I followed the sobbing Charlie to a secluded room.
It was the old Taylor John investigation unit office that I had once entered following Detective Baron.
It was still a shabby, neglected room covered in dust.
There was only one difference.
Even Detective Baron’s desk, which had been clean until then, had begun to gather dust just like the other desks.
“What on earth happened to the Detective?”
I pressed Charlie as soon as the door closed.
“Well… honestly, I don’t know much either,” Charlie stammered with a mournful expression. “After the meeting with Mr. Hayes, Detective Baron was somehow strange.”
“If you say strange, in what way?”
“He had a serious expression the whole time and always seemed busy. It looked like he was investigating something, but even when I asked, he wouldn’t give me a detailed answer.”
“Are you saying he was investigating something all by himself without even telling you, Charlie?”
“Yes. Until now, he always shared the progress of the Taylor John case with me, but this time, he didn’t say a word.”
He had something he couldn’t even tell Charlie?
“Then, ten days ago, he suddenly said he needed to investigate a certain woman and left the police station. He disappeared just like that.”
“A woman? what woman?”
It was quite out of the blue to hear that he went to investigate a woman.
‘Before I left, the most likely Taylor John candidate Charlie and the Detective suspected was the Grand Duke.’
Naturally, Grand Duke Kalan was a man.
‘Among the three Taylor John candidates I heard from Elise, there were no women either.’
But now, he had suddenly gone to investigate a woman.
“Do you know who that woman was?”
“Well, I think it was a name that felt somewhat damp, but exactly…”
It seemed he couldn’t remember.
“Is there anyone who might know Detective Baron’s whereabouts?”
“It’s just me and you, Detective. As you know, Detective Baron doesn’t have anyone close to him.”
I didn’t know that, but it was plausible for that prickly detective.
“I have no idea. Detective Hayes, have you heard anything from the Detective?” Charlie asked with a desperate face.
“Well… I do have a telegram I received from the Detective.”
Could that be a clue?
I still haven’t even figured out what it means.
“I’ll take it out for now.”
As I was rummaging through my pockets to pull out the telegram, another piece of paper fell out first.
It was a telegram from Chairman Peterson.
[I was so distracted that I forgot to even repay the Detective. I hurriedly visited the office, but since you were away, I asked Detective Baron about your whereabouts. Please forgive my rudeness. As soon as you arrive in the Capital, please come see me directly. I have prepared a reward that will satisfy you.]
“…! Oh, come to think of it.”
The telegram from the Chairman was also from about ten days ago.
In this telegram, it was written, ‘I asked Detective Baron about your whereabouts.’
Doesn’t that mean the two of them met?
“Perhaps Chairman Peterson knows something.”
“Chairman Arthur Peterson? Why would he… our Detective…”
“Didn’t the Chairman visit the police station?”
“That never happened. If such a big shot had visited this small police station, it would have been a huge scene. There’s no way I wouldn’t have known.”
If that was the case, did Chairman Peterson meet the Detective somewhere else? For example, at the very scene where the Detective had gone to investigate a certain woman?
“As I thought, Chairman Peterson must know something. It would be best to go see him.”
“…! Can I meet him as well?”
“Yes, well. He won’t mind if we visit.”
Since the telegram clearly stated to visit him directly, it should be fine.
Just as I was about to leave for Chairman Peterson’s residence.
“Me too! Please take me too!” Charlie pleaded earnestly. “Detective Baron is my role model! If it’s about saving him, please take me with you!”
“It’s fine, but… isn’t it working hours right now? Is it okay to leave your post without permission?”
“Detective Baron said that if it’s for a case investigation, I don’t have to worry about things like that!”
He’s teaching a rookie cop some great things. I wonder if his role model is having a bad influence on him.
“Well, if you say so.”
However, a policeman’s negligence of duty was none of my business.
I nodded readily.
“All right. Let’s go together.”
We hurried our steps toward Chairman Peterson’s mansion.
***
“Mr. Hayes! Welcome. You’ve come at the perfect time.”
Although it was a somewhat sudden visit, the Chairman greeted me with a delighted face.
“I was waiting for you anyway. But, the person accompanying you isn’t that young lady assistant from last time? Who is this person?”
“Ah! I, I am Charlie, working at the Crossburn Police Station! It is an honor to meet you, Chairman!”
“…A policeman.”
The Chairman’s eyebrows seemed to twitch for a moment, but…
“Haha! Welcome. Any acquaintance of Detective Hayes is welcome.”
He soon gave a hearty laugh and welcomed him.
“Th-thank you.”
I introduced Charlie to Chairman Peterson.
“Charlie is an officer working under Detective Baron.”
“To think you came with such a person, it seems Detective Baron’s words about working with Detective Hayes weren’t a lie.”
At the name that popped out without any hesitation, Charlie’s and my shoulders flinched simultaneously.
‘Judging by that reaction, the Chairman doesn’t know about Detective Baron’s disappearance yet.’
