Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 9: The Filthy Place in the Depths of Darkness

Industrial development had always come hand in hand with pollution.

In this era, without the concept of environmental protection, it was even more so.

Even though he had been mentally prepared, when Levi once again came to the riverside and looked at the sticky river water before him, his face still showed clear disgust.

Yes, sticky.

Being in the downstream area, and right next to the slums of the Lower City, the filthiness of this river far exceeded imagination.

Not to mention the discharge of industrial and domestic wastewater, all kinds of household garbage floated on the river’s surface, forming large patches of nauseating refuse.

Frankly, Levi thought that if there was still anything alive in this water, that would truly be a miracle.

The river looked like melted chocolate—thick, dark brown—and inside, large amounts of rotting garbage could be seen.

Flies danced above in dense swarms, their buzzing loud enough to overpower even the deafening clang of metal from nearby factories.

And in the river, something that sometimes floated up and sometimes sank back down—uncertain whether it was human or something else—looked disturbingly like a corpse…

Levi stood by the river for less than a minute before making a decision.

Give up.

Whoever wanted to go into this hellhole could go; he certainly wouldn’t.

Originally, Levi had thought about playing the role of a detective and entering Doctor Doolittle’s underground operating room via the river channel, searching for clues.

But this sewage-filled waterway had utterly crushed his determination.

Besides, even if he went, he couldn’t pick locks, and his current skills didn’t include lockpicking.

Was he supposed to squat in a stinking sewer, waiting?

That was something Levi would never do.

The “young lady” beside him clearly felt the same.

Though the brim of her hat was pulled low enough to hide her expression, the way her right hand and body trembled as she kept her mouth and nose covered made it obvious—she could no longer bear this place’s environment.

“Let’s leave here first.”

Levi sighed helplessly and made his decision.

The girl nodded vigorously—so hard that her newsboy cap almost flew off.

After leaving the foul-smelling riverbank, Levi looked toward the girl again.

“All right, miss. How long do you plan to keep following me?”

“Until you catch the killer.”

“Don’t you have school? And your family… Never mind, forget I asked.”

Levi quickly dropped the topic because he had once again sensed those hidden gazes from last night.

By now, Levi could more or less guess what was going on.

Clearly, those observing him in the dark weren’t Black Panther gang members but rather this young lady’s bodyguards.

“But for a young woman like you, getting involved in this sort of thing is dangerous.”

“Don’t underestimate me!”

The girl gave a light snort and clenched her little fist, giving Levi a showy punch.

“I’m very good at fighting! Also, stop calling me ‘you, you, you.’ I have a name!”

“Oh? And what’s your name?”

It was then Levi realized that he didn’t actually know what this young lady was called.

“I… I’m… Hmm… You can call me Katie.”

“Well then, Miss Katie, do you really think it’s appropriate to rush into danger like this? If you get into trouble, your family will be worried.”

“They won’t worry.”

The girl gave a cold snort, speaking in a tone filled with anger.

“They’d be glad if I died.”

“Uh………………”

It seemed this young lady’s family situation was quite problematic.

But that made sense—if she were a well-behaved daughter from a happy family, how could she end up in the Lower City playing at “gang society”?

And judging from the bodyguards’ behavior, they didn’t seem intent on stopping her either.

That was strange.

A family that could afford so many bodyguards must be both wealthy and influential.

Never mind the Lower City’s filth and danger—was it really reasonable to let a well-bred young lady run around in such a cesspool?

This place had plenty of things that weren’t fit for children… or even for adults!

Well, if nothing else worked, he could at least try this.

Levi stared at the skill bar for a moment, thinking it over.

Decision made—he’d do it.

And Levi was never one to delay.

He headed back to the Police Station and found Inspector Lestrade.

“…Report it to the police?”

Hearing Levi’s words, Inspector Lestrade nearly yanked out his own finely groomed little moustache.

Even Katie, standing to the side, looked up at him in surprise.

“That’s right, Inspector Lestrade.”

Levi’s face was serious, earnest, and grave.

“As a subject of Her Majesty the Queen, and as a law-abiding citizen, I believe it is my duty—my obligation—to report illegal activities to you. I have discovered that at No. C921, Pine Street, Oak District, someone is suspected of practicing medicine illegally and selling contraband drugs. I believe this is a matter that should be addressed by the police.”

