"Yes... yes! Hello, officer!"
The bank manager's gaze moved back and forth between the police badge and Angel's face, seemingly not quite believing such a young woman could be an inspector with a higher rank than the sergeant managing this district.
Although he addressed Angel as "officer," he didn't answer the question.
"That person is suspected in a homicide case with numerous deaths, and took away many bearer bonds and cash from the scene. I need to understand the details of the transaction just now!"
Angel employed the Instigator's "Persuasion" ability.
The bank manager still hesitated somewhat, but ultimately, Angel's serious expression convinced him.
He brought Angel into the VIP reception room from before, sent away the waiter inside and closed the door.
"That gentleman didn't reveal his name, but held multiple large-denomination bonds issued by Backlund Bank, all bearer bonds."
The manager took out a stack of exquisitely printed bonds from a nearby safe and spread them on the table for display.
The bonds bore unique serial numbers, King George III's portrait and Backlund Bank's emblem, somewhat resembling enlarged gold pounds.
The back showed the bond's face value, redemption period and agreed interest.
"These bonds are all large denomination, each worth two hundred pounds, five-year term, 4% annual interest, but this gentleman demanded immediate redemption, so according to agreement he would lose almost all the interest."
Indeed, this "Aurora Order" Beyonder came to the bank to redeem bonds and obtain cash, and since the money came easily, he wouldn't care about the lost portion at all.
The moment she recognized him, Angel almost wanted to draw "Thirst for Blood" from under her cloak, press the "Magic Pocket Watch" to launch an attack, but still managed to steady her expression and actions under strong willpower, not letting this "Aurora Order" member notice anything amiss.
He was a Sequence 6, even Sequence 5 Beyonder. Drawing a gun immediately wasn't bravery, it was suicide...
Moreover, inside the bank and on the busy street, civilians would also be endangered by her rash actions.
Collecting her thoughts, Angel looked again at the stack of bearer bonds on the table.
"These bonds are exactly the property that disappeared from the crime scene. I need to take them back to the police station as evidence."
"No!"
Even though Angel wore an inspector's badge, even though the "Persuasion" effect was still active, this dedicated bank manager still pressed his hand on the bonds on the table and refused without hesitation.
"These are all assets of Backlund Bank, each worth two hundred pounds, totaling four thousand pounds. Even redeemed bonds must be sent to headquarters in Backlund for settlement and destruction. Unless you have formal orders, notification from headquarters, I won't hand them over to you."
Angel frowned at this conscientious manager. Normally she would praise such excellent character, but when she needed to act expediently, they often became insurmountable obstacles.
"Then how about this... does your bank have a telegraph machine?"
After much thought, Angel decided to request help rather than directly conflict with him.
When Angel finished her second cup of coffee in the VIP reception room, Dunn Smith and Klein Moretti, who had received the telegram, finally hurried to the bank, accompanied by the sergeant of this street.
Dunn wore formal police uniform with a soft police cap, three silver six-pointed stars on his shoulder insignia. As captain of the Tingen team and a Sequence 7 Beyonder, Dunn's position within the Ahova County Police Department was Senior Inspector, while Angel and Klein as "Sequence 9" were merely Probationary Inspectors.
Compared to Angel in plain clothes, Dunn in police uniform with shoulder insignia made the bank manager more uneasy. He left Angel in the reception room and went to greet Dunn and the others in the hall.
Angel held her coffee, watching through the open door as Dunn calmly said a few words, the manager nodding repeatedly, while the accompanying sergeant pulled him aside.
Subsequently, Dunn and Klein, also in police uniform, entered the reception room and casually closed the door.
"So, you came to the bank to deposit money and encountered that wanted 'Aurora Order' member?"
Dunn unbuttoned his police jacket, sat on the opposite sofa, gray eyes smiling as he looked at Angel.
Klein directly took out a ritual knife and began constructing a spiritual wall to seal the entire reception room.
"I didn't expect it either. He and I chose the same bank, the same time. This is really too... too coincidental?"
Speaking to the end, Angel felt unease arise in her heart, her speech slowing and even carrying a questioning tone.
Hearing this word, Klein, who was walking in circles around the wall, couldn't help but stop and look over. Their gazes met, both seeing a trace of worry in the other's eyes.
Having had the information for over two weeks, they had searched more than half the houses with "red chimneys" but still hadn't found the house from Klein's divination.
The pressure of having their fate manipulated also constantly hung over their hearts.
Dunn didn't notice the eye contact between the two, but was flipping through the stack of valuable bonds on the table.
"I tried my best to persuade the bank manager. He allows us to conduct certain examinations here that won't damage the bonds, but we can't take them out of the bank."
"Hmm, I could guess that, so I had you bring Klein to try using divination to find his traces, just in time for the 'Red Gloves' to arrive this afternoon for quick arrest."
"You know the 'Red Gloves' would... oh, it's Daly, right? She helped you request leave this morning, saying you accidentally triggered the pocket watch and entered a negative state."
Dunn first frowned, then said with sudden understanding.
Daly, since you already met with the captain, why didn't you just speak directly...
Angel looked at her captain and sighed inwardly.
Klein finished sealing the room, put away the ritual dagger, came to the table and arranged candles in an inverted triangle, symbolizing the Goddess of the Night, the Hidden Sage and himself respectively.
After setting up the simple altar, he lit the three candles by spiritual friction, dripped transparent liquid mixed with various herbal extracts into the flames, filling the entire reception room with tranquil, serene fragrance.
Then he sat on the sofa, leaned back against the backrest and entered the dream realm.
Angel and Dunn said nothing, just watched the "Seer's" series of actions.
...
Waking from dream divination, Klein wore a surprised expression as he blew out the candles and ended the ritual.
"These bonds indeed came from the Plark family in the West District. I saw corresponding fragments in the dream realm. After killing the Plark family, the bonds went to Wendell Street in the North District, an independent house that should be easy to find. Then to exchange them for cash, this person came to the bank."
Klein wiped sweat from his forehead. To obtain as many clues as possible, he had conducted lengthy dream divination, which was a huge drain on both spiritual energy and physical strength.
Angel handed over a cup of warm coffee with sugar cubes.
"Thank you," Klein accepted and drank it all, then continued, "That house, no matter who it belongs to, should now be occupied by the 'Aurora Order'. I saw inverted human statues, saw corpses, saw..."
He paused a moment before continuing.
"...saw another 'Aurora Order' Divine Envoy. She has brown long hair, about thirty years old, called 'Ms. D'."