After staring blankly into the fire for a while, Caspian lit the other candles he found. When he saw the lamps on the ceiling, he realized that electricity was actually used here. He was happy that there was electricity here. At least he could have a life close to the standards of his life back on Earth.
"Hey, there's electricity… I guess there's a power shortage because of the rain. It's quite cold and damp in here," Caspian said.
"This place is the exact opposite of what I imagined. Cold, damp, dark, creepy… yes, there is a sea, but what good is a sea like this to anyone?" Palm said, hugging himself in front of the fireplace.
Caspian walked to the bedroom window and looked down to see giant waves crashing against the cliffs. This was truly a haunting place. Now was the time to stop overthinking, get to work, and get to know his new life. First, he cleaned the blood on the floor with supplies he found in the bathroom. Then he took a shower and burned his bloody clothes in the fireplace.
He took the documents from the desk and began to strain his brain to read what was written.
"Tina Jewel. 22 years old. Ballerina. Found dead at the City Ballroom late at night. Cause of death: falling down the stairs. Her ex-boyfriend is Ben Orwis, a businessman. Ben Orwis is 48 years old and married. They ended their secret affair last year. However, due to pressure from the local government, this case was never fully resolved. The initial police report suggests this was not a simple fall, but a push. The suspect list includes her colleagues, Ben Orwis, and his wife. For this reason, it is believed that the murder was covered up. The victim's family, therefore, wants the case solved discreetly."
"Edwin Kell. 53 years old. Banker. Found dead from an apparent suicide in his country house. However, his acquaintances claim he had no reason to take his own life. The murder weapon was found on the floor right next to the deceased. The initial crime scene investigation pointed unequivocally toward suicide. Nevertheless, some colleagues gave statements expressing suspicion of a possible family inheritance dispute."
"Harold Ferman. 32 years old. Missing for 6 months. A mathematics teacher at Highcliff High School. Married for 2 years. He has no debts and no known enemies. His family suspects that he may have been involved in an accident somewhere, which is why they can't reach him..."
Finally, he stopped reading with despair and tossed the papers onto the desk.
"Half of the cases this man handled were murder cases… Could he have been killed by someone seeking revenge for a case he solved? I hope whoever killed him has fled the country and we never cross paths again," Caspian said hopelessly.
"You'd better not die in this body. If they refuse to give you another one, you'll have to wait in that office for eighty years until you're eligible to reincarnate again."
Caspian looked at Palm in horror.
"Are you serious?"
"I don't know. Just guessing," Palm replied.
…
The next morning, the rain had eased but was still falling. Palm stretched as he stood up from the office sofa he slept on.
"I am hungry."
He opened the door at the other corner of the room and entered the kitchen. It was quite a small place that barely fit two people. There was a sink, a tiny counter, a stove, and a fireplace. By the window sat a small table barely large enough for two plates, with a single chair. It was aperfect place to live alone.
Palm rummaged through the drawers to find something to eat but found nothing except some stale cookies in a jar. Nibbling on one of the cookies, he walked back into the office.
A moment later, Caspian came out of the bedroom. The first thing he checked was the bloodstain on the floor. Although he had tried to scrub it the night before, the blood had seeped deep into the old, unvarnished wood.
"We need a new rug," he said.
"And something to eat," Palm added.
"Do you have any money?" Caspian asked.
"No. Do you?"
Caspian showed him the two banknotes and the change he had pulled from his pocket. These, along with an identification document and a license for the private investigative office, were all he had found while rummaging through his wallet the night before. It seemed that Caspian Mortis was an unfortunate young man of only twenty-seven years old. He was two years older than he was.
"Even though I don't know the currency here, a gut feeling tells me these won't buy much," he said while looking at the money in his hand. The paper bills were marked '1 Juvel,' while the coins '50 Juvelle.'
"Did you check the drawers?" asked Palm.
"I checked the ones in the bedroom... only this one is left," Caspian said as he started opening the desk drawers in the office. Palm stuffed the rest of his cookie into his mouth and went to help.
After a long search, they found four more '25 Juvelle'.
"Do you think this will be enough to feed us for the day?" Palm asked miserably.
"I don't know... I told them not to give me the body of a poor man. Now I'm both broke and have to feed another person." said Caspian.
Both looked at the money they had. A total of 4 Juvel and 50 Juvelle.