Quinn is famous. On this day, his friend Owen invited Quinn to a tea party and visited his newly purchased villa.
Owen is a financier. Ten years ago, he was still a small clerk, but somehow he was taken by Laura, the only daughter of the banker, and the two fell in love to death, and the banker had no choice but to agree to the marriage of the two. After that, Owen used his father-in-law's power to become an upstart in the financial world. After his father-in-law died, he became the head of the family, invested in several large projects in a row, and made a lot of money. Now, his assets far exceed his wife's. However, along with the career, rumors also arose, some people said that Owen did not love Laura, and married her just to rely on his father-in-law's power, and now that he is full-fledged, he married a new love, leaving Laura alone in the empty house.
It was raining heavily, but Quinn was on time to get to Owen's new villa in the suburbs. When Quinn arrived, in addition to Owen and his wife Laura, there were also architects Jonah and his wife.
When Quinn entered the living room, Owen was dressed in a costume with thick oil paint on his face and a high hat, and Mrs. Jonah next to him was dressed as a witch. The two are rehearsing a drama program and preparing to participate in a competition, and they seem to have a tacit understanding. Seeing Quinn come in, Owen greeted him affectionately and introduced to everyone: This is my good friend New York's most famous detective, and there is no case in the world that he can't solve. Owen then introduced Quinn to the others. Quinn noticed that Laura was sitting on the couch with a dejected expression.
Soon it was evening, and the torrential rain outside had not stopped. Owen said: Everybody stay tonight, I've got a guest room here, right, Mr. Jonah?
Jonah is an architect who has recently made a name for himself, and this villa in Owen is his masterpiece. Jonah smiled and nodded, he certainly knew everything about the structure here.
After a while, Laura arranged for the servants to prepare the rooms for the guests.
Quinn's room was on the second floor, and the wind and rain outside had made it impossible for him to sleep. Quinn opened the door and went downstairs to the study to find a book to read. The hallway was dark and eerily quiet, except for the faint glow of the staircase lamp. Quinn didn't know where the light switch was, he walked up the stairs in the dark, felt a door next to it, opened it and found that he couldn't see anything, he realized that this was not the study, and retreated. Quinn continued to grope his way forward, felt the switch on the wall, turned on the light, and found the study. Quinn was looking for a novel to pass the time, and when he walked out of the study, he suddenly heard footsteps coming from the stairs, and he saw the silhouette of a man.
Is it Owen? Just listen to Jonah in a hoarse voice.
I'm Quinn, Mr. Jonah, can't you sleep too?
Jonah, dressed in a dressing gown and with messy hair, said, "No, this ghost weather makes people sleep unsteadily." My wife was sleeping soundly, and I was trying to find a book.
Quinn suggested, "Would you like to come to my house and talk for a while?"
Jonah happily agreed: It's better to listen to a detective than to read a novel.
The two returned to Quinn's room and chatted while smoking cigars, until the drowsiness returned, and Jonah yawned and left. Quinn also fell groggily asleep.
The next morning, while Quinn was still in his dream, someone shook him vigorously. Quinn opened his eyes in a daze, and found everyone standing in front of him, looking anxious.
Jonah said anxiously: Mr. Quinn, Owen is missing.
Quinn suddenly lost his sleep.
Laura cried and said, "Yes, we searched everywhere and couldn't find him."
Quinn realized the seriousness of the matter and said solemnly: From now on, no one is allowed to leave the villa, nor is it allowed to make phone calls to the outside world.
Strange wall clocks
Last night, according to Laura, Owen said he still had some work to attend to, so he went to the office, and then she went back to her bedroom to sleep. When she woke up in the morning, she found that Owen was not around, and the clothes he had changed out of before putting on the costume were still hanging on the hanger, and the other clothes were in the closet, and none of them were missing.
Quinn asks: That is, Owen disappeared in yesterday's costume?
Laura nodded.
Quinn asks the servant to take a look at the garage, and then asks Laura to call Owen's company to see if he's out in a hurry. As a result, the cars in the garage were all there, and the people in the company also said that there was no urgent matter for Owen to deal with today.
At this time, Jonah said: Maybe Owen is just playing a joke on everyone and will soon come out on his own.
I hope so. Laura, where was the last time you saw Owen? Quinn asked.
Last night, at the door of his office.
Quinn learns that Owen's office is the one he had inadvertently opened last night. Quinn's brow furrowed, and he walked into the office and closed the door casually. The room was long, the morning light was dim, and it was spotless, and it didn't look like someone had sinned here. But Quinn always felt that something was wrong, and he saw a mirror on the opposite wall that stretched from the ceiling to the floor, and it was this mirror that made the room seem long. The mirror was facing the door, and Quinn could be seen emaciated and the door behind him, as well as a glowing wall clock on the door. Quinn turned around and saw that the bell was tall and large, 1.5 feet in diameter and 7 feet above the ground. In the dim light of the morning, the hands of the wall clock sparkled. Quinn knew that it was the reflection caused by phosphorus applied to the pointer.
Quinn looked at the glowing wall clock and sensed something was wrong. He opened the door, walked out and asked, "Has this villa been renovated?"
Laura shook her head and said, "It hasn't been reinstalled, we bought it and moved in."
What about the wall clock?
Owen went to the watch store and bought it.
What does the wall clock have to do with Mr. Owen's disappearance? Mrs. Jonah asked.
Quinn said: That's exactly what I wanted to figure out. Last night, I couldn't sleep, so I went to look for the study, and I happened to open the door and look inside, and I didn't see anything at that time.
Jonah asks: Isn't it normal that it was so dark at the time?
It's because it's dark that I should see something. Quinn explained that the room had a huge mirror facing the door, and on the door frame was a large clock with its hands and letters painted with glittering phosphorus. Well, in the dark room, I should have seen the phosphorescent light of the clock in the mirror, but strangely enough, I saw nothing last night.
What does that mean?
Quinn said thoughtfully: This bell can be invisible, and it disappeared out of thin air.
Jonah said, "Leave the clock alone, let's go to Owen first."
