Today, Miss Servet finally did not wear the maid's long dress. When Xia De opened the door downstairs and saw the girl outside, he was stunned at first, and then he dared to confirm that the girl in front of him was the maid.
The long black hair was tied into a complicated style with a purple wide headband, tied up and hung behind her, with only a silver four-leaf clover hairpin as decoration. The thick black hair was parted in front of the right forehead, the right side was drooped and the broken hair was pinned behind the ear, and the left side was combed diagonally to the left, with the tail of the hair almost covering the eyebrows.
She was wearing a textured blue dress made of women's fabric, with no other colors except for some thin silver-white lines on the sleeves. She had an inconspicuous black belt tied around her waist and a pair of black flat leather shoes on her feet.
Seeing that Shade was a little surprised, Miss Servet looked down at her clothes, then raised her head and looked at Shade with her beautiful brown eyes:
"Excuse me, is there something wrong with my attire?"
"No problem, I just haven't seen you wear it like this before... It's very beautiful."
Shade nodded and made room in the doorway for her to enter, and a full day of detective work officially began.
After sorting out the information he had obtained so far at home, he left Mia to look after the house while Shad took Miss Servet on a carriage to the Anthem Square in the lower town, and then entered the Three Cats Inn located around the square.
The last time Shade investigated the merchants selling spices, he had chatted with the doctor and his friends here. Today's Three Cats Inn is no different from that day. Guests from far away stay here, and idle people sit on the first and second floors to drink and chat.
The poetess, playing the lute, sang softly while sitting on a high stool on the small stage on the east side of the inn. The song was a little sad, as if it was praising the love story of an ancient legendary hero.
If it weren't for the bright gas lamp above her head, Shade would probably have thought she had suddenly arrived in the distant medieval adventure era.
During the day, there will be no prostitutes, drunkards or gamblers in the Three Cats Inn. Now it is a legitimate business.
After Shad and Miss Servet entered the hotel, they ordered some drinks and sat down at a table near the counter on the first floor. Shad introduced the characteristics of this place to the maid who rarely came to this area. After a while, the two stood up and came to the counter. Shad stopped the female owner who was about to go to the kitchen in the back to scold the noisy chefs.
This woman was probably in her forties, wearing a reddish-brown headscarf, with dull skin and a face full of small spots. She was slightly shorter than Shade, but she looked big-boned and wide. To be able to open such a large hotel in the bustling Anthem Square, this woman must be extraordinary.
"Excuse me, but do you remember Mr. Frank Bundy?"
As Shad asked, he placed a one-shilling coin on the counter, and the female owner took the coin naturally:
"The blind man who lives nearby?"
She spoke very impolitely, observed Xia De's expression, and then said insincerely:
"Sorry, that wording may not be right. After all, his eyes are healed now."
Xia De signaled his assistant to start recording, and then he asked:
"Have you known the musician for many years?"
"Yes, he used to come to our place to drink, and every time he only ordered Coldwater Harbor light rum brewed from sugarcane residue. Although he was blind, he would still find some cheap girls here every week. But a bachelor didn't have much to spend, so he was quite generous. A few months ago, after his eyes were healed somehow, he came to my place to play Rhodes with the guests, but the stakes were small, so he didn't owe... Oh!"
She suddenly widened her eyes, as if she understood something:
"Did Bundy play Rhodes cards at your place, owe you money, and then run away? I was wondering why I haven't seen him for so long."
The female shop owner thought she had found the truth, but Shade shook his head:
"I don't run a casino, and Mr. Bundy didn't run away. He committed suicide in the middle of last month."
Upon hearing this news, the female shop owner who had just spoken rudely twitched her lips. Her expression was a little strange, as if she wanted to show sadness for a moment, but in the end she simply said:
"It's really unlucky. We've lost another customer who has been a regular customer for decades."
Her voice suddenly dropped, and she lowered her head to fiddle with the cup on the counter. After a while, seeing that Xia De didn't speak, she asked again:
"Then who are you? What are you doing? I don't think you're here to look for a girl. The one behind you is prettier than any girl I know."
