Chapter 751: Bat Night Talk (Part 1) (Patreon)

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Schiller snapped his fingers, plunging the room into darkness once again. He and Gordon stood facing each other, and as Gordon turned around, Schiller thrust a sword into his chest.

The subsequent investigation mirrored their previous deductions, but they repeated it to understand the circumstances under which the victim turned around.

"Based on my experience, murders involving attacks from behind are often committed by acquaintances," Schiller mused, crossing his arms. "It's hard for strangers or first-time encounters to catch the victim completely off guard. People only expose their backs to others when they have a significant level of trust in them."

Gordon nodded in agreement. "Indeed, in direct confrontations, victims are more likely to be shot in the chest, which is common in gang shootouts."

"On the contrary, sudden attacks, especially among members of the same gang or within a family, often result in injuries to the victim's back."

"If it's someone the victim knew, it suggests that the perpetrator might be from within the troupe. Who do you suspect?" Schiller inquired.

Gordon paced thoughtfully. "It's hard to say. Both crimes of passion and vendettas are possible. Although the troupe's owner mentioned that Vicky was well-liked, people often hide their true feelings, and we can't be certain about others' motives."

"The current issue is the location of the murder weapon," Bruce interjected. "Creating a wound like this requires a sharp weapon, and for complete penetration, the blade should be at least two to three feet long."

"Currently, even long knives or daggers in the market don't exceed a foot," Schiller explained. "Based on my observation of the wound's profile, the murder weapon is straight and long, with a width of about three fingers, nearly uniform throughout."

"A longsword," Bruce replied. "Only something akin to the medieval knight's longsword would fit these criteria."

"This is a theater troupe; it would make sense for them to have such a sword," Gordon commented before beckoning an officer. "Fetch the troupe owner and ask him to bring the prop master. Inquire if any props are missing."

After a while, the troupe owner arrived with the prop master, a young woman in her twenties named Molly.

Before anyone could ask, the troupe owner introduced her, saying, "This is Miss Molly, the prop master of the Angelica Troupe. Initially, her aunt held this position, but her aunt recently fell ill, so she took over."

Molly appeared timid and hesitated to speak. Gordon approached her and asked, "Have you checked the prop inventory? Did you notice anything missing?"

Molly nodded hesitantly, displaying a fearful expression. The troupe owner scolded her, and Molly shifted uncomfortably before saying, "Just a while ago, when I was counting the props in the storage room, I noticed that the sword, which should have been part of a knight's armor set, was missing."

"What were you doing?" the troupe owner scolded her. "Didn't I tell you to watch over the storage room? How could something be stolen under your watch?"

Schiller extended a calming hand toward the troupe owner and then turned to Molly. "Do you know when the sword disappeared?"

Molly shook her head and replied, "I... I don't know, but the armor set was supposed to be worn by Macbeth during the opening scene."

"Macbeth's opening scene includes armor?" Schiller asked, frowning.

At this point, the troupe owner chimed in, "Our troupe has made some modifications to the four major tragedies. The storyline remains unchanged, but we redesigned the scenes and costumes to alleviate aesthetic fatigue from classic plays."

"To emphasize Macbeth's early Hero image, we designed a new set of armor for him. Oh, yes, it's currently being worn by Alex." The troupe owner seemed to recall something and turned to Molly, saying, "Quick, go fetch Alex and ask him if he took the longsword."

After a while, a bewildered Alex, clad in armor, entered the room. Schiller examined him and noticed that the armor looked freshly made, with minimal signs of wear, gleaming in the light.

"Alex, where did the longsword that matches this armor set go? Do you know?" the troupe owner inquired.

Alex hesitated for a while before shaking his head. "No, I didn't see..."

"Did you have a sword when you put on this armor?" the troupe owner asked again.

"I... I don't remember," Alex replied with a distant look in his eyes. "When the rehearsal started today, I was running late, and it was the first full prop rehearsal. I hurried backstage to change."

"Molly told me about the new armor for Macbeth and asked me to retrieve it from the storage room. As soon as I entered the room, I saw this new armor set, so I decided to put it on."

"But the armor was a bit complicated to put on, and I was in a rush. I couldn't figure it out on my own. At that moment, the troupe's makeup artist happened to pass by the storage room door, and with his help, I managed to put on the armor."

"As for the longsword... it was my first time wearing this costume, and I had no idea I was supposed to have a sword," Alex explained, his expression distant and pensive.

"The makeup artist?" Gordon said, hands on his hips, addressing the troupe owner. "In that case, please bring the makeup artist as well."

