Chapter 155: The Investigation Begins |
From Levi's perspective, the case itself seemed incredibly straightforward: a classic breaking and entering that ended in homicide. Someone had targeted the man's money, killed him, and made off with the cash.
It was as simple as that. However, the intelligence Anthony provided complicated the situation. It was entirely possible that a spy had eliminated the man to retrieve an item, then staged the scene to look like a robbery to throw off suspicion.
Such a possibility could not be ruled out.
According to the autopsy, the time of death was roughly half an hour before the body was discovered. This meant the perpetrator had plenty of time to stage the scene. Ultimately, the necessary protocol still had to be followed.
Levi explained the situation to the conductor and requisitioned the Salon Car to begin questioning the passengers one by one.
As Levi had mentioned, his targets were the passengers staying in the two first-class carriages.
To understand the context, one had to look at the overall layout of the Orient Express:
[Locomotive]—[Supply Car]—[First-Class Luggage Car]—[First-Class Carriage A]—[First-Class Carriage B]—[Salon Car]—[Dining Room]—[Ordinary Luggage Car]—[Second-Class Carriage]—[Third-Class Carriage]
Originally, the train ended at the Salon Car without any carriages attached behind it. However, with the Steam Machinery Exposition approaching, the Railway Company had attached three additional carriages to maximize their profits.
The ultra-luxurious First-Class Carriage A contained three compartments, occupied by the following guests:
Room 101: Levi
Room 102: Olivia Baskerville
Room 103: Mr. and Mrs. Hardman (the honeymooning couple who had kept their distance from Levi earlier)
First-Class Carriage B was slightly less opulent, featuring six compartments:
Room 201: Robert Hardment (the victim)
Room 202: Joanna Bedrick (the highly talkative lady)
Room 203: Lisa Bedrick (Madam Bedrick's daughter)
Room 204: Anna Louise (Olivia's maid)
Room 205: Anthony Carest (the Ibiyan merchant in the flamboyant checkered coat)
Room 206: Chris Blanche (the lady Anthony had attempted to chat up earlier)
As a side note, First-Class Carriage A actually included a smaller servant's bed alongside the master's large bed. Strictly speaking, although Carriage A only had three compartments, it effectively contained six beds. The only difference was that while First-Class Carriage B was divided evenly, the servant beds in First-Class Carriage A were noticeably smaller.
Olivia, however, had left the servant's bed to her little puppy, opting instead to purchase a separate room in First-Class Carriage B for her maid.
It was a textbook display of extreme wealth and indulgence.
Levi sat on the sofa in the Salon Car with Anthony acting as his assistant. Although Levi considered the man highly unreliable, he currently lacked any other option.
Naturally, Olivia was the first to enter.
"Good afternoon, Miss Olivia. Please, have a seat."
Levi stood up politely and gestured for Olivia to sit across from him.
"This is merely a routine inquiry."
"I understand. I heard that gentleman died? Why? Was it not an accident?"
"Based on the current evidence, it appears to be murder. The culprit stole his money and took his life."
"To take a life over such a trivial sum of money?"
Olivia knitted her brows, her voice laced with genuine confusion. As expected of an old-money aristocrat, her immediate reaction was a perfect example of "Let them eat cake."
Truly remarkable. Levi silently gave Olivia a thumbs-up in his mind.
"That amount of money is a fortune to an ordinary person, more than enough to make them risk everything."
"I cannot comprehend it. Is money truly more valuable than human life to them?"
Olivia looked thoroughly bewildered.
"Sometimes money is just the catalyst, but that is beside the point right now."
Levi decisively steered the conversation back on track.
"While we both know what transpired earlier, I would like you to recount your actions this afternoon from the beginning."
"Let me think..."
Olivia placed a finger against her chin, reflecting for a moment.
"I intended to head out for lunch, but Anna mentioned she had forgotten something. I accompanied her back to her room, and we bumped into that gentleman on our way out."
"Ah, I see."
Levi nodded. He had wondered why Olivia was coming out of the guest rooms in First-Class Carriage B earlier, and now he had his answer.
"After that, I had lunch with you, Mr. Levi, and returned to my room to rest. I slept for about two hours, and after waking up, I played with Xiao Hei for a while. Then I heard a commotion outside, went to investigate, and learned that someone had met with misfortune."
"So you remained in your room the entire time after lunch?"
"Yes."
"And where was Miss Louise?"
"I instructed her to return to her room and rest."
"Had you ever encountered the victim prior to this?"
"I saw him once in the Salon Car, but never again after that."
"Did you hear or notice anything unusual while you were in your room?"
"Nothing at all." As she spoke, Olivia gently stroked the puppy's head. "Xiao Hei did not notice anything either."
Levi figured the formidable hound possessed absolutely no interest in petty human squabbles.
"Very well, thank you."
With the questioning concluded, Levi escorted Olivia out. Turning around, he caught Anthony staring at him with a mischievous grin.
"What are you smiling at?"
"Chief, you and the young lady of the Baskerville family seem quite close. You are already on a first-name basis?"
"What about it?"
"Oh, nothing. I just wonder how Miss Katie would react if I mentioned this to her?"
