Chapter 157: Prelude to Midnight |
Following that, the conductor finally confessed to his crime. It was actually quite simple.
Initially, the conductor claimed he had merely gone to remind the victim about afternoon tea. When he knocked and received no answer, he opened the door.
He then saw the victim with his back turned, rummaging through a leather suitcase. Upon spotting the massive amount of money inside, greed instantly flared in his mind.
Seeing that the victim was oblivious and no one else was around... Of course, according to the conductor's own account, he hadn't intended to kill the man.
He only wanted to knock him unconscious and steal some cash. Like everyone else on the train, he assumed this suspicious-looking man had obtained his wealth through illicit means and wouldn't dare make a scene even if his money went missing.
However, due to his clumsy execution, he accidentally bludgeoned the man to death. Since the deed was done, he figured he might as well go all the way. He couldn't let a murder go to waste, so he took every last coin.
Next came the standard procedure of writing the confession, signing it, and pressing his thumbprint. Once that was done, the conductor was locked directly inside the storage room of the luggage car. The corpse was packed into a crate and tossed into the ordinary luggage car, bringing the matter to a close.
But Anthony couldn't hold back his complaints.
"This is exactly why I say I absolutely despise these amateurs who are worse than rookies," he muttered quietly to Levi while rifling through the victim's room for any potential secret intelligence. "Even a professionally trained spy wouldn't die in such a ridiculous manner. Robbery and murder? If idiots like this can be spies, why on earth am I stuck roughing it in a third-class carriage?"
"That actually reminds me of something." Levi stroked his chin, examining the room before him. "When you think about it, even you know this man wasn't suited to be a spy. I'm certain his handlers knew it too. In that case, why did they trust him to deliver something?"
"What do you mean, Boss?"
"I suspect that what they wanted was the man himself, not just some piece of intelligence."
"Him?" Anthony froze upon hearing Levi's response. "That's highly unlikely. It's not like we didn't investigate him. The guy was an orphan with no significant background. He was just an ordinary researcher in the institute, not even qualified to lead his own research group. What would anyone want with a guy like that?"
"Perhaps he was a neglected genius, or maybe he was being suppressed by his superiors. In any case, since the other party was willing to pay cold, hard cash, it proves he possessed something they highly valued."
"Put that way... it does make sense."
Knowing the realities of their own trade, Anthony understood that no agency had an infinite budget. He himself was forced to ride in third class. Judging others by his own circumstances, no matter how wealthy a rival intelligence agency might be, they wouldn't waste funds bribing a complete nobody for no reason. In their line of work, people truly didn't act without guaranteed returns.
"Well, keep searching at your own pace. I'm heading back to sleep." Levi let out a yawn. Now that the murder case was solved, it was no longer his concern. Besides, no other passenger would dare sleep in this room anyway, so he might as well let Anthony take his time investigating.
Anthony didn't mind either. As a spy, he had dealt with countless similar situations. Searching for clues in a room where someone had just died was nothing; more often than not, they had to search the actual corpses...
Levi returned to his room to rest, and the other passengers naturally retreated to their respective cabins. The trainmaster, however, was forced to personally take over the duties in the first-class carriage. He was deeply depressed. Having a murder occur on his train was bad enough, but the killer turning out to be one of his own conductors was an absolute nightmare.
Once they reached the station, this news would inevitably leak out. None of the wealthy guests in the first-class carriage would show any leniency to the railway company. When that time came... being berated by his superiors would be a merciful outcome. If he were to be dismissed... The thought made the trainmaster feel as though his entire world were collapsing.
For the rest of the first-class passengers, the matter was largely resolved. Since the case was solved, the incident was effectively over. Nonetheless, the event left many feeling anxious, and few dared to remain alone. Madam Bedrick, for instance, was completely unwilling to sleep right next door to a murder scene and moved directly into her daughter's room.
The night deepened.
Nightlife in this era was rather dull. On previous nights, passengers would gather in the salon car to play cards, chat, and pass the time. But after today's incident, no one was in the mood for social activities. Essentially everyone returned to their rooms to rest after dinner.
"This is just too terrifying, Miss."
Olivia's maid, Anna, was clearly too frightened to stay in her own room alone and had run over to Olivia's quarters. By comparison, this room felt much more secure. "I never imagined such a horrific thing could happen on a train..."
"When traveling abroad, one must always remain vigilant," Olivia said as she sat in her chair, allowing her maid to brush her hair.
"Indeed, it's frightening. What if that conductor had targeted us for robbery..."
"I'm not worried about that." Olivia genuinely harbored no fears on that front. After all, Little Black was right by her side. If anyone mistook him for a harmless, cute puppy, Olivia wouldn't mind letting them become a meal in Little Black's stomach.
"Then again, Miss, Mr. Levi is truly remarkable." At this topic, the maid grew excited. "I can't believe he caught the killer so quickly, after only spending a single afternoon on it!"
"Ah, yes... indeed, it was quite impressive." Olivia nodded in total agreement. She had witnessed Levi handle cases before, but those had involved supernatural elements. This, however, was a completely ordinary murder. Levi had simply examined the scene, questioned a few individuals, and immediately apprehended the culprit...
Furthermore, he had executed it all with total ease. It forced Olivia to view him with a newfound level of respect.
