Chapter 2 Reward for the first quarter

"Is Jiegler really that difficult to get along with?" "Honestly, Handik?" "Nonsense! You are no longer a rookie in the police academy. What are you telling the truth? Do you want me to interrogate you? I wish for it!" Handik laughed. But I don't really want to answer - Jiegler is a good detective, but unfortunately the only case we partnered with was really not a good case: if I answer "no", Handik will definitely ask me why I took the initiative Apply for a vacation. "What would you use as your selection criteria—I mean, if you were buying a mug."

"Hey, do you want to change the subject, Wenzel?" "No, just another way to answer your question." "Okay? Well, if I want to drink beer, I think I will choose a relatively large cup; for wine, it is best to have a crystal tulip cup with a gold rim, and for breakfast coffee paper cups are fine, and for Espresso, maybe you can have a cup." A bone china cup?" "What if it's just water?" "Is that so? Then I don't care what kind of cup I have, as long as I can drink water." "So there is no standard anymore?" "Why is there no standard? My standard is 'to be able to drink water'—at least not a cup with a broken bottom!"

"For a picky person, even if he just chooses a cup for drinking water, he will take many factors into consideration." "You mean, do you mean you're a picky person?" "In some ways? My friend, if you've finally bought a beer glass that you've been dreaming of for a long time, and when you go home to drink, you find that there is something wrong with the mouth of the glass-making your upper lip every time. It will take a long time to feel uncomfortable after taking a sip, what will you do?" "Take it back to the store and return it?" "You bought it during a big discount in the store, and there is no way to return it."

"Then drink from the original cup." "You only have this one cup?" "Joke! Are you doing a psychological test? This is not fun!" "Am I answering your question?" "If I had known, I wouldn't have asked? Well, I'd buy another one in another style." "You bought this beer mug with all your money." "So? Just make do with it—if 'me' in this test is drinking like hell?" "I think the same as you—hope this answer satisfies you." I smiled and ignored Handik again. I don't know whether my luck is good or bad—the case with Inspector Jiegler made it easy for me to see some shortcomings of this "cup": I have just admitted that I am a People who are quite picky about some aspects-and these shortcomings are precisely included in this "certain aspects".

I don't really want to use this cup anymore - after Deputy Director Issel approves my application for a long vacation, I may consider a new job: typist, mailman, housekeeper or plumber?? whatever - —It’s best to only work for half a day. In my free time, I might read two ancient books that I’ve wanted to read for a long time, or write a few detective novels that no one will read. Handik has been recommending me to find a girlfriend a lot lately: "It's good for physical and mental health, and it can relieve boredom. You might as well give it a try." That's what he said.

Handik was just saying that - he himself had never had a girlfriend, even temporarily.In fact, we are not too boring - it is very interesting to listen to a few boring agents who are older than us chat: "Is it time to raise the price again next month?" "That group of damned!" "'Romeo' should have their heads cut off." "Is that number seven? It seems so?" "The time is different every year, but it should be next month." "Isn't it always the night of the full moon?" "Is there any?" I hadn't heard them talk about this before, "Romeo who cut off heads" - it seemed like a case that could be used as a novel.

"What kind of cases are these?" Handik's curiosity was obviously aroused-although the question he asked didn't seem very clever. In the small talk at the police station, a newcomer's question accidentally raised out of curiosity, coupled with not naming names, usually cannot change the general direction of other people's chatting.If no one pays attention to you, it is the most common embarrassing end for the questioner. The only exception is the presence of Jim Watson. There probably isn't any serving police officer who can call "veteran" in front of Jim - but even after officially retiring on the 20th of next month, old Jim will probably still be on time for quite a while: he doesn't want to Let his mouth retire with him.

"Haha, Handik. You've asked the right man—no one in this bureau knows more about the 'Romeo the Scythe' case than I do." Old Jim ignored the dissatisfaction of other colleagues who expressed their dissatisfaction with their eyes and mutterings because the conversation was interrupted, took a sip of the cold coffee, and smacked his lips. "As far as the craft of an executioner is concerned, he is a very distinguished and dedicated man?" "? The first sacrifice was a young and beautiful lady, the only daughter of a hereditary banker--she thought she was Juliet, chosen on a full-moon night, in an evening gown the color of night, like fire. Burning red dancing shoes. I didn’t hide it from my father and stepmother, and when it was almost midnight, I was waiting on the white swan bridge at the foot of Bucher Mountain?"

"Three Electors died on that bridge—hey! Is that a ghost bridge?" When the Peasant Rebel Army captured Bucher Castle in 1999, several nobles were indeed executed on the White Swan Bridge. As for the "three electors", it was not recorded in any history book, and it may be the work of later generations. fabricated. The one who interrupted was Peterfield, the film policeman who came two years earlier than us—interrupting old Jim's words is not so much evidence of the authenticity of the scene of the case, as it is to stir up the flames to create an atmosphere at the scene.