“If it’s not too much trouble, could you tell us when you had such a conversation with Detective Baron?”
“Of course. It was at a party hosted by Madame Moss. That was the first day of the party, so was it about ten days ago?”
‘Madame Moss?’
It was a name I had heard for the first time.
However, Charlie, who was beside me, slapped his fist into his palm.
“That’s right! That was the name! Madame Moss! The woman the Detective said he had to investigate!”
“…!”
It seemed we had come to the right place.
“Could you explain in more detail what happened at Madame Moss’s party?”
“I don’t know why you’re asking that, but the timing is perfect.”
Chairman Peterson stroked his round chin and gave a satisfied smile.
“I was going to talk about that anyway. The matter with Madame Moss is related to the reward I intended to give you, Detective.”
“A reward?”
“Yes. Didn’t I promise you when I first commissioned the case?”
With a gratified face, Chairman Peterson said.
“That I would become your backing and clear away those who block your path.”
Did he… make such a promise?
***
Hayes thought the Chairman had forgotten to give him the commission reward. But he was wrong.
The Chairman had never forgotten about the reward for a single moment. Rather, it was Hayes who had forgotten.
The reward the Chairman had promised Hayes was not money from the beginning.
Let’s do a little replay here.
When Chairman Peterson came to Hayes to commission the case, the Chairman had said this to him.
‘Surely someone, someone with great power, has blocked your media exposure. You are being hated by someone high up. You don’t even have a patron to check them. Mr. Hayes, I ask you this. Please, find Allen’s killer! If you do that, I will become your backing!’
As a result of the desperate request, the unknown detective performed the Chairman’s commission beyond expectations. Chairman Peterson willingly decided to pay the price.
He decided to become his reliable backing.
‘To become his backing, I must first remove the wretch who is blocking the Detective’s media exposure. Only then will the Detective’s fame spread far and wide.’
Chairman Peterson carefully observed the trends of newspaper articles. Before long, Chairman Peterson was able to identify the person suspected of being the Detective’s enemy.
‘This time, as well as last time, the Detective’s name did not appear in the newspapers. There are many big shots who can exert influence over one or two newspapers, but there is only one person who can manipulate the media as extensively across most newspaper companies so that no noise leaks out like this.’
Madame Moss.
He could think of no one else but her.
Madame Moss, her real name was Celia Moss. She was born to an orator father and a dancer mother.
Having known the importance of being seen by the public since she was young, she invested massive amounts of money into newly launched media outlets during the dawn of the newspaper era.
As long as it dealt with the media, her investments knew no bounds.
From the most progressive newspaper companies to the most conservative newspapers. From third-rate tabloids that only dealt with scandalous rumors to authoritative, high-end newspapers.
Even if they were newspapers that seemed to have no particular common ground at first glance, if you traced their roots back, Madame Moss’s huge stake was invariably there.
Madame Moss exercised power based on those stakes.
She knew how to cleverly manipulate the media, and the power of the media became her power in its entirety.
‘If the opponent is Madame Moss, there will surely be room for negotiation.’
Chairman Peterson and Madame Moss often associated with each other. It was because both were of non-noble origin who had risen to the highest class of this Imperial Capital.
(Of course, Madame Moss was from a wealthy family to begin with.)
Because of that, the Chairman knew her personality to some extent.
Madame Moss was a greedy person and did not move for other values.
If she blocked Detective Hayes’s path, the cause would not be a trivial reason like a grudge or revenge.
It would be because it was profitable.
He didn’t know what kind of profit she gained by blocking an unknown detective’s path, but if he guaranteed her a greater interest than that, she would readily step back.
No, she might even become a trumpeter praising Detective Hayes.
‘For the Detective, I can readily hand over a few interests.’
Chairman Peterson made up his mind and stood up.
Coincidentally, a place suitable for such under-the-table negotiations was also prepared. It was the Pharmakos Party held by Madame Moss every year.
Madame Moss used to hold a party starting ten days before the Pharmakos festival.
‘She used her head quite well.’
Madame Moss selected socially prestigious people and sent out invitations to the party.
As long as they brought that invitation, she opened the doors of the party venue without any identity verification.
Identification was impossible anyway.
Since every participant in the party wore an animal mask.
It was a stealthy and secret party held under the pretext of the Pharmakos festival.
Nobles who were reluctant to associate with commoners, scholars who had to pretend to be dignified on the outside, and suspicious criminals who had entered by obtaining invitations with massive amounts of money.
Madame Moss’s party became an excuse for all of them to mingle together. They could seek pleasure, or they could conduct secret transactions.
The night of the Pharmakos festival. It was a perfect stage for those wearing beast masks to commit beast-like acts.
‘It’s not a place I like very much, but… it’s perfect for trading without tarnishing Detective Hayes’s name.’
The Chairman stepped into Madame Moss’s party venue, wearing an ostrich egg mask.
And right there, he encountered an unexpected person.
“You are… Detective Baron?”
A detective with a familiar face was carrying wine while wearing a large pumpkin mask on his head.