Chapter 14

It was still the dark hours of early morning. Henry stepped out of the police headquarters, adjusting his hat. He yawned, tapped his cane against the ground a few times, and stretched his stiff shoulders with a small motion. Then, as he waited for the carriage that had yet to arrive, he fell into thought.

Last night, after they had gotten off the train, he had barely managed to convince Charlotte to ride with him in the carriage instead of going home alone. They hadn’t spoken much during the ride, but at the very least, he had ensured she reached her estate safely. There was no way he could have let a lady wander home alone at such a late hour. He sighed, nodding to himself.

Something had been off about Charlotte’s behavior. Ever since they left the Baroness, she had acted as if she were hiding something. It was a stark contrast to how she had confidently shared her opinions in his office earlier that day.

What was she hiding? Henry’s fingers tapped idly against each other. He could have confronted her about it on the train, but he had chosen to stay quiet. She’ll tell me when the time is right. He had only known her for a day, but he could already tell she was a fundamentally honest and responsible person.

The rumors were wrong about her. Henry smirked to himself.

Charlotte Lovern—the infamous youngest daughter of House Lovern. A black sheep in high society. Henry had heard all about how her older brothers were constantly troubled by their rebellious sister. According to gossip, Charlotte was eccentric, arrogant, and completely lacking in the refinement expected of a noblewoman.

But the Charlotte he had met was lively, considerate, and astonishingly sharp.

Rumors can’t be trusted. He sighed.

From the corner of the alleyway, the sound of carriage wheels approached. Henry yawned widely and looked up, his vision briefly blurring with the tears that gathered in his eyes. A dark figure was approaching him.

Suddenly—

Grab.

“—Ack!”

Henry nearly jumped out of his skin as someone grabbed his arm. He instinctively took a large step back, startled. The figure flinched at his reaction before speaking in a gruff, annoyed voice.

“Why are you acting so surprised after seeing a person?”

“…Miss Charlotte?”

Henry quickly wiped his eyes and blinked, clearing his vision. Sure enough, Charlotte stood before him, pouting.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was waiting inside, but when I saw you, I rushed out.”

Charlotte gestured toward the autopsy facility.

“You’re going to Bisset Pharmacy now, right?”

“That’s the plan, but…”

“Then I’m coming with you. I finished all my work yesterday.”

Henry was momentarily at a loss for words.

Yesterday on the train, when he had discouraged her from coming, he had partly meant it because of the mountain of paperwork she had yet to complete. But truthfully, a part of him had also been unsettled by her suspicious behavior.

From the moment they had left Baron Turove’s estate, Charlotte had spoken far less than usual. She had avoided meeting his eyes and had constantly fidgeted as though nervous. The actions of someone hiding something.

Henry had been confident that she would tell him eventually. But accompanying a suspect—or at least someone withholding information—on an investigation was an entirely different matter.

Yesterday had been different. Since they had already been together, he had taken her along to Bisset Pharmacy. But even then, he had planned to keep her inside the carriage while he spoke with the pharmacist. If she had protested, he would have argued that she had already been helpful enough with the Baroness and Sir Lau’s interviews.

But today, there was no way he could push her away so easily.

This was… troublesome.

However, regardless of Henry’s reluctance, Charlotte had to go with him. She needed to dig into the suspicious details she had uncovered about her friend and reach a conclusion—any conclusion—quickly. Only then could she rid herself of this lingering unease. Only then would she know how to act.

The bag containing the syringe suddenly felt as heavy as a block of lead.

That was why, last night, after arriving at the estate, she had barely taken the time to wash up and change before heading straight back to the autopsy facility. She had spent the entire night completing all the tasks she had been assigned. Before leaving, she had scribbled a lengthy note for Eugene, explaining why she wouldn’t be in today, and left it on his desk.

Then, she had slumped down by the lobby window and dozed off, intermittently cracking open her eyes to check outside. And the moment she saw Henry appear under the dim glow of the street lamps, she had bolted out of the building.

By the time the carriage arrived and came to a stop before them, Charlotte was already pulling the door open. She climbed in first, setting her bag firmly on her lap, then glanced at Henry before tilting her chin in a silent gesture—get in.

