Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 355 The Truth Revealed (Day Three)

It must be said that the news brought by the old butler caused an uproar among everyone. They never expected that there would be a corpse hidden in their own garden!
And it was actually the postman's corpse?

"No, this... Lord Li Wei, why is this?"

Bianca blinked, her mind reeling as if struck by lightning. She stared in disbelief, completely bewildered by what had happened.

“Just like I said, Miss Bianca.”

Li Wei spread his hands.

"Two murders have occurred in this manor, the victims being the postman and the valet Charlie. And both cases were committed by the same person."

At this point, Li Wei paused for a moment, then looked at everyone with a smile.

"Actually, I already knew who the killer was when Charlie was killed, but I didn't point it out at the time because there was a big gap in the whole process, so I've been looking for the part to fill that gap, and now I've found it."

Li Wei paused for a moment, then looked at everyone.

"Alright, enough with the nonsense. Now, let's go over the whole case from beginning to end." With that, Li Wei looked at Isaac, whose face was ashen and who was staring at him coldly.

"Just as Isaac had told everyone, he went to see the postman with the written invitations, intending to mail them out..."

“Wait, Sir Levi.”

At this point, Gladys couldn't help but speak up.

"He wanted to send out invitations, so why did he kill the postman?"

"Yes, that's my problem too."

Li Wei nodded.

"I've never understood this. Mr. Isaac was indeed going to send out the invitations, because the invitations were crucial to the success of the banquet. He also knew that it was closely related to whether his family was qualified to inherit the Cromwell family, so he wrote the invitations himself. Logically speaking, he couldn't possibly have killed the postman."

However, after carefully recalling Mr. Isaac's words, I noticed something amiss.

As he spoke, Li Wei smiled slightly.

"As I said before, we lied that the summer homework was torn up by a dog, not a cat, because we actually had a dog at home, not a cat. Outlandish lies are easy to expose, but lies based on facts are not necessarily so."

"So, Lord Levi, you mean Mr. Isaac lied?"

Bianca asked, and Levi nodded.

"That's right, but strictly speaking, what he said is true."

"???"

Everyone was completely baffled by Li Wei's words.

What does it mean to say that telling the truth is also considered lying?
"Mr. Isaac is telling the truth, but he's just rearranged the order of events. In reality, his actions were as follows: Mr. Isaac, carrying the invitation, went to wait for the postman. He arrived at the gate and saw the servants unloading goods. Just then, Mr. Isaac heard Miss Sophie scream from the garden. He went to see what had happened to Miss Sophie. Then the postman arrived, and Mr. Isaac came out of the garden, found him, and handed him the invitation. Then, as the postman turned to leave, he killed him… Butler, was there a wound on the back of the body's head?"

"Indeed, sir."

The old butler nodded.

"But I still don't understand..."

"I don't understand either, Lord Li Wei."

Bianca also cried out.

"What you're saying sounds very strange. If Mr. Isaac wanted to kill the postman, why would he give him the invitation? That's a complete contradiction."

"Actually, I think so myself. It's illogical and self-contradictory, but there is an assumption that can answer this question."

Li Wei raised one finger.

"Mr. Isaac did not originally intend to kill the postman, but when he handed the invitation to the postman, the postman may have said something that made Mr. Isaac want to kill him. So he made up his mind to kill the postman as he turned to leave."

"What did he say?"

"I don't know about that, since I wasn't at the manor at the time. But I have a theory that Mr. Isaac might suspect the postman witnessed him in an intimate moment with someone..."

As Li Wei spoke, he glanced at Isaac.

"To be honest, I've always felt that many human behaviors are illogical and impulsive. In fact, Miss Bianca and I once found two pairs of footprints in the servants' corridor near the garden. One male, one female. The male was standing, while the female was crouching in front of him..."

Upon hearing Li Wei's account, everyone present wore strange expressions. Only Ms. Ava closed her eyes to rest, while Gladys whistled.

Wow, that's some fancy stuff?

"What does that mean? What exactly does it mean?"

Only Bianca looked at this and that with a puzzled expression before turning to Gladys.

"Uncle Gladys, what does this mean? Can you explain it to me?"

“Uh… Little Bianca, this is a bit too early for you…”

Faced with Bianca's question, Gladys was also a little overwhelmed, so he quickly looked at Levi and changed the subject.

"Then, Sir Levi, who exactly are these two men?"

“It’s very simple, it’s Mr. Isaac and Miss Sophie.”

