Chapter 3: Lioness and the Hyena

The night grew increasingly chilly, and light snowflakes began to descend, enveloping Maygynks.

"Miss Aurelia, I respect you as a detective, but I couldn't help but notice your swift movements when you approached Mrs. Paige. You were as agile as a squirrel. I'm certain she told you the same thing I did. It's absurd to doubt us," Galba said, accompanied by cocky gestures.

"Allow me to explain. It's not possible for a bar to be closed before 11:00, at the very least."

"But today was-"

"October 24th? Ah, yes. Even if we consider it a dark day for the natives, I happened to notice your hefty friend carrying discarded bottles around 10:30. He was loading them into a storage-like place to be taken care of by the recycler in the morning. Am I right, Galba?" Miss Aurelia stated.

Shchzuuuu.....!!!!!

Galba let out a powerful sneeze, feeling a burning sensation throughout his body. He trembled. "So, this is the end," he said to himself. "Now they will frame a case, accusing us of seeking communist revenge. They'll execute us in front of the town and become heroes in the eyes of the folks."

Holden observed the conversation between Miss Aurelia and Galba, feeling entirely overshadowed.

Miss Aurelia continued, "You consistently interrupted Holden whenever he attempted to speak, successfully preventing him from communicating with us. That's another reason you were lying. Furthermore, when I visited Miss Paige's house, I saw something that didn't align with your alibi for all three of you. Just before leaving, I noticed a white fabric ribbon on the floor of her dressing room-"

With only thin clothing on, Galba started to shiver, feeling completely shattered by her statements. He muttered to himself, "It'll be alright."

"That white ribbon was none other than an extension of a barmaid's apron. Miss Paige is known for her meticulous nature and elegant behavior. It's highly unlikely that she would let her uniform rest on the floor," Miss Aurelia explained.

"A plausible explanation is that you three were indeed at the bar, even after 10:30 p.m. You were caught ten minutes past 11. I'm guessing you were there until 11:00 p.m. Mr. Erwington must have sent someone to inform you of the need for a quick withdrawal from the bar to save his own reputation. The three of you followed his orders like obedient dogs. Meanwhile, Miss Paige escaped through the shorter routes from 12B Grimmauld Place to 16th Street Fish Market. She arrived home, undressed her uniform (which is designed to slip off from the bottom), and forgot to pick it up as she rushed to check on her daughter, fearing possible riots."

"That's a sublime deduction on your part, Miss. However, there's a hole in your own perspective of the story," Holden interjected, rising from the rocky ledge and disrupting their focused conversation.

"Miss, I have a question. It's kind of you to cooperate with us, but why have you shown us mercy and saved us? What's in it for you? You could have easily framed us for the murder and become a hero among the colonizers. At least we would have died as heroes for our native people and communist brothers. See, we both could have benefited," Holden said, followed by an awkward laugh.

Internally, Miss Aurelia felt a terrifying rage building up. "These dim-witted, stinking roaches saved us? "What an ass. I would happily skin this one alive and roast his bones afterwards." Keeping her sensitive emotions inside, Miss Aurelia wore a forced smile instead.

Holden shamelessly tried to make his way towards the radiant detective, his erection evident.

"So, you were saying something, Galba," continued Miss Aurelia.

"Hmmph... I will say this clearly, there is a hole in your own story. What were you doing at 12B Grimmauld at this time of the day? I'm sorry, at this time of the night? I can tell from your face you never touched a drop of liquor, and there are only a few reasons people, except for the locals of Grimmauld, give a visit here: the bank, the bar, a small saloon for natives, a small lake for fishing, and to see Archduke's Mansion."

"Banks are closed at this time, You wouldn't go to a saloon made for the roaches, and you don't have a reason to go near the lake for fishing in this pitch-black night unless you are disposing of a body or something. So, a plausible reason for you to visit is connected with the Archduke's mansion."

"I may be mistaken, but it wasn't me who saw you. Forgive me, but you see a sweet Asian-looking lady sergeant; she was the one patrolling 12B streets, and she's the one who witnessed your friend in the act."

Holden wore a complete blank expression on his face. His brain was incapable of comprehending any information flowing between them.

"Yes, yuuu huuu!" said Galba boisterously, jumping on the spot.

"You got caught in your own web, Miss Aurelia. On this night, there wasn't a single cop patrolling, not even visible within a 1 km radius. The basis of this is the fact that I encountered a silhouette, or you can say, a shadow moving agilely without making an ounce of noise. Just like an assassin moves after making a kill."

At this moment, the battle of lioness and the hyenna attracted a couple constables and sergeants. The Asian-eyed lady officer rushed the scene to understand what was going on.

Miss Aurelia's eyes were startled and fixed on Galba. "If even a single cop was on duty at 12B, they must have seen him escape from the mansion. Giving out an Immediate emergency alarm! And the way you are moving and carrying out this investigation, it reminds me of something. It's a vague guess, but I think that silhouette was yours, Mrs. Aurelia. It wasn't your friend who saw Holden bringing out the discarded bottles; it was you. You were there all along and escaped at the right moment. Where were you between 10:30 and 11:00, Mrs. Aurelia? Can you provide us with any information?"

"WHHHAHT? Are you literally out of your goddamn senses?" exclaimed Holden. He grabbed Galba by the shoulders and took him to some distance, saying, "What is going on? You're not a goddamn cop. We are safe, aren't we?"

Galba ignored him and forced his way in front of Aurelia, saying, "Next time, build a story without plot holes, Miss Detective. Go home; that's enough for the day." Galba's expression showed absolute determination.

The Asian lady officer abruptly asked Miss Aurelia, "What's with this pair of hyenas? Do you want me to take care of them?"

Miss Aurelia, as organized as ever, maintained a consistently classy face. "This will be interesting," she said with a cute, faint smile.