MM Racing Chapter 86 Debt Collector Klein
Chapter 86 Debt Collector Klein
"well……"
Klein sat in a chair in the reception room, wearily rubbing his temples with his left hand.
He glanced at the freshly developed photograph—a well-dressed middle-aged man with his arm around the waist of a young woman, the two appearing intimate.
He had just completed a commission... A well-dressed woman suspected her husband of cheating and hired him to investigate.
As expected, the woman's husband was indeed seen being intimate with a young woman at an upscale restaurant, and Klein even managed to take photos of them kissing.
"Another predictable request to catch someone cheating." He sighed inwardly, tidied up the photos, and put them into a manila envelope.
"When doubt begins, the outcome is no longer important."
Lately, the guild has been giving him similar commissions. Although jobs like catching adulterers do pay well, it's quite different from what he imagined detective work to be...
"That's true... There aren't that many cases in reality. The work that detectives do most is catching adulterers and finding people," Klein sighed.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door of the reception room.
"Please come in."
Klein quickly used his "Joker" ability to adjust his expression, making himself appear both professional and slightly sympathetic.
The door opened, and a woman wearing a dark blue dress and a veil walked in.
"Mr. Moriarty..." Her voice trembled slightly, "You...found evidence?"
"Um……"
Klein nodded slightly, gesturing for her to sit down, then pushed the envelope towards her: "Madam, I think you should see it for yourself."
The client took the photo with trembling hands, and clenched her fists as she opened the envelope.
Her voice choked with emotion, "I... I should have thought of that..." Her shoulders trembled violently, and large tears fell onto the photograph.
"Ten years...we've been married for ten years..." She covered her face, her voice breaking. "How could he do this to me?"
Klein felt a headache coming on. "His worst skill is dealing with clients who are having breakdowns."
"Madam, I'm so sorry," he said, handing her a handkerchief, "but at least now you know the truth and can make your own choice."
"A choice?" She jerked her head up, her eyes red. "What choice do I have?! Divorce? To make a fool of myself in front of everyone? Or pretend I know nothing and continue to endure it!"
"He caused me so much pain, I won't let him have it easy!"
"Detective Moriarty, how much money do you need?" He grabbed Klein's wrist.
"What?" Klein was a little confused; he was a performer, not a prostitute.
"How much do you want to help me get rid of my husband and that bitch?" The client's expression turned sinister.
Is 300 pounds enough?
"Ah...it's not about the money." Klein quickly pulled his hand away.
"500 pounds!" the client said, adding another figure.
This! Sigh...
Upon hearing this, Klein felt a sense of helplessness. "Madam, I am a detective, not an assassin."
Is there a difference?
Klein: "..."
For the next half hour, to prevent her from going to extremes, Klein was forced to play the role of half therapist and half listener, listening to her accusations against her husband.
From "He even forgot our wedding anniversary" to "He never cares about the children" to "I should have realized something was wrong with him a long time ago".
When she finally vented her emotions, wiped away her tears, paid the balance, and left, Klein felt a sense of relief from the inside out.
"One sulphur." Klein looked at the banknotes in his hand, and some of his frustration dissipated.
This is the tip the guest gave him before leaving.
He did not refuse, after all, although the task was simple, dealing with the emotions of the person making the request was more exhausting.
"The tips are all mine, I don't need to hand them over..."
After closing the door, Klein leaned back in his chair and began to ponder whether his decision to join the "Truth Guild" was worthwhile.
"I've definitely gotten more requests, but they're all just trivial things..."
Catching adulterers, finding cats, investigating neighbor noise... these commissions, while providing a steady income, did little to help him achieve his true goal—finding clues about Ince Zangwell.
Ultimately, I haven't truly integrated into this circle yet. I still have too little access to information.
"Well, at least my income is stable," Klein consoled himself.
Just then, his stomach started to protest.
He glanced up at the clock on the wall; it was almost eleven o'clock... lunchtime.
The guild restaurant is serving Fenerbaht pasta with fried sausages today.
Klein sat down with his plate, picked up a noodle with his fork, and took a bite. It tasted surprisingly good.
"A free lunch is indeed the greatest benefit..." Enjoying a lunch that cost no money, his mood improved slightly.
After finishing his meal, he hesitated for a moment, looked around, and then, with a thick skin, walked to the food counter. He took out a lunchbox and said to the cafeteria staff:
"Uh, could you pack one for me? I have to go out on a field trip in a bit." With the ability of "The Joker," Klein could lie without batting an eye.
The staff member in charge of serving meals squinted, sized him up, and looked him over with suspicion: "Out on fieldwork?"
Klein remained expressionless: "Yes, there's an urgent request."
The staff member grimaced, but still packed one for him.
Klein accepted it without changing his expression.
He carried the takeout box toward the guild gate, pondering whether he should do another divination that night.
"At least... I don't have to pay for dinner tonight."
Just as Klein was about to leave, someone called out to him from behind.
"Sherlock, the board member wants to see you."
……
Charles's office is on the third floor of the guild building.
"How have you been lately?" Charles put down his newspaper, his gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses carrying a meaningful meaning.
"Not bad, the income is very stable." Klein hesitated for a few seconds, "It's just that the missions are a bit..."
"Too simple?" Charles said it for the other person.
"I'm not complaining..." Klein was about to explain when Charles raised his hand in a gesture of respect.
"I understand your thoughts."
"But there's nothing we can do about it. You're very capable, but you're still a newcomer, so you can't take on high-value commissions right away."
"There always needs to be time for reflection."
Upon hearing this, Klein nodded in understanding.
"but……"
Charles waved his hand, a shrewd glint in his eyes.
"There's a special mission here. Would you like to give it a try?"
"If you complete this successfully, you'll be officially in the industry, and then you'll be able to take on some more challenging projects."
"Special?" Klein pondered the word.
"Someone owes us money, and he's disappeared. I need you to find him and bring him back with the money."
Klein looked up and asked, "Collecting debts? The guild also runs a lending business?"
“We have partnerships with several banks,” Charles said, adjusting his glasses. Seeing Klein’s interest, he continued, “That man owes us over a thousand pounds.”
"It wasn't a lot of money, but the nature of the crime was egregious."
"He has enough assets, but he deliberately defaults on his debts and even disappears."
"This is a provocation against us."
"I see, no wonder you were so angry..." Klein mused. "Wouldn't it be more appropriate to hand it over to a bounty hunter?"
"Those people are acting too ostentatiously." Charles pushed up his glasses. "This matter concerns the guild's reputation and needs to be handled discreetly."
Indeed, blatantly owing money to the guild is a clear indication that they don't respect the guild, which will definitely have a certain impact on the guild's reputation.
"The reward for this mission is substantial; it should rightfully go to those veteran detectives."
"But I was very impressed with your efficiency, so I think you are the best person for this mission." Charles had an expression that said, "I admire you."
"Um... using divination to find clues is indeed very convenient."
Klein couldn't discern the other party's true intentions, but sending him to collect debts was just too much; he was a detective, not a thug.
Besides, he had worked as a night watchman before, so asking him to do debt collection, a job usually done by gangsters, was really out of character for him.
"I..." Klein hesitated, wanting to refuse.
Seemingly sensing Klein's reluctance, Charles offered his price:
"If we successfully get the money back, I'll give you 20%."
This……
Klein swallowed his refusal.
"Okay, I'll take it."