"………………!?"

To everyone's surprise, they all turned to look at the two of them. Isaac stood there expressionless, while Sophie stared at Levi with a deathly pale face, her mouth agape, unable to utter a word. Her petite, slender body trembled uncontrollably, as if she were about to collapse to the ground.

Li Wei shrugged.

"So you see, as I said, human behavior is truly illogical and impulsive. I just can't understand why you two would have the leisure to do that kind of thing after burying the postman's body. Of course, I can understand why you two went through the side gate—because you needed to dispose of the body, but couldn't leave the manor and risked being discovered. So you transported the postman's body from the side to the garden maze that was under renovation and buried it, but…"

Levi looked at Isaac and shook his head.

“Mr. Isaac, you may not know this, but the ground where people have been buried is different from other ground. Those who bury people often know this… Hmm, I suppose you still lack experience. Burying more people might give you more experience.”

"…………………"

Isaac remained silent, only clenching his fists and staring intently at Levi. If looks could kill, Levi would probably have been riddled with holes by now.

"After you finished burying the postman, you naturally wanted to leave as soon as possible, but there were servants unloading goods at the door, and if you went over there, they would definitely see you. So you planned to go through the side door, but when you entered the side door, Mr. Isaac suddenly had a burst of passion and wanted to have a big time with Miss Sophie. At that time, it was not yet dinner time, there was no one in the kitchen, and the servants were also carrying goods, so I think Mr. Isaac thought that no one would come here."

As he spoke, Li Wei snapped his fingers.

"However, Mr. Isaac made the same mistake as me. I was once taken by the butler to see the cellar, which was to turn right at the front door and go straight down to the end, because that was the fastest way to get to the cellar. But the servants did not take this route to carry goods; instead, they turned left and went through the kitchen. Although the cellar entrance there was farther from the front door, it was more convenient because the servants needed to get ingredients from the kitchen."

The result is that Mr. Charlie, who was moving supplies, most likely saw the two people. After Charlie's death, I asked Rhodes and Poker, and they said that Charlie did mention seeing someone, but he didn't pay much attention. I think that at that time, most of Charlie's attention was focused on moving supplies, and he didn't care whether the person standing on the garden corridor was a man or a woman.

"………………………"

"But this was clearly not the case for Mr. Isaac. You see, there's a saying, 'A guilty conscience needs no accuser.' The more guilty a person is, the more afraid they are of being discovered. Especially after Mr. Isaac lied and said he gave the package to the postman, I went to ask three servants. He must have been very worried that Charlie would tell them he saw him. But in fact, Charlie probably didn't even think about it at the time. Unfortunately, Mr. Isaac himself didn't think so."

As he spoke, Li Wei glanced at Isaac.

"Therefore, he devised a plan. He approached the old butler, claiming he wanted to host a birthday party for Sophie. Isaac knew that any party would require servants to clean the chandeliers, and Rhodes, Poker, and Charlie were the three strongest and most unharmed, making them the obvious choice for this demanding task. Sure enough, the old butler gave the order to clean the chandeliers, and Mr. Isaac managed to distract Rhodes and Poker. Then, he secretly followed Charlie to the third floor, and when no one was around, he struck him hard on the back of the head with a weapon, causing Charlie to fall to his death…"

"What nonsense!"

However, before Li Wei could finish speaking, Isaac, who had been silent all along, suddenly erupted in fury and shouted.

"That's utter nonsense! You have absolutely no evidence!"

“Actually, I have evidence, and I also have witnesses. Someone happened to see you committing the crime, but you didn’t realize it yourself.”

"Who? Who's making this up?!"

"Now, let's invite the witness to come forward."

As Li Wei spoke, he clapped his hands like a defense lawyer in court. Then, the restaurant door opened, and everyone turned to look. They saw an elderly man with a straight posture, a serious expression, white hair and beard, holding a cane, walking in from outside with a cold and solemn face.

He was none other than Earl North Cromwell.

"………………………"

When Earl Cromwell walked in, everyone's expressions varied. Bianca excitedly called out "Grandpa Earl" and waved to him. Richard, Gladys, Isaac, and Herman, however, stared at the old man in disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost.

"No, sir, what's wrong with you...?"

Gladys glanced at Earl Cromwell, then at Levy, who smiled slightly at him.

"Actually, Earl Cromwell is in very good health. This was all just a play that Earl Cromwell and I put on. I must say, Earl Cromwell's acting skills were indeed superb."

