Chapter 2.2

While the other investigators carried out their search, Azrael decided to examine Robert’s inn. 

Next to the stable was a wooden shelter made of planks. It was spacious enough to accommodate a single carriage. 

The innkeeper handed Azrael the letter Robert had received. It was exactly as Liam had reported. The imitation handwriting was surprisingly similar. The culprit had some skill, but that was all. 

The paper used was cheap and crinkled. Moreover, it lacked the seal that was mandatory for official documents. This meant the culprit didn’t have the ability to create a perfect forgery. It also indicated that the culprit had handled the matter personally without involving any external professionals. 

“How did they know my handwriting…”  

Azrael considered the possibility that someone who held a grudge against him might have encountered his handwriting in the past. However, judging by the accuracy of the imitation, it didn’t seem like it was based solely on memory. 

He tucked the letter into his coat and opened Robert’s room. The room was located on the second floor of the inn, where Robert had been staying for several weeks. As a coachman, Robert often traveled between villages, as it was more profitable for him to do so. 

Upon opening the door, a strange scent wafted out. Azrael furrowed his brow and approached the window. After confirming there were no traces on the window, he opened it. 

He examined under the bed, the desk, and the wardrobe, but found nothing out of the ordinary. A box was discovered under the bed, but it contained only candles, dried flowers, and a modest teacup and teapot. 

“Thank you for your cooperation.” 

Azrael thanked the innkeeper and returned to the investigation headquarters. By around 9 p.m., he was finally able to sit back in the chair in the Commander’s office. 

During this time, reports regarding Beatrice’s sightings had been compiled. While there were multiple witnesses, none of them provided particularly noteworthy information. Most simply testified that they had seen her wandering around the village. 

The most significant testimony was that Beatrice had been seen taking a street carriage to visit a flower shop. 

After investigating all the nearby flower shops, they obtained a statement that a white-haired woman had purchased chrysanthemums. Beatrice had then boarded the same carriage and headed elsewhere. 

‘Of all things, chrysanthemums…’ 

Beatrice’s trail ended at the flower shop around 5 p.m. The carriage she had taken could not be found. More than ten carriages operated in the village daily, making it difficult to determine which one she had boarded and where she had gone. 

“Judging by the interval between the disappearance times… Did the culprit abduct Miss Beatrice and then plan additional crimes afterward?” 

The longer time passed, the more Azrael felt his nerves fray. Every time a blank space appeared in his thoughts, anxiety surged. He felt suffocated. Azrael slipped his fingers between the collar of his shirt to relieve the pressure. 

The noise outside made it impossible to concentrate. Azrael stepped outside to find the source of the commotion. On the first floor, several investigators were gathered in one corner. Upon seeing Azrael, a few investigators at the back hurriedly cleared a path for him. 

“What’s going on here?” 

“Ah, Commander! Well… we were checking the mail delivered to the temporary investigation headquarters and found a suspicious package…” 

“A suspicious package?” 

“There’s no sender listed, but the recipient is addressed to you, Commander. It wasn’t sent by the investigation bureau either.” 

The package was simple in appearance—a box wrapped in a single layer of paper. When Azrael picked it up, it made a crinkling sound. He took out the letter Robert had received from his coat. The wrapping paper was made of the same material. 

“It seems this package was sent by the culprit.” 

Once the wrapping paper was removed, a box tied with a red ribbon was revealed. When Azrael pulled the end of the ribbon, it unraveled effortlessly. All that remained was the lid of the box. Without hesitation, Azrael opened it—and immediately dropped it. 

Thud. The box fell to the floor. Its corner hit the ground, crumpled, and rolled a few times before coming to a stop. 

In Azrael’s hand was a lock of pure white hair, neatly tied with the same red ribbon. He recognized it instantly. It was Beatrice’s hair. 

Murmurs began to spread among the investigators, but all Azrael could hear was the pounding of his own heart. His chest thudded violently. He stared silently at the lock of Beatrice’s hair. 

For some reason, he felt as though he was on the verge of losing her. Without realizing it, Azrael clenched the hair tightly in his hand. 

The sound of his heart echoed in his mind. It was overwhelming. 

***

April 6, 1899. 2 a.m. 

