Loid received a call from Finn.
"Hello?" Loid answered.
"Did it work?" Finn's voice was terse.
"Yes, exactly," Loid replied, trying to sound calm.
"Don't behave like an idiot there. Okay then, bye."
"Wait, but how did he die?" Loid asked, but the line had already gone dead.
Later, they brought the body back to the theater. Some people were frozen in their seats out of fear. Loid watched everything from the back, trying to appear innocent.
After some time, the guards escorted the magician, followed by the detectives. The first scene that greeted them was the dead bodies of Livio's father and mother. Ango Sakaguchi and Moe Smith, two world-renowned detectives, entered the scene.
Oberheuser took her time explaining everything to the detectives. After hearing the details, Sakaguchi approached the magician, who was restrained by two guards.
"Let him go," Sakaguchi instructed. "Bring some water," he added to one of the guards.
"Are you alright?" Sakaguchi asked the magician.
"Sir, I'm telling the truth. Someone tampered with my equipment to frame me," the magician pleaded.
The guard returned with a water bottle.
"Calm down, I believe you. Have some water and try to relax," Sakaguchi said, handing the bottle to the magician.
Meanwhile, Smith was questioning Celine.
"I gave Livio a spicy candy, and I ate one too. After eating the candy, he couldn't handle it, so he asked Mrs. Kate for water. After he drank the water, he gave the bottle to me, and I also drank from it," Celine explained.
Smith asked Oberheuser, "Where is Mrs. Kate?"
"She left the theater last," a guard replied.
"Did she carry anything with her?" Smith continued.
"No, nothing," the guard answered.
"Can you show me where she was sitting during the show?" Smith asked.
The guard guided Smith to Mrs. Kate's seat. After looking around, he found a bottle with a little water left. He showed it to Celine.
"Is this the bottle?" Smith asked.
"Yes," Celine confirmed.
Sakaguchi joined Smith and explained what he had learned from the magician. Smith then shared his findings with Sakaguchi.
"Do you think it's the same type of situation as Mrs. Luna?" Sakaguchi asked.
"The way things are going, I'd say yes. We'll get a definitive answer after we diagnose Livio's blood sample and this water sample," Smith replied.
Sakaguchi went to his car and brought a small box that looked like a glass container. In the age of advanced AI, there was no need to go to labs for small tests. Detectives could just put samples inside the box, and it would give a report faster than traditional labs.
Smith collected the water from the bottle in a test tube and put it inside the device. He then asked Oberheuser to collect some blood from Livio and put it inside the device as well. After 15 minutes, the device displayed the results on its screen.
The water report read: "Water is contaminated with a substance called calciseptine, made up of a 60 amino acid peptide."
The blood report read: "Calciseptine detected in blood. Effect of substance on blood includes immediate coagulation."
"Mrs. Oberheuser, please explain," Smith said.
Oberheuser was in shock after reading the word "calciseptine."
"That's the chemical found in the venom of the world's most venomous snake. It's a neurotoxic venom that induces postsynaptic blockade of the neuromuscular junctions," she explained.
"So it's a venom that targets the brain and heart," Sakaguchi summarized.
"But it only works if someone introduces the venom into the bloodstream. If you consume snake venom, it will get digested like normal protein," Oberheuser added.
Sakaguchi suggested they talk in private and they stepped outside the theater.
"You know, Mrs. Luna died because she had an ulcer, but her husband and the monk also drank the coffee contaminated with venom and survived. I checked Livio's family medical reports; they were completely fine," Sakaguchi said.
"We know his parents were murdered, but if Livio was healthy, how did he die after drinking the venom?" Smith asked.
"I don't know. Maybe we should directly ask the suspect about it," Sakaguchi replied.
The scene changed to Mrs. Kate being questioned by the detectives.
"I'm telling you, I'm innocent. Why would I commit such a crime?" Kate pleaded.
"You're right, but all the evidence points to you as the culprit," Smith replied.
"I saw both brothers as my own sons and their parents as my brother and sister. How could I…" Kate began to sob.
"I don't want to believe it either, but the biggest evidence is this water bottle. You recognize it, right?" Sakaguchi asked.
"Yes, that's mine," Kate confirmed.
"There is a potent venom mixed in this water," Smith stated.
"But I also drank from that bottle. Look at me, I'm completely fine," Kate argued.
"We said venom, not poison," Sakaguchi clarified.
Kate stopped talking and started crying again, insisting on her innocence.
"I'm sorry, Miss. Until we prove your innocence, we request you to please cooperate," Smith said.
Some officers came and took her away. After they left, Sakaguchi sighed.
"I still can't believe she did that," Sakaguchi said.
"I also have my doubts, 50/50. But we can't do anything until we prove her innocence," Smith replied.
"Mr. Smith, you marked Livio's shirt, right?" Sakaguchi asked.
"Yes, I saw the same symbol on Mr. Giorgio and Mrs. Luna before they died. So we can be sure that there is a single person behind all these murders," Smith explained.
"Before Mr. Giorgio's personal assistant jumped off the cliff, he also said something, remember?" Sakaguchi asked.
"Yes, he mentioned someone and that it was 'she.' This case is getting complicated," Smith replied.
---
YOU ARE READING
Graveyard of the living
Mystery / Thriller"A young girl witnesses the destruction of her world, losing everything she holds dear right before her eyes. Each time she tries to rebuild her life, the cycle of tragedy repeats, tearing her down once more. After years of enduring this relentless...
