Chapter 4 Chapter 1 The Banknotes Delivered to Your Door

Private detectives come in all shapes and sizes, but unfortunately none of them look like TV stars.Some private investigators specialize in credit investigation, while others stay in cheap hotels with cameras to catch rapes. Only a very small number of private investigators have the opportunity to investigate complicated and confusing murder cases.Some private investigators are good at tracking down things that don't exist or shouldn't exist.As for me, my specialty is finding things.Sometimes I wish I couldn't find those things, but don't think too much about it now that you're in the business.

The sign on my door said Taylor Detective Agency.I am Tyler, a tall, dark, not particularly handsome man.I've had a lot of scars from my past work, but as long as my clients are willing to pay a little up front, I never let them down. My office at the time was fine for someone who wasn't too picky, but someone with a little higher vision was absolutely pissed off.I spend so much time in the office that I hardly have a private life to speak of.Office rents are very cheap around here.Since any viable business has moved away, those of us who are left can more easily navigate the gray area between legal and illegal.This is a place so backward that even mice can only pass by and don't want to stay.The one next door to me was a dentist, and the other was an accounting firm, but both of them have closed down, and they both earned more than me before.

It was pouring rain outside on the day Joanna Barrett came to see me.It was a relentless rainstorm that was wet and cold enough to be thankful to be indoors.I should have seen it as an ominous sign, but I've never been able to read such signs.It's getting late, the night is falling, everyone else in the building has come home from get off work, but I'm still sitting behind my desk, watching my small portable TV, and listening to the man on the phone screaming .That guy wants me to pay the bill, what an idiot.I responded in a sympathetic manner amidst his cursing, and hung up when he was tired of cursing.At this moment, footsteps came from the corridor outside the door, and someone came towards my office.The footsteps sounded very calm and unhurried...it was a woman.That's interesting.Women are usually the best customers.They always say that they want to find out the news, but in fact, what they really want in their bones is almost revenge.And after getting the results they want and need, they will never hesitate to pay.Furies don't stay in hell, I should have known.

The footsteps stopped, and through the frosted glass on the door, I saw a slender figure standing outside the door and looking at the bullet holes in the frosted glass.I should have replaced that glass a long time ago, but that bullet hole does provide a lot of room for imagination.Clients want a sense of adventure and danger when they hire a private investigator, even if they only need to work on documents.The door opened, and she walked in, a tall and slender blonde beauty exuding a noble and golden aura.Seeing her standing in the middle of the concrete wall and the pile of broken furniture in my office, she was completely out of place.Her dress is elegant and stylish, and it is obvious at a glance that it is worth a lot.When she said my name, there was something aristocratic in her voice, sharp enough to cut glass.I guess she went to a top boarding school or a finishing school for girls, or else she took countless recitation courses.Her figure is slightly slender, her face is a little thin, and with a little light makeup, it shows that she is not a woman who likes to take the glamorous route.Judging from her standing posture and the position of her hands, this woman is definitely a control freak. From her perfect mouth shape, it can be seen that she is used to making people around her obey her orders.I just pay attention to little things like that because that's my job.I pretended not to care and nodded to her, and gestured for her to sit down on the only chair opposite the desk.I had to admire her courage in not wiping the chair with a handkerchief before sitting down.While she was slowly observing the interior of the office, the voice asking for money in the microphone in my hand had turned into a hysterical threat, and the content of the threat was very specific.The woman looked around with a very calm expression on her face, which could even be said to be expressionless.I looked around my office, and it wasn't hard to understand her reaction.

A battered desk, a file box with several sheets of label paper, a filing cabinet that has been turned around, and a sofa that has to be propped against the wall so as not to collapse.The wrinkled blanket and rotten pillows on the sofa suggest that someone often sleeps on it.The window behind the desk has iron bars, and whenever the wind blows outside, the glass on the window will rattle the frame.The carpet is full of holes; the TV is black and white; the only color on the concrete walls comes from a free calendar of naked women; and a corner of the room is filled with takeaway pizza boxes.It doesn't take a genius to see that this is not only an office, but also a living room and bedroom. Obviously, the owner of the office is definitely not some promising young man with a bright future.

I myself choose to live in the real world.There were many good reasons for my decision at the time.It's just that my life hasn't been going so well these days. I suddenly felt that I had had enough of the voice on the phone. "Listen," I said in a calm, sensible tone.If this tone is used properly, it is enough to make the other party shut up. "If I had money, I would have paid you back, but I just don't have money. So all you can do is draw a number plate, and then line up obediently. Of course, I also very much welcome you to sue me, if you really plan to do this , I can also recommend you a neighbor who is a lawyer. Since he needs work, he will not laugh out loud in your face when you tell him whom to collect. However, if you are a little patient, you can wait a little longer A wad of bills has probably just walked into my office in a while... You know, hysteria like this isn't good for your blood pressure. I suggest you take some deep breaths and go to the beach more often. I think the sea can always Soothing. I'll call you again. Take your time."

