Chapter 296 "Preaching and Teaching" (Part 3) (Patreon)

In DC World With Marvel Chat Group : Table of Content/Chapter List

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"Let's take a look at the second case. In fact, your judgment has been wrong since this case. Do you think the person who committed the first case and the second case is the same?"

Batman thought for a moment and said, "If we follow this theory, there are indeed some problems. If he could use an anesthetic when he killed Lawrence, he could have used the same anesthetic when he killed Hawk. However, judging from the strangulation marks on Hawk's body, he was conscious when he was tied to the chair, and he even struggled."

"What do you think this indicates?"

Batman also began pacing in the room. He said, "According to the forensic autopsy report, the anesthetic in Lawrence's body was first inhaled through the mouth and nose and then injected into his body. Therefore, the method the killer used to subdue Lawrence might have been to enter his bedroom, cover his mouth and nose with a towel soaked in anesthetic, then administer another injection of anesthetic, drag him to the ground, and pierce his body with a long nail..."

As he described it, the scene in the room started changing rapidly. Rich's body disappeared from the floor, the walls and floor changed colors, a bed descended from above, and Lawrence was lying on the bed, covered with a blanket, clearly asleep. At that moment, a dark figure approached his bed and pressed a towel soaked in anesthetic against his mouth and nose.

Then, he dragged the unconscious Lawrence off the bed, injected him with an anesthetic, took out a long nail, and pierced his body with it, arranging him in a crucifix position with his head towards the window.

"And the process of subduing Hawk should have been simpler. The killer entered his study, approached him from behind, strangled him, and tied him to a chair."

At this point, Batman paused, and Schiller continued, "I think you should have realized that the killer had no intention of talking to Lawrence at all. He killed him right after subduing him."

"But in the case of Hawk, after the killer subdued him, tied him up, and waited for him to regain consciousness, the marks of struggle that you mentioned were evidence..."

As Schiller described it, the room scene changed once again. The bed sank into the floor, Lawrence's body disappeared, a book table extended layer by layer from the wall, and Hawk slid on a chair towards the book table. At that moment, a dark figure stood behind him, choked him with their arm, and when Hawk woke up, he found himself bound to the chair.

Looking out the window, one could see the standing shadow and the seated Hawk engaged in conversation, but in the end, Hawk's head rolled down and blood sprayed.

"The killer didn't communicate with Lawrence, but they did talk to Hawk. Why?" Schiller asked.

Batman fell into deep thought. He believed this was a valuable line of thinking. After a while, he asked, "If it were you, would you talk to the victim?"

Schiller shook his head and said, "It can't be generalized; it depends on the nature of the crime. Let me give you an example..."

Schiller tapped the floor with his cane again and said, "If I only needed a suitable victim, I wouldn't communicate with them because they are merely raw materials, just like how you don't talk to broccoli when cooking."

"However, in certain special cases, communication before death is necessary. For instance, in some murder cases with a trial-like nature, it is necessary to listen to the victim's thoughts before they die."

"Because at that time, the prey about to face death is my collaborator.

"So that's why I said the murderer is just a poor imitator because whatever he and Hawk talked about must have nothing to do with this case, and it's very likely to be something extremely boring like Gang insiders."

"His behavior, to put it metaphorically, is like a rat dropping in a pot of rat soup..."

Schiller clearly disapproved of this approach, he paused for a moment, then continued, "Let's look at the third case. Honestly, I don't really want to comment on this case because it really lacks any sense of aesthetics."

"It may sound unbelievable, but in reality, the pleasure that the serial killers seek in killing their own kind is different from killing someone like Richie..."

Schiller paused and said, "...it's a completely different emotional state, somewhere between the impatience to finish work and the enjoyment of violent killings."

"I'm more inclined to think that these three cases were committed by three different individuals." Schiller touched his temple.

"If you want my assessment, the murderer who killed Lawrence was indeed imitating the crime. His choice of subject matter may indeed be similar to what you said, Jesus and his twelve disciples. He tried his best to replicate the crucifixion method, although the imitation was a mess, it still shows effort."

"As for the second person, I would rather call him an imitator of the imitator. If the first murderer copied the correct answer but got it wrong, then the second murderer copied the answer of the first murderer, but got it even more outrageously wrong."

"As for the third murderer, he probably really wanted to leave the exam room, but due to the pressure from his teachers and parents, he had to write something. He looked around and saw the wrong answers of the previous two individuals, but he thought those wrong answers were too complicated. So, he simply copied only one 'solution'..."

