John quickly discovered that something was amiss, and it concerned a place both men had visited.
Although Gideon and Alastair seemed to have no obvious connection, a significant link emerged through their social interactions...
Their wives were both dancers at the same bar!
Gideon had married his wife three years ago, but the details of how they met were not particularly clear.
She had been working at the Rose Bar.
It was said to be another clichéd tale of a hero saving a damsel.
Gideon had rescued his wife, and they had been together ever since—a story not unheard of, and not much could be said against it.
However, the fact that Alastair's wife also worked at the Rose Bar raised suspicions.
Alastair's wife had been just a waitress there, with no notable background, seemingly just an ordinary staff member.
But a careful investigation revealed that Alastair and Gideon's wives actually knew each other, having been part of the same group of employees.
Amelia also quickly discovered this and exchanged a knowing look with John.
A thought instantly formed in their minds: if they were to truly understand what was going on behind the scenes with these two men, they would have to start with their wives.
After all, that was the only place where their paths crossed!
"Let's go, to the Rose Bar!"
Amelia nodded in agreement, realizing that their only connection was indeed their wives.
This also meant there was more for them to explore.
Not knowing what delays might bring, they had to reach the Rose Bar as quickly as possible.
However, when they arrived at the Rose Bar, they were surprised to find Isabella also standing at the entrance.
John looked at Isabella with slight astonishment, "What are you doing here?"
Isabella glanced at John and then at Amelia beside him, quickly grasping why they had come.
"You were assigned this task too?"
After seeing them nod, Isabella immediately understood.
It seemed their investigations had all led them to the Rose Bar.
He paused, tapping on the floor with care.
Everywhere else felt solid, except for one spot that was hollow.
Without hesitation, he grabbed a crowbar from nearby and pried open the large section of wooden flooring.
The basement, already poorly ventilated, was suddenly filled with a rush of dust, nearly choking John.
He staggered back several steps before he could breathe somewhat easier, but soon he noticed something unusual.
Behind the floor, it wasn't entirely hollow as he had expected.
Instead, it seemed there were other items hidden here—several large wooden crates.
These crates were all sealed; tampering with them carelessly would only damage their contents...
John glanced at the wooden crates and a different thought crossed his mind.
If these crates really contained something of great importance, they wouldn't just be carelessly left here.
They were probably just some unimportant items, left behind because they were inconvenient to move.
Without much hesitation, he marked the crates and then exited the basement.
"Find anything?" he asked upon seeing Amelia and Isabella already outside, each holding something in their hands.
Amelia looked at the items in her hand and nodded slightly, indicating they had found something worthwhile.
"I found some stamps in their office. The patterns on these stamps have started to fade, hard to tell what they were for."
"I found some strange powder where they mix drinks," Isabella added, showing what she had discovered.
The powder looked unremarkable at first glance, indistinguishable from ordinary flour.
However, a closer look revealed that the white powder was interspersed with shimmering particles, which, upon careful observation, seemed to cause slight dizziness.
They also found similar powder among the remains on the floor of the bar area, likely used for controlling people.
"I found several crates in the basement, all sealed, not something we can just open without risking damage to what's inside. I think we should look around first, see if there's another way to open them," John said.
Although he doubted anything of importance was inside, finding something useful would certainly be a bonus.
The two women nodded in understanding, but their priority was to search for anything else that might be useful...
"Rose Bar used to be quite the renowned spot. It's surprising the owner just up and left, and so thoroughly, without leaving a trace of a clue. They must have prepared in advance, and I refuse to believe otherwise."