"Aldrin…open the door. It's late in the morning! Time for breakfast!" said Risa.
"I have your girlfriend's fountain pen? Do you like to give it to me or what?" joked Daigo and looked at Risa who was half smiling at him.
There was no response.
"Is there a problem?" asked Rook.
"Aldrin is not answering. Maybe he's wasted by drinking alcohol last night."
"Do you have a spare key for his room?"
"Spare key? Why are you asking that? Don't tell me…"
"Most likely. In this case, if one is wasted in alcohol, at least, he would have answered, but this silence, its creeping me out."
Daigo went to the mansion's entrance. He went to the wall where the spare keys were being hanged. He went back, as if time ran out. He was panting in his return, gave Rook the spare key and anticipated what happens next.
Rook slowly held the door knob. The throbs of his heart became a tune in his self. He unlocked the door using the spare key. The click of the locked knob gave each their fear that Aldrin might be dead. As the door reveals the lightened room, thin sheets of light from the sun shone upon the window, blocked by some trees outside. Aldrin was lying there, mouth open, eyes widened without his breath. The sight was not so good in Risa's eyes, and shrieked.
"Call the police…Mr. Daigo…" asked Rook, more like of a command.
Daigo quickly responded to him and ran to the telephone to call the police. Risa was still there, shocked and stilled standing at the door. Rook noticed the yellowish eye of Aldrin and a little dried saliva on his mouth. He had a bad day, he took a deep breath and exhaled back. "This is the start of a day…" he said.
He looked at Tatsumi outside from the window, who was still having his exercise. Tatsumi noticed him and looked back. His innocent and not-knowing eyes questioned the imp smile of Rook upon him.
The police arrived late because of the long ride terrain of the mansion. Rook was rather surprised because there was only one police officer who came. He gazed at the mansion first and amazingly glared at its beauty before talking to them.
"I am Officer Salleh. I'll be taking care of the investigation. The crime scene should be preserved as well as we take care of the victim, who you said, died on his room."
"I am Marion, owner of this mansion," introduced Hana's grandfather to him as the others followed him to the entrance. Tatsumi was the last to know what happened to the first guest.
"I want to check the place where you found the body, please."
"Come this way…" led Marion. The innards of the mansion is quite exquisite. The rooms, the statues, the paintings in the ceilings which were even exquisite than of the mural paintings of Li Xian of Tang Dynasty. They entered Aldrin's room, with everyone's wonder why did it happen, but for Rook, the question is, who did it.
The officer looked at the body thrice, inspected the body order and rigor. "The time of death is of 10:30 PM to 11:30 PM. Though I think there is no way this is murder. The windows locked, sealed from the inside, door locked, there was no point of entry. I guess this death is somewhat they call 'it's your time buddy, you'll die today' method. No signs of murder."
The conclusion of the police officer was not good enough for Rook. He had more of a theory it is murder. But there's no murderer. Glenda looked at Aldrin, but without remorse. Her eyes even had the onset of gladness and exile of sadness to the victim. Tatsumi noticed that.
"I think, your theory is impossible, officer. Look at the victim's saliva near the left side of his lower lip. The yellowish marks on the victim's eyes, and opened mouth. If one dies naturally, who wouldn't have those kind of marks. Last clue, is the sweet scent I have smelled upon entering the room, more like a perfume," Rook concluded.
The annoyed officer looked at him, as if his appearance was a foul stench of saying, who are you. He smelled the victim for a while and true, there was this sweet scent.
"W-who are you anyway?" asked Officer Salleh.
"Kazuki Rook, at your service."
"Do you belong to the lineage of Detective Gradd?"
"He is…my father."
The mixture of merriment and amazement upon the shallow eyes of the officer throne his face. He was more amazed to see the late detective's son.
"So if this is not a natural occurrence…."
"A day of murder." Tatsumi continued.
Salleh asked them to stay in the lounge. Most of them were wondering, who murdered him, yet all was locked, there was no point of entry. Tatsumi himself doubted what he said a while ago, that it was a day of murder. Rook and Salleh were still investigating in the crime scene.
"Officer Salleh, may I ask, why were you the only one who came here in the mansion? No crew, no ambulance, no M.E.?"
Salleh had a sad look. His twitching lips lied to his original emotion. "System is down. We are at the middle of a crime investigation near the main city when a strange group of men banged out the police department. All of our devices were destroyed into pieces. IBIS, CODIS, AFIS…all were crushed. Our M.E. was shot and didn't even survive. She's dead."
The officer's words highlighted Rook's interest. "Group of men?"
"Ah…we have been catching them for almost three years already, since the outbreak of the intense murders near Kuala Lumpur."
He silently listened, thought if there is something it connects to those who killed his father.