Upon receiving word that Robert’s carriage had returned to the inn, Azrael set out with Carlson to investigate. 

However, there was something strange. The carriage had returned to the inn alone, without its coachman. The innkeeper, terrified, had refrained from touching the carriage and immediately contacted the investigation headquarters. 

The carriage was parked under the shelter as if it had been meant to be there. The intelligent horse had managed to drive the carriage back to its designated spot without its owner. 

“So this carriage returned by itself? That’s rather peculiar. Somehow, it feels familiar.” 

“Yes. It reminds me of the first case.” 

The Newethen Street serial murder case had started in a similar manner. A driverless carriage had wandered the streets of Newethen, and upon inspecting the carriage’s interior, a corpse had been found. The similarity to that incident was striking. 

Robert’s carriage bore scratches in various places. Finding nothing else unusual, Azrael placed his hand on the door handle of the carriage. When the door opened, a strange odor rushed out. Azrael grimaced and shone a lantern into the carriage. 

A man was seated on the carriage’s bench. Azrael climbed inside and examined the man. 

“He’s dead.”  

The neck was barely attached to the head. It seemed as though someone had struck the neck multiple times with an axe. However, the blade must have been dull, as the man’s neck remained dangling instead of being completely severed. 

The corpse was wrapped in a red ribbon, as if it were a gift. It was the same ribbon as the one tied around the package the culprit had sent to Azrael. 

“Commander, this man is Thomas Hill. I spoke with him directly regarding the ninth case… That’s why I remember him.” 

The first was Beatrice’s hair. The second was Thomas’s corpse. Then, was the third Robert? 

The package Azrael had received contained nothing but Beatrice’s hair. The culprit hadn’t mentioned anything they wanted. They simply sent Azrael a warning. 

That Beatrice was in their hands. 

Thomas’s corpse was another warning. A warning that the culprit could kill the missing persons at any time. There were still two missing persons left. Moreover, the culprit had no reason to keep both of them alive. One hostage was enough. 

“Recover the corpse as quickly as possible. Once you return, contact his wife.” 

The lantern illuminated Thomas’s hand. On the ring finger of his left hand was a ring. For a carpenter like him, wearing a ring all day would have been quite inconvenient. It hinted at the deep affection between him and his wife. 

On his wrist, visible between his sleeves, were marks that appeared to be rope burns. Azrael moved the lantern to examine Thomas’s right hand more closely. In his hand, he held a slightly wilted chrysanthemum. 

“Carlson. Let me correct myself. This is the tenth serial murder case. The victim is Thomas Hill, and the culprit is… the Newethen Street Serial Killer.” 

“Another white chrysanthemum. Do you know who the culprit is?” 

Azrael seemed to have a realization as he left Thomas’s corpse behind and began rummaging through the carriage. His sudden actions didn’t faze Carlson, who instinctively held the lantern up to assist him. 

When Azrael removed the seat cushion, he discovered that the inside of the bench was designed to open. 

The interior of the bench was empty. Upon closer inspection with the lantern, it was spotless, without a speck of dust. The scent that had wafted out when the carriage door was first opened lingered inside. 

As Azrael bent down for a while, he suddenly felt his body relax as if the tension had been released. He tried to open the window, but it wouldn’t budge, as though it had been intentionally locked. 

“I understand now. The culprit is likely Robert Medley.” 

“What? But Robert is one of the missing victims, isn’t he?” 

“That’s the crux of this case. The fact that there are three missing persons.” 

Azrael pulled out a white handkerchief from his coat and gently draped it over Thomas’s face. The blood-soaked, terror-stricken face was hidden beneath the cloth. 

“The initial target, aside from me, was Miss Delphinium. If there had been only one missing person, we would have interrogated everyone connected to the case.” 

“And that’s why Thomas was dragged into it. Creating a perfect alibi must have been difficult.” 

“Exactly. Miss Beatrice Delphinium, Thomas Hill, and Robert Medley. All three are people connected to either the case or me, which made them convenient tools.” 

“I see why only Thomas’s corpse returned. The culprit hasn’t yet decided to harm the young lady, and aside from himself, there’s only one person left.” 

The culprit had sent gifts related to the missing persons: Beatrice’s hair, Thomas’s corpse, and Robert’s carriage.