Ch.79

# May 25, 1929. 2:00 PM

‘The Queen’s Barracks Casino’

Kingsport

The Queen’s Barracks Casino is a stone building with three floors above ground and two basement levels, built during the colonial era.

Originally constructed as British army barracks, it served as an armory during the Civil War, and after reunification, it was used as a city hall, police station, and post office. As the population declined and tax revenue dried up, the city sold the building to a loan shark. The loan shark, a Mexican-American who admired England, decorated the building like barracks to preserve the old tradition. He even required employees to wear Redcoat uniforms.

Of course, they weren’t authentic Redcoat uniforms. The white pants for men clung tightly, emphasizing the crotch, while the women’s uniform consisted of just a coat.

“How unsightly,” Abashina muttered, looking at the uniforms hanging on the clothesline. Fortunately, the casino was being cleaned as it wasn’t business hours. Aurora grabbed a passing employee and explained our business, and she brought over a man who appeared to be in charge. He was an elderly man with a bald head and a stout build.

The man, who introduced himself as Marduk, kept chewing on his fingernails.

“Get lost if you’ve got no business here.”

I recited my prepared lines.

I introduced myself and the gentleman beside me—Aurora in male disguise—as insurance investigators, and the lady—Abashina—as a distant relative of Ashton.

Our fabricated story went like this: Ashton had taken out a life insurance policy but left no will and had no close family, making it difficult to distribute the insurance money. So, we claimed to be conducting an investigation on behalf of the company to ensure the money went to the rightful recipient.

“What’s in it for me if I tell you?”

Marduk scratched his head with the fingernail he had just been gnawing on. Each scratch sent a shower of dandruff falling.

I told him I knew Ashton had accumulated a lot of debt, but without any ledgers, I didn’t know the details. Therefore, after our investigation, if deemed legitimate, we would distribute the insurance money according to priority. I added that while this wasn’t typically within an insurance company’s investigative scope, they had taken the initiative due to numerous problems caused by insurance fraud.

“So what you’re saying is, it matters whether Ashton owed our casino money or not. Is that right, kid?”

Marduk dug between his teeth with the finger he’d used to scratch his head. After flicking away whatever he found, he resumed his arrogant demeanor.

“He owed plenty. You’d need to see the ledger for details.”

I said we’d need to determine if the debt was legitimate first. Marduk became angry.

“Ha. Ask anyone in Kingsport about Ashton. They’ll tell you—a hopeless gambler. And gambling wasn’t all he did. When he lost money, he’d break furniture, and when he got drunk, he’d grope the passing waitresses. Once, he tried that with a dealer who was shuffling cards and got a proper beating for it. He could throw a decent punch, but he was still just a drunken loser.”

I asked if Ashton only owed money to the gambling house or if he had any connection to the Alto Family. I added that debts linked to criminal organizations weren’t obligated to be paid.

Marduk straightened his finger and jabbed my chest.

“Are your ears clogged or is your head empty? I already explained. He was a hopeless gambling addict and a womanizer. Hey! Go to the office and bring the ledger! Yeah. Look here. Just this month, two incidents of property damage and three disputes with other customers. Heh, and he also owes the casino $200.”

I asked if there was any documentation or evidence to prove this. Marduk shook his head.

“It’s written in the ledger. The ledger. Don’t you trust the ledger?”

“Without something that can be objectively verified, it’s meaningless,” Aurora interjected.

“Who are you?”

Instead of answering, Aurora took out a wallet from an inside pocket. Marduk’s expression changed instantly. Aurora pulled out a large bill and held it but didn’t hand it over.

“It’s difficult to offer you a specific amount right now. However, we’re also struggling with limited information about Ashton. So let’s do this: if you provide us with substantial information about him, I’ll pay you a fee for it right here. If it proves valuable later, we’ll also settle Ashton’s casino debt. How does that sound?”

Marduk’s tone immediately became more polite.

