Saint?Just a bad woman

Anyone who wanted to drive her off the elevator had to shut up when they saw the token in her hand.

The ride in the elevator went smoothly, and Santa Karina arrived at the restaurant on the top floor.The restaurant was divided into different areas according to country. She ignored the Western-style names and looked for the sections with square characters.

“Isn’t it a bit strange for a Western-looking person to eat Chinese food for breakfast?”

Santa Karina was worried about arousing suspicion. Then she thought about it. She was just pretending to be an ordinary person, neither a noble nor a political figure. There was no need to worry about other people's opinions while having breakfast.

After searching in each section, she finally saw the kind words.

——Huang.

The Huang Empire, Kui Long from the East, is also a wonderful paradise that attracts countless Westerners.

So, Santa Karina went to the Oriental dining area, ordered a vegetable fried rice from the yellow-skinned and black-haired waiter, and then went to the window opposite to order borscht.

A meal, a soup, and a cup of black tea after the meal, the middle-class life is really comfortable.

The waiter will not ask why the guest ordered a meal that does not suit his or her eating habits, and will only say "enjoy your meal."Santa Karina doesn’t care what others think of her, gorging herself with a shiny metal spoon.

It is called seasonal vegetable fried rice. It contains not only corn, carrots, onions, green peppers and other seasonal vegetables, but also crispy shrimps.Since you can eat the rice you like, there is no need to force yourself to eat bread.

After the plate of fried rice was bottomed out, and just as he was about to finish the remaining half bowl of soup, two women in expensive clothes passed by.They wear long dresses of light gold and light blue, and feather hats of the same color.

With a tight corset and exaggerated bustle, the style is very classic.

The women all held small folding fans that swayed with fragrance, and their bodies were light and their every word and deed showed good cultivation.The content of their discussion just drifted into Santa Karina's ears, about the first-class deceased who was made into a work of art.

Santa Karina put down her soup bowl and pretended to follow in the same direction.

The woman in a golden dress covered her face with a fan and said with emotion: "Oh my God, Mrs. Philemon is so pitiful. Her husband was brutally murdered and put in such a pose. I hope she can recover from her grief." Come out."

"How could such a cruel thing happen to Mr. Fremont? Mrs. Fremont told me that he used to be an honorable Victoria Mounted Policeman and had to leave the army after being injured. Who on earth could kill a retired Mountie? ?”

"..."

The two chatted about some trivial things, only a little bit related to the deceased.They went to the card room next. Santa Karina was not interested in playing cards and started wandering around the Avlov.

Except for some important cabins, first-class passengers are not allowed to enter, and all leisure and dining venues are unobstructed.

"Go next-"

She stared at the tiered area plan of the Avlov on the wall.There is no place I want to play, but I am very interested in the observation deck on the upper deck.Standing at the highest point of the observation deck, overlooking the vast sea area around you, bathing in the morning sea breeze and waiting for the rising sun, it feels romantic just thinking about it.

Even though there was no companion, no rising sun, the sky was overcast, and the sea was thick with fog, it did not affect her mood.

The haunting hours of the sea ghosts are mostly from 10 o'clock in the middle of the night to 6 o'clock the next day. There are only a few minutes left before 6 o'clock. When the sun rises, the ship will be [-]% safe. The only thing that needs to be guarded against is the brutal murder of the retired Mountie. murderer.

Without resting, Santa Karina took the elevator and headed straight to the upper deck.

The air in the cabin was dull and viscous. As soon as she left the closed rectangular space, the fresh outdoor air entered her lungs through breathing, and she suddenly felt refreshed.

The sea breeze in the morning was very cold and fast. Santa Carolina pulled on her coat and took a walk on the wide deck to eat.

The sky was dark and dark, and there was no trace of skylight in the black-gray sky. The turbid colors were rolling in the sky like boiling mud.There was no thunder or lightning, and she wasn't worried about rain.

If she really gets stuck and fails to return to the cabin before the heavy downpour, the waiters on the passenger ship will do their best to take care of the aftermath for her as a VIP, such as washing and drying her clothes and preparing cold-fighting medicines.

"hiss--"

"call--"

Santa Karina took a few deep breaths and stretched at the fence.

A faint puff of smoke drifted not far away, and less than five meters away from her, by the fence, Miss Williams, the gray-haired woman she had seen at the murder scene, was lighting a cigarette with a lighter.

She was thinly dressed, only wearing a black shirt, light beige casual pants, and a pair of flip-flops.

They met again by chance.

247. Become an assistant

Let’s rule out the least likely option first, which is tracking.

There was no way Miss Williams could have followed her for so long without being discovered. The mahogany cane and the heavy footsteps on her first appearance indicated that she had some difficulty with her legs.

Holding the cane on the right side means that the right leg is not conducive to walking.

It is a pity that a beautiful young woman seems to be flawless, but God is jealous of her and takes away her right to walk normally.

Santa Karina did not pay special attention to Miss Williams' right leg for fear of being taken as intended to offend.Staring at other people's flaws will inevitably make people feel unhappy.

