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墨書 Inktalez
I had roughly pieced together a profile in my mind, but I couldn't be a hundred percent certain if it was accurate. In fact, this case was not as difficult as the ones I had solved before. It was a premeditated murder, and we had confirmed that the Killer was indeed associated with the Mafia. I thought to myself that the Mafia would surely present us with a huge surprise.
For me, unexpected events were not truly unexpected; rather, it was the mundane that could be considered surprising in a case. It seemed that the Mafia members did not fully grasp one crucial point: often, the simplest things are the hardest to execute well. This may sound contradictory, but it isn't. For example, preparing a delicious bowl of plain boiled cabbage is more challenging than cooking a sumptuous lobster.
The timing of these deaths had been deliberately scrambled, and to make us understand this, the Killer intentionally left behind the clue of the death line. As mentioned before, this case was different from others. Most Killers desperately try to eliminate any evidence left at the scene, but in this game, the Killer had deliberately left us many traces.
I had previously pondered over the issue of the death line, debating whether the Killer had killed first and then drawn the line or if they had drawn the line before committing murder. Analyzing it with my current logic, it seemed clear that the Killer first killed and then drew the death line.
Killing first and then drawing the line made more sense and was simpler. Otherwise, drawing the line first and then positioning the bodies would be quite difficult—unless this person was a "murder artist," which is rare. The existence of the death line was not meant to confuse us but rather to point us in a specific direction: it indicated the time of death.
The first body we discovered was actually the last person killed by the Killer; the second body belonged to the second-to-last victim. The other two individuals were actually among those killed right at the beginning. The building had poor security, a chaotic environment, and a foul smell; it was entirely possible for two bodies to go undiscovered for a week.
These two individuals were among the first to die; they had already been dead when the decision to engage in this game was made. At that time, we were still negotiating matters at the Mafia leader's residence. By the time we left his place, the second-to-last victim had already died, followed shortly by the last one.
It now appeared that the location where the Killer disposed of the bodies had been carefully chosen after thorough investigation. The Killer needed to ensure that the bodies would be discovered in an order they wanted us to find them. The person who reported to the police was none other than someone from the Mafia; some acted as Killers while others played as informants. This explained why we never found any witnesses at the scene when we arrived.
The Killer had only murdered four people; as for the other two victims—they truly committed suicide. Both had letters carved into their backs that showed varying degrees of scarring, indicating they had been marked while alive. Their suicides raised questions: why didn't the Killer personally kill them? Why did they choose to take their own lives?
If I wasn't mistaken, these two individuals must also be associated with the Mafia. The reason I asked Zhao Mingkun to investigate their connections was based on this assumption. I believed this game was nearing its end; two factions were vying for a box, and if too much time passed, it would likely be detrimental for everyone involved. Therefore, I thought a week's duration would be just right for this game, and soon enough, the truth would come to light.
The others still hadn't returned. I casually lay on one person's bed, staring at the wooden planks above me while my mind raced with thoughts. At that moment, Zhao Mingkun was busy with his phone, typing away incessantly. The most relaxed among us seemed to be Poplar; he fiddled with a lighter, occasionally flicking it on and then blowing it out.
Zhao Mingkun turned to me and said, "We've identified those two hanging victims; interestingly enough, they are connected to those four who were killed earlier. We know that those four were murdered because when they left the Mafia, they took some things that didn't belong to them."
"And what about these two who committed suicide?" I continued gazing at the wooden planks above me and asked, "What connection do they have with those four?"
Zhao Mingkun lightly tapped on the table before responding, "One of these two individuals was their guarantor when they joined the Mafia—also known as their guide. Joining the Mafia isn't as simple as wanting to; there’s a series of selection processes involved. One key aspect is having a guarantor who ensures that once they join, they won't leave. If someone does decide to leave, it's not them who gets punished; rather, it's this guarantor who faces consequences."
"So, generally speaking, people do not act as guarantors," Zhao Mingkun continued. "To be a guarantor means you must trust these individuals enough to stake your life on it. The person we found dead on the beach was a guarantor."
"What about the other one?" I asked.
