131-135

Chapter 131: Speck

*Knock, knock, knock—*

At the office door.

Amanda knocked lightly.

"Come in."

A raspy voice, laced with a magnetic quality, called from within. Pushing the door open, Amanda stepped inside the office.

Upon entering, the first thing she noticed was the back of Jane Speck, who stood with his back to her, facing a small stovetop, eyes on the kettle in front of him.

"You’re quicker to act than I expected," he said casually.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Jane Speck spoke as though he had anticipated Amanda’s arrival, his tone familiar.

*Whistle—*

As his words fell, the kettle on the stovetop let out a sharp whistle.

With practiced ease, Jane turned off the heat, lifted the lid, and poured the steaming water into a teacup he had prepared in advance.

Picking up the cup, he steeped a teabag while glancing over his shoulder at Amanda, a knowing expression playing on his face.

"Now I understand why."

"You already noticed me before," Amanda said.

Her gaze landed on the teacup in his hand, and she suddenly recalled what she had seen earlier through her binoculars. Everything began to make sense.

"As a medium, I’m more sensitive to certain things than the average person. That includes the watchful eyes of those with intent," Jane replied smoothly.

"And just as a tip: next time you’re surveilling someone, a coffee shop isn’t the best choice. Especially when your operative doesn’t quite blend in," he added, smiling faintly as he revealed that he had seen through Agent Phil’s disguise.

Jane raised the teacup toward Amanda.

"Would you like some tea?"

Realizing how easily Jane had detected the BSI’s setup around his office, Amanda’s emotions stirred. She glanced at the tea he offered, hesitated for a moment, then replied quietly, "Of course."

Inside the office, Jane Speck observed Amanda’s expressions silently. Upon hearing her answer, he gestured toward a desk with a nod.

"Why don’t we sit and talk?"

Taking a seat, Jane sipped his tea, savoring the moment of calm.

"Nothing beats a cup of tea for peace of mind," he remarked, his tone friendly, almost conversational. He set the teacup down and looked at Amanda with his calm blue eyes, his voice slow and deliberate.

"So, may I ask your purpose for coming here, Miss—Agent?"

Amanda’s brow furrowed slightly as Jane so confidently identified her occupation.

"What makes you so sure I’m an agent, Mr. Speck?" she asked.

Noting the interrogative edge in Amanda’s tone, Jane’s expression remained unchanged. He sipped his tea and answered evenly,

"I’ve worked with federal agents before, more than once. The air about you is unmistakable—identical to theirs."

"And your colleague at the coffee shop is the same. Though his demeanor is less seasoned than yours—he seems to be new to the job."

Amanda felt a pang of frustration at how easily Jane had identified their roles. She recalled the priest’s words when he handed her Jane’s card. Steeling herself, she introduced herself.

"You’re correct, Mr. Speck. I’m from the Federal Bureau of Supernatural Investigations, or BSI for short. My name is Amanda."

Jane nodded lightly, his gaze unwavering.

"So, Amanda, how did the BSI learn about me?"

"Springwood. Father Moline," she said softly.

At the mention of the priest, Jane’s expression shifted to one of quiet understanding. He raised his cup, took another sip, and asked casually,

"How is Father Moline these days? It’s been over a year since I last saw him."

"...”

Amanda hesitated, then broke the news with a somber tone.

"When we found him, Father Moline was already..."

Jane’s hand, holding the teacup, paused briefly. His gaze fell to the rippling tea, and sadness flickered in his eyes.

Lowering the cup, he looked at Amanda with a serious expression.

"Can you tell me about Father Moline’s death, Agent Amanda?"

"Apologies, Mr. Speck. Due to confidentiality agreements, I can’t disclose the details to outsiders."

Father Moline’s death was tied to the mysterious creature from the Texas ‘Wolf Girl’ incident—an entity shrouded in darkness. The connection to supernatural forces made it impossible for Amanda to reveal the truth to Jane, even though she was here seeking his help.

"I see," Jane said softly.