If they "encounter" again in the capital Nyakal in the future, a lot of unpleasantness will inevitably occur.

Since you can't stare at yourself, look at something else.The eye naturally moves to mahogany cane, which is one of the most precious woods in the world. It is especially sought after and loved by the upper class in Victoria and is often used to build furniture and musical instruments.

Mahogany has a hard texture and fine texture. The wood has excellent stability, is easy to polish, and is not easily deformed. It is durable and long-lasting for furniture.

The darker the color, the longer the piece of wood has proven to be.The color of the cane is dark reddish brown. It is not known how many years it has been used, but it can be seen that it is strong and durable, and it lives up to the reputation of the noble wood.

Santa Karina's judgment on Miss Williams' identity went a little deeper.She is not an ordinary civil servant, at least she must be an aristocratic lady with a small fortune.

When talking to such a person, it is best to carefully consider every word and every sentence, which means that you are a little scared and walking on thin ice.

The memory of this body told her that Victoria was a place where the rich and nobles had the final say. Don't mess with them. Secondly, don't mess with the gangsters and the Knights of the Silver Gun.

If you can end the conversation early, end it early.Santa Karina was not prepared to talk to Miss Williams. As long as the conversation did not begin, trouble would not come.

The sea breeze on the deck was getting stronger and stronger, and their long hair was flying in the wild wind. They were so small that they seemed to be blown off the deck at any time and fell into the embrace of the blue sea.

The sky has not yet completely brightened up, and the sky in the east is still chaotic. A mixture of warm and cold colors, warm orange and yellow burst out from the deep blue, penetrate into it, and finally drive it away. The long night ends here, ushering in the day. .

Although he could see the sky clearly, the sea surface was a completely different scene.

The strange sea fog is always lingering around, lingering.Like a high, damp white wall, it isolated the ship from the sea.The people on the boat could see neither the scenery in the distance nor other boats.

This situation makes me feel depressed.

Santa Carina turned away, silent all the time, and Miss Williams, who was only looking at the smoke, suddenly raised her mahogany cane to block her progress.

"Don't leave yet, stay a while."

"..."

Then you should have spoken first... Santa Karina thought to herself.

"Miss, what do you want from me?"

"I know you have a gun on you. Were you a police officer before?"

He moved his sharp eyes away from the sea and stared at Santa Karina with a slightly arrogant blue eyes.

"No, I'm just an ordinary person, miss. Nyakal does not explicitly stipulate that civilians are not allowed to hold guns. Guns are just a way for me to protect myself."

Miss Williams raised the hand holding the cigarette with an extremely graceful movement. She flicked the sparkling ash into the sea with her fingertips.

"As far as I know, ordinary people cannot afford first-class A-class tickets on the Avlov."

The fact that Santa Karina was standing in a hoodie and jeans among a group of well-dressed gentlemen was noticeable enough.Miss Williams had no interest in inquiring about other people's pasts, and the conversation was purely out of boredom.

The days on the ship were boring and she needed a break.

The case that happened in the first-class lobby of the passenger ship early this morning will be an opportunity for her to spend the last time.The prerequisite for investigation and reasoning is to collect evidence and investigate, both of which consume time and energy.

The last thing she lacks now is time, and it happens that the captain of this ship entrusts her with an investigation, which is exactly what she wants.Investigation by one person is bound to be difficult and slow, and an assistant is needed.

Miss Williams had her eye on Santa Karina.Facing the corpse with a strange and terrifying death state, he only frowned. Compared with the passengers, police officers and crew members who were vomiting all over the floor next to him, he was like a breath of fresh air.

"Miss, please state your intention straight to the point."

The Riddler is the creature that annoys Santa Kalina the most. They have countless opportunities to be honest and express what they want to express into concise and easy-to-understand words, but they insist on complicating the simple content. , adding all kinds of meaningless modifications that seem inscrutable but actually incomprehensible, or deliberately making detours without getting to the point.

"Sorry, I got off topic."

For the first time, the deep blue eyes looked at Santa Karina in a real sense.The cyan vortex is spinning, with an unquestionable majesty.

"I would like to ask you to investigate the case that happened today together, starting now."

"I reject."

Almost without hesitation, Santa Karina answered in the negative.

"Detective games are not for me. It would be better to leave it to the police officers or the Night Investigator."

Seeing that Santa Karina was unmoved, Miss Williams used her trump card.

"The captain is willing to pay Victoria $20 as a reward for solving the case. Behind the Avlov is Victoria's most famous Ferguson Navigation Company, and they do not want this incident to have a negative impact on the company's reputation."

"20 million..."

Her offer suddenly became a hundred times more tempting when she thought she only had a few thousand Victoria dollars left in her pocket.

No one can refuse money.

However, Santa Karina is actually not short of money.The money in her pocket was just a drop in the bucket, and the $20 Victoria promised by Miss Williams was too little to impress her.

The other party did not know Santa Karina's psychological activities. In fact, Miss Williams threw the last cigarette butt into the metal trash can nearby and leaned against the railing with a calm expression, waiting for a reply.