Shad looked at the girl beside him. Miss Servet smiled but did not speak. She continued to record, maintaining her habit as a maid.
Xia De then handed out the business card he had prepared:
"I'm a detective. I'm currently commissioned by the Noshan Opera Company to investigate the suicide of the blind musician Mr. Frank Bundy."
The female shop owner was obviously literate, and she raised her eyebrows when she saw the address on the business card:
"St. Teresa's Square? Tsk, tsk, his friends are really rich. Well, what do you want to ask?"
"What was Mr. Frank Bundy's mental state like during his last appearances?"
The female shop owner picked up the rag on the table again:
"I remember that when his eyes had just been healed, he was very keen on chatting and playing cards with my guests. But the last few times he showed up, he was like when he was blind, sitting alone in a corner drinking."
She pointed to the table in the corner of the first floor. There were not many customers in the morning, so there was no one in the corner.
"So Mr. Bundy, have you ever shown signs of mania or anything like that?"
Shade asked again.
"That's not the case."
The female shop owner wiped the cup and shook her head:
"He doesn't talk to others, and others certainly won't disturb someone who is drinking alone."
This makes sense, but it also means that there are no valuable clues at the Three Cats Inn.
"but... ... "
The female shop owner looked at Xia De hesitantly:
"Bundy has a very good girl here with us. Most of the time, he would go to her for money and entertainment. Because he often stayed at her place, I think our girl not only knows Bundy's recent mental state, but may even have his relics."
"I need the lady's address."
"I can't tell you this directly. After all, we are doing sensitive business."
Shade knew this was an excuse, and the other party just wanted him to pay another information fee. So he took out another one-shilling coin, but the female shopkeeper shook her head:
"Not enough, I want this number."
He stretched out his right index finger, which was a bit thick and had an old scar on it, and shook it.
"Ten shillings?"
"No, one pound."
"Oh, ma'am, I can't even make that much from this business."
Xia De immediately shook his head, and the female owner smiled and said:
"I heard from Bundy that the Noshan Opera Company is very rich. You will definitely make a lot of money from this business."
But the problem is that Xia De never received any commission from the opera company.
Miss Servet behind him wanted to speak, but Shade stopped her by shaking his head. It's not that he couldn't afford the pound, but he didn't want to be taken advantage of for nothing:
"How about this."
Under the surprised gaze of the female shop owner, he took out his Rhodes deck from his pocket and pulled out the Kasenrick Southern Folklore Moon Dance Festival blessed by two ghosts and displayed it:
"Let's make a bet. If I win, you tell me the lady's address. If I lose, I'll give you two pounds. You tell me the lady's address. I heard that you are also a master of Rhodes cards and like to play with players with special cards. How about it? Are you interested in playing a game with me?"
The story that the female shop owner was a master of Rhodes was told by Mr. Madison, a friend of the doctor who sells special spices. (Chapter 6)
The woman behind the counter smiled in surprise:
"No, since we're going to gamble, we'll have to bet big. I like playing cards with players who have special cards. How about this: you bet with your card, and I bet with mine. The loser hands over his special card. Regardless of whether you win or lose, I'll give you the information for free."
She leaned forward slightly:
"Detective, do you have the guts?"
Xia De looked down at the bet that the female shopkeeper had put out.
King's Secret: Substitute, Suit Flower: When you draw this card, you can swap it with your opponent's hidden card, but you cannot stop playing in this round. If your opponent does not have a hidden card, this card has no effect. (Note)
On the card, a man in gorgeous robes and a crown is sitting on a throne, and there seems to be a person hidden in the shadow.
Seeing this card, Shade raised his eyebrows. The King's Secret Series Rhodes deck was issued about 10 years ago when Carsenrick and Dlarion signed the first version of the "Continental Peace Treaty". This set of cards was to commemorate the hard-won peace.
