Chapter 41: The 1924 Train Murder Case (14)

Upon seeing the Queen of Spades emblem, Tang Mu’s heart plummeted to the depths. But Eli himself seemed unfazed. When his aura surged, he was like a sovereign in command.

“There were indeed sleeping pills in the milk,” Eli stated. “As head conductor, I have to adjust my schedule constantly. So the sleeping pills are nothing more than something I use personally to regulate my sleep.”

“So you mean to say, the pills just accidentally fell into the milk?”

“No, I put them in on purpose.” Facing everyone’s questions, Eli made no attempt to hide the truth. “As the head conductor for the Haier family’s train, it is my duty to safeguard all of their assets. Since this passenger named Augustine refused to let the staff perform a secondary inspection of his belongings, he had to pay some price for it.”

“So, do any of you have further questions?”

Everyone fell silent.

They had never seen anyone play by Eli’s rules before—so domineering, so unreasonable.

“Speaking of inspecting personal items, I think my suggestion is quite reasonable. Now, everyone can open their suitcases. I’m going to search each of you. After all, if bullets, syringes, and anthrax can make it on board, I imagine there are other things the checkpoint missed.”

“Why should we—”

“Is there a problem, Mrs. Ottilia?” Eli’s presence was not something the average person could withstand. When his piercing eyes fixed on Mrs. Ottilia, she was momentarily overwhelmed and lost for words.

“I am only thinking of everyone’s safety,” Eli continued. “After all, you’ve already brought quite a few dangerous items aboard. We’re going to be on this train for three whole days… None of you want to find yourselves suddenly dead, do you?”

Again, silence.

“I’ll go first,” Tang Mu said, meeting Eli’s gaze and suppressing her inner turmoil, cooperating fully with his work.

She had Dale open her luggage. Inside were only the simplest things: a woman’s clothing. Aside from some money and a few trinkets, there was nothing in violation of the rules.

But Eli noticed Dale’s own small suitcase.

“Yours as well. Open it.”

“Mine, too?” Dale’s nerves faltered.

“Of course. You’re Miss Tang Mu’s maid. Any dangerous items could easily be entrusted to you, rather than left in her own case.”

Dale was reluctant.

“There’s only a few clean clothes in mine,” she insisted.

“Open it,” Eli commanded, his tone stern.

Dale glanced at Tang Mu, her eyes wet, pleading for help.

Tang Mu ignored her. Though Dale appeared to be her maid, in truth, it was impossible to tell yet whether Dale was a player or an NPC.

“Go ahead, Dale,” Tang Mu said. “Only if your suitcase is truly free of dangerous items can I feel at ease.”

With no other option, Dale opened her suitcase before everyone’s eyes.

Inside, there was a bloodstained dinner knife.

“Oh my god.”

Everyone covered their mouths when they saw it.

“Who would have thought? Dale always seemed so timid and gentle, yet she could wield such violence!” Mrs. Ottilia exclaimed, clutching her mouth in shock.

But Dale shook her head frantically, “No, that knife isn’t mine. I don’t know how it got in my suitcase… I really don’t know anything!”

“Do you really know nothing?” Doubtful eyes fixed on Dale. “But this bloody knife was found in your suitcase. And you and Miss Tang Mu were apart for some time. During that period, Eli can vouch for Tang Mu, so her suspicion is temporarily cleared. But you… Well, to be honest, roles like maids or butlers have such a low presence. If you were to slip away and do something, no one would notice right away.”

Falsely accused, Dale was so flustered she could barely speak.

“But—but didn’t Mr. Jim, beside Mrs. Ottilia, just say so? Of those who approached the victim, I—I wasn’t one of them!”

“The butler’s word isn’t necessarily the whole truth, is it?”

Since they couldn’t find fault with anyone else for now, they latched onto Dale as their scapegoat, unwilling to let go—almost as if afraid the inspection of personal items would soon reach them.

They had already tried to change the subject more than once: first when the talk turned to motives, and now as the luggage was searched.

Every time, they played a game of evasion.

This time, Tang Mu was determined not to let them off so easily.

“If we’re going to search belongings, we can’t stop at just Dale’s. Everyone else must open theirs too. Isn’t that right, Mr. Eli?”

Tang Mu was reminding Eli not to overlook any suspicious person in the VIP carriage.

Eli nodded, urging the others to open their personal items.

Mrs. Ottilia was extremely displeased by Eli’s aggressive manner, but under the intimidation of his gaze, she nonetheless opened her suitcase.

It was immaculately clean, without a trace of anything suspicious.

The butler then opened both his own and Lord Hert Arnold’s suitcases. Aside from some food, clothing, and personal effects, nothing was amiss.

The writer, Jill, and the painter, Hunt, also revealed luggage filled mostly with tools of their respective trades. No weapons or particularly suspicious clues were found.

As for the arms dealer, Balthazar, and the pickpocket, Mackey, there was even less to say. Due to the nature of their professions, even if they managed to obtain something, they could easily pass it off to someone else and pin the crime elsewhere.

“Mr. Eli, I found this in the VIP restroom,” Dr. Adela announced as she returned from the train’s lavatory. She had only intended to relieve herself, but unexpectedly discovered a used syringe in the corner.

“I sniffed it and there’s a faint bitter almond scent. It should be cyanide.”

She bent over the victim’s body and sniffed again.

“Yes, the body also carries that bitter almond smell. It seems we’ll have to be even more thorough in determining how the victim died.”

Dr. Adela continued, “Currently, there are three possible fatal wounds on the deceased. First, the cyanide syringe. Second, a bullet wound. Third, the bloodied dinnerware. But which, in the end, caused Mr. Augustine’s death…”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Eli. Given the limitations aboard the train, I’m afraid we don’t have a professional forensic expert to perform a full autopsy.”