask me directly whether I have any so-called evidence."
Mrs. Watson's voice rose slightly.
Shade shook his head:
"I took the commission and then came to deceive you that I didn't take it, so as to obtain the so-called evidence. In the final analysis, this matter has nothing to do with me. Besides, it has been 30 years since the incident. You are almost 70 years old this year. Even if there is the so-called truth, what can it do?"
This is the truth. Xia De just wanted to satisfy his curiosity and never thought of sending anyone to jail. Thirty years have passed since the incident, and two of the three parties have died. Moreover, it is wrong for the deceased to have cheated on his wife. If Xia De had encountered this incident when the case happened thirty years ago, he would probably have reported the so-called truth. But now, all this is meaningless.
"Yeah, now that we know the truth, what can we do?"
Old Mrs. Watson said, and then she let out a long sigh.
Xia De waited patiently until the old woman spoke again:
"When I went to the crypt just now, I also went to visit my brother. So many years have passed in the blink of an eye. So many years have really passed."
The ghost Mr. Mason looked at his sister with sad eyes.