Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The maid was standing on the crowded sidewalk.

In the midst of a large crowd of people rushing by, the woman was rummaging through her brown handbag, unknown what she was doing. He wouldn’t have recognized her if he hadn’t thought that her back was strangely familiar as she didn’t wear her usual black maid outfit and her hair, which was always pulled up, was also loose.

‘It’s annoying because it’s nice.’

Leon’s brow furrowed. The woman took her bills from the handbag and handed them to the beggar in front of the department store.

‘I heard your mother’s hospital bills aren’t enough?’

…She spent money on beggars when she wore holed old stockings.

‘You’re so relaxed?’

What he did at lunchtime today was about to become pathetic.

“A beauty that makes you turn your head.”

The lieutenant colonel suddenly spoke, and Leon straightened his head, which he had turned without realizing it.

“Have you seen a pretty girl?”

“No.”

“You know how to behave well, but are you in your prime? Like a bee in a jar of honey, you will be twisted by a beautiful woman. You better be careful, so you don’t end up like the commander.”

Well… Leon was sure he wouldn’t be like the commander because he was not a pathetic bastard who couldn’t recognize a spy and just liked the smell of a female.

“At my time, a naughty blonde fox squirmed around…”

The lieutenant colonel bit his mouth all of a sudden. It was only now that he remembered that Leon was the son of the man who had lost his life after being deceived by that blonde fox.

“That woman, she died a few years ago. Did you hear?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry. For what she did, she got it too easy.”

The lieutenant colonel rummaged through his jacket pocket and pulled out a cigar case. He muttered, biting off the end of the cigar.

“Leon…”

Calling in a friendly way as if Leon was his son, he offered him a cigar. Leon was polite enough to not be offended by the lieutenant colonel. Then, the thick hand holding the cigar tapped his shoulder and backed away.

“Catch that woman’s children and show her example in hell. Even Major Winston in Heaven will be proud of you.”

The woman had two children with the surname Riddle, the ‘royal family’ of the rebels. The eldest son, like ‘Little Jimmy’, was expected to take over his father’s footsteps and lead the leadership, but as soon as both his parents died, he turned his back on the rebels.

He had given up all the power and wealth that was given to the top officials and becomes a farmworker in a rural area. Although he disguised himself, it didn’t take long for Leon to track him down and find him.

The rat must be caught… But, what about the apostate rat?

People were only attached to watch him because the leader of the rebels or his younger sister would one day approach him so that the rat released could attract more rats.

“If Little Riddle is caught, it will be worth watching. There are over ten people in the West alone who are grinding their teeth on Riddle’s rats.”

Of the infamous Riddle’s rats, there was now only one left.

…Little Riddle.

The real name, appearance, and age have not been revealed.

So far, whenever he questioned the rebels, he had not forgotten and asked about the last Riddle, though none of them said anything. It seemed that the rebel leader, whom he did not know who he was, was more scary than the torture engineer standing in front of them with a blunt-bladed nipper.

What the hell was she like…?

So, the military called the mysterious woman Little Riddle, which meant ‘a small mystery.’

If she resembled her mother, was she a beauty with blonde hair and hazel eyes…? She was probably just as cunning and vicious as her mother. Perhaps, she must be selling herself to military officers somewhere to get information.

º º º

She slipped out the back door of the department store and walked through a cobweb-tangled alley. The other side of the colorful downtown was gray. It was followed by shabby buildings inhabited mainly by the poor working class. Only the sound of Sally’s shoes echoed through the empty alley.

No one looked at her until she reached the red brick building in the back alley.

For the people here, even being curious about the lives of others was a luxury. They went to work before sunrise and returned only after sunset. That was why they put a safe house in such a backward and underdeveloped place.

If the safe house were in a place where the middle class lives, it would be easily detected.

There would always be people who ran out and looked out the window to find out what gossip was in the neighborhood. It was the worst location in the house where other faces had no choice but to come and go.

Sally stood in front of the black door with the paint peeling off and rang the doorbell.

[ Get away, you m*therf*cker. ]

Rough words came out of the speaker. Hearing that, she twisted her brow slightly.

“Nancy, it’s me.”

[ Ah… ]

The speaker went off with a click, and footsteps were heard running down the stairs from behind the door.