“………………………”

Inspector Lestrade blinked.

Then he blinked again, staring at the righteously indignant Levi before him, and at Katie beside him—her newsboy cap failing to hide her bewildered look.

This was not the detective he knew.

Normally, when a detective found a lead, they would follow it through to the end, and only after confirming the culprit would they contact the police to wrap things up.

But this…

“You found some kind of clue?”

“I have indeed.”

Understood.

Inspector Lestrade and Levi exchanged a glance, instantly grasping each other’s meaning.

“Do you have evidence?”

“I have a testimony.”

Levi pulled out the earlier record without hesitation, selling out the bespectacled man completely.

“This testimony proves that, half a year ago, that pharmacy used unapproved surgical instruments, resulting in casualties. This was a very serious medical accident.”

“Hm……………”

Inspector Lestrade picked up the record and read it carefully.

Then he looked back at Levi, who stood there like a righteous, law-abiding citizen.

“If this is true, then yes—it is indeed a very serious case.”

As he spoke, Lestrade stood, reached for his hat, and placed it on his head.

“Fletcher! Get ready—we’re going to investigate!”

Exactly, that was Levi’s plan.

Since he didn’t have any lockpicking skills, sneaking in to investigate was impossible.

But—he could think of a way to get in openly!

Why not just call the police?

If the police received a report, they would definitely come to investigate.

And more importantly, this would bypass the need to apply for a search warrant.

In this era, people praised freedom and valued privacy greatly.

While it wasn’t to the extreme of “the wind and rain may enter, but the king may not,” personal residences still enjoyed respect for privacy rights.

If the police wanted to search someone’s home, they would have to apply for a warrant.

That was why Levi reported not Doctor Doolittle’s home, but the pharmacy.

Because a pharmacy was a commercial premises, it was obligated to submit to searches and investigations.

It was like the police checking an internet café without needing a warrant—going into someone’s home was another matter entirely.

The Empire’s bureaucracy was deeply entrenched, and the endless procedures were infuriating.

Still, where there was policy, there was a workaround—as long as one’s determination didn’t waver, there were always more solutions than difficulties.

Like this time, when Levi came to report to the police, both he and Inspector Lestrade knew it was connected to the Courtesan Killer.

But even knowing that, they could only treat it as an investigation into illegal surgery and contraband drug sales.

Of course, if they happened to “accidentally” run into the Courtesan Killer during the investigation… well, they couldn’t exactly go fill out another form before arresting him.

So, the most important thing was to follow procedure.

Another reason Levi chose to call the police was that with them present, Miss Katie might restrain herself a bit—and it would be safer.

If the killer really was ruthless, seeing police might make him hesitate.

If it were just Levi and Katie sneaking in, even if they found something, they might both end up being taken out.

Thus, the four of them once again took a carriage to Doctor Doolittle’s pharmacy.

The ride was silent.

Inspector Lestrade didn’t ask Levi how he had learned of the pharmacy’s connection to the Courtesan Killer, and Levi, though outwardly calm, was inwardly tense.

If he were a competent detective, he would wait until he had evidence, motives, and everything else before contacting the police.

But the problem was, the abilities Levi had acquired didn’t directly help him achieve that.

No matter how high his psychology or charm skills were, he couldn’t make a criminal fall to his knees and confess.

Right now, Levi merely believed that there had to be clues here—but… he could only hope.

Otherwise, Inspector Lestrade’s trust in him would surely plummet.

Then again, if he failed, he only had a few days left to live, so trust didn’t matter much.

Thinking that, Levi closed his eyes to rest.

When Levi arrived at the pharmacy with Inspector Lestrade and Officer Fletcher, he clearly noticed the flicker of annoyance in Doctor Doolittle’s gaze toward him.

With his high psychology skill, Levi understood the meaning immediately.

You’re not playing fair!

In truth, Doctor Doolittle was indeed furious.

He knew Levi was a detective and knew he was being investigated.

But at first, Doctor Doolittle wasn’t too worried—he didn’t believe Levi could dig up anything.

And since Levi wasn’t a policeman, he had no authority to conduct an official search… as long as Doolittle stayed put, the snooping fellow would find nothing.

