"Miss Adèle, the death message left by Miss Maria seems to point to you. Do you have anything to say about this?"
Standing in the washroom, Police Chief Douglas directly asks Adèle, who is standing at the washroom door. Adèle places her hand on her chest and calmly responds.
"I have nothing to say, Officer. This is a complete slander. The despicable murderer is trying to use poor Maria’s death to frame me."
"So you’re denying it? But such a clear death message is very unfavorable for you, Miss Adèle. Unless you can provide an alibi to prove your innocence."
Douglas says this, then pauses for a moment before continuing.
"You just mentioned that Miss Maria was still performing on stage earlier. What was her last performance, or when was the last time you saw her?"
Douglas asks the surrounding staff. One of the theater attendants scratches his head and speaks up after some thought.
"Maria’s last performance was the dance ’The Crimson Mother’ with Miss Adèle. That was the last time we saw Maria. The performance ended around..."
The theater attendant hesitates, but another voice chimes in to answer.
"The performance of ’The Crimson Mother’ ended at 7:05 PM, sir."Ed, standing nearby, speaks up. The attendant claps his hands and confirms.
"Ah, yes! The performance ended around 7:05 PM. This detective is correct!"
The attendant says directly. Douglas glances at Ed and then continues.
"So, who discovered the body? And when was it discovered?"
"Well... it was me. I was about to use the restroom, and when I opened the door, I saw the scene inside. But I was so frightened at the time, so I’m not sure exactly when it was. It must have been around 7:10 or 7:20..."
The elderly woman who first discovered the body speaks with a trembling voice. She tries to recall the exact time, but Ed once again interjects.
"The scream from this lady was heard at 7:23 PM. I was nearby at the time, so I heard it."
Hearing Ed’s words, Douglas frowns and says.
"Are you checking your watch every minute, detective?"
"No, no, Officer. I just have a good memory and a keen sense of time. Of course, I also check my watch frequently to calibrate my sense of time, about every ten minutes or so."
As he speaks, Ed smiles and takes out his pocket watch, opening it to glance at the time before continuing.
"After all, as a detective, I believe keeping track of time is essential."
"..."
Seeing Ed’s confident expression, Douglas remains silent for a moment. Then he turns back to Adèle and asks again.
"So, we can confirm that the time of death was between 7:00 and 7:20 PM. Where were you during those twenty minutes, Miss Adèle?"
"After Maria suddenly disappeared, I organized a search for her right after the performance ended. I also went looking for her myself. We mainly searched the backstage area and some nearby sections. But we never expected Maria to be murdered here. This is the audience area, far from the backstage."
Adèle responds. Douglas ponders for a moment and then continues.
"So, were you accompanied by anyone during your search?"
"No."
"No? So... you have no one to confirm your alibi during those twenty minutes?"
Douglas raises an eyebrow and continues to question. Adèle nods lightly.
"That’s correct, Officer. But I did not kill Maria."
"Even if you say so, the current evidence is very unfavorable for you, Miss Adèle. You should know that, based on the current situation, you are the prime suspect. If no other suspects are found, according to our usual procedures, we would have to take you to the police station for further questioning."
Douglas says sternly. At this moment, the theater manager steps forward anxiously and says.
"You can’t take Adèle away! If the media finds out about this, everything will be ruined!"
The theater manager panics, already imagining the headlines and extensive media coverage that would follow if this incident were made public. Such a scandal would be devastating to a star’s image.
"Let’s not jump to conclusions, Officer. I believe there are still many mysteries in this case. Miss Adèle is likely being framed."
At this moment, Ed speaks up again. Hearing Ed’s words, Douglas turns to him and says sternly.
"You think so? What makes you so sure?"
"Based on Miss Adèle’s clothing. Please take a closer look at the washroom, Officer. The victim was stabbed multiple times, and blood splattered everywhere—on the floor, the walls. If Miss Adèle were the killer, her clothes would undoubtedly be covered in blood. But as you can see, Miss Adèle’s clothes are completely clean. Doesn’t that seem unusual?"
Ed points to the bloody washroom and analyzes the situation. Hearing Ed’s reasoning, Douglas pauses for a moment, then continues.
"It’s also possible that Adèle changed her clothes and wiped off the blood after killing Maria. This is a theater, and Adèle is a performer. It’s normal for her to have multiple sets of costumes, right?"
Douglas states his perspective, but Ed counters.
"What about her makeup? Bloodstains can be wiped off, but if her makeup were smeared, it would take time to reapply. Officer, look at the height of the bloodstains on the wall. They reach Miss Adèle’s height. If her face had been splattered with blood, wiping it off would have also removed her makeup. Miss Adèle’s makeup is quite intricate. Reapplying it would take a significant amount of time.
