"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Yesterday. Yesterday morning."

"Where were you then?"

“Old town, Bull Tavern.”

“Why meet?”

"Talk about going to sea this time."

"When did you separate?"

"About eleven o'clock, near twelve o'clock. I originally invited him to have lunch together, but he refused. Not long afterwards, I heard the church ring the bell."

"Did he tell you where you are going next?"

"No. We only discuss navigation plans and never talk about other things."

"It seems you meet often?"

"I have seen it a few times in a while."

"several times?"

"Four times...or five times. I can't remember it very clearly."

“All meeting alone?”

"Once there was also his colleague."

"who?"

"Perot Escola, Portuguese. But he has been employed by the East India Company for many years."

"Who else has he met besides you?"

"I don't know. I said that we never talk about other things."

"Where were you yesterday afternoon?"

"Old town. I finished lunch at the Bull Tavern and went to St. George's Hotel until the evening until you came to me."

"What are you going to do?"

"Have some fun. What do you think you can do?"

"Who can testify?"

"Marina Theis. And Robin Short, I've invited him a drink."

"Did you ask someone to visit your dormitory in the military port yesterday?"

"No. I went out early in the morning."

"But the door is open. Someone opened it with a key."

"Then you have to ask the door. The key is not just me."

"We found some anonymous letters in your drawer. It seems that you are very close to people from the East India Company."

"Sometimes I do some private work. If I have enough money, everything is easy to say."

"Your actions bring shame to the Royal Navy."

"The salary given by the Royal Navy can even make me take risks. What else have you discovered?"

"Two brooms, nothing else."

"Thank God, you didn't find two spears."

The bright noon sunlight fell from the roof breather holes, and the ground was filled with scattered spots of light. The sound of sea waves rumbled against the shore, and the cry of seagulls came through the thick stone wall.

The interrogator paced back and forth, left the light and walked into the darkness, and then entered the next light. His face disappeared in the dim light, as if he was wearing a mask.

Lao Qiao sat against the wall on a stool chewing tobacco. The light shot down from directly above his head, and his face was diluted in the bright and dazzling light. Only a mouth was seen constantly opening and closing.

"We will ask Marina Tees and Robin Shorter later. You can leave." The interrogator finally stopped and added lightly, "But you are restricted from leaving the military port, and there may be summons at any time in the future. We have arranged a new dormitory for you, and the necessary bedding is ready. Then--"

Old Qiao stood up from the stool, bowed perfunctorily to the interrogator, and dragged his steps out of the closed stone house.

He stood under the scorching sun and muttered to himself, whispering something as if he was in deep thought. After a while, he finally came back to his senses from his thoughts, turned around and spit the tobacco residue he had chewed in his mouth on the ground.

“——It’s so damn!”

William beat his chest and stamped his feet in annoyance. He walked around the house anxiously for a few times, and finally sat back on the bed: "If they noticed those two brooms, they were done! You have to go to the warehouse to check it out, we will definitely not be able to hide it! Where is the key?"

"Take it." Charles also looked fidgeting, "As you said, I took it to the cliff and threw it into the sea. No one saw it." He lowered his voice and asked, "What will happen if you are discovered? They will never think it was us..."

"Sliding into the officer's dormitory and stealing things will be at most a few more whips," William also lowered his voice and said, "But the murderer is now at ease! If he knows we see..."

"Kill someone to silence you!"

The two spoke in unison.

Charles was sweating in his palms, and he wiped his clothes randomly: "Why don't we go to the interrogator and tell him that the person was not killed by Lao Qiao..."

"How do you know that the interrogator is not the murderer?" William immediately retorted, "We all know that voice. He is the man in the military port!" He then asked, "How do you prove that the person was not killed by Lao Qiao? You said you were hiding in the cabinet at that time? How did you enter the house, what about the key?"

He did not tell Charles about the content of the letters, nor did he reveal that the victim's death was most likely related to the Regurus pendant they stolen - if so, the most dangerous person now is themselves. This magical alchemy creature seemed like a piece of tempting bait, attracting bloodthirsty hunters in the dark.

"What should I do?" Charles sighed, "If you don't catch the murderer for a day, you won't be able to live a peaceful life for a day."

“Only one person is trustworthy.”

"who?"

"Old Joe."

It was simply whimsical to rely on Lao Qiao to catch the murderer. But from another perspective, the person who most hoped that the murderer would be arrested was Lao Qiao. The murder occurred in his house. It is said that he was taken away by the guards sent by the Navy Committee for investigation at the first time and has not been released yet. He has sufficient reasons to clear himself of suspicion.

But how do you start this matter?

"Hey, Old Joe. There is someone dead in your house, I know you didn't kill it." - It sounds ridiculous.

"I will help you testify and clear your charges. Let's write off the matter of Regulus." - Old Qiao is not like someone who can play equivalent exchange games. Maybe he has to calculate the account of stealing things with them.

"I've read your letter, and you didn't send it out in the end. You're hiding the existence of Regulus, why?" - Well... If Old Joe doesn't jump up and knock the heads of the two guys in front of him, he might have some clues.

William did read the letter. As previously guessed, Old Joe originally planned to send the pendant to the East India Company directly. He even inferred that Isaac was the maker of Regulus. The reason why he gave up was Alphonse's letter. According to the date, it was sent from London a few days before Old Joe took the pendant from William, and probably it was handed over to him after Old Joe finished writing the report.

"What are you thinking, William?" Seeing the friend's eyes straight, Charles reached out to him and shook it. He drooped his brows, looking worried: "Isn't you really planning how to find Lao Qiao?"

"No, of course we won't go to him." William, who came back to his senses, seemed full of confidence. "Let's help send this letter," he raised the letter in his hand and blinked at Charles. "Old Joe is now under surveillance, so it will definitely be intercepted."

"Then the Admiralty knew about the pendant... When they found that the thing disappeared, they would find it on our heads!" Charles shook his head repeatedly. As if to stop this crazy idea, he quickly stretched out his hands to snatch the letter from William's hand: "No, no!"

William walked around proudly, and raised his eyebrows: "Of course - we have to do some processing."
Chapter completed!