Though Amanda withheld the details, her refusal confirmed much for him.

"It seems Father Moline’s death wasn’t ordinary," Jane concluded. "In fact, it’s something even the BSI finds challenging to handle. Judging by your introduction, the cause must be connected to supernatural forces."

Fixing Amanda with a steady gaze, his tone became certain.

"Father Moline died because of something dark. Something evil."

*(End of Chapter)*

*Chapter 132: Joining*

"…"

Faced with Spike's reasoning, Amanda chose to remain silent.

However, silence can sometimes be an answer.

Spike’s gaze fell on Amanda’s face, taking in her quiet expression. He instantly understood.

“I’ll join.”

Taking a light sip of tea, Spike spoke softly to Amanda.

“What?”

Hearing Spike’s reply, Amanda’s face showed an expression of shock. She clearly hadn’t yet grasped what he meant by “join.”

“Since the priest revealed my information to you and Agent Amanda, you’ve come to my office—it’s clear that BSI needs some help with supernatural investigations. So here’s my answer.”

“But, in return, I need detailed information about Father Morin’s death, as well as…”

Spike started to state his demands, but before he could finish—

*Bang!*

The tightly shut office door suddenly slammed open.

“FBI! Nobody move!”

Agent Phil burst in, gripping his handgun and shouting a warning to the two people inside.

Following Amanda’s instructions, he had waited in the café for five minutes. But receiving no updates, he had stormed in immediately.

"…"

Gun in hand, Agent Phil exchanged a silent glance with the two people in the office.

His gaze fell on the teacups in front of Amanda and Spike. His initially tense expression instantly turned awkward.

“Uh… boss, I didn’t hear back from you, so…”

Lowering his gun instinctively, Phil looked at Amanda, his voice trailing off.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. That was my oversight.”

Shaking her head at Phil, Amanda spoke with a frown.

Indeed, by their agreement, she should have signaled that everything was safe five minutes after entering the office. However, the plan had gone awry from the moment she stepped inside. The rhythm of the conversation had been entirely under Spike’s control, causing Amanda to forget about notifying Phil, who was waiting outside.

“I should’ve…”

Assessing the atmosphere in the office, especially after exchanging a subtle look with Amanda, Phil decided to retreat.

“Wait a moment!”

But just as Phil reached the door, about to leave—

Spike suddenly called out to him.

Hearing Spike’s voice, Phil instinctively reached for his gun, his expression tense.

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you bring over the kettle from the stove?”

At Spike’s request, Phil glanced at the nearby kettle. After another subtle glance at Amanda, he reluctantly grabbed the kettle and walked over to Spike.

“Thank you.”

Spike handed him an empty teacup, waiting as Phil poured hot water into it.

Looking up at Amanda, Spike asked with a smile, “Would you like some?”

“No, thank you.”

Amanda shook her head, glancing at her untouched tea.

“So… what should I do now?”

Holding the kettle, Phil looked hesitantly between Spike and Amanda, unsure of his next move.

“Continue with whatever you need to do. Of course, if you’d like to stay in the office, I won’t mind.”

“Uh, no thanks. I’ll head out.”

Shaking his head quickly, Phil backed away.

He knew this situation was far beyond what a rookie BSI agent like him could handle.

With a slightly uneasy expression, Phil carefully exited the office.

Turning the corner, he ran into Agent Zhou, who had hurried over from a nearby makeshift station.

“So, FBI?”

Spike watched Phil’s retreating figure, then sipped his tea, smiling lightly at Amanda.

“BSI is a special investigative unit. We need a bit of a disguise,” Amanda replied calmly.

She studied Spike, particularly his slightly drooping eyes, recalling the intelligence she had received from Angela. Then, she asked, “BSI has looked into your background, Jane Spike. You once publicly denied being a medium on a TV show, calling it a fraud. Could you tell me why?”

Amanda’s question seemed to strike a nerve.

For a moment, Spike’s composed demeanor cracked.

"…"

His faint smile faded slightly. He glanced at the ring on his finger before quickly regaining his composure.

