Chapter 2.1 – The Missing Persons

The next day, April 5, 1899. The kidnapping of Beatrice Delphinium occurred. 

The informant was Adam Mason, a man employed as Beatrice’s servant. Adam reported that Beatrice had gone ‘missing’ and requested an investigation. 

“Commander, are you really going to take on this case? There’s always the option of passing it on to other investigators. We need to find the serial killer from Newethen Street!” 

Carlson’s objection was valid. If Azrael, the chief investigator, took charge of another case, the investigation into the Newethen case would inevitably be delayed. They had just begun to understand the suspect’s intentions. While investigating another case, there was no telling how far the suspect might act. 

However, Azrael’s thoughts differed slightly. Missing persons cases had time limits. If a noble young lady had disappeared, it was more likely a kidnapping than a simple disappearance. In such cases, the time the missing person could endure was extremely limited. 

There was no time to find other investigators to take on the case or to wait for the case to be handed over. 

“This isn’t even within our mandatory jurisdiction, is it? If you’re really concerned, I’ll find someone to take on the case! Just hurry up and finish the investigation you were—” 

“Turner, do you think missing persons cases are trivial?” 

“No, Sir.” 

“Then? Should I tell them to wait even though there are personnel available to be deployed immediately?” 

“…No, Sir. I misspoke.” 

Carlson answered with his head bowed. Azrael had a particularly sensitive attitude when it came to missing persons cases. 

“Carlson. I believe these missing persons cases may have something to do with me.” 

“What? What do you mean? What connection could there possibly be between you and that young lady?” 

There had been no particular interaction between them. That was certain, at least until the previous day. However, Beatrice had gone missing right after visiting the investigation headquarters. Moreover, Azrael had escorted her out, making it known to someone that the two were connected. 

“Think about it, Carlson. The suspect who ambushed me hasn’t been caught yet. This means they could still be nearby, waiting for another opportunity to kill me.” 

“That’s likely, Sir. The suspect must know… that you’re still alive.” 

“Having failed the first time, they’ll try to act more meticulously the second time. If you were trying to kill me, what would you use as leverage?” 

Most of Azrael’s acquaintances were investigators. They were trained and could flexibly deal with various dangers. 

But this time was different. For some misunderstanding, Beatrice had become a target. She was caught up solely because of her association with him. And perhaps, the suspect knew about the existence of witnesses. 

“If you understand, proceed with the investigation immediately.” 

Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the Commander’s office door. When the door opened, the youngest member of the team, Liam, was catching his breath. 

“Huff… huff, Commander! I have something to report. It’s about a missing persons case. There are two missing individuals: Thomas Hill and Robert Medley.” 

Within a single day, three missing persons cases had been reported. Something was beginning to go awry. 

“Both individuals… received letters the previous night under the name ‘Azrael Hyacinth’ and left afterward.” 

It was a letter Azrael had never sent. He was certain these missing persons cases were somehow connected to him. Thomas Hill was the initial discoverer of the ninth case, and Robert Medley was the coachman who had transported the victim’s body. 

This was a warning directed at Azrael. It was a message that the cause of these incidents lay with Azrael Hyacinth. 

“What did the letter say?” 

“Well… it said that there was something urgent to discuss about the case and instructed them to come to the temporary investigation headquarters immediately. The short sentences seemed to mimic your handwriting. We can tell it’s not yours, but…” 

At least the recipients of the letters could have been fooled. 

Liam continued his report. The letters received by both individuals were identical in material, content, and every detail except for the time they were received. 

Robert Medley’s letter arrived after 9 p.m., while Thomas Hill’s arrived around 11 p.m. Immediately after receiving the letters, both individuals headed toward the temporary investigation headquarters. This testimony was obtained from the innkeeper where Robert was staying and Thomas Hill’s wife. 

“After confirming, neither of them arrived at the investigation headquarters. It’s clear they disappeared before reaching their destination. Considering the timing of the letters, it’s likely they were dealt with separately.” 

Robert and Thomas lived in locations opposite one another relative to the investigation headquarters. Robert’s residence was in the village with the victim’s tavern, while Thomas’s residence was in the village where the victim’s body was discovered. 

