“Hey, how the hell am I supposed to find a red-haired woman here!”
A middle-aged man who had been circling around the Rambouillet relief center for two hours kicked rocks rolling in the alley, feeling exhausted and exhausted.
“At this hour, all the women must be inside. Why would they still be wandering around outside?!”
The tramps arrived at this alley in the afternoon, but because of the short winter days, it was already getting dark before five o'clock. Certainly, a well-groomed girl would be well-off at home.
“We too have lived without answers, but those who made such requests really have no answers either!”
“Stop grumbling and be quiet! People are staring!”
This alley was a district where poor people lived together. Children full of curiosity about outsiders were peeking out of their houses. A dozen pairs of shiny pebble-like athletes stared at the vagrant men walking around.
“Should we just leave it to the locals and go back? Let’s go have a drink with the money we received. Who knows when that girl will crawl out...?”
The grumbling middle-aged man frowned at his colleague's dirty hand covering his mouth.
“Shhh! Hey, look at that!!”
Urged on by his companion, the middle-aged man looked ahead. A red-haired young woman was coming out of the back door of the Rambouillet Relief Center. She was carrying a basket of burlap in her arms, wearing a cloak and boots, and walking briskly.
“She has red hair!”
The woman's attire was not quite noble, but she looked wealthy for a commoner. The two tramps looked at each other and nodded meaningfully.
'It's definitely that woman!'
Looking around, all the people who had been wandering around had gone in and there was no one else there. It was the perfect place to start a business. The middle-aged man approached the red-haired woman with a dagger hidden in his sleeve.
“Excuse me, Miss.”
"Yes?"
The innocent blue-eyed girl turned her head and looked at the middle-aged man who had called her.
Bam!
The middle-aged man's dagger stabbed the red-haired woman in the stomach. The woman lost her center of gravity and fell forward without even making a sound.
"Done!"
The middle-aged man carried the fallen woman around. He was going to drag her to a dark place and secure evidence of the murder as the client had ordered. But his colleague suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.
“Oh, why again.”
“Look over there, look over there!”
The middle-aged man looked up and ahead with annoyance.
“...!”
There was another red-haired woman there, looking terrified. If the dead woman's hair was maple red, the living woman's hair was a fiery orange.
'Clearly to kill the 'plump woman' with red hair and wearing fancy clothes...'
The middle-aged man weighed the dead woman he was carrying. The body the middle-aged man was carrying was of average build at best. No, to be honest, it was on the thin side.
“That woman! Catch that woman!”
The older man whispered to his companion, his voice muffled. The two vagabonds exchanged glances and immediately chased after the new woman.
“Whoa!”
Maleta, a 'plump' woman with flaming orange hair, was terrified when two men with fierce faces chased her. She turned to run back into the Rambouillet Relief Center. She ran with all her might, but the men, who were doing the physical work, were overwhelmingly faster.
“Got it!”
"Help!"
“Shut your mouth!”
The older man grabbed Maleta. Instead of covering Maleta's mouth as the older man had told him to, his colleague stabbed her with a dagger.
"Oh!"
Maleta slumped down, leaving only a final scream. Her breath had stopped. It was the end of the greedy Maleta. The homeless stood in the middle of the alley, exchanging awkward glances.
“What should I do? I think I killed another person.”
“If we don’t get caught, we’ll win. Let’s get it out quickly.”
“Didn’t they tell us to cut the head off the corpse?”
“Which of you two?”
“Isn’t it the same the second time?”
“What if it’s the first time? If I take the wrong head, won’t I get my money back?”
“Then let’s cut them both.”
"Yes."
The homeless each carried a corpse and hurried down the back alley of the Rambouillet Relief Center. At first glance, the back alley of the Relief Center seemed to be empty. However, in an area where the poor live densely, there are always eyes watching, no matter where. Inside the shantytown made of wooden planks, several eyes that had witnessed the incident sparkled.
"Done!"
The middle-aged man carried the fallen woman around. He was going to drag her to a dark place and secure evidence of the murder as the client had ordered. But his colleague suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.
“Oh, why again.”
“Look over there, look over there!”
The middle-aged man looked up and ahead with annoyance.
“...!”
There was another red-haired woman there, looking terrified. If the dead woman's hair was maple red, the living woman's hair was a fiery orange.
