The Devil's Cage

Panda Novel

The noise of the gate shutting echoed in Kieran’s ears.

The light on the ceiling shook as if an earthquake had hit.

Heavy machinery.

Kieran’s mind painted a picture of meticulous machinery closing the gate and the hidden gears in the walls and underground.

“It’s even more heavily guarded than you expected, eh?”

Sitting on the only bed in the cell, Wilberst waved at Kieran, the waving motions shook the shackles on his hand, producing a rattling noise.

“Mm.” Kieran nodded and didn’t deny.

Everything here was indeed out of his expectations, just like Wilberst before him.

The old man was even more special than his initial speculations.

Kieran sized up the welded iron bed and eventually placed his gaze on Wilberst’s old face. Compared to the last meeting, the rage and sorrow were gone, Wilberst was much more relaxed and even looked happy, much more natural as well. Wilberst also cooperated better than Kieran imagined.

“Thank you for seeing me. I guess only you can see me now, in this kind of situation. I originally thought we could work together to find the killer who murdered my son, but then… I found something, so I made my move first.”

Kieran didn’t even have to ask, and Wilberst was already talking. As he spoke, Wilberst also moved his wrist, as if he was reenacting the scene where he killed Hardy Lynne.

“It’s very relieving! Much better than I thought!” Wilberst added.

“What did you find out?” Kieran asked in an interested tone.

“Some interesting things, but it’s not important anymore. I’ve taken revenge, I have no regrets anymore. I’ll just wait for death to arrive in the upcoming days. And… Thank you for visiting.”

Wilberst didn’t answer, he shrugged instead. He then laid down on the iron bed, closed his eyes, and lost the interest to converse further.

Kieran glanced over the old man, and without any further thoughts, he turned around and pressed the button on the wall for the speaker.

“Open the door,” said Kieran.

As Kieran’s voice subsided, Wilberst, lying on his bed, spoke again all of a sudden.

“I-If Lord D, you have the time, send a flower to Quaker’s grave, will ya? But if you don’t have time, then forget about it.”

Kieran didn’t agree or disagree.

When the cell gate was opened, Kieran walked out without any further comment.

Wier was leaning on the wall when Kieran walked out, the veteran consultant straightened his body.

“I know you might not listen to me, but I still have to say this, Wilberst killing senate speaker Hardy Lynne is no longer an individual incident, it’s related to the entire Eiders. I hope you can stay out of this,” Wier said sincerely.

“You believe what he says?” Kieran asked.

“The evidence is there, of course I believe,” Wier emphasized.

“Humans always believes what they think is right,” Kieran said calmly before losing interest, he then strode towards the elevator.

Kieran then left the station without further hindrance.

Before he got far, he passed by a flower shop and paused before he went in.

Afternoon Tea Flower Garden.

The words were carved on a long wooden plank, the wooden plank was hung over a metallic black stand in the shape of a ‘7’. It perfectly stuck to the signage beside the road, allowing all passersby to notice the flower shop.

Ding Dong!

Kieran pushed the door and went in, the bell on the door gave a clear chime.

“Welcome. What can I get you today?”

A normal-looking girl with a sweet voice welcomed Kieran with passion. She was wearing casual black clothes with an apron around her waist, her hair was tied up, and her hands were holding a pair of scissors and a flower for cutting.

“Some white flowers,” Kieran said what he was looking for simply.

“Chrysanthemum, lily or calla lily, which one do you want?” The girl pointed at a rack of flowers.

“Any one of them will do,” Kieran replied.

The girl had obviously never seen a customer like Kieran before, she looked at Kieran with a strange gaze before she arranged the bouquet based on the three said flowers according to her own idea. After the bouquet was ready, she gave it to Kieran.

“That will be $35.”

Kieran quietly took out the money and paid her the exact amount before leaving.

“Thank you, please come again,” the girl said as she watched Kieran go.

When the girl made sure Kieran was gone, the smile on her face instantly vanished. She walked to the back of the shop and removed the apron on her. The apron was then hung on the unconscious girl in the corridor, who was the real worker in the flower shop.

The real worker would wake up soon.

After she woke up, she would think that she passed out because of falling on her head.

Whenever people couldn’t get answers, they would always find solutions that fit the situation. Thus everything would be reasonable, even though it may be wrong.

Just like how the fake flower girl thought her mission would finish smoothly like every other time.

…

The graveyard was located beside Eiders Central Park, quiet but not secluded.

Therefore, those who were buried in this graveyard were either rich or famous, the commoners wouldn’t even get the right to ask about the price of this place, neither could they enter.

Kieran, with the bouquet of flowers, dodged the guards and entered the graveyard from the side. He relied on the shadows cast by the trees and gravestones to shuttle across the place.

He was looking for Quaker Wilberst’s grave.

It wasn’t too hard for Kieran to locate the grave though, especially when Mier, who was like a flashing neon sign, was standing beside the gravestone.

“I said it before, with my identity and abilities, I can solve a lot of problems that you don’t even want to touch, including knowing the conversation between you and Wilberst and coming into this place.”

Mier crossed her arms and lifted her chest up, she didn’t mind showing that alluring cleavage of hers, thus making her even more breathtaking.

Kieran didn’t answer, as if he couldn’t see the girl, he placed the bouquet of flowers in front of the gravestone.

There was a picture of Quaker Wilberst on the gravestone.

Even if it was black and white, the picture showed the young man’s bright smile.

Anyone who saw the picture would feel pity and sorrow because this was a graveyard.

A place where the dead rest.

Quaker Wilberst?

He was too young to be here.

Too young to the point that he didn’t know how dangerous, ruthless, and vicious the real world was.

Kieran moved his eyes away from the picture and started to size up the graveyard.

Looking at Kieran’s movements, Mier, who stayed quiet before out of respect for the dead, spoke again.

“I searched the place, there is nothing…”

Before she could finish, Mier was stopped abruptly because…

Kieran kicked the gravestone and toppled it!

The footprint formed by black dirt printed precisely on the young man’s picture.

Under the sunshine, the picture covered in dirt looked exceptionally dazzling.

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