Chapter 49: Daniel Meyer

  Unlike the northern district, the docks weren’t in lockdown. There were no military personnel in sight. The street Daniel Meyer’s house was located on was on the cheaper end. The rent was around 1-2 shillings each week. The white paint on the wooden walls had discoloured, most likely because it comes from a cheap brand.

  Red Flag decided to stay outside the house, in an alley with sight of Daniel Meyer’s house to act as a look out. Shade unlocked the door with his mystical powers and entered with ease. Red Flag didn’t understand what he did. To her, it looked like Shade simply walked in after touching the door an extra time. She decided to ask him when they return to the temple.

  Judgement commended Shade’s use of mystical powers… I am impressed. You have already started using your mystical Authority.

  Magician jumped in… Authority, what is that?

  Judgement scoffed before speaking… Authority is something a mystic usually discovers naturally when they become a quasi-saint or higher. There is no need for the two of you to know more than that for now. I will explain when Shade reaches quasi-saint. However, as motivation, know there are three levels of mystical powers. Namely Spirituality, Authority, and lastly Divinity.

  With more knowledge than a mystic his rank should have, Shade entered the door to Daniel Meyer’s house. It was clean, maybe a bit too clean. Shade mind raced as he searched the house… Four rooms. Where are the bedroom and office? Does a one story house have an office?

  Shade decided to search the four rooms one by one. The first room was directly connected to the front door, it was the living room. Shade notice almost instantly that the living room wasn’t used for anything but eating and relaxing on a couch.

  The next room was the kitchen, Shade decided to move on to the next room instead of looking through all of the cheese, bread loaves, and preserved sausages. While walking out of the kitchen, Shade questioned what he was looking for… The folder told us to search for any important looking paper. What does that mean? What exactly am I looking for?

  Shade opened a door leading to a bedroom. There was no one inside the bedroom, a worry started setting into Shade’s mind. He didn’t search the bedroom, instead he went straight to search the last room. As he opened the door, Shade’s smelled something delicious. The smell of whatever was inside the room caused Shade to salivate slightly, but it also caused him to feel disgusted… Not this again.

  Reflected in Shade’s eyes was a man with brown hair and brown eyes. He was sitting on his chair with his upper body sprawled out on his office table.

  Shade moved closer as to confirm something… Brown hair, brown eyes, most likely Daniel Meyer. Poor fellow, he died with his eyes open and sprawled out on his office table.

  Shade moved closer to the body and inspected it thoroughly without touching it. Magician spoke to Shade… With this amount of blood, it wouldn’t be weird if he died because of blood loss. Shade, can you see any wounds?

  “Yes, just barely. He has a wound on the side of his neck that touches the desk. I can’t see anything else. I will have to move the body to see more. However, I have a bad feeling. So, I won’t move the body.” Shade spoke while touching his chin.

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  Magician added… That is probably the right move. Soldier surrounded the house of Charlie Westcot, and the entrance and exits to the norther district had an inspection with exit tickets for re-entry. Most likely, Charlie died as well. These two could be connected in some way, the military may be coming here soon. I have a bad feeling about the way this one died, can’t say anything for sure.

  Shade nodded along in agreeance. Shade grabbed the pendant around his neck and held it in his non-dominant hand.

  “I’ll search for what we need, then get out.”

  Shade thought for a moment and then chanted his divination statement thrice in an ethereal tone.

  “Show me the location of a hidden compartment within this house.”

  With a slight glimmer, the crystal monocle pendant started levitating. It started pulling away slightly as if to tell Shade to move forward. After following the directions, Shade noticed how the pendant wanted to get into an office table drawer. Shade stopped the divination and thought of another divination statement. Shade chanted the divination statement thrice with an ethereal voice.

  “Will opening the secret compartment be dangerous.”

  The pendant started to move in a counterclockwise motion with relatively high intensity… It won’t be dangerous to open.

  Shade then thought of another divination statement and chanted it thrice.

  “Will opening the secret compartment destroy the content.”

  The pendant started to move in a counterclockwise motion with relatively high intensity… It won’t get destroyed.

  Shade was about to put his hand in the drawer and search for the latch for the secret compartment when his hand suddenly stopped. His instincts were telling him that something was wrong. His first instinct was to look around him, but he found nothing out of the ordinary.

  Then he thought back to his divination statements. He found nothing really wrong, but he found something he had overlooked. Shade sighed and then took out his silver ceremonial dagger. Shade sealed the room with a spiritual barrier then leaned his body on one of the walls.

  He brought out a pen and paper and wrote down his divination statement. As he closed his eyes, Shade chanted his divination statement thrice with an ethereal voice.

  “The correct way to open the secret compartment.”

  Shade fell to the floor and saw a vision in his dreams. When he woke up, Shade stroked his head and sighed… I should had sat down. Why did I try to act cool?

  After opening the secret compartment the correct way, Shade went out of the house, locked the door, and then rendezvoused with Red Flag. The two of them headed back to the underground temple while Shade informed Red Flag about what he found.

  As they were walking through the streets when most would be out to go to work or school, Shade finished talking with Red Flag, and Magician started speaking… I find the way Daniel Meyer died odd. I doubt it was suicide. I saw nothing he could have used for suicide, but there are no signs of struggle. There must be a reason Mr. Rouge asked you to investigate the two targets.

  While sneaking into the house was a bold move, it was probably the correct choice for you and Red Flag. You can’t stay outside for too long. It is only a matter of time until the church of fire and flame finds out who you are and now the military might try to find you. The less time you spend outside the temple the better. But back to the target’s death. Judgement, is there some way for mystics to simulate suicide?

  Judgment was quick to answer, his tone sounded cold… Numerous.

  One question, hundreds of answers. Shade and Magician shivered as they comprehended the full meaning behind the one word Judgement spoke.

  Magician was quick to regain his composure… I have a bad feeling. Shade, don’t rule out murder. If you stayed in the house any longer, there was a risk of you meeting the military, but we should have divined if the death had mystical influences while we were there. We probably won’t get anything if we do it after returning to the temple.