"Excuse me, when did you find out that Mr. Asai was missing!"

After dinner, in the living room of Yukiso, Lin Shuichi asked Mr. Shibata, the housekeeper here, about Mr. Asai's disappearance.

"This, about a week ago, the master left me a message on his mobile phone, saying that there was something to leave, and I didn't pay special attention to it at the time, so I didn't pay attention to it. But for a few days after that, the master never returned. ”

"Did you assume that Mr. Asai was missing because he didn't come back?"

Lin Xiuyi recorded the situation described by Shibata's housekeeper in the notebook he carried with him, and then took the initiative to ask Shibata about it.

"Ah...... No, I don't have suspicions because my lord hasn't been back for a few days, but he is an art dealer specializing in Western paintings. If I encounter something at work on weekdays, I will leave here suddenly like this time. However, the master has a habit, that is, once he has an appointment with someone, he will never miss the appointment for no reason. And on the third day after the sudden departure of the master, Mr. Nishino, a Western painter who also lives in the vicinity, suddenly came to visit, saying that he had agreed to meet him on that day, and I felt that something was wrong, so I wanted to ask the master himself about what was going on, but unfortunately I could not contact the master himself by phone at that time......

Mr. Shibata reminisced as he introduced the situation to Hayashi Shuichi. Regarding Mr. Asai's habit of keeping the contract, Genjitake also confirmed this to Lin Shuichi. However, this kind of customary thing will not be used by the police as a basis for confirming the disappearance. Moreover, Mr. Asai, who disappeared, is also a wealthy collector of Western paintings, so it is true that Shibata Butler asks Gen Zhizhu, who is an inspector at the Metropolitan Police Department, for help.

"So...... After Mr. Asai's disappearance, have you received any similar messages or messages demanding ransom payments?"

After learning about the situation, Lin Shuichi immediately consulted Mr. Shibata about other possibilities based on his previous experience.

"No! Neither the lodge nor the office have received a similar message. I've already checked with the staff in the office about this!"

Gen Zhizhu confirmed to Lin Shuichi instead of Shibata Steward.

After getting a general understanding of the situation before and after Mr. Asai's disappearance, Hayashi Shuichi immediately got up and asked Butler Shibata about the cursed Western painting with curiosity.

"Are you talking about the 'Love Letter'? It is now hanging in the master's study, what, Mr. Lin is interested in tasting it?"

"Of course it's best if it's not troublesome, in fact, for people like me who don't know anything about art, maybe the legend of the curse has a new gravitational pull on me!"

"There, Mr. Lin is too modest. Then, please ask Mr. Lin and Mr. Yuan to follow me upstairs together!"

Butler Shibata stood up and made a gesture of invitation to Lin Shuichi and Genjizhu, and then the two also stood up and followed Shibata up the stairs together.

Lin Shuichi followed behind Butler Shibata and followed the stairs on the side of the hall to the upper floor, which was decorated with more wood than the marble decoration on the first floor. The walls on both sides of the corridor are neatly divided into blocks of wood, and colorful Western paintings are hung on each area. Although Lin Xiuyi was not familiar with the artworks, he could still feel that these works should be made by famous artists.

Butler Shibata led Hayashi Shuichi and Gen Zhizhu to a room at the end of the corridor, then opened the door for the two of them, and only after they both entered the room did Mr. Shibata follow.

It was a well-decorated study, with bookshelves on all the walls except for one window. The shelves are neatly lined with all kinds of beautifully bound books. It seems to have a very classical flavor.

The window of the room was blocked by thick curtains, and on the wall next to the window, there was a painting hanging on the wall under the cover, it seemed that this should be the "Love Letter" that Lin Xiuyi wanted to see!

"Mr. Lin, this is the "Love Letter" you mentioned, please wait a moment!"

As he spoke, Butler Shibata walked slowly towards the painting, and then he raised his hands and carefully removed the cloth that covered the painting. When the cloth was untied, I saw a lifelike girl, who suddenly appeared in front of Lin Xiuyi's eyes, holding a bouquet of flowers as if smiling like everyone. This painting is simply too real, so real that Lin Xiuyi feels that the girl's hair seems to be flowing in the wind.

"It's beautiful......! Can I?"

Lin Xiuyi motioned to Butler Shibata to ask if he could get closer, and after getting Steward Shibata's permission, Lin Xiuyi immediately took a few steps forward. Tsai carefully looked up and down the painting.

The girl in the painting should look like a mixed-race beauty, with long black hair and a delicate face, with obvious Asian characteristics. However, the girl's breathtaking blue eyes show that the girl should have European genes.

The girl's clothes are mainly black, which looks a bit like a nightgown or something, and the girl is holding a bouquet of flowers in her hand, which looks like she is smiling at her sweetheart. Perhaps that's why the painting was named "Love Letter"!

Lin Xiuyi looked at the oil painting from the side, and could see the uneven traces of the paint on the surface of the canvas. At the same time, Lin Xiuyi also noticed the frame of the painting. The border is carved with a pattern that resembles a knot. The varnish on top is wiped with a sparkle. Looks like it's supposed to be in good condition.

"It's a fascinating work, and even though I'm just a layman, I think I can still feel the beauty of this work!"

Lin Xiuyi said sincerely to Butler Shibata, Butler Shibata smiled, and did not respond too much to Lin Xiuyi's words. He just stood there, quietly waiting for Lin Xiuyi to appreciate the work.

"Excuse me...... Where did you buy this painting?"

"Hmm...... If I'm not mistaken, I think it was taken from the hands of the Rose Palace Gallery. ”

Butler Shibata replied to Lin Xiuyi without hesitation, listening to the tone, the uncertainty in the words just now seemed to be just a politeness.

"Rose Palace?"

Lin Xiuyi asked a little puzzled

"The Rose Palace is a high-end art collection company based in the United Kingdom. They also have an annex here in Tokyo, and Asai-kun has a lot of business dealings with them. “

Yuan Zhizhu added to Lin Xiuyi in a timely manner.