The detective is dead, I did it.

Chapter 25 The Witch's Tools

"Let's get down to business."

Charlotte spoke calmly at this moment, instantly extinguishing the Viscount's anger.

After all, no matter how dissatisfied he was with the servants in the mansion, he dared not direct his anger at the famous detective in front of him.

Charlotte had no opinion on the Viscount's violent remarks.

After all, this kind of thing was all too common among London's aristocracy.

Although the law clearly stipulates that a servant's life is also a life, and that a master who kills a servant without cause will be punished, the actual punishment may only be a fine and an investigation.

For most nobles, this punishment was negligible as long as they had the right connections.

"Yes, yes," the Viscount continued. "I always keep my key close to my body." He pulled a gold chain from his collar, with a bronze key hanging from the end of the chain.

"I didn't call any maids to serve me that night, so there's no possibility that the key was stolen."

Li Ang noticed that when he said "call the maids to serve me in bed," several of the maids standing at the door lowered their faces even further, their ears turning red.

In this era, it was perfectly normal for nobles to have maids serve them in bed.

Some nobles even regarded their maids as their private property.

Slavery was abolished ten years ago, and no citizen of the empire is allowed to be bought or sold.

But while the shackles on their heads are gone, the shackles in their hearts remain.

The nobles continued to use various unequal treaties to bind their maids, treating them as their private property and completely disregarding the law.

Charlotte naturally knew about this, but Leon, who was hearing about it for the first time, looked at the nobles with even more disgust.

However, he didn't show it; instead, he hid it very well.

"Were there any signs of damage to the windows at the scene?" Charlotte asked, getting straight to the point.

"No. The windows at the scene were undamaged, and there wasn't even a single footprint left." The Viscount shook his head. "That's why I said it was done by an insider; only someone from within could leave no trace."

Charlotte stood up. "I'll go check the scene."

"Very well." The Viscount quickly called out towards the door, "Butler! Take Miss Holmes to the collection room!"

He didn't get up himself, but simply handed the keys to the butler.

His body, encased in fat, sank deep into the chair; for him, every step he could take was an extra step.

Li Ang followed Charlotte out of the study.

Behind her, the Viscount's voice caught up: "Miss Holmes, I'm leaving that matter to you! The reward will be doubled if you can retrieve the Blue Tear!"

The old butler walked ahead of the two, his back ramrod straight. Although his hair was gray and he looked at least fifty years old, his pace was even faster than Li Ang's.

Arriving at a large, ornately carved door, the old butler took out his key, opened it, and stood respectfully to the side.

The collection room was large, with light pouring down from the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, illuminating the treasures throughout the room.

The corner is filled with various jewelry pieces made of porcelain, ivory carvings, and gold and silver, adorned with precious gemstones. Several large sculptures, in both Eastern and Western styles, are also displayed in the corner.

"Are you tempted, assistant?" Charlotte's voice came from the side, tinged with a hint of teasing.

Li Ang looked around and said honestly, "It's impossible not to be tempted."

He lowered his voice, leaning close to Charlotte's ear: "Speaking of which, if one or two items from this collection were missing, do you think that fat pig would notice?"

"Fat pig?" Charlotte covered her mouth and laughed, "What an apt name."

But she immediately shook her head. "However, I advise you not to do that, because we're just here to investigate. And if you need money, you can always tell me."

"Then forget it." Li Ang withdrew his gaze, abandoning the idea of ​​disgusting the viscount.

Let's talk about it another time when we have the chance.

Charlotte strolled slowly through the collection room, her gaze sweeping over each piece, occasionally pausing to examine corners that most people would miss.

Bored, Li Ang also activated his ability.

Prompts appeared above each item in the collection.

[A genuine blue-and-white porcelain vase from the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. Valued at approximately £1,200.]

[An Italian Renaissance bronze sculpture, artist unknown. Shows signs of later restoration; valued at approximately £800.]

[A pair of 17th-century Venetian glass cups. One of them is a later imitation, significantly reducing its value.]

He read through them one by one, and the more he read, the more alarmed he became.

It wasn't the value of these items that amazed me, but rather—where did a mere viscount get so many rare treasures?

Even if his ancestors were illustrious, it's not like he would pile up so many good things in one room as a storeroom, is it?

Could it be... all stolen goods?

He suppressed the thought and continued walking forward, then saw a gold ornament about the size of a palm in a corner, casually placed there.

Under his influence, all the information about the ornament was revealed.

[Witch's tools, crafted by the Star Witch. Wearing them can increase mental resistance to a certain extent, but at the same time, they will also be tainted by the witch's aura.]

Witch?

It's another word I've never heard before. I wonder what role this person plays in this world.

Li Ang picked up the ornament, but instead of wearing it, he held it in his hand and weighed it in his hand. It felt heavy, and from its appearance, it seemed to be made of gold.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that this thing was actually a pendant with a hole at the top for threading a chain.

If you melt it down and sell it, you could probably make a lot of money.

Unfortunately, it wasn't his, and the witch's aura made him quite wary.

After putting the item back where it belonged, Li Ang made a silent wish.

Hopefully, that phantom thief will also steal this thing while he's at it. That way, he can legitimately... well, "recover the stolen goods."

"There really wasn't a trace."

Charlotte walked around the room and stood in the center of the collection room, arms crossed, brows slightly furrowed.

"They handled it perfectly. There were no fingerprints, footprints, or anything. Not even a trace of dust being wiped off the window."

She walked up to Li Ang. "Assistant, this is a good opportunity to test your abilities. Use your skills to find some clues."

Li Ang scanned the room again, and a dense array of prompts appeared, mostly descriptions of the collection, with little useful information.

Moreover, it made people dizzy and lightheaded. He had vaguely guessed that his ability would consume his mental energy, especially over such a large area, where his mental energy would drop sharply.

So he narrowed down the target area a little, and immediately felt much better.

First, carefully observe the keyhole on the door.

The new spring lock was opened twice within 24 hours, but there were no signs of forced entry.

"It seems the killer didn't enter through the front door. The door lock was only opened twice in 24 hours," Li Ang said.