Old Jim didn't appreciate it—he glared at Peterfield and took another sip of coffee: "? Have you heard of that one? It seems to be Sibelius' "The Swan of the Underworld"? Haha, of course you haven't heard of it! You can hear the girl named Elise, leaning against the railing of the bridge, her eyes resting on the waves of the river—she is thinking of dancing with Romeo: the music is just right. " Someone hummed an unknown tune, the tune was a little weird and sad—or maybe it was the "Swan of the Underworld". Everyone listened intently, and old Jim raised his beard triumphantly:

"? The moon was covered by clouds at this time—midnight in March, still quite cold. Eliza was in such a hurry that she didn't put on her coat: she shivered." Handik next to me couldn't help but tremble when he heard this-my poor friend: he has already entered the story. "? She waited too long, and the moonless Wissowa River suddenly became eerie—and she turned around restlessly and somewhat uneasy." Old Jim glanced at his coffee cup—the coffee in it was almost bottomed out. He shook his head slightly, didn't take another sip, and continued: "? How could she guess—the Romeo she had been dreaming of was standing in front of her eyes: it was specially matched with her evening dress, the black and straight tuxedo, the uppers polished like bronze mirrors, the elegant The bright golden hair flowing like a river and the death scythe raised high?" "There's not even moonlight, how can we see these things? There are no street lights on the bridge, and there are not many residents around?" I said these words—even though I knew that old Jim was only telling stories, I couldn't help interjecting for the truth of the story: the moonlight on a full moon night is brighter than ordinary nights, and if the light suddenly Even though it is covered by clouds, it takes a while for human eyes to adapt to the darkness. I admit, I can be a little too critical sometimes. Old Jim waved his hand impatiently at me—as if to signal me to keep quiet: "The clouds had parted, and our poor Juliet's face was frozen in joy under the moonlight—Romeo's scythe swung straight down. Eliza's body was like a statue that hadn't dried too much. The plaster cast seemed to have been pushed down suddenly, and it was broken in two from the neck." Old Jim drank the cold coffee, and took the cup from Handik, who had long been dumbfounded. "? How could you possibly imagine how sharp Romeo's scythe is! I have seen the edge of the knife under Eliza's beautiful head - coated with a layer of mercury, it can be used as a dressing mirror. " Old Jim stole a glance at the only two female police officers present-they were all listening intently, and the color was gone on their faces by this time. Old Jim was even more proud, and drank half of the cup of coffee that belonged to Handik in one gulp. "Every year after that, on that day, on that night of the full moon, Romeo appeared like a ghost in a certain corner of the city of free will like a zombie cast a death spell—his Scythe has never missed a hand, and has never been witnessed in his work. The newspapers say he is the 'Shadow Killer', and the drunks in the tavern have nicknamed him 'The Lawnmower'. 'Romeo the Scythe' is in the bureau standard name." "? Eliza's stepmother also disappeared on the night her daughter died-God knows! Maybe her stepmother was a beautiful witch who cast a spell on Romeo and ordered him to kill his girlfriend and stay with her Eloped: it's a tragic fairy tale." Old Jim's story was over.While he was making coffee, Peterfield was busy with supplementary work: "? This year should be the ninth year—the eight people who died, except for Eliza, who was the daughter of the Rügenmann Hofer family, the rest of them were the first time their names appeared on the front page of the newspaper after their death Common people - this point is due to 'Romeo the scythe' Fortunately, there is no special relationship between the dead: Romeo obviously swings the knife at will. " "? A few years ago, there were two clumsy 'copy-cats' (Copy-cat, referring to criminals who committed crimes by imitating the criminal methods of a well-known case - author's note), and they were arrested only the third time. Stopped. One died instantly, and the other is still squatting in Southgate Prison—hey, guess what they used for Romeo's scythe?" "Mdk-ATAK? Is that a good knife?" Oulu is obviously joking, or showing off his collection hobby-Mdk-ATAK ("Mad Dog Advanced Tactical Assault Knife"), the only saber that passed the military test of the West Coast Navy SEALs this year: two "copy cats", Coupled with the "clumsy technique", it is unlikely that this knife will be used. "A field knife with an extended blade at best, and probably a normal double-action jackknife," I thought. "? A most common fire axe! Ha, that edge looks like leftover salad with too much dressing! - that's nowhere near 'Romeo the Scythe'? My God, You should be glad that you have never seen such a horrible scene. I was a rookie at that time, and the scene made me almost apply for resignation!" I don't know if I'd resign as well—from the last case, I'm not too scared of dead bodies: does that mean I have the talent to be a forensic doctor?That might be another career change worth considering—if they only work half-days, too. I admit I've grown interested in the case—old Jim's vivid storyline has done most of the work. In these days of waiting for Deputy Director Issel to approve my application for long leave, I want to know more about it-I don't expect to solve it (I'm not a detective), mainly want to give myself what I was trying to write Find a good subject for that detective novel: If you are unemployed and can't find a job, writing a good detective novel and sending it to Mr. Xiaye Hartbar is a good choice. (Author's Note: Since July 1990, Xia Ai Hartbar launched the "Popular Detective" campaign in order to promote the development of local detective novels. Detective lovers can send their works to the supplement of "Free Will" by Xia Mr. Ai presided over the "Public Detective" column, and the high-quality works were published in the newspaper immediately. Many amateur detective novelists have become professional detective novel writers through this column, and there are not a few active in today's detective novel circles. One of the outstanding contributions to the world, and will be mentioned separately in a certain article in the Wenzel series.) "? There seems to be a reward in this case. The total amount given by the General Administration for repeat crimes is five thousand dollars. In my opinion, Romeo is worth at least Ten thousand." I'm more interested in Peterfield's last words.Five thousand dollars—that's enough to pay my rent for a year!The bounty would have allowed me to look for a job longer, and I might have had time to read Immanuel Kant—a book that takes time. When old Jim came back from coffee, they were all gone. He was bored without someone to chat with.He handed the freshly made coffee to Handik who was writing the case report, and Handik said to him without looking at it: "thanks."