Chapter 4 Tea brewer (4)

'The two of them looked at Joel with ghostly eyes and said in a low voice.

"Sir, you have only one option to help us. Otherwise, we will torture this policeman and cause him so much pain that he has to find a way to die."'

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The sound of footsteps getting faster and faster made Joel panic. He stood in the middle of the boulevard. A car speeded forward, so he did not have time to dodge, but it passed through him and run straight ahead at high speed. Joel was not understanding what was happening when a force of gravity pulled him away from where he was again. The scene in front of him suddenly changed.

"Please, save him."

A voice rang out. In front of Joel was a young man, but he could not see the young man's face clearly. The young man continued to plead with Joel.

"Who are you? Who do you want me to save?" - Joel asked loudly.

"No. It's too late." - The young man screamed and run away.

The sudden sound of gunfire made Joel suddenly wake up. His face was filled with panic, and his forehead and back were wet. Lately, he had been having this dream all the time, but he could not predict what it meant. Joel looked around, then remembered he was being detained for investigation. The bed at the police station was so hard that his back ached. At this time, a policeman suddenly passed by and stops in front of his detention room. The policeman smiled kindly and said.

"Do not worry. You're about to be released."

"Thanks."

It was not long before that policeman was gone when Lance appeared. Lance opened the cell door and invited Joel out.

"We investigated. Indeed, you have an alibi. Sorry to bother you with your time, but we're just doing what the police do."

Joel waved his hand. He adjusted his back and replied.

"No problem. I can understand. Hope you guys catch the killer as soon as possible."

"Thanks."

Joel turned his back to look in the direction of the departure of the policeman who had spoken to him at first. However, what he saw is just a dead-end alley with white walls. Lance did not see Joel following him and then turned around.

"Is something wrong?"

Joel kept a calm face and shook his head.

"Nothing. I suddenly remembered I forgot to bring my umbrella."

After being released, Joel directly took the car to return to his tea shop. The black cat was still sitting on the table as to when he had left. Joel picked it up and stroked it.

"Thank you for looking after the shop for me. You must be tired, too. Come in and rest."

The black cat hummed and narrowed its eyes comfortably with each stroke from its owner's hand. Joel lifted the red curtain to enter the back house when he suddenly discovered that a person was sitting on the bench.

"Sir! Glad you're back." - Jenny slowly stood up and bowed.

Joel dropped the black cat on the ground and walked over to the table. He made himself a new pot of tea. This silence made Joel feel better.

"Sorry to keep you waiting so long."

Jenny gave a dark smile and shook her head to indicate she did not mind. A piece of paper fell at Jenny's feet, causing her to bend over to pick it up.

"I'm the one who should apologize for getting you involved in my affairs."

Joel saw the bitterness in Jenny's eyes that made his heart sink too. The words that were on his lips were interrupted by the jingle coming from the door of the shop. Joel rubbed his forehead tiredly. He did not understand what month this was, and the guests kept coming. He was used to not having guests, so his laziness gradually increased. Before Joel got up to step outside, the red curtain was lifted. The unpredictable arrival was Senior Inspector Lance. Joel looked at Lance in shock.

"Why do you come here? Haven't you already investigated that I'm not guilty?"

Lance was about to sit down on the bench and next to Jenny but was stopped by Joel.

"Wait. That chair is for special guests. Come over here and sit down."

Lance looked at Joel with questioning eyes and then at Jenny. Jenny crouched slightly to the side to avoid Lance's probing gaze.

"Please, sir." - Joel spoke again.

Only then did Lance do as Joel was told, sat down in the chair across from him, and said.

"I don't come here to arrest you."

Joel looked at Lance suspiciously.

"I don't believe you come to buy tea."

"It's correct. I didn't come to buy tea, either. I have something to ask." - Lance nodded.

"What do you want to know?"

Lance took out a bunch of pictures from his pocket. Those were pictures of the five victims. He spread them out on the table and said.

"I have considered what you said. It is true that among the five girls, they have one thing in common."

"They all have moles near the corners of their eyes. However, we have not yet allowed the media to publish a single portrait of the victims. Now, it's just you and me here. I also do not record. Can you tell me why you know this? I will keep it a secret." - Lance pointed to the photo and continued.