I slammed the phone down and smiled politely at my visitor.Although she didn't smile at me, I believe we can get along happily.She glanced at the TV on the table, so I turned it off. "This is my friend." I said softly. "It's like a puppy, except you don't need to take the TV for a walk." "Aren't you going home?" Her tone was obviously just wanting to know the answer, not out of concern. "I'm looking for a house. But the living unit is too big, empty, and expensive. It's better to rent an office. The space is small, and I can reach everything I want, and no one will bother me after get off work. I I mean usually."

"I know it's late. I don't want people to know I'm in this place." "I can understand that." She said flatly, "There's a hole in your door, Mr. Taylor." I nodded: "The moth did it." The corners of her dark red mouth drooped on the spot, and at that moment I thought she was going to stand up and leave.I have that kind of influence over people.But she suppressed the urge, and then gave me a look of awe. "I'm Joanna Barrett." I nodded noncommittally. "You're making it sound like I should have heard that name before."

"Every normal person should have heard of it," she said, her tone a little mean. "But I suppose you don't read the business section of the paper, do you?" "I'll watch it if someone pays me. So you must be rich?" "Very rich." I opened my mouth and said with a smile: "That's the top client. Is there anything I can do for you?" She changed her sitting posture slightly, clutching the oversized white leather handbag tightly in front of her.She doesn't want to be here at all, and doesn't want to talk to people like me.Undoubtedly, such unpleasant things usually have someone else to do it for her.But this time she was confronted with a big and difficult problem, a very personal problem, one that she could not entrust to others to deal with.She needs me, I can see it.Damn, I'm already counting bills.

"I need to hire a private eye," she stammers a little. "Someone...someone recommended you to me." I nodded understandingly. "It means you've been to the police and all the big detective agencies and they can't help you. It also means this is not an ordinary case." She nodded stiffly and said: "They let me down, all of them are useless. Taking my money will only give me a bunch of excuses, it's a bunch of trash. So I had to find all the people who owed me favors, and use them All the connections I could, finally someone mentioned your name to me. I hear you're good at finding people."

