Chapter 36: The 1924 Train Murder Case (9)

The guests in the VIP lounge were in an uproar.

Yet Tang Mu was more concerned about the passengers in the other carriages.

She raised her small hand and asked Eli, “What about the guests in the other carriages? What if they start smashing the doors and windows too? Wouldn’t the timer immediately count down to zero?”

“The timer can only be triggered three times in one day. That is, within a day, it can only be reduced by six hours,” Eli replied, always gentle in his responses to Tang Mu.

But his patience was far less when it came to others.

For example, when Lady Ottilia questioned him.

“So, if it can only be triggered three times a day, that means we’re in a ‘safe period’ right now. Quickly, break down the doors and windows with something heavy, let us out!”

“I’ve already explained, haven’t I? This carriage is stuck on a broken bridge. The fracture could widen at any moment. Below the bridge is the lake, about thirty meters down. Even if you manage to break the window, you can’t get out safely. And besides, breaking a window would immediately set the timer to zero and trigger an explosion.”

“Are you trying to drag everyone on this train to die with you, Lady Ottilia?”

Eli’s attitude was much harsher when speaking to Ottilia.

She dearly wanted to threaten a complaint.

But for now, how could she get off the train? She could only swallow her anger.

Tang Mu watched the commotion throughout the train. Her mind was already analyzing which among these people were NPCs, and which were players.

First of all, Ottilia certainly wasn’t a player.

Players usually focused on finding the culprit. Ottilia’s first reaction, however, was to escape.

“Mr. Eli, perhaps we should first examine how this oddly dressed gentleman died? Are there any external wounds? Was he poisoned or stabbed in a vital organ? Is there a doctor on board? If so, could you call the doctor over to examine him?”

“There is a doctor on the train, but not a forensic pathologist. I’m afraid you won’t get the answer you want, Miss Tang Mu.”

Eli’s tone grew particularly gentle as he responded to Tang Mu’s inquiries, though he himself didn’t realize his voice softened for her, thinking he spoke to everyone the same way.

“That’s fine. A regular doctor will do,” Tang Mu muttered.

“All right, I’ll call for one,” Eli immediately pressed the intercom and summoned Doctor Adela.

When Adela hurried in, she brought a medical kit.

Upon seeing the corpse of the strangely dressed man slumped in a seat, her face was filled with shock.

“Heavens. I never imagined something like this would happen on our train! … So it wasn’t an accident from the sudden stop, but murder?”

“It’s confirmed as murder,” Eli said. “There are two bleeding points. One at the heart—a 9mm bullet entry. The other on the abdomen—a downward-slanting stab wound, about two to two and a half centimeters wide. Preliminary judgment is it was inflicted by a steel dining fork from the train’s restaurant.”

“My goodness,” Adela gasped again. “He was killed twice. How much must his enemy have hated him!”

She set down her medical kit and checked the two injuries Eli had described.

But this time, Adela noticed something new.

“You’re right. On the surface, it seems he was killed twice. But in fact, there’s a tiny pinprick on his neck, as if he was injected with something. And on the table before him—a bitten sandwich, and a cup of hot milk… If only we had equipment on board to analyze these. Then I could determine if there was any poison in what he ate.”

“You mean…?”

Adela nodded, “There’s a faint purple mark on the victim’s lips. But Mr. Eli, as you know, I’m not a forensic pathologist. I can only help you guess which of these wounds might have been fatal.”

“I see,” Eli sighed in resignation.

“In any case, your presence is a great help,” he said, and then addressed everyone, “This is the situation. We all need to reconstruct our timelines—from when the train started until it stopped. And in the VIP carriage, apart from you honored guests, was there anyone else who entered during that period?”

“Who will start? Miss Tang Mu, perhaps you first.”

Tang Mu, called upon first, didn’t hesitate. “I boarded at 14:23. After boarding, I sat opposite Lady Ottilia. When Mr. Eli checked everyone’s tickets, he found a small issue with mine and asked me to go with him to the conductor’s office.”

“But we weren’t together for long. I soon returned to the carriage, and not long after, the train malfunctioned.”

“So, Miss Tang Mu, you have an alibi the entire time?”

“You could say that.”

Though no one truly believed Tang Mu was completely innocent, they had no choice but to accept it.

“Next, Lady Ottilia.”

Ottilia snorted coldly, “I boarded at 14:28. I’ve been in my seat since, haven’t left. Oh, unless asking a steward for whiskey and mousse counts as activity.”

“But Lady Ottilia, when Miss Tang Mu and I went to the conductor’s office, your husband was already unconscious. During the time Miss Tang Mu left her seat, there was no one who could confirm you remained at yours, was there?”

The accusatory tone in Eli’s voice made Ottilia bristle with anger.

“Just because I can’t prove it myself doesn’t mean you can accuse me like this!”

“I’m not accusing you, Lady Ottilia. But I’ve noticed you have a fondness for lying. You say you never left your seat, yet your dress isn’t the same as when you first boarded. When Mr. Bartholomew pointed his cherished firearm at your forehead, did you not, in distress, go to the restroom to change?”

The mention of changing clothing made Lady Ottilia’s face darken considerably.

She struggled to contain her anger as she explained to the group.

“Yes, I went to the restroom. But so what? The victim hadn’t even boarded when I did.”

“But madam, when you returned to your seat, you had to pass by the victim. At that time, you could have injected something into his neck.”

Eli’s questioning left Ottilia at a loss, but she still tried to defend herself.

After all, she truly hadn’t committed the crime. She had no wish to become a suspect.

“But who would harm a complete stranger? Mr. Eli, you need evidence to prove someone is the murderer!”

“And you say I could have injected him in passing—couldn’t you and Miss Tang Mu have conspired to kill him that way? After all, no one can prove there was only one culprit.”