Schiller's metaphor was peculiar, but Batman fully understood it. At that moment, their minds synced.

"As for what's really going on, I think the key clue should be with the fourth victim."

"I'm investigating all of this to prevent the appearance of the fourth victim."

"That's what I meant. A good detective dealing with a real serial killer should actually be more straightforward. If I were the one behind these cases, you could easily follow the patterns of the first three victims and find my next target to protect."

"But now, these three cases might involve two or three different murderers. Their criteria for selecting targets, the timing and location of their actions, the process and outcomes, everything is completely random, which actually increases the difficulty."

"Who do you think will be the next victim?"

Schiller shook his head and said, "It's not me doing it, so how would I know? But I think the relationship between these murderers would be quite interesting. Why did the second murderer copy the first murderer's answer? Why did the third murderer not even bother to copy the answers?"

"Does the first murderer even know that his answer was copied? If he knows, would he continue? If he doesn't know, what if the other two killers eliminate his intended second target in advance? That would be quite awkward."

"Now the Gang leaders are on edge. They're all hiding in their own Manors, just like the Falcone family's castle. Each of them has a safe room in their residence. Once they become vigilant, I don't think the murderer will have an easy time."

"But the suspicion has already started to spread, hasn't it?" Schiller snapped his fingers, and the dream scene returned to the room in the Manor.

Schiller sat back behind the table, picked up the globe, and then reached out to touch it. The moment the globe stopped spinning, both of them woke up at the same time, returning to the real world.

Conceiving the scene of the crime consumed Batman's energy, and the effect of the crazy wine was still stirring in his mind. Schiller picked up the cup, drank the rest of the wine, and then pulled out a box of cigars from the drawer of the table.

While igniting the cigar, he said, "Now, everyone in the Twelve Families should be in danger. They don't know who did it, but there is no doubt that The Godfather will not sit idly by."

"Once The Godfather starts investigating, a purge operation will begin. You want to protect the fourth victim, but they may not trust you, and it's more likely that The Godfather won't allow an outsider like you to get involved. So if you want to continue the investigation, you can only change your perspective."

"Change your perspective? Are you referring to..."

"As far as I know, Alberto has already built his house. Now his personality and spirit have stabilized, and he can replace Evans at any time, manipulating his body. In other words, The Godfather has a true heir now."

"Even if The Godfather is unwilling to admit it, Alberto is his only choice. In a situation like this, it's very likely that Alberto will take the initiative to investigate on behalf of The Godfather."

"Alberto doesn't have many reliable people around him. Evans showed signs of weakness and indecisiveness before, which led to him being surrounded by ambitious opportunists. Alberto won't rely on these people. So right now, he must be in desperate need of assistance."

"You want me to help him? But Bruce, as my alter ego, is seen as an unskilled playboy. How can I explain that I suddenly became proficient in various detective skills overnight?"

"Of course, I'm not asking you to personally take action. I've noticed that you still possess some of the arrogance of a Wayne Family scion. You completely disregard insignificant individuals, but sometimes these insignificant individuals can play a significant role. For example, that skinny and small Copperpot."

"Alberto shares the same mindset as you. He may not pay attention to the boy who used to be an umbrella boy, but I see great potential in him."

"If you recommend him to Alberto, you can learn about all the progress of the case through him or indirectly influence Alberto. He would surely appreciate your recommendation."

"Previously, you mentioned that Copperpot should work for The Godfather, but in the last incident, he wanted to distance himself from The Godfather and no longer be involved."

"But don't forget his reason for doing so. He saw no hope in Evans. Evans' character isn't suitable to be The Godfather, but Alberto is different."

"Now, Copperpot's predicament lies in the fact that Alberto has inherited Evans' memories. He knows about Copperpot's plan to break away from The Godfather, and Copperpot is aware of it as well. If he were to approach Alberto again, it would appear undignified, but with a suitable reference, perhaps this situation could be alleviated..."

"If you feel that finding the right time is difficult, I can take you and Evans to a vocational education school for an internship tomorrow..."

Batman raised an eyebrow and said, "You should know what I'm suspicious of..."

"You think one of them is the murderer?"

"Copperpot has a criminal record, and so does Alberto."

"Then it's even simpler. It's much easier for you to keep an eye on both of them than to protect the fourth victim, whose identity is still unknown...

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