"Yet, as you can see, Miss Adèle’s makeup is still flawless. With only twenty minutes to commit the murder, change clothes, and reapply her makeup, do you think she had enough time?"
Ed continues his reasoning, glancing at Adèle’s heavily made-up face. Because she was performing on stage, her makeup is quite elaborate, and any damage would be immediately noticeable.
Hearing the subtle compliment in Ed’s reasoning, Adèle gives a slight bow.
"Thank you for the compliment, Detective."
Hearing Adèle’s words, Douglas frowns and then turns back to Ed.
"Your reasoning is based on assumptions—specifically, the assumption that Miss Adèle’s face was splattered with blood. What if she was lucky and no blood got on her face? The height of the bloodstains on the wall doesn’t prove anything."
"Then we can verify the number of costumes. If Miss Adèle’s bloodstained dress had to be disposed of, then the theater’s inventory of similar dresses would be missing one. If the number of dresses hasn’t decreased, Miss Adèle’s innocence can still be confirmed."
Ed continues his argument. Douglas glances at the theater staff and then says.
"Your reasoning makes sense, but the number of dresses is entirely up to the theater’s discretion. Adèle is of great value to the theater. They might lie to protect her. Testimony from interested parties must be taken with a grain of salt."
Douglas speaks in a neutral tone. After he finishes, everyone turns their attention to Ed, who calmly walks over to Adèle and examines her red dress.
"Miss Adèle, this dress of yours... the material seems quite precious. It must have been expensive, right?"
"You have a good eye, Detective. This dress was specially custom-made for tonight’s performance at Silver Moon Star Clothing Store. It’s made of Cloud Mulberry Silk. Two were ordered—one as a backup and the one I’m wearing now. The backup is still in the wardrobe backstage. I can have it brought out if needed."
Adèle replies softly. After hearing her response, Ed raises an eyebrow and turns to Douglas.
"I believe you heard that, Officer. Miss Adèle’s dress was custom-made externally. The exact number of dresses ordered can be verified with the store. As long as Miss Adèle can produce the corresponding number of intact dresses, there should be no issue."
Ed says this. The reason he could immediately recognize the uniqueness of Adèle’s dress is thanks to Nephthys. Earlier, when Dorothy and Nephthys were watching Adèle’s performance together, Nephthys, who is very interested in fashion, immediately noticed that Adèle’s dress was expensive and unique. She excitedly explained this to Dorothy during the performance.
"Hmm..."
Hearing Ed’s words, Douglas ponders for a moment and then nods.
"Your reasoning makes sense. We will verify the relevant details immediately. However, high-end stores like Silver Moon Star may already be closed for the day, so verification will likely have to wait until tomorrow. Until then, Miss Adèle remains the prime suspect. To prevent her from fleeing, we will have to detain her at the police station."
"There’s no need for that. Miss Adèle doesn’t need to go anywhere today."
Ed responds confidently. Douglas frowns and looks at him with a hint of displeasure.
"What are you trying to say, Detective?"
"What I mean is, Officer, your investigative methods are slightly flawed. In my opinion, the likelihood of Miss Adèle being the murderer is extremely low. Our focus shouldn’t be on debating whether Miss Adèle is the killer, but on taking advantage of the fact that the performance hasn’t ended yet. We still have a legitimate reason to keep the thousands of audience members here. We should find the real killer while they’re still among us."
Dorothy, controlling Ed, speaks firmly. Hearing this, Douglas lets out a slight scoff.
"That’s quite arrogant, Detective. Regardless of whether Adèle’s suspicion has been cleared, even if she isn’t the killer, and the real killer is among the audience in this theater, how do you plan to find them in such a short time?
"If I recall correctly, Adèle’s performance runs from 6:00 PM to 9:20 PM. It’s already 7:50 PM now. The performance will end in an hour and a half, and we won’t have a reason to keep everyone here anymore. I don’t believe we can solve this murder case in just an hour and a half. It’s better to take things step by step."
Douglas speaks bluntly, basing his words on his past experience. There’s nothing wrong with his reasoning, but Ed smiles in response.
"I don’t think so, Officer. Personally, as long as the police and theater staff cooperate with me fully, I can guarantee that we’ll uncover the truth within an hour and a half."
Ed says confidently. Hearing this, everyone, including Douglas, looks at him with disbelief. Douglas directly responds.
"Find the killer in an hour and a half? Hah, I admit you have some skills, but that’s still quite an arrogant claim."
"Whether it’s arrogant or not, why not give it a try? An hour and a half isn’t long. Let me give it a shot."
