-The day before, a resident reported that intense gunfire came from the Third Block of the Lower City District.
After receiving the report, police arrived at the scene immediately… The deceased were members of the Giant Gang, and an intermediary nicknamed “Veles”… The case is currently under further investigation.
“It looks like we didn’t leave any loose ends.”
Joanne said indistinctly while chewing on a cookie.
“Nonsense, how long did we spend cleaning up the bloodstains and your vomit?”
Brace replied, the bruise on his face still not faded.
“Isn’t that because I was saving someone who got beaten into a pig’s head? Right, Mr. Brace?”
“Tch, that guy cheated! That match-fixer…”
“Wow, when you can’t beat them, you slander them…”
Brace looked at Joanne, who was intently staring at the TV on the sofa, and fell into thought.
‘Was it really right to involve her?’
He shook his head, driving the thought from his mind.
‘Saying that now is too ridiculous.’
“Mr. Brace?”
“Mr. Brace? Are you listening?”
“Huh? What is it?”
“I said, have you sorted out your rent?”
“Ah, that? Already taken care of.”
Brace waved the payment confirmation notice in his hand.
“This can be considered a gift left to us by Mr. Veles and the Giant Gang.”
“It’s just emptying everyone’s pockets——”
“That way of putting it is too crude.”
Joanne suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, Veles was the intermediary in this area, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Then what happens to his territory after he dies?”
“Who knows.”
Brace propped his legs up on the desk.
“A new intermediary will probably take over his territory soon.”
The Lower City is a place where people change like flowing water. Veles just lasted a little longer than others.
‘But when that time comes, I’ll have to build a good relationship with the new intermediary…’ he thought to himself.
Before he knew it, Joanne had turned off the TV, come to Brace’s desk, and straight-facedly held out her hand.
“What.”
“As promised, it’s time to process my employment.”
“Ah, right.”
Brace took out the contract he’d drafted last night from the drawer and handed it to Joanne.
“Take a look.”
Joanne took the contract and read it with great seriousness.
“…How is it?”
“The salary is completely unfixed.”
“Because your boss is the same.”
“No insurance clause?”
“How could the Lower City have something like that?”
“Then, that’s it!”
Joanne picked up a pen and lightly wrote her name on it: Joanne.
Brace took the contract and was silent for a moment, then said, “Write your surname too. The contract needs to be filled out completely.”
“But I don’t remember it at all.”
“Then come up with one yourself.”
“Come up with one?”
“Right.”
Joanne bit the pen cap and fell into thought.
A few minutes later, she picked up the pen and added a surname at the end, then handed it back to Brace.
The moment he saw the surname written there, Brace couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“What are you laughing at?”
“You really made that up?”
“Isn’t this what you asked me to make up? Then I definitely had to make one close, right?”
“How are you related to him?”
“Aren’t you the same, Mr. Brace?”
Brace stopped laughing.
“Yeah, I’m the same…” he murmured.
An incompetent detective and a scatterbrained assistant—what a shoddy, peculiar pair.
Looking up, Joanne smiled happily.
The sunlight streaming in from the window dyed her smile a golden yellow.
She held out her hand.
“Then, I look forward to working with you. Mr. Brace Enfield?”
Brace reached out and shook her hand.
“Yeah, I look forward to working with you. Miss Joanne Watson.”