Levi raised an eyebrow at Anthony's teasing.
"You know, detective fiction relies heavily on dramatic flair."
"What do you mean?"
"For instance, if the detective's assistant turns out to be the actual murderer, it makes for an excellent plot twist at the end, does it not?"
"Uh... Chief?" Anthony's eyelid twitched. "I already told you it wasn't me..."
"True, but you remain a prime suspect. Do you want to see if I can have you thrown into a cell for a few days?"
"I apologize. I was wrong."
"Go call the next person."
"Right away..."
Anthony left deflated, returning a moment later with a man whose expression was dark and annoyed. The man glared at Levi with clear displeasure.
"We did absolutely nothing!"
Before Levi could even ask a question, the man burst out shouting.
"My wife and I were resting, completely unaware of what was happening outside! Bringing us here is a complete waste of time. You would be better off catching the actual killer!"
"Please calm down, sir."
Levi waved his hand, signaling the man to sit.
"This is a standard routine inquiry."
The man huffed and threw himself onto the sofa, his eyes still fixed angrily on Levi.
"First, your name."
"Anrenis Hardman."
"And your occupation...?"
"I am a designer."
"A designer?" Levi raised an eyebrow at the response. "Then you must be quite well-known?"
"There is no need for sarcasm!" Mr. Hardman glared fiercely at Levi. "That is correct, I am a nobody! I have no fame to speak of! The only reason I am traveling in a first-class carriage is because I recently inherited a substantial fortune. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"
"I see." Levi nodded calmly. "Did you know the victim?"
"I did not. I never expected to encounter such a neurotic individual in first class. Neither my wife nor I had any interest in that sort of person, so we did not bother interacting with him."
"What did you do this afternoon following lunch?"
"As I stated, my wife and I dined, then returned to our compartment to rest. I only woke up and went to investigate when the shouting started outside, which is when I discovered someone had died."
"Did you observe or encounter anything out of the ordinary?"
"Not unless you count the corpse."
"Very well, thank you. Please have your wife come in next."
"Why must you question her?" Mr. Hardman stood up, staring aggressively at Levi. "I am her husband, and as I told you, we were together the entire time. You are wasting your time! Or are you implying that I am the killer?"
"Whether it is a waste of time is for me to decide, not you. You may leave now."
Mr. Hardman glared at Levi, gritting his teeth, but ultimately turned and stormed out of the Salon Car.
Anthony immediately slipped back over to Levi's side.
"Haha, inheriting a massive fortune... Chief, care to wager whether he married that beautiful lady before or after he got the money?"
"Unless he is the one who ends up dead, I have no interest in guessing." Levi dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Bring the next person in."
"You got it."
Moments later, Mrs. Hardman entered the carriage.
It was undeniable that she possessed a delicate, deeply moving charm. While purely in terms of raw beauty she fell slightly short of Olivia, her temperament more than made up for it. Her large, misty eyes held a vulnerable quality that naturally evoked a desire to protect her. Compared to the proud, commanding presence of Olivia, a woman of this gentler nature was far more adept at drawing the attention of men.
"Good afternoon, Detective."
Mrs. Hardman lowered her head in a polite bow, and Levi gestured toward the seat opposite him.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Hardman. I hope you do not mind answering a few questions."
"Of course not."
Mrs. Hardman blinked, her deep green eyes looking at Levi like still pools.
"First, your name?"
"Elena Hardman."
"What did you do this afternoon?"
"My husband and I finished our lunch and returned to our room to rest. This is my very first journey by train, and the travel has left me rather exhausted."
"Ah, I completely understand." Levi nodded sympathetically. "Unfamiliar environments can be mentally draining. I experience the same thing from time to time."
"The detective suffers from this as well?" Hearing Levi's response, Mrs. Hardman seemed to brighten slightly.
"Yes, which is why I generally prefer staying at home rather than traveling around. To confirm, were the two of you together the entire time?"
"Um... I am not entirely certain."
"You are not certain?"
"Upon returning to the compartment, I fell asleep almost immediately. When I eventually woke up, my husband was not beside me. He returned a short while later."
"Did he mention where he had gone?"
"I inquired, and he informed me he had gone outside to smoke."
"Does your husband smoke frequently?"
"Occasionally, but not excessively."
Suddenly, the door to the Salon Car swung open, and Mr. Hardman walked in with a dark expression. He cast a sharp glance at his wife before turning his gaze to Levi.
"Are you finished with the questions? May we leave now?"
"Certainly, we are done for the moment."
Levi remained unbothered by Mr. Hardman's hostile attitude. He offered a polite nod and directed a warm smile toward the woman.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mrs. Hardman."
"You are very welcome, Mr. Levi. It was the least I could do."
Mrs. Hardman replied with a gentle smile of her own. Mr. Hardman's face darkened further as he stepped between them, cutting off their line of sight. He assisted his wife to her feet, and the couple left the carriage together.
"How fascinating." Watching them leave, Anthony chuckled softly. "Chief, you truly are a dangerous man."
"It has absolutely nothing to do with me." Levi rolled his eyes. "Go fetch the conductor."