"By the way, I want to say a condolence, I was not able to get a trip on your father's burial. I heard from my colleagues that all the police officers your dad helped in his day of service went there. I met your dad once, when we are catching the renowned murderer Poison Dagger."
"It's okay sir. I heard Poison Dagger was arrested."
"Thanks to your dad…"
Salleh inspected the body. He first wore his plastic glove then started to inspect the victim's clothes. He found a pair of tickets for a theatre for the new movie. On his jacket, he found a pair of tickets for the new movie in theatre. There was also a note 'Thank you' in a piece of card next to the ticket. He showed it to Rook soon after when the inspection was done.
"Officer, they say that you will never get two tickets in a theatre when you are going to watch alone."
"That means that the victim had a planned theatre watch with someone."
"Yes, that's right. I think our victim was poisoned through something. The only way to kill our victim is this small hole next to the window." He said and pointed it to the officer. A rectangular hole was seen on the upper left corner of the wall next to the window.
"Ah, I've never noticed that a while ago."
"Someone must have made a miracle to kill the victim."
"And that someone…could be our killer…"
Tatsumi investigated alone for a while, as was asked by Rook. He knew that Tatsumi is also concerned for the case because of Hana. It's a full break investigation. He first gathered the alibi of each, like they say, the protocol to investigation.
Glenda was playing snake and ladder with Risa late at night, that was about 10:00 PM. Marion slept early after dinner. As for Daigo, he was at his room, listening to music alone. Hana, was at the kitchen the time of murder happened, late 10:30 PM. He and Rook, was also at that time the same. So far, Tatsumi still had blank leads to who is the suspect. He checked each of their rooms, then to the other master rooms. He stopped by to the artist room and checked what is inside, since it is one of the closest room to be seen right after the guest's rooms.
He saw the bleach hidden in one of the canvasses. He wanted to touch it for inspection, but he forgot he was not on his gloves. Besides, they need it for fingerprinting first. He took picture of it first using his cellphone before he went out.
"Bleach on the artist room. why would it be here anyway..."
Next, he went to the billiard room. all was clear and fine. His last stop was Hana's room, where he found a candlestick, burnt candle wick, and the glass, where she had the iced tea on. Again, he took pictures of it before he went.
Rook was rather on the concentration of knowing the ways how the murder happened. It is Tatsumi's job to know who did it. He went to the crime scene, where Salleh and Rook was.
"Anything new?" he asked.
"Yes. We now know how the victim died. Though it took us hours to conclude it, we got it now. Talk about my forensic knowledge…ha-ha…" Rook answered.
"So how did the murderer killed him?"
"Two ways. Chloroform to knock the victim out, then next, Phosgene."
"How?"
"Homemade. The chloroform was done first before the phosgene. Phosgene is a poison gas, only, unlike any other, it is not dissolved easily. To kill the victim, the phosgene is mixed with the chloroform to kill the victim."
"The question is, how did the murderer did it with a locked room?"
"I have a theory how, but no evidence. So far, have you seen who could be the killer?"
"Zero probability, unless someone is lying."
Rook looked at the rectangular hole. He stopped and thought for a second. There was a flash of idea in his mind. He had the twitching lips and an impish smile. The smile that says 'I solved the case'. He asked Tatsumi to stay with the officer first. He ran as fast as he can to the library, to where he first went before the murder happened.
In the library, he started to tap the walls. Then dropped the books stacked on the first shelf. There was that 'clang' sound again. He pulled one of the chair and placed it near the library window. He stood there and tried to tap the walls hard. The 'clang's sound became stronger, louder and clearer. When he tapped it, there was a space where he felt there was something inside. He smiled and laughed shortly.
"So that's how it was. The murderer used a tool…so clever. But who could have done that?"
Tatsumi read his notes of investigation once more. The only suspicious among all of them is Hana, who was at the time of murder. Her alibi might be broken, since even if she was in the kitchen, she could have done a trick, to do it.
Rook saw the anxious face his friend had. "Tatsumi, what's the problem?"
"Tatsumi! Have you had the fingerprints yet?" he called, when he returned to the crime scene.
"So far, nope. I thought that was your job to do."
"We can't. Officer Salleh's police department has a system down. No devices available. In order to solve the case, we must do it the analogue way."
"Analogue way…how?" asked Tatsumi.
"Is there such a police method?" seconded officer Salleh.
Rook laughed, there was a shone of intelligence in his smile. "Officer, we need a scotch tape, make-up kit, papers and a lipstick."
Salleh nodded. "I'll get it…"
In the lounge, all of them were waiting for the three, who were investigating, if they had something to report. Although Glenda is not interested, Marion is.
"Please, to verify our thorough investigation, I want to get each of your fingerprints" said Rook.
Salleh was more interested on how Rook will do it. First on line was Glenda, who sat on the chair facing Rook.