"Hi, ace detective." She smiles warmly. "Are you here for more books?"

"Actually, I... I... I'm sorry... I can't deduce anything.

A small disappointment rolls over her, but she promptly gets over it and says: "It's okay, sir."

You disappointed a small child. Well done, champ.

"I'm a detective. I deduce that... You are very small."

"Come on, don't be silly. That's not a proper deduction." She rolls her eyes.

"Shouldn't you be at school or something?"

"I do my studies at home at the moment. I have to help Mum keep this place running."

"School is stupid. You're lucky not to be there."

"Mum says it's necessary to do both, because it builds character. Mum says a proper worker is dutiful -- that's how you get ahead in life, you succeed."

There is stress and unease behind these words. She's reciting etiquette.

"How's the business going?"

"Mum says it's peachy. She was a little afraid at first, there's talk about this house being..." She looks over her shoulder. "Cursed."

Behind her the window has been boarded up. You sense the boards creaking, twisting for a second... and some kind of doubt in her tense shoulders.

"Cursed? In what way?"

"Cursed in a way that makes them say that no business has ever really thrived here, sir. That they all go..." She's looking for the right word...

"Bankrupt."

"Exactly. But we've been doing fine so far."

"Your mother told me about the curse, but she wouldn't let me investigate."

"Yes, she can be quite strict about it." Annette nods. "My mum doesn't let anyone sneak around in the back rooms or the cellar."

"This sounds rather serious. I should probably... look into this."

"We can go into the bookstore and ask about the case, but I don't see much more to look into here." The lieutenant makes a note in his notebook.

"Yes!" She chirps. "Please do also look at our wares inside -- the postcards and board games are there, sir."

"How does this curse... manifest itself?"

"It does not manifest itself in any way. It does not exist. I liked it better when we were talking about whether it's appropriate to stand out in the freezing weather."

"Fine. I'll show you!"

"Uh..." The girl looks back and forth between you two. "Anything else you wanted to talk about, sir?"

"But Kim... the plasmic manifestations..."

"No such thing." The lieutenant stands at your side, stern and serious.

"It does not manifest itself in any way. It does not exist."

"Uh... I'm not sure, sir. I don't really know anything about curses..." She looks around, confused.

Her eye lands on the sign on the window that says Crime, Romance, and Biographies of Famous People. She brightens up and points to it: "But I do know books! We can talk about books."

"Hmm-hmm." (Stroke your chin.) "Enough about the curse... for now."

Annette looks at your shaved, prickly chin. It distinctly contrasts with the oily mutton chops that surround it. "Maybe I can tell you about some of our books instead?"

"What do you know about the other failed businesses?"

"Nothing really, sir. Mum doesn't allow me to sneak around in the back rooms or the cellar." She looks a bit disappointed. "I don't really know what's there."

Did someone say sneak around in the cellar? We should do that.

"I'm currently investigating the curse on your mother's behalf."

Annette's eyes go wide: "She let you in there? Usually she doesn't let anyone sneak around in the back rooms or the cellar."

"I hope you can help her. Help her become less afraid or something..." She looks at her freezing hands, before hiding them in her coat sleeves.

"I don't think curses are real."

"They shouldn't be, but they seem real. Anyhow, they say that these grounds are doomed for businesses."

There must be an economic reason for this.

"It's just regular trading and selling of things, child. It doesn't work out for most people."

"Of course, sir. Uhm..." She doesn't know what else to say.

"They're not doomed. But your mother should learn from their mistakes."

"One could say that entire economies are doomed, as they tend to crash every once in a while."

"Yes... sir." You realise she doesn't have the faintest idea what you're talking about.

"You have to spend money to make money, see."

"If you say so, sir!" She smiles, perhaps a bit too eagerly.

"The economy is all about trust, okay."

"That makes sense, sir!" She nods, perhaps a bit too eagerly.

"You know, the economy, it's like... the network of everyone buying and selling and producing and consuming and stuff."

"Why are they doing that?"

"Because that keeps the network... working... right."

"Okay, I understand, sir!" She looks puzzled.

She doesn't really understand, but says so to make you feel better about yourself. Your explanation was garbage anyway.

"The economy is about the rich exploiting the poor as much as they can."

"Why would they do that?"

"Greed, my child. It's always greed."

"That's not nice at all." She frowns.