Soon, the door swung open and brown eyes peered into her.

Nancy grabbed Sally inside and dragged her inside after reaffirming that she was her friend.

“I thought they were the neighborhood kids again… There are guys these days who have fun ringing the doorbell and running away.”

As Sally followed her up the old stairs, the house overlooking the alley on the right on the third floor was inside.

Even during the brief time she came down to open the door, Nancy kept the door firmly locked. She walked through the small living room and into the kitchen, and before entering, she would put the locks back on one by one.

“What’s going on? Do you have a day off…?”

“Yes.”

While Nancy prepared the cake she had brought on the little table, she turned on the radio that was placed on the wall shelf. Immediately, a brilliant trumpet playing came out and covered the sound of the two of them.

Whoever was behind the thin walls would not be able to overhear the conversation.

“Actually, Jimmy decided to call me over here.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

…To withdraw.

Then, she would ask why she wanted to withdraw. Sally was worried that the reason might accidentally get into the ears of Fred, Nancy’s younger brother and Winston’s subordinate. She still didn’t know what she was going to do because he was an immature guy.

“It’s no big deal.”

“Hmm…. But, what is this?”

Nancy frowned and tapped her fingertips next to her lips. Sally, noticing that she was referring to the scar on her cheek, frowned and turned her back.

“I was scratched at work. Do you have coffee more than that?”

Soon, the two chatted in front of a steaming mug and two pieces of cake. Sally cut the cake with a fork and put it in her mouth.

An almond cake filled with vanilla custard cream between cake sheets topped with caramelized almond slices. This cake was the culprit that made her salivate even just by the name of Madame Benoa. She admired the taste of the sweet clouds melting in the fragrant sunlight.

“Isn’t it fantastic?”

“Is it a wonder that such a talented person is hiding in such a corner?”

Nancy tasted the other cake topped with raspberry jelly and nodded her head.

“It’s because of the Winston family. Every time they have a party, they put in a lot of orders.”

“Oh, by the way, how is Fred doing?”

“Yes, I don’t think it’s a big deal.”

She didn’t tell her yesterday that he almost got whipped by Winston.

“Ugh, I’m worried about that guy because he’s timid.”

“Though… He must have been shocked by Uncle Bobby.”

She remembered Fred running out of the torture chamber a few days ago, where his uncle’s screams echoed. His face was so pale blue. Sally later went so far as to ask how he was holding up with this every time she was alone.

“Still, what about uncle? How is he?”

“How is it? The elite troops went to the rescue.”

Nancy smirked as she waved her hand as if seeing she was worried for nothing.

“Where is he now?”

“Inside Billford’s safe house.”

“Is he okay?”

She suddenly asked as if she remembered.

Her scornful eyes stared at her, asking if he had any leaked information. She felt uncomfortable because it seemed as if she had left a residue of a misunderstanding with a man she had not seen for a long time.

“Oh, no. I’ll have to make a call.”

“The long-distance is expensive, so keep it short.”

“I know.”

Sally went out to the living room and sat down on the sofa.

Then, she rummaged through an old notebook hidden under the sofa cushions, looking for the code of Billford’s safe house. Eventually, she immediately picked up the receiver from the phone placed on the coffee table.

The operator’s voice and mechanical clicking sound were boring. That was not enough, she could only hear Uncle Bobby’s voice only after she heard a bunch of nagging from the aunt who was in charge of the house, that it was no rush.

“Uncle, it’s me. How is your body?”

[ Oh, yes. Now that I’m alive, I must say it’s worth living. ]

Although the voice over the receiver was a little murky, there was a return of vitality that she couldn’t feel in the torture room.

“That’s fortunate.”

[ Thank you for your concern. ]

“Absolutely. You are like my family.”

No matter how accustomed she was to this sort of thing, Sally had a warm heart. She couldn’t be happier that the mission had forced her to face hardships soberly.

“Then, take a good rest, recover your health quickly. And, when you return to the house, say my hello to Aunt Hattie…”

Uncle Bobby abruptly interrupted her as she was saying goodbye to hang up the phone.

What was the point of calling her real name rather than her disguised name, even with a very low voice…?

“…Yes?”

[ Are you playing the role of the devil’s mistress? ]