“I was ignorant back then, taking my gift for granted. So, I was punished—I lost everything.”

“Punished? Do you mean…”

Hearing the word “punished,” Amanda immediately thought of Spike’s wife and daughter, as mentioned in Angela’s report.

The report had classified their deaths as an accident. But Spike’s demeanor suggested otherwise.

Before Amanda could press further, Spike raised his hand to stop her.

“Let’s use your own phrase here: that part is classified. I’m afraid I can’t answer.”

Spike gave her a faint smile.

Yet, for some reason, Amanda sensed a deep sadness hidden behind that smile.

“Sorry.”

Realizing this, Amanda refrained from asking more.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Agent Amanda.”

“My punishment is partly deserved. The other part… is the goal and driving force I’ve pursued for years.”

Spike lightly shook his head. His tone was slow but resolute.

He brushed his fingers over the ring on his hand, his expression hardening. Steering the conversation back to BSI’s intentions, he said:

“Since BSI is a federal agency, you must have significant authority to investigate supernatural cases across states… As it happens, I have a murder case involving supernatural elements. I’ll need BSI’s authority to gather some evidence.”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 133: Unexpected Developments

“Are you sure he’s the one the priest mentioned? The one who can help us handle supernatural cases, Chief?”

Washington, D.C., BSI Headquarters.

Agent Zhou looked at Speck, who was strolling leisurely around the investigation team’s office as if he were touring the place, and couldn’t help but ask Amanda, who stood nearby.

“If the business card from the priest is correct, then yes, he’s the one,” Amanda replied confidently, addressing Zhou’s skepticism.

“Don’t you all think he looks quite gentlemanly? He even offered me a cup of tea in the break room earlier,”

New agent Angela chimed in, glancing at Speck in the distance before returning her attention to the group.

“Come on, he offers tea to everyone he meets. Besides, this guy’s already married,”

Agent Phil remarked, unable to hide his disdain as he noticed Angela’s infatuated expression.

“I’m not saying anything about that. I just think his manners are respectful—unlike some people,” Angela retorted, rolling her eyes at Phil.

“And anyway, the file shows that his wife and daughter…”

“That’s enough,” Amanda interjected, cutting Angela off before she could finish her sentence. Steering the conversation back to work, Amanda continued, “There’s been a string of disappearances in New York City. Initially, the NYPD was handling it, but there seem to be some strange elements involved. They’ve requested FBI assistance, and the BSI suspects there might be supernatural forces at play. The Minister wants us to take over this case.”

“So, if we take the case, it’s likely we’ll run into conflict with the FBI?”

Hearing Amanda’s explanation, Agent Zhou furrowed his brow, clearly troubled by the possibility.

It was no secret that tensions between the FBI and BSI had been escalating, spilling over from the higher-ups to field investigators like them.

The relationship between a new department and an established one was never going to be harmonious—especially when their jurisdictions overlapped.

…

“The FBI?”

San Marino.

Watching the broken system interface showing the BSI office, Allen raised an eyebrow and muttered to himself, “The FBI wasn’t part of the original script.”

In the original design, the investigation into the clockwork puppets was supposed to be entirely under the BSI’s purview.

But real-world developments rarely follow a script.

This was normal, after all. Scripted scenarios are like puzzles that fit into reality.

Unless the script was designed like the previous “London Zombies” scenario, solely to create a mysterious narrative puzzle piece and boost World Evolution Rate by minimizing connections to reality, deviations were inevitable. Even then, unexpected events like the auction ‘corpse-herding’ and London street ‘reanimated robbery’ emerged beyond the script’s bounds.

Let alone this new script, which was intended from the start to connect to reality.

Given this, it was no surprise that it attracted the attention of the NYPD—and now the FBI.

Under these circumstances, Allen could use his Plot Points to correct the deviation from the script.

The simplest approach would be to create a reason for the FBI to drop the case.

But on second thought, if the FBI’s involvement could also boost the World Evolution Rate, then why not let it play out?

