"That's right." Holly nodded, her voice full of fear.
"Someone must have used it in secret."
Saying that, she walked toward the window and gazed at the lush green plants.
"Did you water the plants before going out?" Charlotte asked.
"No… no." Holly shook her head, suddenly sharp, realizing something. She looked back.
"Then watering wasn't necessary," Charlotte said. "That gentle ghost has already done it for you."
Those words instantly drained the color from Holly's face.
"Where is he…?" Holly looked around, shouting: "What do you want? Come out right now! Why are you doing this…?!"
She screamed and cursed, pacing uncontrollably around the room.
"Why are you doing this? What are you looking at?!"
"Um… calm down, Miss David," Russell offered.
"I can't calm down, sir!" Holly turned back, glaring at Russell. "A pervert broke in 30 minutes ago—he might still be hiding in this house. I can't calm down!"
She rushed into the bedroom and tore off her self-made sheets. Of course, no one was there.
"Who are you?! Show yourself!"
Holly's voice echoed, hysterical, throughout the small apartment. She ran to the wardrobe, tore open the doors—just a few neatly hung clothes. She crouched again and checked under the bed: nothing but a dusty suitcase.
"I know you're here! I know!"
She muttered to herself, darted to the curtains, flung them open: the London sky was dark and overcast.
She rampaged through the whole apartment, leaving it a complete mess—its former warmth and elegance were gone. All that remained was a woman on the brink of collapse and despair.
Russell stood by, at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Charlotte paid no attention to Holly's hysteria, calmly and methodically checking everything in the room.
"Stop hiding, you coward! Pervert!" Holly's screams grew more strained.
Just then—
Bang, bang, bang!
A light knock sounded at the door, cutting off Holly's sobs. The three simultaneously glanced in surprise at the door. Russell instinctively stepped forward and opened it.
An elderly woman stood at the doorway, her brow furrowed.
"Would you please be quiet for a bit, sir?" the old lady said quietly. "We're getting old, and we need our rest."
"I'm very sorry, madam…" Russell forced a smile. "Miss David is having… quite a difficult time right now, and she's rather upset."
"Ah…" The elderly woman glanced in at the near-collapsed Holly and showed a hint of sympathy. "I don't know what's going on, dear, but it'll be alright," she comforted. "It's alright, yes?"
"Thank you." Russell smiled. "Sorry for disturbing your rest."
"It's alright, it's alright." She waved her hand, cast a gentle, wise look at the room, then slowly turned to head back down the hallway toward her room.
Russell gently closed the door, shutting out outside attention. Turning around, he saw that after her neighbor's interruption, Holly—though angry—had calmed a little. Now, exhausted, she sat at the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the floor. Charlotte continued wandering the flat like a ghost.
Russell sighed. So much for a day off—no rest today.
He rolled up his sleeves and joined the ghost hunt. He knew nothing about the ghost's methods, but as a professional thief, he was at least confident in his ability to find hidden things. After all, his job was to find what others had hidden and put it in his own pocket. That logic was sound.
"Miss David, do you mind if I take a look in the bathroom?"
"Go ahead, sir," Holly said weakly.
Russell pushed open the bathroom door.
System panel appears.
"Fighting perverts is everyone's responsibility."
Russell muttered, and then a thought flashed through his mind.
[Skill: Scouting C+ - Enhanced, Current Level C++, Malice Points: -600]
[Malice required for next upgrade: 1200]
[Current malice balance: 900]
"Tch…" Russell frowned. Upgrading was expensive.
A sharp pain flared in his chest, but soon an indescribable feeling rushed through his body. Suddenly, everything appeared sharper—like the world had been given new meaning. Dust motes floating in the air, minuscule traces of mildew between tiles, faint water stains from a still-drying faucet… He noticed details that had never caught his eye before, sparkling like stars across the night sky.
He carefully checked every inch of the bathroom: traces of condensation on the mirror, a couple of long hairs in the drain, toothpaste foam left on the toothbrush… Yet even with his upgraded {Scouting}, Russell found no suspicious clues. Everything pointed to one conclusion: recently, only Holly David herself had used this bathroom. Unless the culprit's ability to clean up was far superior to his own, it was the only possible answer.
He left the bathroom, shaking his head.
Meanwhile, Charlotte left no spot unchecked—she examined the fireplace chimney but found only years of accumulated soot; Russell tapped every wall panel—but no hollow sounds; he moved heavy cabinets and inspected the floor and walls behind them, but found nothing.
They searched under the bed, in the wardrobe, inside sofa cushions, even under the ceiling lamp—turned everything upside down.
The result: nothing at all.
Like a true ghost, the intruder appeared and disappeared without a trace.
"Find anything, assistant?" Charlotte called from the bedroom.
"Aside from learning that Miss David uses rose-scented shampoo, nothing. You?"
"For the last time, I am not your assistant."
"If your detective skills were half as sharp as your tongue, I'd be less worried. Unfortunately, that's not the case."
Time ticked by. Soon, Holly's once-elegant, cozy flat was even more chaotic than Charlotte's own room. Despite considering the possibility the ghost might still be hiding, there was no strange drop in food, and the only thing truly missing was Holly's used coffee cup.
Holly huddled in the corner of her sofa, watching the two of them flip her home upside down. With each passing moment, the flame of hope in her eyes grew dimmer.
"Nothing…?" she asked, in a voice full of despair and helplessness.
"Of course," Charlotte said at last, straightening, dusting her hands off. "Our Mister Ghost is very clean."
"I'm sorry," Russell said gently. "We did our best, Miss David."
….