As he spoke, Levi nodded to Earl Cromwell, who smiled smugly in return.

"Playing dead on the battlefield isn't new to me. Taking advantage of the enemy's momentary lapse in vigilance and striking them when they turn around is one of my specialties. I just never expected..."

As he spoke, Earl Cromwell gave Isaac a cold look and shook his head.

"Just as Sir Levy said, once I die, all sorts of monsters and demons will emerge!"

"The murder weapon is here."

Li Wei reached out and took out a hammer that was in a plastic bag.

"These were found in your room. They must be gardening tools. I didn't expect you to be so sentimental. You couldn't bear to throw them away after using them, and you're keeping them as murder weapons for your next crime. Are you perhaps planning to adopt a nickname like 'Hammer Killer' in the future?"

"To be honest, I never imagined that this kid would actually kill someone!"

Earl Cromwell stared coldly at Isaac, who stood there silently with his head bowed. “I heard someone coming upstairs, and I was worried someone would expose me, so I sneaked to the door and checked through the keyhole. I saw that young man, Charlie, come into the stairwell to clean the chandelier. Then this bastard appeared quietly, wielding a hammer, cautiously, like a hungry wolf. Before I could even jump out and stop him, this little beast attacked Charlie and pushed him down… I never imagined this guy could be so vicious!”

As he spoke, Earl Cromwell coughed violently a few times, gripped his cane angrily, then took a breath and looked at Levi.

"Then, Sir Levy, please tell me your decision."

Upon hearing Earl Cromwell's question, Levi pondered for a moment.

“I think Mr. Gladys is very suitable.”

"I really didn't expect you to choose him... but then again..."

Earl Cromwell turned to the bewildered crowd and began to explain.

“I think you don’t know that before I invited Earl Levy here, I left a will stating that if I died without designating an heir, Earl Levy would designate the Cromwell family heir on my behalf. And as you have all heard, Earl Levy chose Gladys as the next head of the family.”

It must be said that the bombshell dropped by Earl Cromwell really shocked everyone, and Gladys was completely dumbfounded and speechless.

After a while, he came back to his senses.

"Wait, me? Why? My older brother is even more..."

"I have my reasons."

Li Wei interrupted Gladys and then spoke.

"First of all, Mr. Herman...hehe..."

Li Wei stared at him and smiled slightly.

"Perhaps everyone has forgotten that Charles I the Great once issued a law prohibiting Ets from serving in the military, teaching, or politics—and Mr. Hermann's original surname was Cohen, which is an Et surname, am I right?"

"But this isn't Herman's fault!"

This time, it wasn't Herman who refuted Levi, but Marilyn. She stood up, tears welling in her eyes, and looked at Levi with anger.

“Herman did so much, but look how this country treated him? He worked hard and diligently, but this country deprived him of the rights he deserved simply because he was an Itt! He just wanted to change all of this; he just hoped to be treated equally! And we deprived them of everything they deserved! This is wrong and immoral!”

Despite Marilyn's tearful complaints, Levi's expression remained unchanged.

“I understand your feelings, madam, but this is a legal provision. And, in my personal opinion, I do not believe your husband is innocent.”

“……………………What do you mean by that?”

“I asked the butler about some things from before, about Mr. Andrei. He told me that Mr. Andrei was about to ascend the throne, and Earl Cromwell planned to hold a banquet to announce the news, right, Earl Cromwell?”

"Yes, Sir Levi."

Earl Cromwell nodded.

"At the time, only Richard Gladys, my butler, knew about this."

"After that, Mr. Andrei died unexpectedly, and then Mr. Hermann returned. It's interesting how he knew about Mr. Andrei's death?"

"Yes, it's me..."

Marilyn tried to speak, but was interrupted by Levi.

"Actually, at first, I also thought it was a cold case, but what happened last night gave me a bit of inspiration..."

As Li Wei spoke, he looked at Richard.

"Especially when I learned that Mr. Richard and Mr. Isaac had approached the butler together to say they wanted to throw a birthday party for Miss Sophie. Mr. Gladys, you were surprised too, weren't you?"

"Yes."

Gladys nodded.

"I don't understand when my older brother started hanging out with the Hermann family."

"It was precisely because he thought Earl Cromwell was dead and that he no longer had anything to fear that he revealed his true colors. I think the connection between Mr. Richard and Mr. Herman must have started quite some time ago, right? As far as I know, the Itt people are very good at lending money at high interest rates and then using that to seize other people's property and land. If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Richard must have fallen for that trick as well. After all—the Itt people do the same thing wherever they go."