Due to the system’s fragmented state, Allen’s understanding of the World Evolution Rate was based solely on theories provided by the professor in the Library.

Much of its functionality remained for him to explore.

“Well, since they’re involved, might as well make it worth their while…”

This thought lingered briefly in his mind.

Allen decided to refrain from using his Plot Points to correct the script immediately. Instead, he chose to let things unfold naturally.

And truthfully, he couldn’t deny—he was quite looking forward to seeing a clash between the BSI and FBI.

…

“So, what do you think? Should we take the case?”

Washington, D.C., BSI Headquarters.

Amanda’s brow remained furrowed, a clear reflection of her inner turmoil. She turned to her team of agents, hoping for an answer.

“You’re the boss. You decide,”

Agent Zhou said bluntly, pointing out the obvious. As the team leader, the final decision rested with Amanda.

Hearing Zhou’s response, Amanda hesitated, her expression torn. She didn’t want to provoke a serious conflict with the FBI, but her superior’s orders left her no choice. Especially now, when she’d just been promoted by the Minister.

In the end, her decisiveness as a former Texas Ranger won out.

She looked at her team and gritted her teeth.

“Tell the FBI we’re taking this case.”

“The FBI won’t hand it over so easily,” Zhou warned, speaking from his experience as a former FBI agent.

“Then we’ll make them understand just how dangerous this case really is,” Amanda shot back firmly.

Once she made her decision, there was no room for hesitation. She quickly began assigning tasks to her team.

“So, we’re likely to butt heads with the FBI soon,”

Angela remarked, her face lighting up with excitement.

Beside her, Phil looked equally thrilled.

Neither of the new agents had expected their careers at the BSI to be this eventful.

…

“No wonder she’s a former Texas Ranger—bold and decisive,”

San Marino.

Allen nodded approvingly as Amanda’s decision aligned with his expectations.

It also saved him from spending extra Plot Points to steer events.

…

“Speck,”

Back at the BSI Headquarters.

Amanda’s gaze swept over her team before landing on Speck, who was still wandering around the office, admiring its layout. After a moment’s hesitation, she spoke.

“We have a case that might involve supernatural forces. Want to come along?”

“Of course,” Speck replied without hesitation, his slightly droopy blue eyes twinkling as he smiled at her.

“Isn’t that why you invited me to join the BSI?”

Chapter 134: The Missing Persons Case

“FBI again?”

New York City, Police Precinct.

Looking at Amanda and her team introducing themselves, the city police officer in charge of the missing persons case showed a surprised expression.

“We belong to a different department,” Amanda explained.

From the NYPD officer’s confusion, Amanda and her team quickly deduced the situation.

Clearly, the FBI had already taken over the case before them.

New agents Angela and Phil exchanged glances, but Agent Zhou remained calm and gave a casual excuse.

“Even the FBI is this disorganized now?”

Silently sighing to himself, the precinct officer, after verifying Amanda's credentials, quickly shared the information he had.

“So far, based on the reports received by NYPD, over 16 people have gone missing—this is just from last night’s tally. In fact, within the half-hour since your FBI colleagues took over the case, another missing person was reported. Such a series of disappearances, even in New York’s history, is unprecedented…”

Admittedly, annual statistics show over 10,000 people go missing in New York City alone. However, those are cases accumulated over time.

The current frequency, with multiple reports filed in a single day, was a challenge even for seasoned NYPD officers.

“We’ve carefully analyzed the timelines of the disappearances and interviewed the families of the missing persons. The conclusion is that all individuals displayed completely normal behavior the day before they vanished. There were no signs of anything unusual—some went to work as usual, while others made plans, like agreeing to a vacation with their spouses.”

“But then, they disappeared without a trace, leaving no clues behind.”

This was why the NYPD requested assistance from the FBI.

The missing persons were diverse, with no apparent connection between them. Conventional investigative methods had yielded little evidence. Yet the high frequency of occurrences suggested some unknown correlation.

In a way, the NYPD was close to uncovering the truth of these disappearances.

