Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 156 Murderer
The train conductor Anthony had summoned was the one who had discovered the body. He looked to be in his thirties and appeared somewhat pale. When he entered the Sharon carriage and saw Livy, the conductor's lips trembled slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Hello, Detective."

"Yes, hello, please have a seat."

Li Wei asked the other person to sit down, and then asked again for their name and age, which the train conductor answered truthfully.

Then, Li Wei asked.

"I would like you to recount the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the body."

“Yes, sir. I went to that guest’s room to ask if he would like afternoon tea. Although this gentleman doesn’t like to go out, he enjoys morning and afternoon tea every day.”

"You seem quite concerned about him?"

"Because he gave me a large tip, sir."

The train conductor smiled sheepishly.

"and then?"

“I knocked on the door, but there was no response, so I worried that something might have happened to him—you know, this guest almost never leaves the house.”

"Maybe he went to the restroom?"

“I didn’t think of that at the time, sir. I just knocked on the door and asked if he was there, but no one answered. I was worried that he might suddenly have a seizure or something…”

"Why do you think so?"

Li Wei interrupted the train conductor, who was taken aback.

"Ah, because he looked very unhealthy, and when I delivered the food earlier, I found medication on the table..."

"drug?"

"Yes, I don't know the specifics of the medicine, but I imagine that gentleman was taking some kind of medication."

"Hmm... Continue."

“Our train conductors have master keys, just in case, so I took out my key and opened the door, and then I saw that gentleman lying on the ground. I was very startled and quickly backed out. Then I came to find you.”

"Can you tell me what you did this afternoon? I don't remember seeing you when I went back to my room."

"Sorry, sir."

Upon hearing Li Wei's question, the train conductor blushed slightly.

"I didn't do it on purpose, I just had too much to do. In fact, before this, I went to the back of the train to calm the passengers, who were all very unhappy about the sudden downpour..."

Li Wei turned his head and glanced at Anthony, who nodded.

"It's true."

"Then I saw that it was almost afternoon tea time, so I rushed back."

"So, after you returned to the first-class carriage, you went straight to the victim's place?"

"Yes."

The train conductor spoke with a slightly uneasy expression, but it was understandable. The other party had been generous, giving him a tip, so he naturally treated them more attentively than others.

"So you mean you knocked on the door, no one answered, then you were worried something had happened to the guest, so you opened the door and went into the room, found the body, and then came out?"

"That's right, sir."

Was the room that messy when you went in?

"Yes."

The train conductor nodded.

"I've never seen such a messy room before; it really startled me."

"Um……………"

Li Wei stared at the train conductor, pondering for a moment.

"Okay, thank you for your help."

“It is my duty, Detective.”

The conversation came to an end, and the train conductor got up and left. Li Wei watched his retreating figure disappear, then pondered for a moment.

"Boss, do you think he's the murderer?"

Anthony then came over again.

“I also think he’s quite suspicious. After all, the train conductor has a master key, so he could definitely sneak in.”

"indeed so."

Li Wei nodded.

“But that’s not important right now… Hmm, please come in, Mrs. Bedric.”

"Well……………"

Upon hearing Li Wei's words, Anthony immediately showed an expression as if he had swallowed a toad whole, but he still gritted his teeth and invited the other party over.

The result is...

"So that man is dead? I knew it would be like this."

Stepping into the salon carriage, Madame Bedric was as talkative as ever, launching into a long monologue before Levi could even ask a question.

"Just by looking at him, you can tell he's not a respectable person. Sharing a carriage with him is an eyesore. The thought of having such a shifty-looking guy sleeping next to me gives me goosebumps. I don't know where he gets so much money. If you ask me, he must be a thief or a robber or something..."

"Did you know he had a lot of money with him?"

Li Wei stared at Madame Bedric and asked her a question, at which point the latter's incessant complaints suddenly fell silent.