“Commander. We’ve checked the list of residents in the vicinity, but… there are no previous case connections!” 

For now, finding individuals connected to Azrael’s previous cases was the priority. However, no matter how thoroughly they searched the list, there was no one who seemed to harbor resentment. 

The only person suspected of being the culprit was the one who had ambushed Azrael. However, the fact that the culprit harbored some unknown grudge complicated the situation further. 

After making inquiries about witnesses of the culprit and Beatrice, the immediate concern was the disappearance of Robert and Thomas.

“Ugh, this is frustrating. I have no idea who the culprit could be. Absolutely no clue. Commander, it’s not like you haven’t made enemies before…”

Carlson scratched his head as he spoke. There had been previous instances of crimes motivated by a grudge against Azrael. 

Azrael, having few acquaintances, was often targeted directly. It had been years since someone became a victim due to their association with Azrael. 

Azrael silently reviewed the investigation materials. The papers contained a rough map of the nearby villages. Estimating the distances between key points, it seemed that traveling on foot would take quite some time. 

“Robert had a carriage, didn’t he? If he received such a letter, it’s likely he used a horse or carriage to head to the investigation headquarters.” 

“You’re correct. The innkeeper saw Mr. Robert leave with his carriage.” 

“If the carriage hasn’t been found separately… the culprit must have taken him along with the carriage. Even if they disposed of him, it would have been secondary.” 

On the other hand, Thomas had no means of transportation available to him. According to his wife, he didn’t even know how to ride a horse. 

Thomas left his house around 11 p.m., an awkward time for carriages to be traveling. If he had used a carriage, he would have reached the investigation headquarters. Thus, it was more likely that Thomas had walked toward the headquarters. 

“How he disappeared is the key…” 

The most common scenario was that the culprit disguised themselves as a passenger. Since Robert was driving a carriage, stopping him would involve pretending to be a passenger. The problem was what happened next—how the culprit dealt with Robert. 

There was no certainty that all three missing individuals were still alive. This case could involve kidnapping or perhaps murder following the abduction. 

The worst-case scenario was that all three were killed. 

The second-worst scenario was a hostage situation. Azrael clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He felt the pain but stood as if unaffected. 

***

Beatrice stared silently at the ceiling. She was in a cold, damp basement devoid of even a single ray of light. 

“It’s so quiet…” 

She had already counted every brick in the room. In fact, she had repeated this five times. As expected, there was nothing else to do in this place. 

To pass the time, Beatrice sought someone to converse with. Her gaze landed on Thomas, who was lying beside her. He lay flat, his eyes closed. 

“Hey~ Mr. Thomas? Can I call you by your name?” 

Though no answer came, Beatrice continued speaking without concern. 

“My name is Beatrice. Since we’re in a similar situation, I think it’d be nice to get along.” 

She moved closer and carefully took Thomas’s hand. His hand was shockingly cold, but Beatrice didn’t flinch. Instead, she smiled and lightly shook his hand. Then, she leaned in and whispered softly into his ear. 

“You know, Mr. Thomas. How about we make a bet? First… you’re going to get out of here soon. Congratulations.” 

Beatrice raised her head and clapped lightly with her bound hands. Her once-pristine dress was now filthy. Perhaps fearing an escape attempt, her shoes had been removed. The cold, hard stone floor pressed directly against her bare feet. 

“So, what about me? Will Sir Azrael come to rescue me? Or will he be too late?” 

Her slender fingers gently poked Thomas’s pale cheek. His face wasn’t soft; it was stiff. Beatrice hugged her knees and looked down at Thomas. Then, recalling Azrael’s words, she spoke. 

“I’ll bet on ‘he’ll rescue me.’ Of course, Mr. Thomas, you’ll bet against it. Okay, let’s start the bet now.” 

Despite the chatter right beside him, Thomas remained silent. He lay still, listening to Beatrice’s monologue without moving a muscle. He was so quiet that even the sound of his breathing couldn’t be heard. 

That was because Thomas’s vocal cords had been cut. His head was barely attached to his neck. Around Thomas’s body, blood was pooled as if to speak for the horror. The stone floor, once gray, was now stained dark red.

Quiet. Corpses don’t speak.