“Ahem. Well. Let’s do that. I was never comfortable watching a young man waste his life like that… What should I tell you first?”

Most of Marduk’s information was garbage. Much of it was inconsistent, filled with hastily concocted statements that sounded like childish excuses. When asked for evidence, Marduk became angry, but as the large bill kept threatening to return to Aurora’s wallet, he began offering falsehoods closer to the truth.

The only somewhat meaningful information was that Ashton had squandered a massive amount of money at the casino during the week before his death. But no one knew the source of that money. And beside him was a man no one had seen before.

“He seemed well-educated. He stuck his neck out forward, like a lizard. His eye sockets were sunken, his nose was hooked like an eagle’s beak, and his shoulders were slightly hunched. He carried a steel cane, but it didn’t seem like he needed it due to any disability. He had thin hair, sharp eyes, and a peculiar accent. Like the way they talk on the radio. Not like southern hicks, but the kind you’d hear in Washington. He looked quite old. I guarantee he wasn’t American. Even his clothes were different.”

Marduk had a specific reason for remembering the old man.

“The dealers said he’d immediately fold when the odds of winning were low, but when they were high, he’d somehow raise the stakes. He’d only win one or two hands out of ten, but he’d win so much that it more than covered his losses. How should I put it? From the casino’s perspective, he was an uncomfortable guest. It felt like he was playing along while knowing everything. And as he was leaving the casino, he said a few words to the other patrons, and apparently, jackpots started hitting left and right.”

Aurora held out another bill. Marduk accepted it politely. He seemed to be in a much better mood now.

When asked where we could find the Alto Family, he gave us an address.

“Between 32nd and 85th Streets, there’s a two-story brick building, brownish-red in color. Those pathetic guys call it their ‘branch.’ I don’t know how welcome you’ll be, but anyway. That street is pretty much abandoned, hardly anyone lives there. By the way, miss…”

Marduk flashed a lewd smile and placed his hand on Abashina’s waist.

“You feel quite nice. Later this evening… Ouch!”

Of course, Abashina didn’t just stand there. With a click, blood spurted from Marduk’s hand. Marduk tried to get angry, but with both Aurora and I pointing guns at him, he backed down.

“Alright, alright! I don’t want any trouble. Damn it all.”

I asked Abashina if she was okay. She brushed her collar a couple of times. While Aurora went ahead to start the car, Abashina showed me her blood collection device.

“Hehe. I actually put a suggestion on that pig. Told him to do whatever he wanted. I didn’t think he’d actually grab me, though. Is Aurora gone?”

The blood collection device resembled a fountain pen in many ways, except it had a needle-like tip instead of a nib. As Abashina waved her hand, droplets of blood rose and then absorbed into her skin.

“As I thought, he was lying. Ashton didn’t owe anything to this casino. He did owe $200 at one point, but that ‘British man with the peculiar accent’ won enough to pay it all back for him. They just didn’t update the ledger. Also, someone else came here two days before us.”

I asked if it was that woman.

“Yes. A British noblewoman with a posh accent. In Marduk’s memory, she appears quite distinctive. She was extremely haughty, so Marduk didn’t tell her much. But…”

Her words were cut off by Aurora honking the horn.

“Aren’t you coming?”

We slowly walked toward the Ford. Abashina whispered quickly.

“There’s something strange about that woman’s eyes. Her pupils don’t move at all. How is that possible?”

* * * * *

I thanked Aurora—for helping with my work and for drawing her gun to protect Abashina.

But Aurora didn’t seem pleased. Instead of responding, she stepped on the accelerator and shouted.

“When dealing with men like that, it’s better to be aggressive. He saw you as an easy mark because you acted like one. How dare he put his filthy hands on her! And you just stood there watching? You should have broken his fingers at least! If not stabbed him first!”

Aurora seemed increasingly angry.

“You shouldn’t have let him touch your body! Don’t just pull out your gun when he touches Abashina! If you’d shot that filthy bastard in the foot, things would have been easier! What if he had a hidden ice pick? You’d be dead already!”