Joel fell into silence. He glanced over to where Jenny was sitting and sighed. Lance also followed Joel's gaze and looked at Jenny. Joel wearily leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. This made Lance seem to grasp something.

"Do you have something to hide from us? Please tell me. I believe you are not the killer. Do you want everyone to suspect you forever? Do you want the perpetrator to stay out of the law?"

"I..." - Joel's words were cut off by the collision of the wind chimes. They collided violently even though not a single wind blew. Cold air immediately rushed into the room where Joel and Lance were sitting. For the first time, Lance felt his spine go cold and invisible eyes were watching him. Lance's shoulders were heavy, his neck also showed signs of tightening, making his breathing weaker.

Beyond Lance's prediction, Joel quickly stood up. The next second, Joel took a small bowl. Above it was agarwood powder arranged in the shape of an ancient cryptic script. Joel burned it up. The gentle scent made Lance gradually regain his breath. Lance sighed and put his hand on his neck. Recently, he had felt an invisible hand tighten around his neck. However, now his shoulders were still extremely heavy. Lance did not notice that Joel was glaring at his back.

"Is this the police watching our case?" - A dark voice accompanied by savage laughter fills the silence. Joel restrained his anger. He grabbed the umbrella and slammed it on the ground. Everything returned to silence. In the room now, except for Joel and Lance, two more girls were sitting on the bench with Jenny and two other girls sitting on Lance's shoulders. They pouted but dared not say anything more to Joel.

Lance tried to regain his composure, ignoring the discomfort that was tormenting his body and said.

"If you know something, please tell me."

"Sorry I cannot. This is against my rules."

Lance looked at Joel with a disappointed look. Suddenly, pain appeared in his head and eyes again. The woman on Lance's right shoulder gently placed her hand on top of his head and pressed it down. The woman on the other shoulder moved her hand straight from the back of Lance's head to his eyes. The two of them looked at Joel with ghostly eyes and said in a low voice:

"Sir, you have only one option to help us. Otherwise, we will torture this policeman causing him so much pain that he has to find a way to die."

Joel stared at the two women. They were the first girl and the second girl to be killed. Being a ghost for a long time, the resentment in them accumulated every day. Only when the real culprit was caught would they rest in peace. Joel looked at Lance, clutching his head in pain, then shook his head. He flung his black umbrella towards Lance, sending the two women flying against the wall.

The vibration of the furniture behind Lance caught his attention. He turned around but could not see anything, although his shoulders were not as heavy as before.

"I'll tell you why they've been in my shop for so long." - Joel's voice said.

Memories went back to the old days. Several days in a row, five girls came to the Salvation tea shop one by one. Joel warmly welcomed the guest.

"Welcome to our tea shop. What can we do for you?"

All five girls, although not together, answered the same question.

"Isn't this Salva tea shop? Why is it so murky?"

Joel shook his head gently.

"This is Salvation tea shop. Salva tea shop is located at the beginning of this road, not far from here."

"Oh, sorry. I went to the wrong place."

Joel smiled.

"No problem."

Before the lady could leave, she was pulled back by Joel's words.

"Ma'am, may I speak? The face of this lady is quite tired and pale, let me introduce to you a tea that can help remove toxins accumulated in the body."

"Is there such a tea like that?"

Joel took out a small tea bag from the cupboard and made a pot of tea. After a few minutes, he poured a small glass and handed it to the lady in front of him:

"Try this flavor. It won't disappoint you."

The lady calmly took a sip and then continued until the glass was empty.

"It feels much more refreshing. However, this tea is still not as good as the other, not as passionate and craving for me as it is."

The two chatted for a while, then the lady got up and left.

This story Joel had just told made Lance frown.

"Just like that? So why didn't you say it? Also, what did your extremely strange actions imply? Why do you keep looking away?"

The two girls from behind Lance slowly walked up behind Joel and obediently stood still. Joel leaned back in his chair, and slowly retracted his umbrella.

"Will you believe me if I tell you I can see ghosts?" - He smiled devilishly and said.