'Clearly to kill the 'plump woman' with red hair and wearing fancy clothes...'
The middle-aged man weighed the dead woman he was carrying. The body the middle-aged man was carrying was of average build at best. No, to be honest, it was on the thin side.
“That woman! Catch that woman!”
The older man whispered to his companion, his voice muffled. The two vagabonds exchanged glances and immediately chased after the new woman.
“Whoa!”
Maleta, a 'plump' woman with flaming orange hair, was terrified when two men with fierce faces chased her. She turned to run back into the Rambouillet Relief Center. She ran with all her might, but the men, who were doing the physical work, were overwhelmingly faster.
“Got it!”
"Help!"
“Shut your mouth!”
The older man grabbed Maleta. Instead of covering Maleta's mouth as the older man had told him to, his colleague stabbed her with a dagger.
"Oh!"
Maleta slumped down, leaving only a final scream. Her breath had stopped. It was the end of the greedy Maleta. The homeless stood in the middle of the alley, exchanging awkward glances.
“What should I do? I think I killed another person.”
“If we don’t get caught, we’ll win. Let’s get it out quickly.”
“Didn’t they tell us to cut the head off the corpse?”
“Which of you two?”
“Isn’t it the same the second time?”
“What if it’s the first time? If I take the wrong head, won’t I get my money back?”
“Then let’s cut them both.”
"Yes."
The homeless each carried a corpse and hurried down the back alley of the Rambouillet Relief Center. At first glance, the back alley of the Relief Center seemed to be empty. However, in an area where the poor live densely, there are always eyes watching, no matter where. Inside the shantytown made of wooden planks, several eyes that had witnessed the incident sparkled.
***
"I'm home."
The manager of the Rambouillet Relief Center, Monsieur Scampa, left work a little later than usual today.
“Mother, what about dinner?”
Despite his rough appearance, he was the head of a household supporting his mother, who had difficulty moving, and his daughter, who was almost ready to get married. The family of three lived in Castel Labico, a middle-class district about a 30-minute walk from the Rambouillet Relief Center.
“I didn’t eat. Paola hasn’t come home yet, so there was no one to take care of it.”
“Huh? Paola hasn’t arrived yet? She clearly left before me to prepare dinner for Mom.”
The mother became angry.
“Then you’re saying I’m lying!”
“No, no. That can’t be.”
Mr. Scampa was even more scared.
“Paola isn’t the type of person to get lost on the way home..."
His only daughter, Paola, was his pride and reason for living. Despite their tight finances, he made sure that his daughter had the best possible things to eat, wear, and use. Recently, Scampa had been looking for a husband for Paola. He had even saved up a dowry so that his daughter would not be left without a dowry. Paola felt bad about taking advantage of her father’s savings when she got married, so whenever the Rambouillet Relief Center needed help, she would do odd jobs at the Relief center and receive daily wages.
The manager of the Rambouillet Relief Center, Monsieur Scampa, left work a little later than usual today.
“Mother, what about dinner?”
Despite his rough appearance, he was the head of a household supporting his mother, who had difficulty moving, and his daughter, who was almost ready to get married. The family of three lived in Castel Labico, a middle-class district about a 30-minute walk from the Rambouillet Relief Center.
“I didn’t eat. Paola hasn’t come home yet, so there was no one to take care of it.”
“Huh? Paola hasn’t arrived yet? She clearly left before me to prepare dinner for Mom.”
The mother became angry.
“Then you’re saying I’m lying!”
“No, no. That can’t be.”
Mr. Scampa was even more scared.
“Paola isn’t the type of person to get lost on the way home..."
His only daughter, Paola, was his pride and reason for living. Despite their tight finances, he made sure that his daughter had the best possible things to eat, wear, and use. Recently, Scampa had been looking for a husband for Paola. He had even saved up a dowry so that his daughter would not be left without a dowry. Paola felt bad about taking advantage of her father’s savings when she got married, so whenever the Rambouillet Relief Center needed help, she would do odd jobs at the Relief center and receive daily wages.
Today was another day. During the day, she helped plant turnips in the garden at the Rambouillet Relief Center, and in the evening, she went home early to prepare dinner for her grandmother. Paola had to stay home. She wasn’t the type of person to stay out at this hour.
“I have to go out and look for her ”
As Mr. Scampa was putting back on his coat that he had taken off, Mrs. Pampinola from next door came to the front door and said.
