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墨書 Inktalez
A vague suspicion began to form in my mind, and I estimated that the truth was likely very close. My current task was simply to verify whether this was indeed the case. I first made my way to Anderson's deceased room and conducted a thorough search. However, there was nothing of significance in the room. I had someone hold onto me while I pushed myself out of the window, managing to stick out most of my body, but still found nothing around.
I refused to be discouraged, as it was quite normal not to find anything in that room. The key to solving the case lay elsewhere. Soon after, I arrived at Davis's room. This was not a place I had personally searched before; it was Zhao Mingkun's subordinate who had found the room card.
I located the person who had discovered the card and asked, "Where exactly did you find the room card? Was the window open or closed at that time?"
The person thought carefully for a moment, scratching his head as he replied, "The window was slightly open. On a ship, a closed space can be quite suffocating, so it's normal for it to be ajar. I found the card under the bed; half of it was beneath the bed while the other half was exposed. At first, I thought it belonged to Davis, but then I found another one on the cabinet. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the one on the cabinet was indeed Davis's, while the one under the bed belonged to Anderson."
I handed over my own room card and said, "Please place it back in its original position for me to see!"
He nodded and placed the card back under the bed. Following the line formed by the card and the window, I noted that they aligned perfectly. "How wide was the window open at that time?" I asked.
He didn't seem impatient at all and carefully adjusted the window to demonstrate. The window opened inward, with a gap at the top and a casement below. I nodded and opened it fully before continuing to let him support me as I leaned out again. To my delight, I spotted something on the ship's wall—this was crucial evidence.
However, I couldn't reach that spot, so I borrowed this person's phone and allowed the sea breeze to whip around me as I finally managed to capture an image of what was on the wall. At that moment, Zhao Mingkun found me and saw me half out of the window. He remarked, "Are you trying to commit suicide? Franco is already being watched; have you found any evidence yet?"
I struggled back inside and raised my phone triumphantly, saying earnestly, "Of course! The truth is about to reveal itself; soon we will know exactly what happened."
Zhao Mingkun shrugged and said, "In that case, I'll follow you and see if this detective can truly uncover any evidence."
So far, I had indeed found significant evidence. I beckoned everyone over and led them to the last room—the one previously occupied by Mai Lang. I asked Zhao Mingkun to bring in the bodyguard who had accompanied Mai Lang when he came for his pets and inquired, "Please tell me in detail what happened when Mai Lang came in to retrieve his pets."
The bodyguard pondered for a moment before responding, "I followed him into the room; he didn't say much—just exchanged some pleasantries with me. Upon entering, he first located his cat and asked me to help him hold it since it tends to run around and is quite troublesome. I agreed, and then he called over his dog, which was very obedient and sat quietly beside him."
"And then?" I pressed further.
"Then he took down that birdcage!" The bodyguard recalled carefully. "However, when he grabbed it, there seemed to be a slight hesitation—as if something had tugged on it unexpectedly—and he almost lost his grip. But he managed to steady himself with it in hand. Finally, he carried the birdcage with one hand while taking back his cat with the other and walked out with his dog. He didn't do anything else in the hallway or when entering; that was all."
"You mean he hesitated when grabbing the birdcage?" As I spoke, I walked toward the window and searched carefully until I noticed a thin white thread near its edge. It was so fine that it was hard to see in sunlight; without specifically looking for it, one would easily miss it. Pulling on one end of this thread revealed that its other end had been frayed as if someone had forcefully snapped it apart. Ignoring this thread for now, I opened the window again and had him hold onto me while I pushed myself out once more to closely examine the ship's wall. Just as I'd imagined, I took another picture with my phone.
I now understood how the Killer had managed to place the room card in a room that seemed impossible to access; the case of the locked-room murder had been solved. The only thing left to determine was whether the Killer had seen Franderson that day.
