63: Chapter 63 The Countess's Help

Elizabeth's sudden kindness caused Shaun's back to tense up slightly.

Help him?

How?

What were the conditions?

Shaun couldn't help but recall the scene the last time she mentioned "cooperation"...

In the basement, beside the corpse of the Bat Monster, she had tilted his chin up, saying he would live for a long time and that they would be together for a long time.

This recollection... immediately triggered a stress response in Shaun, and he quickly waved his hand. "No need."

Elizabeth's movements paused for a moment, seemingly a bit helpless at Shaun's forceful refusal.

She asked again with uncertainty, "No need?"

"No need," Shaun repeated. "I can handle it myself."

Elizabeth stared at Shaun for a moment and smiled. "Are you afraid of me?"

Shaun was indeed a little afraid, but could he say that out loud?

Of course he couldn't!

Elizabeth took a step forward.

The hem of her trench coat brushed against the broken candle stand on the floor, making a faint sound. Her voice... was somewhat bewitching. "You're afraid I'll ask you for help, afraid I'll set conditions, afraid I..."

Elizabeth saw right through Shaun's thoughts...

"In short... you're just afraid of me!"

Shaun did indeed have an instinctive wariness!

A Vampire who had lived for hundreds of years and killed without blinking an eye, yet showed interest in him—that was more dangerous than any threat.

But he certainly couldn't say it that way, so Shaun said, "I just don't want to owe you a favor. I haven't even paid back the one from last time."

Elizabeth was amused. "Officer Sean, you are truly naive..."

As she spoke, she didn't try to persuade him further. She turned and gripped the doorknob again, looking ready to leave.

"It doesn't matter," her voice came from the doorway. "If you don't want to investigate, I won't interfere."

She pushed the door open.

Sunlight poured in, stretching her shadow long.

Shaun had to admire Elizabeth's capabilities.

Wasn't it said that Vampires are afraid of sunlight? Why was this Elizabeth not affected at all?

Just as he was thinking this, Elizabeth's next words made Shaun's heart tremble.

"But Shaun... that thing, even if you don't investigate it, it will haunt you. It's interested in you, just like..."

She paused. "Just like me."

Then she walked straight out, and the door closed gently behind her.

The cathedral became quiet once again.

Only Shaun remained, along with the unconscious woman on the floor, the shattered glass everywhere, and the overturned pews.

Sunlight shone through the stained glass windows onto the cross on the altar, peaceful and quiet.

Shaun stood in place, took a deep breath, and exhaled.

Elizabeth wouldn't talk nonsense; it seemed this matter had to be dealt with.

He looked down at the woman...

She was still unconscious, her breathing faint but steady.

Her dress was covered in dust, and her face was pale. She looked like an ordinary, thin young woman whose body had been borrowed by something.

Shaun knelt down, gathered her skirt, and covered her exposed calves.

Then he stood up, pulled out his phone, and dialed an internal number.

"St. Louis Cathedral, someone is injured, need an ambulance. And..." he paused, "some things were smashed."

Shaun had to call for backup.

Otis was basically out of commission for now; he couldn't handle the current situation alone.

...

Once Shaun requested backup, the police department's efficiency was quite high.

Outside the cathedral, the sound of sirens was already very close.

Shaun walked to the entrance and pushed open the door.

Sunlight hit his face, and he squinted his eyes.

Otis was sitting on the curb below the steps, one hand rubbing his chest and the other holding a cigarette, his face still pale.

Grey Suit and Jacket Man stood in the distance, and the elderly couple huddled even further away.

A few passersby stopped to watch the commotion but were blocked by the arriving police.

Seeing Shaun come out, Otis braced himself and stood up. "What's the situation inside?"

Shaun saw so many people watching and didn't know how many had seen Elizabeth when she left.

But for now, he certainly couldn't spout nonsense, so he just said, "Nothing much, just someone fainted."

Otis looked at him.

In those eyes that had seen twenty years on the force, there were many questions, but he didn't ask anything; he just nodded.

He said flatly, "Alright, wait for the ambulance."

Shaun sat down beside him. The sunlight felt warm on both of them.

He remembered Elizabeth's final words...

"It will haunt you."

And that other sentence...

"Just like me."

Shaun looked at the street corner opposite; it was empty, with nothing there.

But he knew someone... no, perhaps some things were watching him.

Maybe behind some window, maybe in some shadow.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at the New Orleans sky, finding the blue to be blindingly bright...

...

The ambulance arrived and lifted the woman into the vehicle. She still hadn't woken up, her face as white as paper, but her breathing was stable.

Otis was helped into another vehicle to check for fractures.

Before getting in, he glanced back at Shaun, wanting to say something, but in the end, he said nothing and just nodded.

Shaun stood in place, watching the two vehicles disappear around the corner.

Then he turned and walked toward the police station.

He walked straight to Chief Brown's office door and knocked.

"Come in."

Brown was sitting behind his desk, with several cigarette butts piled in the ashtray in front of him.

He looked up, saw Shaun, took off his reading glasses, and asked, "The matter at the cathedral?"

Shaun nodded.

"Sit."

Shaun sat down opposite him.

Brown leaned back in his chair, looking at Shaun.

He said, "Otis called and mentioned some things—it was all a mess. Something about a woman going crazy, having abnormally great strength... I couldn't make heads or tails of it!"

"You tell me, what exactly happened."

Shaun had already decided to keep things vague.

So he said, "She was a bit abnormal."

Brown frowned. "Abnormal?"

"Like a mental issue," Shaun said, trying to keep his voice steady. "She suddenly started screaming and shouting, driving everyone out. Otis tried to calm her down and was pushed by her, and he fell."

Brown stared at him. "Pushed? Otis, a big man of 185 centimeters and 200 pounds, was sent flying by a girl's palm, hit a pew, and the pew shattered?"

Shaun looked into Brown's eyes and talked Bullshit. "The pews were very old; they were already loose."

Brown stopped talking...

He obviously knew Shaun was talking nonsense, but he also realized that perhaps he shouldn't ask too closely.

After a long while, he asked, "Where is that woman now?"

"The hospital."

"Is anyone watching her?"

"No."

Shaun added another sentence, feeling as though he had realized what Chief Brown really wanted to ask, and quickly followed up with, "That woman is just an ordinary person; there's no need to keep watching her."