Ed says, then quietly looks at Douglas. After a moment of staring, Douglas finally speaks.
"Fine. Since it’s not a long time, I’ll let you try, Detective. During this time, we’ll cooperate with your investigation as you wish. Consider it recognition of the skills you’ve shown so far. But don’t try to pull any tricks. I’ll be watching you."
Douglas says, staring at Ed. Ed smiles lightly and responds.
"Thank you for your support, Officer. I won’t let you down."
Hearing Douglas’s words, Dorothy, who is controlling the marionette from the audience seats, also smiles. Now that she has the cooperation of both the theater staff and the police, she finally has the resources to fully focus on catching the killer.
After officially gaining investigative authority, Dorothy immediately begins her work. She controls Ed to ask the theater manager.
"Excuse me, sir, do you have the floor plan of this theater?"
"The floor plan? Let me think... Oh, yes, yes. The architectural floor plan should be in my office. I’ve kept it since the theater was completed."
The elderly theater manager responds. Ed immediately continues.
"That’s great. Please take me to your office now. I need you to find those blueprints for me."
"Of course, Detective. Follow me."
With that, the manager walks off, and Ed quickly follows. Seeing this, many people in the room are puzzled, especially Douglas, who frowns.
"What does this kid need the floor plan for? Is he here to investigate or to renovate the place?"
Ignoring the confused looks behind him, Ed follows the manager to his office and watches as the manager pulls out several large, folded blueprints from a drawer, spreading them out on the floor.
These are the floor plans of the theater, several sheets in total. They detail every floor, every corridor, every room, and even every seat in the main auditorium. Seeing the level of detail in the blueprints, Ed nods.
"Everything’s here, Detective. Do you need anything else?"
The manager asks after laying out all the blueprints. Ed responds.
"Perfect, thank you. Now, I need to borrow your office for a while. I prefer to think in a quiet room when I’m working on a case."
"Of course, Detective."
After a brief response, the theater manager leaves the office. Now, Ed—or rather, Dorothy—finally has the space to conduct her investigation.
Of course... if this were a case that could be solved with ordinary reasoning...
Clearly, this case is not one that can be solved with ordinary reasoning. On the surface, it appears to be a simple murder, but in reality, it involves the hidden and the extraordinary.
Douglas would never believe that the victim likely stabbed herself seven times, gouged out her own eyes, and created the entire murder scene herself.
He would also never believe that the actual time of death was not between 7:05 and 7:23 PM, but earlier—during the interval between the Flying Dance Troupe’s first performance and ’The Crimson Mother’. Maria was still alive during the first performance, but by the time the troupe returned to the stage after a choral interlude, Maria had already become a marionette.
She was murdered during the interval between those two performances. The killer then placed a Shadow necklace on her to conceal her marionette nature, allowing her to attempt to assassinate Adèle during “The Crimson Mother.”
“A case involving extraordinary methods requires extraordinary means to solve.”
Dorothy thinks to herself. She then controls Ed to take out a golden coin, a crystal pendant, and a piece of paper inscribed with a divination array from his pocket.
That’s right. Dorothy is about to use her most powerful investigative tool: divination.
After advancing to the rank of Simulated Marionettist Scholar, Dorothy’s control over spiritual threads has greatly improved. She can now not only perform simple rituals through marionettes but also activate her spiritual vision through their eyes. Earlier, she used the marionette’s spiritual vision to see that the black necklace on Maria’s neck was a mystical item of the Shadow path.
Now, Dorothy plans to use pendulum divination to locate the killer’s position.
Placing the coin on the divination array, Dorothy has Ed crouch in front of the theater’s floor plan, holding the crystal pendant over it. She silently recites the divination phrase in her mind.
“The location of the true killer who murdered Maria Dokana tonight…”
After reciting the phrase, Dorothy swings the crystal pendant. As the coin’s glow dims, the pendant begins to sway over the floor plan.
However, as the pendant swings, Dorothy, through Ed’s senses, does not feel the usual guiding force that directs the pendulum. Eventually, the pendant stops swinging, hanging vertically over the paper and falling outside the boundaries of the floor plan, making it impossible to determine the direction.
Dorothy knows immediately that this is the result of her divination being blocked.
"It’s no use. Those people probably allocated a lot of anti-divination resources for this operation. Don’t bother trying to find them through divination, Detective."
At this moment, a familiar, soft voice echoes in the office. Dorothy controls Ed to look toward the source of the voice. Standing by the door, leaning against the frame, is Adèle Briouze, dressed in a red gown, holding a thin cigarette and looking at Ed in the center of the room.