"I can find anyone or anything for the right price. It's a gift. I'm tenacious and tenacious, and any word for 'stubborn' can be applied to me. As long as I'm never going to give up until the money is paid off. It's just that I don't do credit reporting, I don't handle divorce cases, and I don't investigate criminal offenses. Hell, I really can't do this kind of case. I just I just know how to find something, whether it wants to be found or not, I can find it all." Joanna Barrett looked at me with a icy expression: "I don't like to be lectured." I smiled lightly: "This is just a part of the service." "I don't like your attitude either." "Not many people like it." Once again, she carefully considered whether to leave here.I was relaxed and at ease, watching her struggle with herself.I know that a woman like her would never come to a place like mine if she hadn't really been desperate. "My daughter...is missing." She finally said reluctantly. "I want you to get her back." She took an eight-by-ten glossy photo from her oversized tote bag, slammed it down on the table, and pushed it in front of me.I didn't reach out to touch it, I just watched the photo quietly.It was a mugshot of a young girl with a scowling face glaring at me.If her brows weren't so wrinkled, she should still be considered a beauty.She looks like the whole world is against her, and the world doesn't seem to stand a chance against her wrath.In other words, it was printed on the same mold as her mother. "Her name is Catherine, Mr. Taylor." Joanna Barrett's voice suddenly dropped. "Call her Cathy to talk to you, if she wants to talk to you. She's fifteen years old. She's going to be sixteen. I'm going to find her." I nod.So far it's still in my field of expertise. "How long has she been missing?" "Just over a month." She paused, then reluctantly said, "This time." I nodded again.This movement made me look like I was meditating. "Did something piss her off recently?" "We had a fight, but it was about old issues. God knows why she ran away. I give her everything she wants, and she should have everything she wants." She started rummaging through her handbag again, taking out cigarettes and a lighter from it.The cigarettes were French, and the lighter was solid gold with a monogram on it.As soon as I saw it, I raised the price tag in my heart on the spot.When she lit the cigarette, her hands were steady, but when she exhaled it revealed the uneasiness in her heart.I pushed a lung-shaped ashtray in front of her and continued to study the photo.I'm not worried about any imminent danger from Kathy Barrett, since she looks like she's capable of taking care of herself and should be able to deal with any unsuspecting fools.I think it's time to ask some of the more obvious questions. "Where's Catherine's father? How does your daughter get along with him?" "Didn't get along. He left us when she was two. It was the only good thing that selfish bastard ever did. His lawyers fought for visitation rights, but he hardly ever came to see his daughter. I still have to ask Chasing him for alimony, of course not because we need the money, but for what the money represents. Also, before you ask, no. She has never had drugs, alcohol, money or Bad boyfriend or something. I'm pretty strict about that kind of thing. I've always been protective of her, never hit her. She's just a surly, ungrateful little bastard." For a moment there was something like a tear in the corner of her eye, but that moment passed quickly.I leaned back in my chair and pretended to think about what I had just heard, but there was nothing to think about.Finding runaway girls isn't a big case, but when I have no case, no money, and bills to pay, it's a big case.This year has not been easy...in fact I haven't had a good day in a long time.I leaned forward, put my elbows on the desk, and put on a serious and determined expression. "So, Mrs. Barrett, the situation is basically a little girl from a rich family who thinks she has everything but love. She probably hides in the subway and begs, and picks up leftovers when she's hungry. Pair it with rotten bread, sleep on a park bench when you're sleepy, make a bunch of friends you shouldn't make, and tell yourself that this is just a big adventure in life. This is called blending into the lower class and experiencing real life. She Thought that would be the only way to get her mom's attention again. To be honest I wasn't too worried about her. Once the nights started to turn cold, she knew she was going home." Before she finished speaking, Joanna Barrett's head, which spent a lot of money on styling, was already shaking. "Not this time. I hired a group of experts to search for her for several weeks, but I couldn't find any clues. None of my friends who helped her escape from home before have seen her. No matter how much I pay, I can't buy her." There is no news at all. It seems that she just disappeared out of thin air. I always have a way to find her before, and my men have eyeliners everywhere. But this time, all my efforts only point to someone I have never heard of before. The name of the place, which is what the person who introduced you told me. He said that if you want to find my daughter, you must go to a place... called 'Nightside'." I immediately sat up straight, feeling as if my heart was being held by a cold hand.I should have known.I should have known that the past would come to me one day, and no matter how hard I tried to avoid it, I couldn't get rid of it easily.I looked directly into Joanna's eyes and asked, "How much do you know about 'Nightside'?" She didn't flinch from my tone, but she looked a little scared.My voice can be quite intimidating when necessary.In order to hide the uneasiness in her heart, she pressed out the cigarette in the ashtray, and deliberately pressed it for a long time, so as to avoid my gaze for a short time. "I don't understand." She finally said. "No idea at all. I've never heard of this place. A few of my staff have heard of it... but they don't want to talk about it. I insisted on asking, and they quit and left on the spot. They would rather Giving up money I'll never make in my life and not wanting to talk about Nightside. And they look at me like I'm... sick because I want to know about Nightside." "I'm not surprised." My voice is calmer than before, but still serious.She made eye contact with me again.I paid attention to my choice of words and said carefully: "Night City is the city's dark secret, the heart of darkness hidden under the facade of prosperity, the other side of London's evil and depravity, and all the real horrors. gathering place. If your daughter does go to the Nightside, she's in big trouble." "That's why I came to you," Joanna said. "I heard you worked in Night City." "No. It's been a long time. I left and I swore I would never go back. It's not a good place." She smiled as we finally got to a topic she was familiar with. "I'm very generous, Mr. Taylor. How much do you want?" I thought about it.How much will it cost to get me back to Nightside?How much is