Shard hurriedly arrived in the night and knocked on the door below Dorothy Apartments. The landlady who opened the door naturally recognized the famous detective from Tobesk standing in front of her. Though she didn't think highly of the rumored romantic escapades of the detective, she informed Shard about Miss Writer's whereabouts:
"Luisa returned from the publisher this afternoon and has been in her room ever since. She didn't even go out for dinner; she's probably trying to lose weight again. That's not a healthy habit—young girls these days... Mr. Hamilton, would you like to go upstairs and see her? However, you can only stay until half-past nine."
This apartment is only rented out to women, and the rule is that men cannot stay overnight. Shard was already aware of this, so he thanked the landlady, who seemed strict but actually took good care of Dorothy.