"I... I mean... this is first class, isn't it? Everyone who can get in here must be rich. Like me, but he's different. People who earn money through hard work are full of confidence. Only those who want something for nothing, those with a guilty conscience, would hide in a room like this guy, sneaking around and you don't even know what they're doing!"

Mrs. Bedric seemed quite angry, her face flushed.

"I even tried to strike up a conversation with him, but he completely ignored me! He was incredibly rude; he's nothing like a gentleman!"

"You tried to talk to him? I heard from the train conductor that he almost never goes out."

"I don't know. I just couldn't sleep at night and was planning to go out for a walk when I saw him furtively open the door and peer outside. I thought maybe he couldn't sleep either, and I wanted to chat with him, but I didn't expect that as soon as he saw me, he would act like he'd seen a ghost, immediately shrink back into his room, and slam the door shut—it's outrageous..."

As she spoke, Mrs. Bedric began to tremble, clearly indicating that she was very angry.

"Please calm down, Mrs. Bedric. The person is already dead. It won't do any good to get angry at a dead man."

Li Wei comforted Mrs. Bedric, then looked at her again.

"You said you saw him last night, around what time?"

"Well... it was around one o'clock at night. I couldn't sleep at the time, and when I looked at my watch, it was 1:10. So I decided to take a walk in the carriage. I went out for about five minutes and then I saw him."

Wasn't the train conductor present at the time?

I didn't see him.

"And what about this afternoon?"

"I was chatting with Lisa in my room, nothing special."

"Didn't you hear the noise coming from next door?"

"No, I didn't hear anything."

“I see… Thank you for your cooperation, Mrs. Bedric.”

After asking her questions, Li Wei saw her off, but Madame Bedric continued to complain incessantly, about the train's terrible service, the damned weather, and the annoyance of the delays—but Li Wei simply ignored her and politely saw her off.

In contrast to the talkative Madame Bedric, her daughter Lisa was at the other extreme. Perhaps Madame Bedric talked too much, because the young lady was almost completely silent after entering the room, like a mute. Only when Levi asked her name did she answer Levi's question in a soft, almost inaudible voice.

Otherwise, Li Wei would really think she was mute.

"Miss Bedric, do you know the victim?"

(shakes head)
Have you seen the victim today?

(shakes head)
"So, may I ask what you were doing this afternoon?"

"I……………"

Miss Lisa's voice was soft, almost inaudible.

"I'm listening to my mother...speaking..."

What did you say?

"She was...complaining about the weather...saying...the train was delayed...she was unhappy..."

"What do you think of the victim?"

"………………………"

This time, Lisa remained silent for a long while.

“My mother…doesn’t like him, and I…do not like him either…”

"why?"

"Sometimes...he would stare at me..."

Lisa's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, until she almost buried her head in her chest.

"What do you mean?"

“When I go to…my mother’s room…and knock on the door…he always opens the door…and then stares at me and smiles…”

"………………………"

Li Wei and Anthony exchanged a glance.

“I haven’t heard Mrs. Bedric mention this.”

“I didn’t… tell my mother… because she would… argue with me…”

Well, one can imagine that, given Mrs. Bedric's temper, she might just drag that man out of the room and loudly reprimand him in front of everyone.

"So, did you hear any noises coming from next door at that time?"

“……………………………”

Lisa remained silent for a long time before shaking her head.

"No."

“But Mrs. Bedric doesn’t seem to say that.” Levi stared at Lisa and said calmly. She paused for a moment, then shook her head again.

"I don't know... I don't know anything..."

“I advise you to tell the truth, Miss Bedric.”

Levi leaned back on the sofa, his hands clasped together. He had noticed something was off about the mother and daughter ever since Madame Bedric entered the carriage. Madame Bedric had become extremely unusual after entering the carriage, appearing unusually excited and talking incessantly, almost completely preventing him from getting a word in edgewise.

But it was precisely because she spoke so fluently that it aroused Li Wei's suspicion.

Because most people pause and think before they speak, especially when recalling something. However, Madame Bedric launched into a long, eloquent speech, as if she were an actress who had memorized her lines. But importantly, her performance wasn't acting; it was… genuine emotion.