Li Wei stared at Richard, who remained silent for a moment before nodding dejectedly.

"Yes, just as you said, Lord Li Wei."

"You killed Brother Andrei?"

Gladys stared wide-eyed at Richard in disbelief, while the latter hurriedly waved his hand.

"No, no, no, I didn't! I just... I just... sigh, I just got carried away gambling and lost everything. I had nothing left to lose, and then Herman appeared and said he could save me from this crisis. He was willing to lend me money, even though the interest was high, but I could pay it back if I could win it back at the casino! Later..."

"Later you lost everything and ended up owing Mr. Herman a huge debt... If I'm not mistaken, that casino also belonged to Mr. Herman."

Li Wei glanced at Hermann.

"This is not the kind of business a decent gentleman should do."

"It's all your fault!"

Marilyn screamed again.

"If it weren't for these discriminatory laws you enacted, why would Herman have bothered with those illegal businesses... He was just doing it for..."

"Shut up!"

However, before Marilyn could finish speaking, Herman interrupted her with a livid face, but unfortunately, it was too late.

Li Wei looked at Hermann with a leisurely smile.

“Those? It seems you’ll be spending a good while at the police station, Mr. Herman. I’m sure the police will be very happy to learn about your business.”

"Waaah..."

"Alright, Mr. Richard, please continue."

"Okay, okay, later he told me he could forgive my debts, but I had to tell him about the Cromwell family. I didn't know what he was going to do, but he said if I didn't tell him, he would take me to court with the IOU, and I would definitely be dismissed! So I agreed, and then I learned from the old man that he planned to arrange for Andre to succeed as the head of the family and hold a banquet, and I told him that too. Then, and then..."

"And then Mr. Andrei died unexpectedly?"

"Yes, yes..."

Richard glanced uneasily at Herman.

“I don’t know if he did it, and I don’t dare to say. Then yesterday, Isaac came to me and asked me to go with him to propose to the butler that we hold a banquet for Sophie. What can I do? I still owe so much money…”

"You bastard!"

However, before Richard could finish speaking, Gladys suddenly sprang to his feet, punching Richard in the face and knocking him to the ground. Then he grabbed Richard by the collar and pulled him up.

"Do you even know what you're doing! Why didn't you consult with me and Andrei! You've really lost your mind!"

"Gamblers don't deserve sympathy."

Levi shrugged, then looked back at Isaac and sighed.

"In short, that's the whole case. From my perspective, I can only say that the postman and Charlie died unjustly. They probably didn't actually witness anything, but were killed by some guilty-looking guy. The reason was simply that he was afraid the other party would witness what he did... right, Mr. Isaac?"

Faced with Levi's question, Isaac remained silent, and then...

"Hehehe, so what?"

Isaac looked up, his face now filled with resentment and twisted malice. He suddenly reached for a gun, pulled it out, and aimed it at Levi. Almost simultaneously, Herman also drew a gun from his pocket and aimed it at Earl Cromwell.

"Don't even move!"

Everyone was startled when the two men suddenly pulled out guns. Faced with the dark muzzles of the guns, no one dared to make a move. Only Li Wei remained calm and even took a moment to look at the guns in their hands.

"These aren't standard imperial weapons, they're smuggled goods. It seems you've been planning this for a long time?"

"Indeed, as expected of the Empire's renowned detective, Earl Levi, I should have killed you before, but it's not too late now!"

Hermann finally abandoned his image as a pot-bellied, amiable businessman, and stared at Levi with gritted teeth, gripping his weapon tightly.

The latter, however, remained calm as he looked at him, as if he were a fool.

"Do you really think you can escape punishment?"

"Of course, all I need to do is kill you all. Then, even if the police come, I can say that I was attacked by bandits during a storm, and that my family and I escaped by hiding. But the others won't be so lucky... What a pity..."

With that, Herman raised his gun and shouted.

"Isaac, fire!"

Then, gunshots rang out.

"Bang bang!!"

Two gunshots echoed through the restaurant, followed by the sight of two shattered pistols lying on the ground. Herman and Isaac collapsed to the ground, howling in agony as they clutched their mangled right hands.

"The same thing happens to them no matter where they go."

Li Wei twirled the Persuader in his hand, which was still emitting smoke, and then put it back.

"It seems that we really should trust the wisdom of our ancestors."

(End of this chapter)