The moment the gunshot rang out, the hands of time seemed to be grabbed by an invisible hand and suddenly stopped.
Russell stood frozen in place.
He witnessed a flash of light explode in the darkness before him and vanish in an instant.
Then, Billson in front of him stopped moving and ceased resisting.
He instinctively let go of his hand.
Billson's body slid down powerlessly like a puppet with its strings cut and fell backward.
A deep crimson flower bloomed between his brows. Gravity caused blood to trickle down his eye sockets, leaving tear-like trails on Billson's face.
So… he's dead?
Is he faking death to deceive me?
Russell stared suspiciously at the face that had lost its life in an instant. The man who had been struggling desperately just minutes ago was now motionless like a wax figure.
Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly raised his face, looked down at Billson's corpse, and turned his gaze in the direction the gunshot had come from.
At the end of the corridor, a door that should have been closed was now wide open.
A figure seemed to be standing there, but the exact outline was indistinguishable in the darkness.
The person noticed Russell's gaze, remained motionless, slowly lowered their arm, took two steps back, and silently disappeared into the shadows of the room.
Seeing this, Russell was slightly surprised.
Was that Charlotte?
Just then, he heard Charlotte's anxious voice calling from a short distance away.
"Russell! Russell!"
Hurried footsteps echoed through the quiet room, growing louder as the girl ran toward his location, calling his name.
The moment the shout reached his ears, Russell's brain reacted instantly.
Without waiting for a response, he immediately turned around and sprinted toward the door.
"Stop!"
A urgent shout echoed through the empty corridor as Russell rushed toward the open bedroom door.
The room contained nothing but an open window and curtains swaying in the night breeze.
Seeing this, he hurried to the window and peered outside.
He witnessed a black figure quickly dashing through the streets of Southwark, as if running through an empty space.
The surrounding patrolling officers, drawn by the commotion, had blocked the entrance and hadn't noticed him at all.
Under Russell's sharp gaze, the man weaved through several alleys and eventually disappeared completely from his view.
Damn it!
He clicked his tongue in irritation and slammed his fist against the cold windowsill.
It was such a waste.
Charlotte hadn't fired the gun.
Given the current situation, if that man had really been trying to kill him, that would have been more than enough—but he was certain the man hadn't done so.
The person's target had been very clear: Billson.
The name "Professor" instinctively surfaced in Russell's mind.
There was no mistake.
It had to be the Professor.
Even if it wasn't him in person, it was at least one of his subordinates.
While Russell was lost in thought, hurried footsteps approached from behind, interrupting his thinking.
"Russell!"
Charlotte appeared at the doorway. The girl leaned against the doorframe, breathless, and looked at Russell anxiously. Worry was evident in her gray-blue eyes.
"Charlotte——"
Before Russell could finish speaking, Charlotte stepped forward, grabbed him firmly with both hands, and stared intently at him with feverish eyes.
After confirming he was unharmed, Charlotte let out a sigh of relief, and the tension in her body eased.
"Are you all right?"
She still wasn't completely convinced, so she asked anyway.
"I'm fine."
Russell shook his head, gazed at the deep night sky outside the window, and sighed.
"We were still one step too late."
Hearing this, Charlotte furrowed her brows and looked outside the window with a serious expression, following his gaze.
"The Professor..."
She scanned the room, then looked away.
Afterward, the two left the room and returned to Billson's corpse.
Charlotte crouched down and carefully examined the body.
One shot to the head.
She said.
"The straight-line distance from the room's door to here is about seven meters."
"Considering factors like lighting and angle, the fact that this was possible indicated that the shooter was extremely professional."
"Mm."
Russell still didn't show a clear attitude and kept his gaze fixed on Billson's lifeless face.
His eyes were still open, pupils dilated, and his facial expression was frozen in the final moment.
"He didn't even know how he died."
Charlotte said.
"I never thought the Professor's subordinates had thought this far…"
The girl couldn't help but furrow her brows.
"Is this a coincidence, or…?"
She muttered to herself, then turned her eyes to the man who smelled faintly of red wine and blood.
Even if she questioned Russell against her will, she wouldn't find anything suspicious.
It was she who had suggested that Billson might be hiding on Clement Street, and she who had immediately put that suggestion into action.
Throughout the series of events, Russell had been by her side the entire time. There was no possibility of him tipping off Billson.
Therefore, this matter could only be described as a mere coincidence.
But if that was the case, she felt a little uneasy.
"What do we do now?"
Russell looked at Billson's corpse and asked.
"Billson is dead. All the leads are gone... Oh, and there's also Charles Brown."
Charlotte didn't answer. She stared at the corpse in front of her and pondered for a long time.
After a long silence, she finally spoke. "Let's head to Scotland Yard first."
Charlotte said, "Call Lestrade over here and have him clean this up first."
By the way, bring Emily too. Billson is dead, but she might know something.
"Mm."
Russell nodded.
The two descended the stairs and returned to the basement. Emily Collins was huddled on the sofa, hugging her knees and not saying a word.
Hearing the sound of someone returning, Emily Collins instinctively raised her face, as if she was still waiting for something.
But the moment she realized it was Charlotte and Russell who had come, the faint light in her eyes completely vanished.
There's no need to expect anything.
Charlotte said, "Billson is dead."
Hearing this, Emily was momentarily at a loss for words, then lowered her head even more quietly.
Seeing her like this, Charlotte furrowed her brows further.
"There's no need to play the victim," she said.
"If you hadn't interfered, that man might not have died."
"We had no intention of killing him at all. On the contrary, we wanted him alive more than you did.
You gave him the chance to escape and led him to his ruin."
Charlotte spoke mercilessly.
Every time Charlotte spoke, Emily Collins buried her face deeper.
Just then, the two suddenly heard a loud explosion from above, as if the mansion's gate had been violently broken.
Then, various noises such as dogs barking reached their ears deafeningly, growing closer and closer.
"Found them! They're here!"
Someone suddenly called out, and then footsteps gradually gathered and finally stopped behind them.
Charlotte and Russell exchanged glances and turned around at the same time. Their gazes met the approaching patrolling officers.
"Don't move! Drop your weapons!"
…
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