"Follow me," I said, leading Zhao Mingkun and a few bodyguards outside. Our destination was the basketball court. As we approached, I quickly urged everyone to slow down and watch their step. Zhao Mingkun asked, "What are you looking for? You seem mysterious!"
I smiled and replied, "I'm looking for something small. Help me out and see if you can find any dog hair on the ground!"
"Dog hair?" Zhao Mingkun asked, puzzled.
I nodded earnestly as I searched, "That's right, dog hair!"
So we all bent down and began searching the area. This place was usually deserted and hadn’t been cleaned in a while. If anything was here, it would have been left for a long time. I was practically pressed against the ground, not wanting to miss even the tiniest detail.
After about ten minutes of searching, one of the bodyguards shouted, "I've found quite a bit of dog hair here!"
I felt a surge of excitement and stealthily moved over to his side. Looking down, I saw some yellow dog hair on the ground—definitely from the Fenggland Golden Retriever. There was only this one dog on the boat; it couldn't have come from anywhere else. I aimed my phone and took several pictures.
Standing up straight, I looked into the basketball court. From this angle, I could see inside clearly, while it would be difficult for anyone inside to spot this corner. With these clues in hand, I felt I had unraveled the entire case.
I snapped my fingers and said to Zhao Mingkun, "I've found the Killer. Now gather everyone in Mai Lang's room."
Zhao Mingkun nodded and replied, "Okay, I'll do that."
I stood still, replaying everything in my mind from start to finish, convinced there were no other possibilities left. Only this person could commit a locked-room murder. Long before this moment, that individual had been carrying the tools used for the crime; at that time, I had been face-to-face with him but failed to notice that detail. It had been my only chance, and now so much time had passed that he must have already destroyed any evidence. Without that evidence, if he stubbornly denied everything, mere speculation wouldn’t be enough to apprehend him.
This person had a strong motive for murder; that much was clear. I also understood how he had manipulated others to create an alibi for himself and how he had staged a locked room.
Both points could be argued effectively; however, if he had destroyed evidence regarding his alibi, mere reasoning wouldn’t suffice for an arrest. I rubbed my temples with my fingers, pondering what to do if he refused to confess! I paced back and forth; by now, Zhao Mingkun should have gathered everyone in Mai Lang's room.
I took a few deep breaths, thinking that now was not the time to dwell on this. Just then, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind, stirring both excitement and fear within me. If what I suspected was true, he would be the most credible witness. However, if things didn't go as planned, the Killer might very well escape justice forever.
Even if I continued the investigation, the destroyed evidence would not reappear; it felt like I had reached a dead end. With that in mind, I headed towards Mai Lang's previous room.
As I reached the corridor, I noticed that people had begun to arrive one after another. Although the room was large, it couldn't accommodate so many individuals. A few key figures were inside representing others, while the rest stood in the hallway. Upon seeing me approach, they eagerly asked, "Did you find the Killer?" "What method did the Killer use?"
I paused and replied, "In a moment, I will explain the method of the crime to everyone. If possible, I will even demonstrate it myself, but that will depend on whether the Killer is willing to cooperate."
With that said, I walked into the room. At that moment, Zhao Mingkun was sitting on the sofa, along with Mai Lang, several businessmen, and Franco. Upon my entrance, Zhao Mingkun crossed his legs and said, "As per your request, everyone is here now. Can you tell us who the Killer is?"
I nodded and said, "I have figured out who the Killer is. To be honest, I never expected that this Killer would use me as an alibi. At that time, I was too foolish to realize that the Killer was sitting right in front of me, holding a crucial piece of evidence for this case. I just watched as he destroyed it."
Upon hearing my words, everyone turned their gaze towards the person involved. All eyes were fixed on him as he shrugged and looked at me.
"Mai Lang!" I declared. "The Killer is you!"
It was my first time at sea when I encountered a well-known Bengal Aid Worker. Young and impulsive, but too poor to truly make a move until the First Mate told me that a bag of instant noodles could lead to a night with a group of women...
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