Chapter 40: The House of Murder and the Move

Walking all the way to the innermost part of the residential complex, a two-story villa with a red exterior appeared before them. This villa was somewhat secluded, with the nearest neighboring villa more than three hundred meters away. No one knew why.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this villa was custom-built. Its first owner was a famous celebrity who, not wanting to be photographed by paparazzi, deliberately had the villa set further inside to enjoy a private life,” the real estate manager explained enthusiastically.

The four of them looked up to examine the villa. From the outside, it was beautiful—its design was elegant and unadorned, with a cylindrical tower slightly to the right of center, reminiscent of castles from stories, exuding a sense of history and age.

Outside was a small courtyard, planted with swathes of fiery red flowers and several ancient, gnarled pines encircling the villa. The environment was tranquil and serene.

The manager opened the gate and invited them in. The moment Lin Xiao stepped into the courtyard, his whole body jolted. The magic within him began to circulate spontaneously.

He frowned. This had been happening often lately. Last time, when he encountered werewolves, his magic had also acted up. Now, just entering a courtyard, it happened again. Could this villa be hiding some unspeakable secret?

Will and Number Eleven were excited. Such a magnificent house, like a castle from a story—if they lived here, wouldn’t they become prince and princess?

The manager opened the deep crimson front door and invited them inside. “This house is a classic example of Victorian style, built in 1920 by a renowned architect for a popular celebrity. It’s exquisitely constructed and lavishly decorated.”

Lin Xiao stepped through the door, and the magic inside him flowed even faster. A chilling aura seeped from within the house, as though he had stepped into a freezing cavern.

Will and Number Eleven seemed to sense something amiss as well. Their excitement faded; Will, in particular, looked frightened and hesitated at the threshold.

Joey, however, was unusually enthusiastic, dragging Will inside and gazing around. The interior decoration was indeed refined: a floor-to-ceiling window covering half a wall adorned with pale blue embellishments, full of classical beauty.

“These furnishings are genuine Tiffany decor. As you can see, the previous owner treated this house as a treasure, meticulously furnished it, and made it their own castle,” the manager joked. Joey’s eyes became dreamy; she had never seen such precious decorations in her life. Thinking of her years of hard work, realizing her earnings wouldn’t even buy the furniture, an unusual feeling surged in her chest.

Buy it!

“Such a fine house—why is it so cheap? Is there some hidden story?” Lin Xiao suddenly asked. The manager’s face changed slightly. She forced a smile and explained, “Alright, I must be honest with you about what happened.”

All four looked at her. The manager took a deep breath and said, “Yes, the previous owners, both of them, died in this house.”

Just as expected. Lin Xiao was not surprised; the house was heavy with an ominous aura, clearly the scene of a tragedy.

Will and Number Eleven looked even more uneasy. Number Eleven stepped forward, clinging tightly to Lin Xiao’s arm, her terrified gaze fixed toward the basement.

“Where did they die?” Joey asked. The manager pointed toward the basement. “The basement. Both died there. Murder and suicide. They were once a loving couple, but fate is unpredictable. I was the one who sold them the house.”

Lin Xiao’s expression soured. He had little desire to buy such a haunted house; saving money wasn’t worth the trouble.

“Oh, is there any such thing as unchanging love in this world? I like this house very much. I’ll buy it, but I only have eighteen thousand dollars. What can you do?” Joey declared unexpectedly, her expression ambiguous, as though she had become a different person.

The manager hesitated, then said she’d check with the general manager. She walked to the living room, picked up the wall phone, dialed, and reported quietly, nodding repeatedly.

“OK, the general manager says once eighteen thousand dollars are transferred, the house is yours,” she announced. Lin Xiao was baffled; a haunted house might be cheap, but not this cheap.

Even in those days, the dollar was strong—one dollar nearly equaled thirty in later years—so eighteen thousand dollars was about fifty-four thousand, but still far less than the value of such a mansion.

Even at a third of the price, one hundred and fifty thousand wouldn’t buy it; this price was nearly a giveaway.

Something strange was afoot. Cheap things seldom come without trouble. In his opinion, it was best not to buy it.

But Joey insisted, and he couldn’t object in public. After thinking it over, he decided that with his and Number Eleven’s abilities, they could handle any supernatural trouble. It was no big deal, so he let Joey have her way.

The manager worked efficiently; within an afternoon, she guided them through all the procedures.

In America, real estate transactions are treated as ordinary trade, much like shopping at a supermarket, so the process wasn’t complicated.

Joey simply asked the supermarket manager for a day off, saying she needed to take Will to see a doctor and wanted to spend more time at home.

That evening, Joey mobilized the three of them to pack their luggage. Last time, most of their things had burned, so there wasn’t much left, and they finished quickly.

That night, Joey called Sheriff Hope, informing him of the move. Sheriff Hope said he’d come by the next day to help.

The next morning, Sheriff Hope arrived early to help them move. He’d expected their new home to be a small house, but was astonished to find it a mansion.

“Joey, where did you get the money to buy such a place?” he asked, eyeing the grand house and estimating that less than ten thousand wouldn’t suffice.

“Jim, don’t be jealous. This is all Jonathan’s doing—we really got a bargain,” Joey replied, smiling broadly as she hurried with the luggage. Lin Xiao frowned, feeling something was amiss, but unable to pinpoint it. He could only increase his vigilance.

Sheriff Hope glanced at Lin Xiao, his eyes questioning. Lin Xiao came over and explained quietly, enlightening the sheriff. The reward money, of course.

He already knew about the werewolf incident from Reinhardt, but since the reward hadn’t gone through him, he hadn’t known.

“Joey, you’ve raised a fine son,” the sheriff remarked as he helped carry luggage and followed them inside, once again envying the luxurious decor.

Such mansions were only for the truly wealthy. He was just a struggling sheriff, with little income, his monthly salary barely covering expenses—he could never afford a mansion.

“Why not move in, Jim? There are plenty of rooms, and it’ll be livelier with all of us together,” Lin Xiao suddenly invited. After all, affection grows over time; since neither he nor Joey could bring themselves to be direct, he might as well play matchmaker.

“That wouldn’t be right,” Sheriff Hope began to refuse, but Number Eleven and Will also came up to invite him.

Now he was conflicted, looking to Joey, who seemed distracted, excitedly flailing her arms, as if she hadn’t heard their conversation.

As a seasoned detective, Sheriff Hope immediately sensed something was wrong.

Joey was behaving quite abnormally, nothing like her usual self. He realized that their invitation was likely meant to protect Joey as well.

“All right, then I’ll move in and enjoy a real mansion,” he agreed.