The sky has completely brightened, and the thick clouds have blocked the sunlight. The upper deck is shrouded in a dark and dead atmosphere. The only sounds that can be heard are the sound of wind and waves surging and lapping against the edge of the ship.

"If I only had money, I would still refuse."

Rich people have a bit of a capitalist ethos. If you work for them but get nothing, it will be a waste of time to deepen your understanding of the world. It is better to enjoy the facilities on the passenger ship now, which is worth the ticket price.

Don’t do things that are not beneficial to you, and don’t get involved with things that have nothing to do with you. This is Santa Karina’s code of conduct.

The "Victorian Events" placed on the table had a sentence written on the title page.

——Goodwill without principles will only become empty and a sharp weapon to stab oneself.

"Miss, I hope you can put forward conditions that are enough to impress me."

Miss Williams grasped the brass-colored grip above her palm.The T-shaped piece of metal was rubbed smooth and shiny.The slender fingers wrapped around it felt a bit inconsistent.

There were calluses on the joint between the thumb and index finger of that hand, as well as calluses on the left and right sides of the index finger. It was obvious that Miss Williams had been with the gun for a long time.

The cane, which symbolizes civilized etiquette, and the firearm, which symbolizes death and violence, are two extremes.

An arrogant smile emerged from the cold cheek, like a cool breeze passing over the cheek, fleeting.

"You have to let me see what you are capable of first. Also, what should you call me? I don't know your name yet."

"Linna."

Santa Karina did not tell her real name, nor did she intend to shake hands with the other party. Most nobles disdain to shake hands with slovenly people, thinking that it will dirty their noble hands. Even if they shake hands, they will wipe them with a handkerchief immediately. With just one wipe, his disgust was clearly expressed.

She didn't like to deal with rich people, unless it was related to something she had to do. She had to smile and face those well-dressed nobles.

Living in Nyakal inevitably involves contact with upper-class people, so this trip might as well be regarded as a preview.In this way, there will be much less resistance in my heart.

Considering the client's outstanding appearance, at least the process of working with him will not be too painful.From the perspective of appreciating beautiful things, Miss Williams' appearance deserves the praise of the golden ratio. No matter from which angle you look at it, you can't find a flaw.

"Virginie Williams, just call me Williams."

"learn."

Santa Karina didn’t mention hearing her last name before, and she didn’t want to be thought of as a stranger who liked to gossip around the corner.Exchanging names was the first step in the collaboration, even though neither of them had a particularly strong liking for each other.

There is no need for goodwill between strangers who meet by chance.

"I have one last question."

Before starting to exchange information and discuss the case in depth, Santa Karina asked the question that had been on her mind for 10 minutes.

"why me?"

"The reason is probably that all the other passengers make me bored. Since we are my partner to relieve my boredom, why not choose someone different? I observed everyone at the crime scene, and your indifferent expression attracted me . People who are frightened by corpses and cry, or who vomit all over the floor are not qualified to be my partner."

"It's my pleasure, Miss Williams. Finally, can you give me a quarter of the bonus to motivate me? A bearing that is not lubricated with oil will only jam when working."

She's not short of money, it's just her acting skills.Greed of money can lower one's vigilance, and Santa Karina's promise to help Miss Williams was not as simple as it seemed.The character she plays has always had a love and desire for money that will not change at all.

Virginie took out a black leather wallet from her pocket. The wallet was quite thick and contained an exciting amount of money.She took out three brand-new banknotes from a pile of banknotes, two with a face value of 1 and one with a face value of 5.

"Here is 25000 Victoria dollars in cash. Please immediately behave in a manner consistent with my status as an assistant."

The banknotes exuding a wonderful fragrance were like the internal combustion engine and fuel in a steam train. Santa Karina suddenly showed interest and motivation in investigating the case. She folded the banknotes and stuffed them into the inner pocket of her coat while organizing her thoughts.

A few more passengers came to the deck to get some fresh air, and there were also crew members cleaning the deck hanging around.What they are going to discuss next involves a brutal and perverted murder case. Talking about it loudly will only make others unhappy and cause panic.

In suspense novels and movies, the place where the case is discussed is often secluded and quiet, with only the protagonist and one other person.The cafe onboard the Avlov has luxury private rooms with an elegant environment and excellent sound insulation. Guests only need to pay a small fee to use them as they like.

Santa Karina made a suggestion to Virginie, who nodded in agreement, grabbed the handle of the brass cane, and limped away from the guard rail of the upper deck of the passenger ship.

She didn't need anyone's support. She once shook off a crew member's hand in the hall, causing him to look embarrassed, like a new employee who had done something wrong and was scolded by the boss.

Virginie didn't walk very fast, and Santa Carolina deliberately kept a safe distance from her, "moving" one behind the other in the corridor of the luxury liner.This is a viewing corridor with no blind spots. Both sides are equipped with extremely high-hardness panoramic floor-to-ceiling glass. There are many sofas for tourists to enjoy the sea view, each of which is expensive.