435 Arrest Warran (2/2)
”Do you recognize the creature in the photograph?” NotWearingPants asked.
The mole squinted his eyes and hesitated. He sniffed and said, ”Can you provide his personal items?”
…
Professor Bacon's personal items weren't difficult to obtain. Arthur and his comrades returned to Eternal Kingdom and found Brainiac.
Brainiac didn't expect to have news so fast. There were many personal items belonging to Professor Bacon in his office.
Brainiac brought back a professor's costume and handed it over to Arthur.
Arthur and his comrades took the costume and hurried back to the shop called Don't Want to Sell Clothes. They wanted the mole to find Professor Bacon. When they returned to the shop, they saw something unexpected.
The shop Don't Want to Sell Clothes was engulfed in huge flames.
…
Winterfell's fire engine Beetlemons were parked outside the alley.
Tens of uniformed Orcs and Gnomes were scurrying in the ruined shop that was burned down. They were looking for survivors.
Cherry stood at the ruined shop entrance and smoked his burning metal stick.
”It's an accident! It's a garment shop, but it's secretly doing food and beverages. There was even a naked fire at the back. The uncovered fire burned the cloth materials in the warehouse and caused the fire!” a Garrison Guard concluded after an initial inspection.
Another Garrison Guard said, ”Not necessarily. According to our intelligence, there were five citizens of Eternal Kingdom who came here to find a creature. Soon after they left, the shop caught fire and the shopkeeper was burnt to death. He's a mole and doesn't need to sleep at night, so why didn't he escape during the fire? We can't exclude the possibility of suicide!”
A few Garrison Guards looked at Cherry.
When Cherry was working in Small Distant Town at the foot of the Black Volcano, he contributed to solving a big case.
Though Cherry wasn't able to claim much credit, Dungeon Lord Nicholas invited him to return to Winterfell and gave him a new position—Winterfell Garrison Guard Senior Captain!
Senior Captain was more prestigious than Captain.
Cherry considered the offer and struggled for a long time. After three seconds, he accepted the offer reluctantly.
The citizens of Eternal Kingdom, who first discovered the incident, immediately informed the Garrison Guard. Senior Captain Cherry arrived at the crime scene in a hurry.
Everyone looked at Cherry. They were waiting for Cherry's professional opinion.
Cherry inhaled silently and made ”Zi, zi, zi” sounds before saying, ”Five of them came here to ask questions, and the shopkeeper perished. It looks like an accident!”
Cherry was far from being a famous sleuth. The burning metal stick in his hand fell to the ground and made ”Da, da” sounds. He then said, ”It was a garment shop, but it flouted the rules and ran as a restaurant. The uncovered fire in the kitchen lit up the cloth in the warehouse and caused the fire!”
”But Captain Cherry…”
When an Orc was about to pose a question, another Garrison Guard immediately corrected him, ”Call him Senior Captain Cherry!”
”Apologies, Senior Captain Cherry, but if it was an accident, why didn't the mole shopkeeper escape? Wasn't he awake at that time?”
Cherry leaned against the wall, lifting one of his legs and resting it on the wall. He lowered his head and hid half of his face in the shadows. He looked grave as he said, ”Responsibility!”
The Garrison Guards at the side were shocked. The Garrison Guard that posed the question was enlightened. He said, ”Is that so? I understand! The five of them were going to meet the shopkeeper, so he waited for them to return. From his business records, besides selling a few articles of clothing, he didn't have any income. Finally, he was able to do business, and he wanted to complete the deal even if he died!”
”Therefore, he was burnt to death.”
”I see.”
”I understand.”
”Hmm, issue arrest warrants for the five witnesses! If not for them, the shopkeeper wouldn't have died!”
The Garrison Guards were about to capture the five of them when someone shouted, ”Senior Captain! Come here immediately! I have a new discovery!”
Cherry lifted his head and saw a few citizens of Eternal Kingdom surrounding the ruins and looking at something.
Cherry lit up a metal stick in silence and beckoned his Garrison Guards over. He said, ”The case has new developments!”