Therefore, there is only one conclusion.

"Do you know what happened next door?"

Levi stared at Lisa. Mrs. Bedric was a socially awkward person, so it wasn't easy to get a breakthrough from her, but this socially anxious daughter was different.

"Let me guess, you were afraid of that man, so you went to Mrs. Bedric and explained the situation to her. Your mother, after hearing this, flew into a rage, went to the man's room, argued with him, and a fight broke out. Then you two accidentally killed him..."

"No, no!"

Upon hearing this, Lisa hurriedly spoke up, her voice changing from a whisper to a loud shout.

"That's not true! We never expected him to die..."

"………………………"

Li Wei stared at Lisa, who seemed to realize her slip of the tongue, and her face turned deathly pale.

"Please describe the situation in detail, Miss Bedric."

"Okay, okay..."

Lisa lowered her head again.

"After lunch... I was called to my room by my mother. She asked me if something had happened..."

“At first… I didn’t want to say it… I just said I wasn’t feeling well. But my mother… didn’t say that… she said I must have encountered some trouble…”

"and then?"

"Then... she said that if I didn't tell her, she would ask everyone on the bus..."

For someone with social anxiety, this is tantamount to announcing a slow and agonizing death sentence.

"So... I told my mother... She was furious... She said she would take him to the salon carriage during afternoon tea so everyone could see this shameless man... And then, just then, we heard a thud from next door..."

"When?"

"3:28."

“You remember it so clearly, Miss Bedric.”

Li Wei looked at her in surprise, and the latter lowered her head.

"Because... while my mother was complaining, I kept looking at the pocket watch in my hand..."

"Hmm...I understand."

Students often drift off into daydreaming when listening to their teachers complain.

"Did Mrs. Bedric hear that?"

“My mother… was startled… thinking the other person had overheard her complaint… then she lowered her voice… and told me she would ask the train conductor to arrest him…”

She's sharp-tongued yet quite timid, which suits Mrs. Bedric's personality perfectly.

“We…we were waiting for the train conductor to come and tell us it was afternoon tea time…and then Mother was planning to complain to him about that man…but then we heard a shout…and went out to check…”

Hearing this, Li Wei narrowed his eyes.

"You mean the train conductor didn't notify you?"

“Yes… my mother and I have been waiting for him… but he hasn’t come…”

"Okay, thank you, Miss Bedric."

Li Wei got up and saw Lisa off, then thought for a moment before beginning his next round of questioning.

The remaining two guests gave similar answers, claiming they had been resting in their rooms since lunch and were unaware of what was happening outside. Like Miss Bedrek, they also stated that no train conductor had come to inform them of afternoon tea.

At this point, the matter is quite clear.

"Anthony."

Li Wei beckoned to Anthony, signaling him to come closer.

"Go find the train conductor, and then take him to..."

He lowered his voice and whispered something to Anthony, who paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay, boss."

Then Anthony turned and left, while Levi sat on the sofa, gazing at the scenery outside the window. It was already dusk, but because of the dense clouds, the whole area looked gloomy, and the downpour showed no signs of abating; on the contrary, it was getting heavier.

"…………………"

Li Wei stared out the window at the dark forest, and he suddenly had a feeling that something was watching the train from the depths of this dark forest.

It's like a hunter hiding in the bushes, trying to observe and capture its prey.

Li Wei activated [Soul Vision] and scanned his surroundings.

It seems... there's nothing unusual.

Or is it just my imagination?
"Boss."

Just then, Anthony's voice rang out, and Levi turned his gaze to the latter. Anthony looked excited, while the train conductor beside him had a gloomy expression.

"found it?"

"Found it! Just as you said, boss. Tsk tsk tsk, no wonder you're a famous detective..."

"Alright, let's call everyone over and then close the case."

Soon, the group arrived at the salon carriage, while Li Wei stood in the middle, looking at the other passengers.

"I'm very sorry to have taken up your time."

