The matter of 'hosting a ball' actually has its unwritten rules.

At this time, 'rushing to attend' isn't popular yet. For example, if someone is holding a ball on a certain day, the proper etiquette is to 'prioritize the first invitation received.' Others in the same social circle, regardless of their status, and whether they attend or not, need to avoid holding their own events on the same day.

Anyway, it's usually the same group of people in the local community, so it doesn't matter where they gather, as long as it doesn't inconvenience the guests.

However, conversely, if one is certain they won't receive an invitation from the other party—sometimes simply because the invitation circles are different, and sometimes it's 'intentional'—then there might actually be 'mutual competition' happening.

At such times, it's mainly about 'saving face,' with each side secretly competing to see who is more important and has higher status in the eyes of the guests.

Wayne arranged the invitations by date, then compared those with conflicting schedules:

"There are three ball invitations for tonight alone. That rich man only invited 'Mr. Wayne,' so let's ignore him for now. The remaining two invitations are both for 'Detective Agency partners,' one from the Mayor and one from a major estate owner. Who do we choose? I vote for the Mayor's side."

In a place like Richmond, it's actually not certain who has higher or lower status between the Mayor and the major estate owners.

A strong politician who is widely supported can manage a place smoothly, while an incompetent politician might just be a puppet for their benefactors or political parties, not only daring not to speak loudly but possibly even being brought down by a scandal.

Theoretically, these two individuals shouldn't be in 'competition'; perhaps it's simply because their circles are different.

The City Hall assisted with the assassination investigation, and we can probably find someone to discuss the Dock Area matters there. However, the major estate owner's side is also quite appealing; at least their funding is definitely ample, and it feels like we could meet many potential benefactors there.

Inessa isn't very interested in this type of social event; she's the 'either way is fine' type.

The pressure then fell on Lina, who glanced back and forth at the invitation, "Do we have to go?"

"It's not strictly necessary to go…" Wayne explained, "Guests aren't necessarily always available. According to etiquette, if you can't go, you can send someone to apologize, and if you're more polite, you can send a gift. However, we're 'outsiders' in Richmond, so displeasing one party is acceptable, but we can't neglect both sides…"

"You can go by yourself," Lina replied concisely.

"That won't do," Wayne replied just as decisively, "I don't even know the Mayor himself. If no one talks to me at the ball, I won't even be able to find a dance partner to hide with. That would be too miserable."

Of course, something like a fiery pit is only fun if everyone 'jumps in together.'

"Hmm… alright. Then let's go to the Mayor's side, as you said," Lina was the type who didn't dwell on decisions once made. "Coincidentally, Olivia gave Inessa and me new clothes yesterday—can I wear that ruby necklace I had before? Southern ladies are very particular about these things."

You actually brought that thing too?

Wayne decisively shook his head, "That necklace is too unlucky; we should sell it quickly later. You two shouldn't wear it."

"Hmph. Then I'll go borrow a few pieces from Olivia later."

...

After breakfast, Wayne called Willie to look at the letters Lina had brought back.

At this moment, Peter was still guarding the table, looking unapproachable. A crow nearby, perhaps having just provoked him, was now half-paralyzed next to the letters, listlessly being poked at its tail feathers by the large spider for play.

Inessa hadn't seen the items either. After Willie, wearing gloves, spread out the letters, Wayne and Inessa leaned in from either side.

The content was no longer new to Wayne; it mainly instructed the small gang leader named James Damody to commit the crime.

In the letter, he was referred to by the shortened name "Jimmy," which looked a bit like 'being quite familiar' and also a bit like 'looking down upon him.'

But that guy obviously didn't say everything; besides the vague 'carrot and stick' approach in the letter,

It also mentioned specific instructions—besides killing, he was also to completely destroy any incriminating material the reporter had about a 'Mr. Schwartz,' including manuscripts and any existing records like diaries, indicating that he actually knew who the real mastermind was.

Incidentally, judging by the specific business activities of this guy's 'competitors,' his gang shouldn't be clean either.

They weren't the type that 'collects protection fees but also provides services,' but rather simply assisted in collecting high-interest loans, and incidentally, also collected some 'community taxes.' If classified by color, their underlying color was clearly closer to '#000000' than '#808080'.

Looking at Wayne's questioning gaze, Inessa recalled briefly, "Several people with the same surname have appeared in local newspapers. One of them had no negative reports at all, but in terms of status, he might be the most likely candidate—he's a local banker."

"Banker" and "collecting high-interest loans"—this is more than just 'possible'; it looks like a 'one-stop shop'…

After reading the letter, Wayne, like Willie, focused on the 'material,' "This paper isn't smooth enough; it probably won't yield fingerprints. And if we try with toner, it will definitely leave marks…"

Willie finished reading the letter and then began to examine the envelope, "There's an outward indentation here, and there's also bloodstains on it. Was something inside before?"

Wayne knew about this and pointed to one of the lines on the letter: "It says it once contained a human ear, probably this person's."

However, it's been more than half a year since the case, so the ear definitely wouldn't be preserved—if not pickled, it would have rotted long ago. And if that guy really did pickle the ear to preserve it, it would seem even more perverted…

Willie was already showing the initial signs of a 'Detective,' trying to make connections, "Since there's another murder case, and both cases point to the same 'mastermind,' if we start from the other case, is it possible to obtain more clues?"

Inessa clearly thought this idea made sense, and Wayne also thought it was good:

"Since that's the case, I'll leave this case for you to investigate first. We have ball invitations every night these next few days, so we probably won't be able to go too far. 'Soften' and 'Peng Zhang' are temporarily under your command, but for safety reasons, you should also bring an experienced Agent, hmm… let's say Liam. Let us know if you need additional personnel."

Willie felt both surprised and a little hesitant, "Can I do it?"

"Why not? Experienced Agents will lead teams on their own sooner or later. Coincidentally, the danger of this case doesn't seem too great."

Wayne patted Willie's shoulder, "According to our Western rules, the Sheriff's backup badge can be authorized for others to use, as long as the person is suitable—I gave Inessa a backup badge the day after she arrived in Blackstone Town. Your 'on-the-job training' is pretty much complete, and it's time for your regularization assessment."