“Hey, Mr. Scampa. There’s chaos on the street right now. Did you hear that?”
“No? What’s going on?”
“They said that two female corpses were found in the back alley of the relief center...”
"Yes?!"
“But both of them have no necks.”
“I have to go out and look for her ”
As Mr. Scampa was putting back on his coat that he had taken off, Mrs. Pampinola from next door came to the front door and said.
“Hey, Mr. Scampa. There’s chaos on the street right now. Did you hear that?”
“No? What’s going on?”
“They said that two female corpses were found in the back alley of the relief center...”
"Yes?!"
“But both of them have no necks.”
***
Lucrezia sent Loretta to the fishmonger at 8 Via Campo de' Spezia once a day.
“Has any cargo arrived?”
"Have you got any cargo?" was the code Lucrezia had set with the fishmonger. Lucrezia asked the fishmonger to not open the box that said "For the Lady" and to hand it over to her servant instead. The owner of the store, who had been making a lot of money thanks to Lucrezia until a few months ago, but had recently stopped doing business with her, agreed to it after seeing Lucrezia's side. If a box had come, she could just hand it over, and if no box had come, she could just say, "No, I don't have any cargo today."
However, the owner of the fishmonger at 8 Campo de' Spezia just looked at Loretta with a very embarrassed expression.
“No cargo?”
Loretta asked again. At that moment, the people who had been waiting in the back room of the store rushed out and surrounded Loretta.
“Got it!”
“Which house’s maid are you!”
“What kind of magnificent noble family is it that can do such a terrible thing?!”
At the head of the line of people surrounding Loretta stood Mr. Scampa, his blood vessels bursting from his eyes with pain and rage, turning not only his hair but his eyes red as well.
“You killed my daughter!!!”
"I beg your pardon?!"
Last night, when news came that a headless woman had been found, Mr. Scampa rushed to the place in a frenzy. The body was found halfway between the Rambouillet Relief Center and Mr. Scampa’s house, somewhere between Castel Rabico and Comune Nuova. He said that since he couldn’t leave the body in an abandoned barn, he moved it to the building of the residents’ cooperative in Castel Rabico.
“My daughter is my daughter here?!”
When Mr. Scampa came running in, the head of Castel Rabico was delighted. The head of the cooperative was also in charge of the security of the area. He quickly showed him the two bodies.
“I was looking for someone who had connections. Judging from the way you’re dressed, you seem to be a local resident...”
“Paola!”
Mr. Scampa's tearful voice echoed through the co-op building.
“My daughter!”
The only daughter he had raised as a precious child returned as a headless corpse.
“Who is it!”
Mr. Scampa cried.
“Who did this!”
“We’ll have to find out little by little...”
“Are you the representative of Castel Rabico?”
Another man pushed open the cooperative door and came in. He was the head of the local cooperative of Commune Nuova. The Rambouillet Relief Center was located in Commune Nuova, so M. Scampa was acquainted with the head of the cooperative.
“Our children saw some suspicious men wandering around the Rambouillet Relief Center.”
"Yes?"
“That’s not all. No one has come forward to say that they saw the murder scene itself, but some people saw two men carrying each woman down the alley. It wasn’t just one or two people, it was several people.”
Mr. Scampa jumped to his feet.
“This is not the time! Let’s go catch him!”
After that, it was a breeze. When they gathered the accounts of the vagrants that the children had seen in Commune Nuova, they got a clear picture.
“No cargo?”
Loretta asked again. At that moment, the people who had been waiting in the back room of the store rushed out and surrounded Loretta.
“Got it!”
“Which house’s maid are you!”
“What kind of magnificent noble family is it that can do such a terrible thing?!”
At the head of the line of people surrounding Loretta stood Mr. Scampa, his blood vessels bursting from his eyes with pain and rage, turning not only his hair but his eyes red as well.
“You killed my daughter!!!”
"I beg your pardon?!"
Last night, when news came that a headless woman had been found, Mr. Scampa rushed to the place in a frenzy. The body was found halfway between the Rambouillet Relief Center and Mr. Scampa’s house, somewhere between Castel Rabico and Comune Nuova. He said that since he couldn’t leave the body in an abandoned barn, he moved it to the building of the residents’ cooperative in Castel Rabico.