What he hadn’t expected was that Levi would call the police!

It was like having a dispute between two children—you don’t settle it privately, but go tell the teacher instead!?

“I am Inspector George Lestrade.”

Inspector Lestrade showed his credentials.

“We have received a report that this pharmacy is suspected of practicing medicine illegally and selling contraband drugs.”

“There is no such thing, sir.”

Doctor Doolittle straightened his back and stared at Inspector Lestrade.

“These are just rumors. I run a legitimate business!”

“Then you won’t mind if I take a look.”

A battle-hardened veteran like Inspector Lestrade wouldn’t take Doolittle’s word for it.

And Doolittle knew he had no right to obstruct law enforcement, so he could only step aside, face dark, teeth clenched.

Lestrade and Officer Fletcher entered the pharmacy to begin their inspection—naturally, Levi and Katie followed.

Unlike the two policemen, who focused on the counter and the storeroom, Levi was sizing up the surrounding rooms.

He believed that someone as cautious as Doctor Doolittle wouldn’t leave any obvious traces here.

Thus, he was more interested in the so-called underground operating room.

If he could find it, he’d be halfway to success.

As he pondered, Levi kept scanning the surroundings.

Behind the counter, the layout was simple: a bookcase, a narrow passage ending in the storeroom, and beside it, a small room with only a single bed, a nightstand, and a stove—likely Doolittle’s resting place.

Levi walked around, appearing to be just looking around.

In truth, he was secretly observing Doolittle’s reactions.

After all, Levi was still a rookie at searching, and in the real world, there weren’t glowing items to guide him like in a video game—finding useful clues among the clutter wasn’t easy.

So Levi decided to make Doolittle reveal them himself.

He entered the small room and casually rummaged around, then checked the drawers behind the counter.

Finally, he approached the bookcase—and at that moment, he saw Doolittle’s previously calm facial muscles suddenly stiffen and tighten.

His hands gripped his coat hem tightly, and his eyes locked onto Levi without moving.

This was it.

Levi instantly focused, beginning a careful inspection of the bookcase.

At first glance, nothing seemed unusual.

It stood in a corner of the passage behind the counter, filled with books on alchemy, herbalism, and geography.

But soon Levi noticed two problems.

First, the passage was so narrow it allowed only one person through at a time—yet someone had placed a bookcase taking up half the space.

That was already strange.

Second…

Levi looked at the books and gave a slight chuckle, glancing toward Inspector Lestrade.

“Inspector Lestrade, could you come here for a moment?”

“Hm?”

Lestrade, who had been inspecting the small room, walked over.

Levi pointed to the second shelf of the bookcase.

Lestrade narrowed his eyes, peered at it, and then his gaze sharpened.

He nodded to Levi.

Then Lestrade turned.

“Officer Fletcher, restrain Doctor Doolittle.”

“Ah? Yes, sir.”

Though unsure of Lestrade’s intent, Fletcher obeyed, quickly moving to Doolittle and handcuffing him.

“What is the meaning of this, Inspector!”

Doolittle was clearly unhappy with this treatment.

“I’ve done nothing! You have no right to arrest me!”

“Not right now, perhaps—but maybe in a moment.”

Levi opened the bookcase, reached for the third book from the right on the second shelf—On the Compound Nature of Alchemical Drugs—and pulled.

Click.

With that, a section of the stone wall slid open silently, revealing a pitch-black passage.

Doolittle’s eyes went wide.

“You… how did you know…?”

“Doctor, we’re both men.”

Levi let go of the book, giving Doolittle a look.

“Men can be lazy sometimes—it’s normal. I rarely clean the spots at home that can’t be seen. But if you want to hide something, you’d better keep the area clean—at least, don’t leave such obvious marks in the dust.”

As he spoke, Levi flicked the dust off his fingers.

The answer was simple: once Levi suspected the bookcase, he had focused on it, and noticed that unlike the surrounding books, the corner of this one had no dust—meaning it had been moved recently.

From there, it was easy.

Levi glanced at Lestrade, who also drew his gun and picked up the gas lamp.

“I’ll go first.”

“All right.”

Levi silently drew his own gun and followed Lestrade into the hidden passage.