“Is that how the White Hand does things?” Abashina asked from the back, but Aurora didn’t seem to hear.

“You should have at least stabbed him like the nun did, drawing blood!”

“Stop it! Do you think everyone in the world is like you?”

“I’m upset, that’s why!”

Aurora yelled, and Abashina leaned back in the rear seat.

I told Aurora I appreciated her stepping in. But I have my own way of doing things. I know it doesn’t align with hers, but I’d appreciate if she trusted me more. Aurora exhaled sharply.

“If I see you getting taken advantage of one more time, I swear I won’t just stand by. I don’t care if Sister Abashina tries to stop me. I’ll skin that bastard alive. Understand? How dare he touch you!”

She was still fuming.

“Wow. That’s intense,” Abashina whistled, but Aurora continued to seethe.

“Hey, Aurora.”

“What now?”

“I think we just passed it.”

“Huh?”

Aurora blinked in confusion. Abashina was right. We had passed 85th Street and were heading toward 88th.

“Um… sorry.”

Red-faced, Aurora turned the car around. With no other cars on the road, it wasn’t a problem.

“But, Beast,” Abashina leaned forward from the back seat.

“Who could that man be? The one with the British accent. And Ashton’s behavior is strange too, spending so much money at the gambling house right before his death.”

“Charon,” Aurora muttered. I asked what she meant.

“The ferryman of the underworld. Charon. He won’t ferry souls to hell without payment. In the gambling business, you see such men occasionally. Before sending someone on an extremely dangerous mission, they give them all the money they want, let them enjoy themselves to the fullest, and then send them in. We call the person who watches over such a ‘bomb’ a Charon.”

“You seem to know a lot. Has the White Hand done this often?”

“We don’t do that. We’re family. Of course, families come in all types, but at least the family I create won’t do such things.”

Her final words were a bit unclear and difficult to understand clearly. But neither Abashina nor I pressed further. Eventually, the car stopped by the roadside. It was the Alto Family’s “branch” Marduk had mentioned.

“Since nobody passes by anyway, I doubt anyone will complain about illegal parking.”

# May 25, 1929. 3:00 PM

Red House at the Intersection of 32nd and 85th Streets

Kingsport

As the engine stopped, everyone got out of the car.

The first floor of the brick building had iron bars over the windows and blinds drawn, making it impossible to see inside. The second floor windows were also closed. Abashina suddenly stopped walking.

“Wait.”

“What?”

“I smell blood.”

Aurora flinched. She drew her gun and pressed herself against the building. She scanned the street, but not even a dog was passing by. True to the description of an abandoned street, the other houses had their gates either sealed or completely torn off.

The Alto Family’s door was slightly ajar. When Abashina pushed it gently, it opened without resistance. There was no sound, but the smell of blood was overwhelming. Abashina took the lead, and as I tried to follow, Aurora grabbed my shoulder.

“Stay back.”

She covered Abashina’s blind spots.

The first floor was a fairly spacious hall. There was a classic fireplace on the wall, with a blackboard set up beside it. Phrases like “Why Great America Doesn’t Need Colored People” were written on it, with crosses drawn in various places. An American flag hung on the wall, but it was red.

“Blood,” Aurora muttered. A muffled scream was heard, seemingly from upstairs. We carefully climbed the stairs.

“Beast,” Abashina, who was climbing ahead, extended her hand.

“Wait. Hold on.”

“There’s something very dangerous ahead,” Aurora also murmured. The two women looked at each other, then continued up the stairs, covering each other’s blind spots.

“Oh no.”

Aurora, who had reached the top of the stairs, let out a groan. People were lying collapsed throughout the second floor of the brick building. They were covered in wounds from something sharp. At the end of the corridor stood a lady watching us. White hair. Deep blue dress. And long knives in both hands.

“That woman,” Abashina muttered, aiming her gun.