What a coincidence, he thought the same thing and rushed over too.
The study session that evening was very relaxed. Wayne still took the initiative and applied principles broadly. At one point, Chris switched to the senior year textbooks for eleventh grade, and without instruction, Wayne was still able to answer fluently.
So he was already a college student!
Leaning on the desk, Chris propped her head up with one hand and said in exasperation, "Wayne, time is the most precious thing. You shouldn’t waste your valuable time on trivial matters."
"Not at all, Chris, you’re not trivial in the slightest."
Chris’s face turned red at the too-direct compliment, suggesting Wayne take it back quickly.
"Besides, without the tutoring sessions, I wouldn’t trust you this much. You wouldn’t be able to borrow money and would fail to complete The Church’s mission, right?"
Wayne skirted the subject as lightly as a dragonfly skimming water and switched topics, "So, by that logic, I haven’t wasted precious time, and you’ve helped The Church overcome a difficulty. We both have a bright future."
Chris blushed from being interrupted, pondered for a moment, and thought there might be some truth to it.
Pfft, how could that be logical!
She glared at Wayne, packed up the textbooks, and said, "I don’t have classes the day after tomorrow, so I’ll prepare for college. Don’t keep things from me next time. You’re a genius and can’t afford to waste an hour and a half every day for nothing."
"Uh, don’t say things like that ever again. During class, I’m the teacher, you’re the student, got it?"
"What’s there to blush about!"
Wayne wasn’t embarrassed, but Chris was, her face reddening as she scooped up her textbooks and fled the study room.
Commercial Street, Wayne Detective Agency.
As was his custom, Wayne checked in, flipping through the files of the past couple of days, signing each one.
Assistant Carrie handed him a notebook with a line of phone numbers written down: "Detective Mona called in a hurry this morning, saying there was a small issue with the pet disappearance case she was investigating. She didn’t go into detail but asked you to get in touch when you’re free."
Wayne’s assistant was Veronica, but the young mistress only showed up for paychecks and came to work only when bored, so he had specifically hired an office assistant.
The girl had just graduated, her taste of life’s sour, bitter, salty, and spicy still fresh, and she diligently stayed late at the office every day.
The first to open the door and the last to lock it, rain or shine, Wayne voted her Employee of the Month and promised her a permanent position as soon as her three-month probation was over.
"What trouble could she have gotten into..."
Wayne frowned. A pet disappearance case had apparently stumped his two aces, "Carrie, how many days has Detective Mona been investigating the missing pet case?"
Wayne paused for a moment. Mona wasn’t ordinary, a member of the Holy See Tactical Squad. It had taken her five days and she still hadn’t found a dog.
Could she have encountered another Devil?
Good heavens, why are there so many Devils? Is Hell having a team-building event?
He picked up the phone and dialed the number, unsurprisingly, no one answered.
After two attempts, the innkeeper said the tall, bespectacled lady had already checked out very hastily, as if fleeing from creditors.
"Not in Lundan City, and possibly being chased..."
Friendship tested by adversity, Wayne couldn’t just stand by, so he called another number, "Kel, it’s me, Wayne."
"Remember your sister?"
"How would I know how many sisters you have? I’m talking about Mona, the detective you recommended to me. She’s in trouble."
"While the body’s still warm, her family better hurry to rescue her."
"I can’t, I’m busy making money, no time to go there, let’s leave it at that, you owe me a meal some other time."
Wayne hung up the phone. Don’t panic, Mona, he had overcome numerous difficulties to call for reinforcements. The Church’s cavalry would soon be on their way.