"All done, Miss." The maid finished styling Olivia's hair, and the noble lady leaned forward to examine herself closely in the mirror. "Splendid, Anna. Your skills are as excellent as always."
As she spoke, Olivia opened the small handbag beside her, intending to make her final preparations before bed. But the moment she reached inside...
"What is this?" Olivia pulled a card from her bag with a look of confusion. It was a punch card, and on the surface, it appeared quite ordinary. The only strange aspect was its color. Unlike typical cards which were beige, this punch card was entirely black.
What a peculiar object. Olivia examined it curiously. In this world, the material used for punch cards was similar to a blend of heavy cardstock and plastic, making it durable yet flexible. They were almost exclusively white or beige. While certain bank savings punch cards were coated in specific colors, Olivia had never once seen a black punch card.
"Anna, what is this?"
"A black punch card?" Hearing Olivia's question, the maid stepped closer to inspect it. "I'm sorry, Mistress, I have no recollection of this..."
"I just found it inside my bag. Are you certain you didn't pack anything unusual?"
"Ah, now that you mention it..." The maid seemed to recall something, but before she could finish her sentence, she was suddenly cut off by a low growl.
"Grrr...!"
The small puppy, which had been dozing on a nearby chair, suddenly bolted upright. It stared fixedly toward the exterior window, letting out a hostile rumble from its throat.
"What's wrong, Little Black?" Noticing the puppy's bizarre behavior, Olivia instantly grew alert. She knew this was no ordinary dog; it was the guardian spirit of the Baskerville family. Ever since that faithful incident, Olivia had kept it by her side at all times, even sleeping in the same room. Yet, she had never seen Little Black act like this.
Abandoning her investigation of the black punch card for the moment, Olivia slipped it back into her handbag. She stood up and approached Little Black. The small puppy was currently arching its back fiercely, its eyes locked onto the window as low growls vibrated through its chest.
"What is happening with Little Black?" Anna walked over, equally perplexed. "Could there be a wild beast out there in the forest?"
"Perhaps..." Olivia watched Little Black, reaching down to stroke his fur, but the hound remained tense, staring out into the dark. Olivia followed its gaze, but she could see absolutely nothing. Due to the reflection of the bright indoor lighting, the window glass acted like a mirror, merely displaying the interior of the cabin. The situation outside was completely obscured.
"Anna, turn off the lights."
"Yes, Miss." The maid walked to the door and flipped the switch. In an instant, the room was plunged into darkness, mirroring the absolute blackness outside. Aside from the howling wind and the rhythmic patter of raindrops, nothing could be seen or heard.
"We need to find Mr. Levi." Staring out the window, Olivia made a swift decision. She didn't know why Little Black was displaying such extreme wariness, but it was glaringly obvious that some form of danger was lurking nearby. Levi had previously warned her to seek him out immediately if the hound ever exhibited unusual behavior, and this was undeniably one of those moments.
Fortunately, Levi had not yet fallen asleep. The reason was simple: he was currently in his room, admiring the reward he had just pulled from his system chest.
"Well, well. I certainly didn't expect to pull such an excellent piece of gear." Levi was thoroughly excited as he handled the magnificent item in his hands. Much like how solving the case aboard the Northern Star had granted him a custom outfit, cracking this murder mystery had earned him an additional bonus chest.
He had originally assumed it would be another set of clothing, but to his surprise, he had unboxed a firearm. It was another revolver.
Its exterior appearance was virtually identical to the Persuader. The only major difference was its pristine coloration. It featured a pure silver frame paired with ivory-white grips, creating a striking contrast with the pitch-black Persuader that had been altered by the Goddess of Night. Could the system be acting a bit petty, deliberately trying to compete with the Goddess of Night's aesthetic?
Aside from the color, this revolver also differed from the Persuader in its caliber. While the Persuader chambered the standard .455 round, this new weapon was a massive .50 caliber. Because of this, its cylinder was slightly smaller in capacity. The Persuader could hold six rounds, whereas this new revolver could only hold five—a necessary compromise given the significantly larger size of the .50 caliber ammunition.
Of course, a larger bullet inherently meant devastating stopping power. When Levi shot a human with the Persuader, he could still manage to leave them alive. But if he used this gun... their survival would be entirely up to fate.
"I'll call you the Punisher." Levi was exceptionally pleased with his new firearm. After all, what man wouldn't prefer something bigger, thicker, longer, and more powerful?
To be entirely honest, Levi had occasionally felt that the Persuader's firepower fell short. It was more than sufficient against ordinary humans, but whenever he faced massive, non-human entities, he was forced to either rely on the Eye of the Reaper for a burst of rapid fire to overwhelm them through sheer volume, or deploy his cane gun. The latter, however, was a bolt-action rifle mechanism and completely unsuited for close-quarters combat.
The arrival of the Punisher was perfectly timed, seamlessly covering the gap in his short-range firepower.
The only pressing issue at the moment was his lack of ammunition; he only possessed the five rounds pre-loaded into the cylinder. Still, it wasn't a major concern. Once they reached their destination, he could easily find a gunsmith to purchase some spares... At least, that was Levi's plan.
Right up until Olivia knocked urgently on his door.