Henry had no choice but to follow. He reasoned that rather than wasting time arguing, it would be better to get moving and not miss the train. However, he decided he would leave her with a warning.

When the carriage arrived at the train station, Charlotte reached for the door, but Henry swiftly caught her wrist.

“Miss Charlotte, I won’t press you now about what you discussed with the Baroness yesterday.”

Her pale eyes wavered noticeably. Henry tightened his grip. Her slender fingers turned white under the pressure, as cold as ice.

“But I trust that you won’t take too long to tell me everything. And I trust that you won’t ignore the duty you have—for the sake of the country, for the sake of the public good.”

Charlotte bit down on her lower lip.

Her gaze, initially restless, gradually steadied.

“…Yes, Superintendent. I won’t turn away from my duty.”

“Then that’s enough.”

Henry smiled slightly, releasing her hand before pushing open the carriage door. He stepped out first and turned back, offering his hand to her.

Charlotte grasped it firmly.

* * *

“Ah, yes, that’s right. The knight from that household came by once a month to purchase medicine.”

Bisset, the pharmacist, confirmed that Sir Lau always came alone to buy the medicine, except for last month, when a maid had accompanied him. His testimony matched perfectly with what Sir Lau, Lucy, and Miss May had all said.

“What kind of medicine did he usually purchase?” Henry asked.

“Hmm, nothing unusual. Mostly headache medicine and painkillers.”

Bisset rummaged through the shelves lined with tiny drawers and took out a few vials and bottles. Charlotte examined them carefully. They were all either oral medications or ointments—there were no injectable drugs.

“This is all of it?” Henry pressed.

“These were his usual purchases.”

Henry picked up the medicine bottles one by one, scrutinizing them, but found nothing suspicious.

Just then, the pharmacy’s doorbell jingled. A woman in a heavy robe stepped inside. She hesitated upon seeing the crowded store but stepped forward when the pharmacist gestured for her to come in.

“Welcome, Madame Smith.”

Bisset greeted her warmly and pulled out an entire drawer from the shelves. Henry and Charlotte stepped back, observing quietly while exchanging a few words.

“There’s nothing more to be gained here,” Henry murmured. “Other than confirming that those three people weren’t lying.”

Charlotte hesitated before agreeing. She still hadn’t figured out what kind of drug had been used with the syringe. Had it not been purchased here? If not, where had it come from? Where should she even start tracking it down?

Deep in thought, she barely noticed Bisset emptying the drawer into a paper bag and handing it to the woman. He took the payment, saw her out, then refilled the drawer and slid it back into place.

“What’s that?” Charlotte suddenly asked.

“…Pardon?”

She strode over to the shelves. A small nameplate was attached to the drawer.

Bisset forced a strained smile as she ran her hand over the label.

“All medicine is more or less the same, and regular customers usually buy the same things every time. So, I prepare their orders in advance…”

“Then why didn’t you show us the full drawer like you did for Madame Smith?”

For them, he had picked out individual medicines from the shelves one by one, but for Madame Smith, he had simply handed her an entire prepared drawer.

Charlotte reached for the drawer labeled Turove.

Bisset moved to stop her, but she was faster. The drawer slid open with a soft clatter.

Inside, small glass vials rolled against each other.

Charlotte slowly picked them up. Transparent ampoules, no bigger than her index finger, along with syringes.

“Ah, well, this is, uh…”

Henry took one from her hand and held it up to the light. The pharmacist fidgeted anxiously, watching the two of them closely.

Charlotte reached into her bag and pulled out the syringe she had found in the Turove estate’s trash. She placed them side by side. The shape, the needle size, and even the manufacturer’s insignia stamped on the glass were identical.

She whispered to Henry, “This is the one I found yesterday in the estate’s trash. They seem to be the same.”

Henry spun the ampoule in his palm.

“This was part of the Turove family’s regular purchases?”

“Well… that is…”

Bisset was sweating now, his eyes flicking between the identical syringes in Charlotte’s hands. Finally, he let out a resigned sigh.

“Yes… they were purchased together.”

Henry’s expression hardened.

Bisset hurriedly tried to explain, “I—I wasn’t trying to hide it on purpose! It’s just… well, this medicine is a delicate matter. It’s something people prefer to keep private. If word got out that I was openly discussing my customers’ purchases, my business would be ruined!”