Li Wei nodded to everyone.

"Actually, this is just a very ordinary case, um... please don't take it too seriously."

"An ordinary case?"

Mrs. Bedreck frowned.

“That’s right. The case itself is actually very simple. The victim, Hadment, was murdered and then a large sum of money he brought with him was stolen.”

"A large sum of money?"

Upon hearing this, some passengers looked surprised. Clearly, they couldn't understand why someone would carry so much money when traveling.

“That’s right, it was just a simple robbery. The perpetrator saw the money in Mr. Hadment’s suitcase, got a bad idea, attacked him, killed him, and stole his money… Hmm, the process was very simple and not very interesting… You agree, Mr. Train Conductor?”

"Wait, what are you saying?"

Upon hearing Li Wei's words, everyone looked at the train conductor in surprise, who was also taken aback.

"You're saying I killed Mr. Hartment?"

“That’s right. Actually, I suspected you from the beginning. After all, there were only two shoe prints in Mr. Hadment’s room. One belonged to Mr. Hadment, and the other belonged to a man who was about 1.75 meters tall and of slender build. Moreover, there were friction marks on the soles of the shoes, which indicated that the other person was frequently moving around... But you said that you also entered the scene, so we can’t rule out the possibility that you just went in to take a look, right?”

"No, that's right!"

The train conductor, having calmed down by now, hurriedly retorted.

"I only saw the passenger's body and rushed over to check on him..."

"But what you told me before was that you were so startled that you quickly backed out and then came to find me."

Livy's "absolute memory" is no joke.

"I...I'm sorry, my mind is a mess, I might have remembered it wrong..."

"Alright, then I'll just go straight to the details of the crime."

Li Wei didn't even listen to the train conductor's explanation and spoke directly.

"Around noon today, the victim went to the train conductor to inquire about the train delays caused by the mudslide. On his way back to his room, he accidentally bumped into Miss Olivia, who was coming out of the servants' room. The victim's file box was then knocked open, and its contents were scattered all over the floor—including nearly a thousand pounds."

"So much money?"

Hearing this, the others were also taken aback.

"What does he need so much money for?"

Soon, people naturally raised questions, since with the advent of punch cards, most people don't carry that much cash anymore.

Not to mention wealthy people, who would want to carry hundreds or thousands of pounds of gold coins on their person? This isn't some kind of weight training exercise.

"You'll have to ask the victim himself."

Li Wei made a gesture.

"I was there, along with Miss Olivia and her servant, and the train conductor. I think it was around that time that the conductor saw the money the victim was carrying. Maybe he just remembered it then and didn't think much of it. Or maybe he started having this idea from that moment on. Anyway, around afternoon tea time, he went to the victim's room and secretly opened the door with the master key."

"………………………"

The train conductor didn't say anything, he just stood there, clenching his teeth.

"The victim wasn't asleep at the time; he was facing away from him, seemingly rummaging through something. His suitcase was wide open, and the money was lying there, easy for anyone to grab. Upon seeing the money, the train conductor acted. He knocked the victim over, collected all the money, and then, pretending to be the first to discover it, rushed out of the room—after all, unless someone saw him, no one would know when he entered the room."

As Li Wei spoke, he made a gesture.

"Don't ask me for evidence anymore. We've already found it. In the train conductor's break room in the baggage car, we found these gold coins and this blood-stained hammer. What else do you have to say?"

“That…that money is mine, it’s what I saved up.”

"Oh? Then how do you explain the bloodstains and fingerprints on it?"

Li Wei gestured for Anthony to hold up a large pile of coins in his hand and show them to everyone. On these glittering coins, dark red bloodstains were clearly visible.

Upon seeing the bloodstains, everyone's expression changed slightly, and Mrs. Hardman even turned her head away, not daring to look any longer.

“If you insist that this is your money, then I don’t mind if you do a fingerprint analysis. Since this is your money, I think the victim’s fingerprints should not be on it.”

At this moment, the train conductor's expression finally changed completely.

(End of this chapter)