Zhao Mingkun stood up, pacing as he spoke. "The items taken by the four individuals belong to the person they were under the supervision of. Since those four stole under this person's watch, that supervisor will naturally have to pay the price. And that price, as we can see, is death."
I nodded. There is indeed a strict hierarchy within the Mafia. The movies we see on television, like The Godfather, are based on reality. They can operate that way because there is a group backing them up. It seems this is the internal punishment system of the Mafia.
For such a minor issue, all six of these individuals must die. It’s cruel; beneath the glamorous facade lies a brutal reality—this is the true nature of the Mafia. With the relationships of these six individuals established, there remains one last person: the one who died in the sea. What connection could this person have with the six?
I asked Zhao Mingkun, "What about the last person?"
Zhao Mingkun shrugged and replied, "As mentioned before, this person is unrecognizable and has nothing on them to prove their identity. Finding out who this person is will likely require some effort."
Before Zhao Mingkun could finish his sentence, a text message arrived on his phone.
He raised his phone towards me and said, "Speak of the devil; it looks like this message contains information about that person's identity." We leaned in together to read it and soon realized who this person was—this was the Punisher of the Mafia.
The term "Punisher" is one I coined myself. As for its meaning in Italian texts, I am not sure. The role of the Punisher is to carry out tasks assigned by the Mafia to eliminate those deemed guilty internally—like these four individuals who stole from the Mafia. No matter how trivial the theft, even if it’s just a needle, they will be killed as an example to deter others from similar actions.
The Punisher specifically targets internal personnel, while any external threats to Mafia interests are dealt with by another group. This case does not involve that latter group. Once, during an operation, this Punisher showed mercy and let someone go instead of killing them.
When this act of leniency became known within the Mafia, that Punisher was doomed.
This accounts for all seven bodies—each one marked for death by the Mafia. It appears that through this game, there has been an internal cleansing within the Mafia. It’s worth noting that "Mafia" is a general term encompassing several factions; although they compete openly and covertly against each other, they still adhere to long-standing rules established within the Mafia that all factions must follow. Otherwise, they would face collective retaliation from others.
Zhao Mingkun put away his phone and said to me, "That’s how things stand now. You mentioned earlier that if I could find the connections between these three people, you would be able to locate the Killer. Now my task is complete. So what about your promise? Have you found the Killer I asked for?"
I nodded, understanding the relationships among these people, and the case became much clearer. I already had a complete context in my mind regarding this case; I now knew who the Killer was. However, according to the rules, simply knowing who the Killer was wouldn't suffice. We needed to capture the Killer thoroughly. Until then, no matter how accurately I guessed or how many pieces of this puzzle I unraveled compared to the other party, it would have no substantial effect.
With this thought in mind, I had made up my mind. I turned to Zhao Mingkun and said, "I have a question for you. Please answer me seriously: how capable is the informant you placed on this island? Would he take some risks for you?"
Zhao Mingkun looked at me in confusion, not understanding why I was asking this question. She replied, "Taking risks is certainly possible, but I need to know what you want him to do. If you want him to get you tanks, planes, or nuclear bombs, he definitely can't handle that. But for some minor tasks, he should be able to manage."
"That won't be necessary." I whispered a few things into Zhao Mingkun's ear with a smile.
After hearing this, Zhao Mingkun looked at me in disbelief, as if she had never considered such a possibility. Her eyes widened as she asked me, "If that's the case, you can catch the Killer? You need to understand that if we do this, he won't be able to continue selling information afterward. If we’re wrong, we will completely lose our first line of intelligence. At that point, we will be at a disadvantage."
I nodded seriously and said decisively, "That's right; I've seen through the situation. As long as you can get him to bring the items over, I can help you catch the Killer."
Zhao Mingkun was silent for a moment before saying, "Alright, I'll trust you this once."
I smiled and told Zhao Mingkun, "Let's have it delivered to the warehouse where we found the body before. The most dangerous place is often the safest one. The police must have already removed the body and examined the scene by now. That will be the most suitable location."
Late at night, The Village Doctor sought out The Beautiful Widow Nurse while intoxicated. Hearing strange sounds and moans from inside the room, he kicked open the door only to find his strong son...
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