Old days, dice and investigator's manual

Grayson continued, "Based on Mr. Harper's description and further investigation, we speculate that the garment may have been used as a medium for the 'corpse-shrouding spell'."

"A corpse-shrouding teleportation spell?"

"A ritual that uses a shroud to transfer the curse of a corpse," Grayson said. "The practitioner wraps the corpse in a shroud and, through a ritual, transfers the curse from the body to the shroud, at which point the shroud becomes a container for the curse."

"Anyone who touches this shroud will be affected by the curse and smell a stench of decay. This is a sign that the curse is eroding the spirit garment. The person most severely affected will become the target of the curse's transfer."

"At this point, if the shroud is destroyed directly, the transfer will be completed immediately. If it is not destroyed, the degree of erosion will continue to accumulate. Unless other affected persons linger near the shroud for a long time, the curse will change its target for transfer."

Isaac recalled how the shop owner, Harper, handled the garment. After receiving the return, Harper kept it for a few days, but eventually, unable to wait for the returner, he chose to burn it.

Therefore, it seems that the guy who refused to refund the money after returning the goods may have chosen Harper, the clothing store owner, from the very beginning.

Buy a set of clothes, use it as a shroud to transfer the curse, and then return it on the grounds that it doesn't fit. Even if the shop refuses to accept the return, you can use the excuse of "helping to change the size" to get the shopkeeper to accept the clothes, and then the person returning the clothes can leave.

After accepting the clothes, the shop owner will most likely not destroy them immediately; they'll wait for the person returning the item to clarify things. During this several-day wait, the clothes will remain under the influence of the curse, gradually becoming the target of its transference.

When the shop owner realizes the customer won't be returning and can't stand the stench, they'll choose to discard or burn the garment. But no matter how the garment is disposed of, the customer has already escaped the curse; it's the shop owner who should be troubled.

"That's our deduction," Grayson said. "Members of the Ghoul Order often use this method to dispose of contaminants generated during their experiments, shifting the danger to unsuspecting ordinary people. This case fits their style."

Good or bad... Isaac sighed silently, "This is really a move that fits the style of evil forces."

"After all, most ghouls don't have any lofty ideals. They only pursue one thing—hehe, I must survive." Carlo pushed the plate aside. "Since we suspect it's the work of the ghoul cult, how does Section Two plan to investigate?"

"The clues we have so far are still very limited, but we have already informed all the precincts of the characteristics of the person who returned the clothes, and we will strengthen surveillance, especially in cemeteries and hospitals. At the same time, we will also notify pawn shops, second-hand clothing stores, and other businesses that are likely to become targets for scapegoating. If anyone returns clothing or fabrics with a strong odor, report it to the FBI as soon as possible."

Grayson hesitated for a moment before continuing, "However, the FBI has limited manpower and is more inclined to handle specialized cases. For this kind of large-scale investigation and surveillance, well, we still need the assistance of the NYPD."

"But recently, Chief Schuster, as you know, the relationship between the NYPD and the FBI... has become a bit tense."

"Is there some trouble again over there with Bourne?"

Grayson nodded: "At the last joint meeting, Chief Bourne directly accused the FBI of overstepping its authority. Since then, the handover with them has been a bit, well, difficult."

Isaac didn't know much about the NYPD, but from Grayson's description, the NYPD chief's hostility toward the FBI was quite evident.

This sentiment is not hard to understand. Before the FBI was established, the city police were mainly responsible for law enforcement in Vista. Once the FBI was established, it directly took away a considerable number of cases, and the authority and influence of the city police were naturally weakened.

As the chief of the city police force, Bourne was fully aware of the Grand Duke's will, but he was powerless to resist the situation. He could only vent his resentment on the FBI, putting on airs and venting his dissatisfaction on his own turf.

"So, if the Second Division wants the City Police Department to coordinate and cooperate in setting up a control operation, they may encounter resistance..." Grayson said, glancing at Carlo.

Carlo rested his chin on his hand: "So you came all this way to report, not just to tell us the Second Division's conclusions, right?"

Grayson, his intentions exposed, shifted his gaze: "Chief Lano asked me to come and talk to you, to see if you could put in a good word with the city police."

Isaac nearly spilled the soup.

Is Carlo really capable of smoothing things over? He thought that with Carlo's popularity in the FBI, it would be a miracle if he wasn't stabbed in the back. Would dealing with the NYPD really not have any negative effects?

Carlo raised an eyebrow: "Your section chief certainly knows how to order people around. He doesn't want to deal with Bourne himself, so he pushes it onto me."

Grayson rubbed his hands nervously: "Chief Lano said that you still have some influence with Captain Byrne."

"Just because someone has a voice means we have to speak up for you?"

"Well……"

Isaac felt like Grayson was about to disappear into a hole. Carlo picked up his plate and stood up: "Alright, stop being shy. I'm going to find Bourne to play cards."

"Then I'll trouble you, Section Chief Schuster." Although Grayson was accepted, he was still a little uneasy and hesitated about whether his request was appropriate.

"Next time something like this happens, let Lano come and tell me himself. I won't laugh at him for having hemorrhoids."

Judging from the fact that he didn't even know Lanokor had hemorrhoids until he mentioned it, Isaac thought it was hard to say.

Grayson forced a smile, and Isaac picked up his plate and followed Carlo: "Boss, the Second Division was supposed to coordinate with the City Police Department, how did it end up coming to you?"

"Because I'm popular with people."

Isaac looked at him with a "Are you kidding me?" expression.

After setting down their plates and leaving the cafeteria, Carlo said, "Usually, this kind of cross-departmental coordination work is Parker's job of saving face. He just meets with the person in charge who needs to coordinate, has a drink, and the matter is settled."

"So, in this situation... Captain Bourne and Chief Patrick have a conflict?"

"It's not a contradiction, it's just that Bourne looks down on Parker. Bourne is a very old-fashioned aristocrat who is very particular about status and hierarchy. In his eyes, the FBI is a nouveau riche organization, and since Parker doesn't have a title, he's not qualified to sit at the table with him. He, on the other hand, often treats Parker to food."

"What do you want to eat?"

"A cold shoulder."

"..."

"Therefore, the FBI and the city police can barely complete the handover of work in normal times, but when it comes to specific cooperation, they inevitably have to deal with some wrangling."

"So, boss, you have influence because you hold a noble title?"

"Of course not."

Isaac pondered why. The position of head of Section Nine was even lower than that of the director of the FBI, let alone a private detective. As for superhumans... Director Patrick was also a superhuman, so it shouldn't be that reason.