Raymond Quill, the man in the white coat tried to reach for the necklace. But as Zouch said, the necklace coiled around something that was automatically picked up. His hands trembled slightly, even though the object was black as charcoal. But if it's charcoal, it should feel a little brittle. But it felt hard.
He blew on it, slowly the black color faded. The shape is getting clearer, definitely not a bracelet because the hole is bigger, Zouch thought. But the man was horrified when a necklace-like object with an uneven cut was encircled by the necklace. When they took the last blow, they realized that it wasn't charcoal.
“Th-this is the neck!” Quill unknowingly tossed back into the black pile on the fireplace. He was pushed and fell backwards. That was immediately followed by Zouch's scream.
One by one the sound of doors from the first floor was heard, then footsteps descended the stairs rapidly. Likewise with Gwen and Beckey, they shared a compact room together still wearing their pajamas. Cake is the last one.
Beckey with her black rubber gloves, took the objects instructed by Gwen. He uses a flashlight to make it easier. Cake, who this time as Gwen's assistant, told them to sit down and wait. Everyone's eyes were droopy and sleepy, some even yawned.
“Gh-ghost… yeah, those rumors turned out to be true! That Victorian ghost has taken souls to burn!” Quill shivered, his voice panicked. Zouch tried to calm him down for a moment. Of course everyone started to wonder.
"I'm afraid that what you say is not true, Mr. Quill."
“Th-then, how do you explain that, Mr Cake?”
"Ah! It was because something was planned.” Cake turned to confirm to Gwen what he had found.
Gwen sighed, shaking her head briefly. "Very barbaric, full of brutality." She whispered to Cake.
"A psychopath?"
Gwen's brow rose to the side.
"Or revenge."
"Yes, yes, that's what fire does." Cake furrowed his brows.
Gwen walked over to everyone who was sitting waiting for the results of the examination. He explained that something untoward happened.
"We can't confirm the details, but what is clear is that all of you will be detained until the investigation ends."
Meanwhile Beckey was calling the police.
“Wait a minute, miss! Could this be part of the marketing that the Victorian woman said earlier?” St. Eadbert protested.
"Well, yeah, of course we'll call that guy too." Gwen eyes returned to the bearded man seriously. “You are wrong if you say it includes property marketing. It's a real human body."
While Cake walked around the ground floor. He was curious because he had only checked the top floor. Gwen and Beckey interrogated the six people. Everyone on the top floor agreed that they both went to their respective rooms. Elton added that there was no sound of the door opening except when someone shouted.
"That means it's just the two of you." Gwen sighed. "Don't you see any other signs of weirdness?"
“Zouch and I just chatted for a while. When the heater broke, of course the only thing I could think of was the fireplace, right?”
When Gwen asked what they were talking about, Zouch just said it was just a small talk.
The sound of a police car was heard approaching, while Cake finally returned with a disgruntled look on his face.
A few seconds later, the siren sounded louder, then stopped. The door opened without a knock.
“Good evening, Miss Pusscat! Miss Pussett! Edgar Ralph Orin, Senior Superintendant of Cumbria Constabulary.” The man in the brown coat, slightly pointed chin with slick quiff hair seemed to be in a hurry. He then ordered several people from the forensic team to retrieve something that Beckey had wrapped.
“Ah, thank you for your cooperation, Senior Superintendent Orin,” added Gwen turning to the woman next to her, her hand shaking. "Yourself?"
The man called Orin explained that Mel Beaufort, the bespectacled woman with a straight face, was his colleague who had just been promoted from the constable.
"I'm Sergeant Mel Beaufort. It's an honor to meet you, Miss Pusscat," he added, shaking the other's hand. "Miss Pussett."
Gwen explained about the incident. It started with Miss Elton who invited him over their problems. Then about the six people's alibis which look absolutely perfect.
"You brought your other comrades?"
Cake welcomes them shortly.
Superintendant Orin and his partner, Beaufort, made it seem more casual than meeting Gwen and Beckey.
“You got something, Mr. Keymarks?”
“Just call me Cake. Something you mean unfortunately I can not be sure to be an answer."
The two leaders of the police team immediately turned to Gwen. He asked the police to question them one by one. Of course Gwen had explained, although in the end they would still carry out the procedure.
After half an hour, someone from forensics gave the news, that the body had been killed about two to two weeks ago. The victim was mutilated, then burned until there were no visible clues. They need more time for a detailed investigation of the body including who and what gender it is.
After that they brought the yellow crown and the sapphire heart necklace. Cake brought the two things. He immediately took a magnifying glass from his pocket.
Meanwhile, someone else came.
"Hello! Unexpectedly, the police were also staying overnight. Is there any problem?" said the woman dressed in Victorian style calmly.
She exhaled her smoking pipe casually, facing him. Superintendent Orin immediately asked for information as described by Gwen. He even showed the remains of the semi-ash bone fragments earlier. But the reaction of the woman named Dorothy was ordinary and calm.
"Yeah, you're right. We've never done this. This is beyond expectations. If I have given information that the fireplace can not be used, it does not mean I slipped a small surprise. Besides, tomorrow I also promise to bring firewood, charcoal or something like that,” he then walked a little towards the electric heater. "Well, this isn't normal. This one is new though. Even so, this thing is always repaired regularly. Just like all these buildings, my business and everything about service is number one.”
"Yes, yes, yes ma'am. What has happened means what has happened. Can you explain why this is?”
"Who knows. It's not like I'm an unemployed person?”
Cake interrupts.
"Miss Dorothy, tell me if that's allowed, who was the one who rented this place before."
Miss Dorothy squinted at Cake. "Of course not, will you? How can I divulge customer secrets?”
Sergeant Beaufort explained the articles of the law that could ensnare Dorothy in court. She said in a soft tone, but the eyes behind the glasses looked menacingly sharp.
“Tch, you blackmailer!” Dorothy said with a snort and bit reluctantly. “A week ago, someone single-handedly rented this place for five days. On behalf of Anthony Penketh, the money has been transferred first. They said they needed a lot of space for a few people.”
"Then?"
"What happened then? The story has a happy ending, then they leave!"
The information did not lead to the development stage at all. In fact it seemed to stop the idea from developing. For a while the police searched and looked for something that could be used as an excuse for the victim. The six people sat down feeling worried, confused, and shocked. More than that, Gwen who has not found a way to the previous case has turned into a murder case.
“Hey, Cake, do you have any suggestions?” Gwen asked, massaging her forehead lightly.
“Too many oddities for even a few clues. An uninvited name, Dolores Yates suddenly appeared paying for the inn in full, one person's body was charred complete with a crown and necklace as told by Miss Elton, then an electric heater that suddenly broke. Especially?'
"But I asked for your advice," Gwen snorted.
"Ah, the other one, according to the rumors, the undiscovered basement."
Cake smiled broadly at that, his face excited as if he had been inspired."Let's start from there!"
"Eh? Looking for something that doesn't exist?" Beckey was confused by Cake's statement and expression. "Non, we're just proving that some gibberish actually has something in it."
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