Unfortunately, conventional approaches limited their progress, and with limited resources to allocate toward the case, NYPD had no choice but to prioritize other pressing issues in a city overwhelmed by crime.

“This is the current progress of our investigation. Detailed evidence, including family interviews and records of the missing, has already been handed over to the two FBI agents who arrived earlier. If you need it, you’ll have to coordinate with them.”

Hearing this, Amanda and Agent Zhou exchanged a knowing glance.

From the pattern of these disappearances, there was a strong possibility of supernatural involvement.

However, considering the FBI’s role in the investigation, Amanda frowned slightly.

She was pondering how to wrest control of the case from the investigating FBI agents.

“Angela, I need you to retrieve data on every reported missing person in New York City over the past week.”

Though the detailed case files had been handed over to the FBI, Amanda knew BSI (Bureau of Supernatural Investigations) had other means to access these records.

The federal database on missing persons kept all reported cases on file.

“Understood.”

Angela’s face lit up with excitement as she nodded. She was beginning to sense that this case might mark her first direct encounter with the supernatural as a BSI agent.

“Zhou, you and Phil meet with our two ‘colleagues’ from the FBI. See if they’re willing to hand over the case. After all, you’re more familiar with the FBI than I am.”

Amanda emphasized the word “colleagues” with a touch of irony.

Zhou nodded silently, acknowledging Amanda’s reasoning. As a former FBI agent himself, he was indeed the best candidate for the task.

“The rest of us, I’ll—”

Just as Amanda was about to assign tasks to the others, she turned to address Spike, who had accompanied them to the precinct.

But to her surprise, Spike was nowhere to be seen.

“If you’re looking for the man who came with you, he’s inside the precinct,” the officer pointed out after noticing Amanda’s puzzled expression.

Following his gesture, Amanda and her team spotted Spike sipping tea in the precinct’s office, chatting animatedly with a female NYPD officer.

“You’re still sure he’s the right person to help us, boss?” Zhou quipped.

Amanda: “...”

---

“How do you do it?”

As they left the NYPD precinct, Phil turned to Spike, who was trailing behind Amanda and the others, and asked curiously.

“Do what?” Spike replied with a faint smile, his blue eyes lazily meeting Phil’s gaze.

“You know what I mean,” Phil pressed, unable to suppress his curiosity despite Spike’s evasiveness.

“Back at the precinct—did you use your medium abilities to influence her?”

“No. That was just a bit of conversational skill. If I had to rely on medium abilities for casual conversation, that would be rather sad.”

Phil looked even more surprised at this response. He glanced at Amanda and the others ahead before eagerly asking again.

“So, what’s the trick?”

“Genuine sincerity, kindness, compliments, and most importantly, respect.”

Spike listed off the points casually as he glanced back at the precinct behind them, which was slowly fading from view.

“Amanda,” he called out, stopping the group leader.

“Yes?” Amanda turned back, raising an eyebrow.

Spike’s lips curved slightly. “Let’s make this one interesting.”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 135: Investigation

“George...”

“The missing person's name is George Bruce. He lives in the Manhattan district of New York. The report was filed by his girlfriend. According to her statement, their last phone call was the night before last, during which they discussed plans for a date the following day. Unfortunately, George disappeared afterward, just like the others...”

Under Amanda’s watchful gaze, Spike revealed the information he had obtained from the New York precinct.

“So, you weren’t just casually chatting with that female officer earlier?”

Hearing the lead Spike provided, Agent Phil looked utterly baffled.

“Well, that was one of my objectives. People tend to divulge more useful information when they’re in a familiar and relaxed environment.”

Turning to address Agent Phil, Spike responded before shifting his focus back to Amanda.

“Based on the timeline, George has been missing for over 36 hours...”

“Which means he’s likely among the first to go missing.”

Amanda quickly grasped the significance of Spike’s point. She exchanged a glance with the nearby agents before immediately running toward the car.

“Everyone, to Manhattan, now!”