There are 15 special cards in the whole series, one for each number 1 to 1, and one for the king and queen. Five of them were given to the royal family of Draerion, five were given to the royal family of Carsenrick, and five were issued normally. More than a century has passed since the first version of the King's Secret was issued. Most of these 15 special cards are treasured by the nobles of the two countries. In addition to their own value, they also have historical commemorative value.
Only three cards from the set are missing, and Shad didn't expect to see them here:
"Authentic?"
"Of course, the certificate of authenticity is in my hands."
"This card is more valuable than my Moon Dance Festival."
Xia De pointed out, but the female shopkeeper smiled:
"It doesn't matter. I like to bet on special cards with others. This card itself is also won. In my eyes, all special cards are equal in value."
"No, I won't take advantage of you. I'm betting this with you."
Shade pulled out the Demon Soul Stealer Bishop from Moon Nine (note), and this time it was the female owner's turn to be surprised:
"The legendary Demon series? The real thing."
"Of course, but the certificate is at home, and I don't think you will doubt that a detective from St. Teresa's Square would speak at a time like this. I want to have a reputation."
"This card of yours is more valuable than a substitute."
"For me, the special cards have the same value."
Shade replied with a smile, shuffling the two cards back into the deck.
In fact, it was because he thought the possibility of him losing was very small.
"What an interesting opponent... Detective, the official registration for next month's Big City Players has already begun. Have you signed up?"
The woman behind the counter seemed aroused.
"Of course, and it was the Prophet Association that gave me the invitation. I am a special participant."
Shad said.
"Well, then we will treat this as a warm-up match before the big city players start the game. This is really interesting. I didn't expect that there would be such an interesting thing so early in the morning. Detective, wait a moment. Since we are playing cards with an experienced Rhodes player like you, of course we have to be more formal. In addition, you can call me Mrs. Sangmei."
After saying this, he left the counter and asked the waiters in the hotel to help clear the table in the middle of the first floor of the hotel, and use the other two large tables to form a Rhodes gambling table.
Shad and Miss Servet stood aside waiting. When the idle people who were drinking in the Three Cats Inn early in the morning heard that someone wanted to challenge the owner and use their special cards as stakes, they all came over excitedly.
The maid held the notebook and asked softly beside Xia De:
"Mr. Hamilton, the conversation just now was really interesting. It was exactly like what you'd see in a detective novel. But do you often use playing cards to get information?"
"Not often, because not everyone plays Rhodes. Besides, detectives don't usually use cards to get clues."
Shade said, and then turned to look at the black-haired girl beside him. Although her eyes were very ordinary brown, they were still very beautiful. This was not only because her eye shape made her eyes slightly charming, Shade thought that what was more important was that there was a rare light in Miss Servet's eyes, clear and pure.
"And I don't actually play cards very often. At least I never actively look for others to play cards with."
As Shade explained his habits, the black-haired girl chuckled and said:
"I thought you were one of those gamblers who go around playing cards and collecting special cards."
Maybe it was because she wasn't wearing that maid dress that she was able to joke with Shade.
"No, no, although I like special cards, I don't play cards everywhere. For example, when I went to Coldwater Harbor some time ago, I only played cards with one person during those two weeks. I won this Demon Series card there."
"So that's how it is. This seems to be a very legendary story."
Miss Servet said, and when the table was set, Shade went over and sat on the chair on the west side, taking off his coat and putting it on the back of the chair behind him. Miss Servet stood behind him as before, and put her hands on the back of the chair.
The female owner, Mrs. Sang Mei, sat on a chair on the east side, and people gathered around her, but according to etiquette, they were not allowed to touch the card table or stand directly behind the players.
"This is a fair bet between King's Order, the Double, and the demon, the Soul Stealer Bishop."
She announced loudly, and the sound even attracted many guests staying on the third floor and above of the hotel.
The sunlight from the second floor patio shines through the east window onto the central table on the first floor. Xia De touched his nose and smiled. He still likes this kind of game. (To be continued)