Lady News entered the room, tranquilizer gun in hand. “Nice shot, wasn’t it?” she grinned.
“Now I can tie her up,” Ali said, entering the room with a length of jute rope. He walked toward the unconscious Olivia to secure her.
“You should have waited! She was about to confess her crime,” Trevor complained.
“No, she was about to curse you,” Lady News countered. “Did you record that? I think that’s enough to get the police’s attention. She was never going to say, ‘Yes, I murdered him,’ like in detective fiction.”
Trevor pulled a voice recorder from his jacket pocket and played the conversation with Olivia. The sound of his cross-examination and her smirks were clearly audible. “Perfect. We can hand this over to the police.”
Once Ali had tied Olivia’s hands and legs, he pressed his badge. “To Little John… Little John, did you call the police yet?”
“Yes, a patrol car is nearby. They will be here in ten minutes,” Little John answered.
“Do we wait for the police here?” Trevor asked.
“Of course not. We’ll move her to the Meeting Room,” Ali said.
“How long does the drug last?” Trevor asked Ali.
“An hour, maybe,” Ali shrugged.
“I’ll watch her from behind, just in case,” Lady News said, gripping her gun again.
Trevor and Ali hoisted Olivia up, dragging her out of the room. Lady News closed the door, then pointed her gun at Olivia’s back as they walked. In the corridor, they met Spion.
“Bien joué, hunters. Well played,” Spion congratulated them.
“We’ll go to the Meeting Room to wait for the police,” Trevor said cheerfully.
They laid Olivia on the floor once they arrived in the Meeting Room.
“Finally, a relief,” Ali sighed.
“Never thought you were so good at shooting,” Spion quipped, seeing Lady News still aiming the gun at Olivia.
“When you grow up with twelve brothers and hunt foxes every summer with them, it’s hard not to be good at it,” Lady News replied with an upturned lip.
They sat in the room for a while, drinking tea Ali prepared. Trevor recounted the confrontation in the Storage Room to Spion, while Lady News maintained her vigilance, gun pointed at Olivia. A short while later, Little John and Shemsu arrived with two uniformed police officers.
“This is Officer David, and this is Officer Mike,” Shemsu introduced, indicating the elder, curly-haired policeman and then the younger officer in turn.
“Greetings, officers. She is yours. We also have recordings to prove her criminal intent,” Ali said, handing the voice recorder to David. Spion also sent the video clip he had discreetly recorded of Olivia casting the fog spell.
“Good job,” David said, checking the recordings. He then nodded to Mike. “Cuff her.”
Lady News warned, “She’s a witch. You may need some backup.”
“Don’t worry, ma’am. These are enchanted handcuffs, specially made to handle witches,” Mike explained as he secured Olivia.
“Since your report last night about the intrusion by a werewolf, we’ve increased security force in this area,” David explained, then he added, “We also need one of you to come with us to give a formal statement.”
“I’ll go,” Ali volunteered. He told the team, “You three can relax. Thank you,” and instructed his staff, “Shemsu and Little John, try to appease our guests. The book event is canceled. Give everyone a free drink and dessert, and let them use the Reading Room freely.”
“Aye, Captain,” Shemsu grinned from ear to ear.
The front yard was crowded with people still in shock, especially when they saw a police car parked nearby. The crowd began to murmur loudly as they watched the two police officers escort the unconscious Olivia to the vehicle. Professor’s students gathered to watch, snapping photos on their phones.
“You did it! You caught her!” Emily joyfully rushed toward Spion and the team. “Did she admit she murdered the professor?”
“We’ve handed enough proof to the police to judge, but she won’t run away this time,” Spion grinned.
“Looks like I missed a bravo show.” Report Man appeared, greeting the team. “Let me introduce my friend, Mr. Style.”
A handsome guy took off his fedora to them. He was wearing a charcoal topcoat, an orange cashmere scarf draped over his shoulder, and carrying a carry-on luggage and a duffel bag. “Call me Style.”
“A charming name, Style,” Lady News greeted him.
“Lady News, Trevor, and Spion,” Report Man introduced the team. “Shall we go to the Cafeteria? The party hall isn’t open yet. You can leave your luggage with a server.”
Little John happened to be nearby, so Style told him his reservation. Seeing that Spion had company, Emily said goodbye to him. “See you at the campus.” She left with the other students.
“May I have your name?” Little John asked politely.
“Style, James Style.”
“Greetings, Mr. Style. I shall take your luggage to your room,” Little John smiled, taking Style’s luggage, fedora, and scarf.
“Thank you.” Style reached for his wallet to offer a tip.
“Sorry, sir, we don’t take tips. If you appreciate my service, please leave a five-star review in the Dressrious app.”
“Ha! I told you this isn’t a traditional place. All staff have high salaries and bonuses; it’s a decent job,” Report Man chuckled.
“Great,” Style said with an embarrassed smile. He then followed the team to the Cafeteria.
They ordered coffee and cookies. The other three took turns detailing what happened in the basement earlier, as well as how the trap was planned, to Report Man and Style.
Trevor explained the initial idea, which struck him after reading Gossip News: “I realized we could use a false alarm to our advantage. The strategy was to use the fire alarm to evacuate everyone from the building. We figured if Olivia truly intended to steal the flash drive, she would see the chaos as her perfect chance to move on the Storage Room.”
“At first, I doubted whether Olivia would fall for such an obvious bait, but Lady News had a good point,” Spion admitted.
“We had to disturb her war-praising lecture anyway, what’s the loss?,” Lady News smiled. “And Report Man suggested we take recordings, because, as he put it, no witch would ever admit to murder in a police interrogation. We all played a part in the plan.”
Report Man grunted.
“Impressive. When Report Man told me you were working on a case, I thought you were just an amateur murder club, looking for cases to kill time. But now, I think you guys are on par with professional detective teams,” Style praised them.
“So, what’s your story, Style? Report Man said you’re a traveler,” Trevor asked curiously.
“I travel and I write. I like sharing interesting places, as well as delicious food, drinks, and culture around the world.” Style inhaled the aroma of his coffee, then drank. “Mmm… good coffee. Pleasant acidity. This Arabica is an excellent balance of acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and body, with delicate aromas.”
“We have a gourmet among us now,” Lady News said with a slight smile. “Is this your first time in New Athens?”
“I came here when I was a kid; I don’t remember much. This time is for my nephew‘s wedding next Wednesday. That’s why I requested Report Man to help me pick out an outfit.” He ate one crunchy chocolate hazelnut cookie. “Mmm… crispy just right. And the chocolate and hazelnut flavors work harmoniously.” Finishing his chewing, he added, “The after-party will be held right here.”
“Really?” Report Man looked surprised. “No wonder you booked a room here.”
“No, I booked the room before my brother made the decision. They originally planned on the Gotham Hotel, but unfortunately, a fire badly damaged the ballroom two days ago. Just when they were worrying about the venue, you introduced me to this place last night. The party hall and the drinks made a deep impression, so I suggested my brother hold the after-party here. There were no major events planned for that night—it’s perfect. He’s actually been here several times, so he agreed, and it was all settled today at noon.”