a soul worth?How much is sanity worth?How much is self-esteem worth?It's a pity that I haven't received a case for too long, and I really need money.There are bad people on this side of London too, and I already owe them health-affecting figures.I thought about it carefully, and it shouldn't be too difficult to find a runaway girl.Get in, find someone, get out.If I'm lucky, it might be over before no one notices I'm going back.I looked at Joanna Barrett and said the price was twice as high as I expected. "A thousand pounds a day, plus extra expenses." "That's a lot of money," she said intuitively. "How much is your daughter worth?" After thinking about it, she felt right, and nodded quickly.She didn't really care how much it was anyway.For someone like her, the price I can offer will always be a drop in the bucket. "Get my daughter back, Mr. Taylor. It doesn't matter how much it costs." "no problem." "Bring her back to me." "If she wants to go home. If she doesn't want to, I will never force it. Kidnapping is not my job." Now it was her turn to bluff.Her eyes were firm, her tone was menacing, and her voice sounded like cutting ice. "You took my money and you're going to do what I say. Find that spoiled cow, deal with the trouble she caused, and bring her home to me. When it's done, it's only when it's done." After that, I will pay. Did you hear me clearly?" I was unmoved at all, and watched her smile quietly.I've seen too many scarier people than her, and her anger and threats are nothing compared to what awaits me in Nightside.Besides, she and I both know that I am her last hope.I would never be the first choice when people are looking for a private eye, and it has nothing to do with how much I charge.I am famous for doing things the way I do them, for my desperation for the truth, and for never caring who I hurt in the process, even my clients sometimes.Clients always say that what they pursue is the truth, as long as the truth, and nothing but the truth.It's a pity that very few people who say this kind of thing mean it seriously.White lies are the comfort they really need; yet I refuse to lie.That's why I'll never make the kind of big money I need to break into Mrs. Barrett's circle.People only come to me after they have tried everything else, including prayers and fortune-telling.Joanna Barrett had no one else to look for.She tried to win me over with her eyes, but she couldn't.It also made her feel a little more at ease.She opened her handbag again, took out a written check and threw it on my desk.Clearly it's time to activate a backup plan. "Fifty thousand pounds, Mr Taylor. And a check for the same amount when it's done." My face remained calm: I laughed heartily.For £100,000 I could find all the mysteriously missing crew members of the Mary Celeste.I almost thought it was worth going back to the Nightside for that amount, almost. "I... have a condition." I smile: "I think so." "I'm going with you." I straightened my body and said, "No. Impossible. Absolutely not." "Mr. Taylor..." "You don't know what you're asking for..." "She hasn't been seen for more than a month! She has never been away from home for so long. Anything can happen for such a long time. I must be there... When you find her, I must be there." I shook my head, but I knew I couldn't argue with her.Whenever my family's emotions are involved, I am easy to soften my heart, because I have never had the opportunity to understand my family.Joanna still didn't cry out, but her eyes glistened with tears, and her voice began to tremble slightly. "Please." She could tell it was hard for her to say, but she said it anyway.Not for herself, but for her daughter. "I must go with you. I must know what happened. I can't continue to sit at home and wait for the phone call. Since you know Nightside so well, why don't you take me there?" We stared at each other, and maybe both of us saw the deeper side of each other in each other's eyes.In the end I nodded, since we both knew I would say yes anyway.But for her sake, I still tried to reason with her again. "Let me tell you what Night City is, Joanna. They say London is the capital of smoke, and where there is smoke there must be fire. Night City is an area about a square mile in central London, and all the buildings are from the previous The product of the century is a slum with narrow streets. The above is the data that can be found on the official map. In fact, the entire Night City is much larger than indicated on the map. There, the space itself is forced to expand, just to accommodate The dark, evil, and all that spooky stuff that populates the Nightside. It's even been rumored lately that Nightside is bigger than London. If you think about it a bit, it seems to be a general reference to the endless desires of humans, and And that doesn't include the desires of those non-human beings. Night City has a worldview, and it's always been a melting pot of races." "Night City is an endless night, time always stays at three o'clock in the morning, and the dawn never appears. People always come and go, sinking in ulterior desires, seeking what cannot be tolerated in the normal world where the sun shines Service and pleasure. You can buy and sell everything in Night City, and no one asks any questions. Because they don't care. For a small fee, you can enjoy being bound in a pentagram in a nightclub. Fallen angels, eternally tormented by the burning of infant blood. You can also buy a sheep's head that can see the future, but its cryptic prophecy is hidden in the neat pentameter of the battle. That nightclub There is also a room dedicated to impressing silence and removing color; in another room, a dead nun is willing to let you see her stigmata for money. You can even stick your finger in her if you like In those blood holes, no matter what you do, she won't be resurrected." "All your deepest fears or most beautiful fantasies can be found on the streets of Night City, or perhaps waiting for you in an expensive members-only private box at a nightclub. You can find anything in Night City, if they don't Find your words first. Nightside is a place that is perverted, magical and dangerous. Even so, do you still want to go?" "You're preaching again." "answer my question." "How could there be such a place? If there is such a place in central London, how could anyone not know about it?" "The Nightside exists because it's been there since ancient times; people don't know it exists because those in power don't want the secret to be revealed. You could die there, and even I, who knows Nightside well, don't know It is possible to die there. Although I have not been back for a long time, at least I have been familiar with it. Even so, do you still want to go?" "As long as I can find my daughter, I'm willing to go." Joanna said firmly. "Although our relationship has never been... as close as I hoped, as long as I can bring her back, even if I want to go to hell, I will not be deterred." I smiled at her with a hint of humor in my smile. "You might really, Joanna. You might really go to hell."