Initially, Amanda had planned to divide the team and cast a wide net to investigate the series of disappearances. However, Spike's lead disrupted that plan.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention—those two FBI agents have probably already received the report about George’s disappearance. So...”

“Move! Faster!”

Hearing Spike’s remark, Amanda, standing in front of the New York precinct, frowned and urged her team to hurry.

They needed to arrive at the scene before the FBI to gather more evidence.

---

“Originally, George and I had plans, but the next day, he didn’t call me. At first, I didn’t think much of it, assuming he was busy with work. But by that evening, I still hadn’t heard from him. I went to his workplace and asked his coworkers, only to find out he hadn’t shown up all day...”

Manhattan, New York. Inside George’s home.

George’s girlfriend, her face full of worry, recounted the situation to Amanda.

“Did George exhibit any unusual behavior before his disappearance?”

Amanda reached out and patted the back of the girlfriend’s hand, offering comfort while continuing her questions.

“No.”

She shook her head slightly, thinking back before responding again.

“His tone during our call was completely normal.”

“How was your relationship with George? Were there any issues?”

Standing by, Agent Zhou, who had been silently listening, posed a somewhat blunt question.

“George and I have always been great.”

Understandably, the question agitated her. She looked at Agent Zhou with visible irritation and raised her voice. “In fact, we had recently discussed getting married. We were even planning to move in together soon. I don’t believe George would suddenly vanish without a word and leave me behind...”

“Calm down, ma’am.”

Amanda gently patted the distressed woman’s shoulder, signaling to Agent Zhou to step back for the moment. He complied, retreating from the questioning for now.

“Any leads from the family?”

In the living room, Agent Phil approached Agent Zhou, who had just exited the conversation, and asked.

“So far, everything seems normal. She appears to be a standard reporting party.”

Agent Zhou shook his head, his eyes scanning the interior of the home as he replied in a somber tone.

Although they had arrived before the FBI, taking advantage of the time lag, no useful clues for the investigation into the serial disappearances had surfaced.

“Maybe this is just a routine missing person’s case that coincidentally overlaps with the timeline of the others.”

After thoroughly searching the house and finding no helpful evidence, Agent Phil began doubting if they were chasing the wrong lead.

“Ordinary disappearances don’t come with this many peculiarities.”

Emerging from the kitchen with a freshly brewed cup of tea, Spike responded calmly to Agent Phil’s skepticism.

“Where’d you get the tea?”

Phil asked in surprise, noticing the steaming cup in Spike’s hand.

Without missing a beat, Spike took a sip and explained, “There’s half a loaf of bread in the kitchen, and the fridge shows traces of food preparation from the night before last. Clearly, George had no plans to leave. Additionally, the bathroom still has his toiletries neatly arranged, and his bedroom calendar marked an anniversary a few days away. This all suggests that, up until recently, George had been planning for the future.”

“A man with a fulfilling life and a loving girlfriend—what could compel him to vanish without a trace?”

“You’re suggesting supernatural forces?”

Agent Zhou immediately jumped to the possibility of paranormal involvement upon hearing Spike’s analysis.

“Well, infidelity is another option,” Spike quipped with a sly smile, sipping his tea before continuing. “But, given the circumstances, supernatural forces seem more plausible. After all, George isn’t the only person to vanish in New York recently. And...”

Placing his teacup on the nearby table, Spike closed his eyes and walked through the house, stopping in the direction of the bedroom.

Opening his eyes, he turned to the two agents.

“From here, I can sense something unusual.”

“Boss! Found something!”

In the bedroom, seated in front of the computer, Angela called out to Amanda in the living room.

As the team’s data expert, Angela had been working to access George’s computer since their arrival. Using her laptop, she successfully cracked the password and uncovered George’s browsing history before his disappearance.

Angela quickly located the last video George had watched before he vanished. Opening YouTube, she played the video.

Soon, a chilling frame from the video appeared on the screen.

“Summoning Spirits: Calling the Dead at Mary Shaw’s Haunted House.”

---

(End of Chapter)