“My daughter is my daughter here?!”
When Mr. Scampa came running in, the head of Castel Rabico was delighted. The head of the cooperative was also in charge of the security of the area. He quickly showed him the two bodies.
“I was looking for someone who had connections. Judging from the way you’re dressed, you seem to be a local resident...”
“Paola!”
Mr. Scampa's tearful voice echoed through the co-op building.
“My daughter!”
The only daughter he had raised as a precious child returned as a headless corpse.
“Who is it!”
Mr. Scampa cried.
“Who did this!”
“We’ll have to find out little by little...”
“Are you the representative of Castel Rabico?”
Another man pushed open the cooperative door and came in. He was the head of the local cooperative of Commune Nuova. The Rambouillet Relief Center was located in Commune Nuova, so M. Scampa was acquainted with the head of the cooperative.
“Our children saw some suspicious men wandering around the Rambouillet Relief Center.”
"Yes?"
“That’s not all. No one has come forward to say that they saw the murder scene itself, but some people saw two men carrying each woman down the alley. It wasn’t just one or two people, it was several people.”
Mr. Scampa jumped to his feet.
“This is not the time! Let’s go catch him!”
After that, it was a breeze. When they gathered the accounts of the vagrants that the children had seen in Commune Nuova, they got a clear picture.
The vagrants had not gone far. They happened to be in a nearby tavern, celebrating their success at work and having a drink. Half of it was because they had trusted their employer’s words that they had no need to worry about the aftermath, as the target was a homeless woman, and the other half was because they had led a lifestyle that did not think about the aftermath, due to their alcoholism.
“These guys!”
“Got it!”
“Eek!!!”
It was clear that the vagrants were the murderers of Paola Scampa and the unidentified red-haired woman, for they had two heads buried in sawdust and safely placed in a box.
“Why on earth did you kill people and cut off their heads!”
“Request... Upon receiving the request...”
“Whose request!”
“We don’t know! We just took the box to the fishmonger at 8 Campo de’ Spezia and said, ‘We are here to drop off the cargo requested by the lady,’ and we were told that they would pay us the remaining balance!”
So Mr. Scampa and the two boroughs' police officers lay in wait in the fishmonger's shop in Campo de Spezia, waiting for someone to come and claim the box. And now Loretta was caught.
“Whose maid are you!”
Loretta desperately kept her mouth shut and muttered, feeling as if she shouldn't say anything for some reason.
“Search through your belongings!”
The men rushed in and snatched Loretta's handbag and searched through its contents. It contained only a few silver florins and lipstick. One of the men, frustrated at not being able to identify Loretta, suddenly shouted when he saw her attire.
“I know that maid’s uniform!”
“Huh? Which house’s maid’s uniform is this?”
“That’s... the clothes worn at Cardinal de Mare’s mansion! The maid who buys vegetables around here was wearing something like that!”
Everyone gathered was shocked at the news that he was not a nobleman but a member of a clergy family.
“These guys!”
“Got it!”
“Eek!!!”
It was clear that the vagrants were the murderers of Paola Scampa and the unidentified red-haired woman, for they had two heads buried in sawdust and safely placed in a box.
“Why on earth did you kill people and cut off their heads!”
“Request... Upon receiving the request...”
“Whose request!”
“We don’t know! We just took the box to the fishmonger at 8 Campo de’ Spezia and said, ‘We are here to drop off the cargo requested by the lady,’ and we were told that they would pay us the remaining balance!”
So Mr. Scampa and the two boroughs' police officers lay in wait in the fishmonger's shop in Campo de Spezia, waiting for someone to come and claim the box. And now Loretta was caught.
“Whose maid are you!”
Loretta desperately kept her mouth shut and muttered, feeling as if she shouldn't say anything for some reason.
“Search through your belongings!”
The men rushed in and snatched Loretta's handbag and searched through its contents. It contained only a few silver florins and lipstick. One of the men, frustrated at not being able to identify Loretta, suddenly shouted when he saw her attire.
“I know that maid’s uniform!”
“Huh? Which house’s maid’s uniform is this?”
“That’s... the clothes worn at Cardinal de Mare’s mansion! The maid who buys vegetables around here was wearing something like that!”
Everyone gathered was shocked at the news that he was not a nobleman but a member of a clergy family.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment