Deep in the night, at 7 Pingsted Street.
Then he leaned back, making the wooden joints creak, and his breathing gradually became long.
After an unknown amount of time, his eyelids drooped, covering his eyes.
At that moment, Leonard's spirit had already arrived in a gray, hazy world, yet the place was still his bedroom.
He flew to the window and saw that thick gray fog had enveloped the nearby streets, extending outward as if to encompass all of
The gas streetlamps and the warm lights from various houses were unusually dim, only illuminating a small area around them and tinged with a bit of gloom.
At the same time, clusters of illusory oval light spheres appeared and disappeared, interweaving to cover each house, as if they were the source of their existence.
This was the city as seen by a "Nightmare."
Following the information he had gathered earlier, Leonard leaped out the window in his "Nightmare" form and flew toward 17 Minsk Street, Jowood District.
He didn't barge in directly. Landing in the thick fog at the other's door, he politely rang the doorbell.
At the sound of "cuckoo cuckoo," Stateline Summers opened the door, wearing a nightgown.
Holding a silver-inlaid court feather fan in front of her chest, she asked, both groggy and confused:
"Who are you looking for?"
She was the landlady when Klein had been playing the role of Sherlock Moriarty, a woman in her early thirties with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Leonard had now changed into a black-and-white checkered Loen police uniform and casually showed his badge, saying:
"Do you know Sherlock Moriarty?"
Because she was in a dream, Stateline reacted slowly. After a few seconds, she said:
"Has something happened to him?"
As she asked back, under Leonard's influence, a natural manifestation of her mental image of Sherlock Moriarty appeared beside her:
Wearing a semi-tall silk top hat, a double-breasted long formal coat, gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, and a beard around his mouth...
This matched the appearance of Sherlock Moriarty that Leonard had previously obtained, so he had no suspicion and directly said:
"He's involved in a case and is under investigation."
"I hope you can cooperate with our work."
"Okay, okay." Stateline originally wanted to raise her chin, but for some reason felt a bit afraid.
Leonard thought for a second and said:
"When did he rent the house?"
"Early September last year." Stateline recalled.
Leonard continued to ask:
"What do you know about him? Or rather, in your heart, what kind of person is he?"
Mentioning this, Stateline, as if she had long considered the answer, said:
"He comes from the Inner Sea County, with that accent. He is a very capable detective. He once helped Mary solve her husband's affair. However, his income is not high; he can't even afford a full-time maid, so he has to have my maid help part-time... My children tell me that he's a great storyteller, especially good at detective stories. Perhaps that's why he chose that profession..."
Without giving Leonard a chance to interrupt, she chattered on:
"He's not as rude as ordinary detectives. He attended grammar school and studied history. The most enviable thing is that he received Mary's gratitude and joined the Cragg Club, where there are all very distinguished people. I've been there a few times..."
"Later, he seemed to become famous in detective circles, and many private detectives often came to see him..."
Leonard listened somewhat impatiently and couldn't help raising a hand to rub his temple.
From Mrs. Stateline, he didn't get much useful information. Apart from the two points that Sherlock Moriarty was not well off financially and was good at telling detective stories, the rest was within the scope of his previous investigation. He even knew that Sherlock Moriarty had a good relationship with Icendrhas Stanton.
Starting with the few people in the Cragg Club who had a good relationship with Sherlock Moriarty... Having patiently listened to Mrs. Stateline's rambling, Leonard immediately thanked her and left her dream.
................
At 160 Berklund Street, inside the residence of Dwayne Dantès.
In a hall that could accommodate over a hundred guests dancing, Klein was dancing gracefully with a woman in her thirties.
This was the etiquette teacher
She had a common female name but was far from ordinary. Her features were only slightly above average, but she had outstanding poise and every move was full of grace.
According to Walter, she was born into a baron's family, received a good education from a young age, and later entered the court as a lady-in-waiting until marriage.
Because her family had declined and her husband's financial situation was also moderate, she, a believer of the Goddess of the Night, chose to become a home etiquette tutor, frequently visiting different noble or wealthy families to teach their children.
Although the butler didn't say it explicitly, Klein knew that he couldn't perform poorly in front of this lady, or his reputation would be beyond saving.
—An important way for nobles, wealthy people, and other upper-class individuals to inquire about someone's situation is through mutual acquaintances. And sometimes, interactions among servants also carry this meaning.
Moving her feet lightly, swaying her body, Wahanna, with her black hair lightly swept up, nodded approvingly:
"Mr. Dantès, it's really hard to imagine that you hadn't learned this dance step before."
"In less than half an hour, you've become as proficient as a noble who has received similar education since childhood."
"You taught me well." Klein smiled modestly, his expression gentle and showing no arrogance.
With the balance and coordination of a "Clown," dancing was a very simple matter for him.