After a while, the makeup artist, a man wearing a pink jacket, arrived. He entered and crossed his arms, exhaling audibly. "I didn't see any longsword in the storage room at all. Maybe Molly was careless and doesn't remember where she put it."

Prop master Molly stammered, unable to speak, seemingly intimidated by the makeup artist. However, she vigorously shook her head, denying the makeup artist's claims.

Schiller stood to the side, observing the interaction among these individuals. They were all trying to deflect responsibility. Prop master Molly said that Alex was the last person to leave the prop room, so he should know where the longsword was. Alex, in turn, claimed that the prop master hadn't informed him about the longsword, so he hadn't noticed it. The makeup artist asserted that there was no longsword in the prop room, suggesting that the prop master might have misplaced it.

Bruce took the initiative at this point, saying, "If that's the case, it looks like the play will be postponed. I was planning to invite a few friends to watch it, but now, I think I'll reconsider."

With that, he shook his head and began to leave. The troupe owner hurriedly stopped him, wiping sweat from his forehead. He said, "No, Mr. Wayne, the play will go on as scheduled. Vicky won't be performing in Macbeth, so it won't affect the subsequent performances..."

"Forget it!" Bruce raised his voice. "You've only been here for a few days, and a lead actor is already dead. Who knows if there's a murderer hiding in your troupe? If I come to watch the performance, will I end up dead too?"

He snorted and continued, "I'll have my butler inform the other guests' butlers not to come to such a dangerous place. Heaven forbid, if someone loses their life here..."

The troupe owner's face visibly paled. He certainly recognized the famous Bruce Wayne.

In today's world dominated by movies and television, traditional theater had become a niche interest, attracting only a small group of people. Among this minority, the majority were wealthy individuals, especially those who had been affluent for decades.

The Wayne Family was a leader in this circle, and if Bruce Wayne spread negative word-of-mouth about their troupe, they might as well leave this circle.

"Molly! Didn't I tell you earlier?" The troupe owner asked with a menacing tone. "Every prop should be recorded upon entry. Where's your record book?"

"I..." Molly displayed a terrified expression. At this moment, the troupe owner pressed on, saying, "If you can't produce the records, it's undoubtedly because you took the longsword! Officer, you should take her to the police station. Don't let her jeopardize our safety here!"

Molly was about to say something when the troupe owner swiftly continued, "Don't think I don't know that you've always envied Vicky. Envious of her being the leading actress while you're relegated to a prop master behind the scenes!"

Molly's face grew paler, and Gordon had intended to approach and inquire about the situation. However, Molly seemed to misinterpret his intentions, thinking he was there to arrest her. She immediately turned and bolted for the door.

Her attempt to flee only intensified suspicions against her. Two police officers stationed at the door immediately surrounded and apprehended her.

Molly was a petite young woman and couldn't resist. However, she began to shriek loudly in desperation, "Andover! You scum! It was you who wanted to kill Vicky! Because she wanted to leave the troupe and go to Hollywood!"

"You asked me to bring you that longsword! You even burned the prop book and hinted to Alex to put on that armor, trying to frame him! You heartless, murderous boss!"

"Officer, she's framing me!" the troupe owner immediately stepped forward to explain. "She's trying to find a scapegoat to clear her name. How could I possibly kill Vicky? She's the leading actress here!"

"It's you! It's you!" Molly yelled. "You eavesdropped on Vicky and Alex's private conversation, and you found out that Vicky not only wanted to go to Hollywood but also intended to take Alex with her. You hated her for that, so you wanted to kill her!"

"Officer, you have to believe me. Angelica Troupe has had a good reputation for so many years. Isn't that enough to vouch for me?"

The troupe owner appeared visibly agitated, attempting to pressure Gotham Police, but it only heightened suspicions of his guilt. At this moment, Bruce stopped in his tracks before leaving, turning his head to Gordon. "I trust this owner more. What do you think?"

Gordon, somewhat puzzled by Bruce's statement, observed his expression and nodded in agreement. He gestured to the officers and said, "Take this young lady to the police station and have her wait in the interrogation room."

Schiller exchanged a glance with Bruce and said, "Our top priority now is to find the murder weapon."

Bruce left the room, and before departing, he said, "It's getting late now. I need to go rest. You can continue the investigation."

Then Schiller turned his attention to the troupe owner and said, "Don't worry, sir. Please gather the actors who were rehearsing together. We need to ask them for some details."

Without saying a word, the troupe owner immediately left the room.

Three minutes later, Bruce had the troupe owner pinned to the second-floor corridor, holding a bloodied longsword that hadn't been cleaned yet.

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 752: Bat Night Talk (Part 2)