"Let's take a look at the second case. In fact, your judgement was problematic from this case. Do you think the same person committed the first and second murders?"
Batman thought for a moment and said, "If we go by that theory, indeed there are some issues. If he could use anesthetic when killing Lawrence, he could have used the same for Hawk. But from the strangulation marks on Hawk's body, it is clear that he was conscious and even struggling when he was tied to the chair."
"And what do you think that implies?"
Batman started pacing the room and said, "According to the forensic autopsy report, the anesthetic in Lawrence's body was initially inhaled through his nose and mouth before it was injected into him. Thus, the murderer's method of incapacitating Lawrence could have involved sneaking into his bedroom, smothering his mouth and nose with a towel soaked in anesthetic and then administering an additional dose of the drug. Following this, he dragged Lawrence to the ground and impaled him with a long nail…"
As he described the scene, the room's depiction persistently changed. Richie's body on the floor vanished, the walls and floor changed color, and a bed descended from midair. Lawrence was lying on it, sleeping soundly when a shadowed figure approached the bed and placed the anesthetic-soaked towel over his mouth and nose.
Then, he dragged the unconscious Lawrence off the bed, injected him with more anesthetic, and then took out a long nail and arranged him in the position of the cross, with his head facing the window.
"The process of subduing Hawk would have been simpler. The murderer entered his study, strangled him from behind, and tied him to a chair."
Having said that, Batman paused. Shiller then continued, "I think you've figured it out. The murderer didn't intend to converse with Lawrence at all. He killed him right after incapacitating him."
"However, in Hawk's case, after subduing him, he tied him up and waited for him to regain consciousness. As you mentioned, the strangulation marks from his struggle are the evidence…"
With Shiller's description, the room scene transformed again. The bed sank into the floor, Lawrence's corpse disappeared, a desk emerged from the wall layer by layer, and Hawk seated in a chair slid over to the desk. Meanwhile, a shadow stood behind him, strangled him unconscious. When Hawk woke up, he found himself tied to the chair.
From a view outside the window, the standing shadow and the seated Hawk seemed to be having a conversation, but in the end, Hawk's head rolled off, blood gushing out.
"So why did the murderer communicate with Hawk but not with Lawrence?" Shiller asked.
Batman fell into deep thought, considering this a useful train of thought. After a while, he asked, "If you were the perpetrator, would you talk to the victim?"
Shiller shook his head, "You can't generalize. It depends on the nature of the crime. Let me give you an example…"
He tapped the floor with his cane and continued, "If I just need a 'qualified' victim, then I wouldn't communicate with them, since they are merely raw materials, akin to not conversing with broccoli while cooking."
"However, in some special cases, communicating with the soon-to-be-deceased is necessary, such as some murders that entail judgement, it's vital to have an exchange about their dying thoughts."
"At these moments, the prey about to meet their death is my partner, and I would of course be glad to discuss my creative concept with them."
"As you mentioned earlier, if the theme is the Seven Deadly Sins, the selected prey must be guilty of committing one of them. Before taking action, I would tell them that they are going to die because of a certain sin. Their reactions, be it guilt, anger or fear gushing out, are the most captivating part of the murder case."
"As for the theme of the Twelve Disciples, I don't think there's a need to communicate with the victims. Do you expect a mob boss to engage in a Gospel-related conversation with you? Do you anticipate them having unique perspectives on these religious stories?"
"That's why I said the murderer is a mere clumsy imitator because what he converse with Hawk about must have been irrelevant to the case, probably some incredibly tedious mob-related secrets."
"This behavior of his, if likened to something, is as distasteful as a mouse dropping in mouse soup..."
Shiller clearly disapproved of this method. He paused and then continued, "Moving on to the third case, I'm a bit reluctant to comment on this since it lacks any aesthetic appeal."
"It might seem incredible, but actually, the thrill serial killers seek from killing their own kind, and what the killer of Richie felt…"
Shiller paused and said, "…caught between the impatience of getting off work and the pleasure derived from brutal murder, are completely different."
"My inclination is that these three cases were in fact committed by three different individuals," Shiller said as he touched the corner of his eyebrow.
"If I had to pass judgement, the murderer of Lawrence indeed seemed to imitate certain methods. His theme could indeed be Jesus and his Twelve Disciples, as you suggested. He tried his best to replicate the crucifixion method, and even though his imitation ended up disastrous, he made an effort."
"As for the second one, I prefer to label him as the imitator of the imitator. If the first murderer failed to replicate the correct method, the second one copied the flawed approach of the first, ending up even more off the mark."
"Regarding the third murderer, he might have been very eager to leave the exam room, but under the pressure from his teacher and parents, he felt obliged to write something. He looked around and noticed the incorrect answers from the first two, but found them too elaborate. Thus, he simply copied down a 'solution'…"
Shiller's analogy was peculiar, but Batman fully understood it. At this moment, their thoughts were perfectly aligned.
"As for what's going on, I think the key clue should lie with the fourth victim."
"I'm investigating these cases to prevent a fourth victim from happening."
"That's what I'm saying. A good detective, in the face of a serial killer, actually has a simpler task. If I were to commit these crimes, you could follow the pattern of the first three victims to find my next target and protect them."
"However, now, there are potentially two or three killers for these three cases. The standards for choosing their targets, the time, place, processes, and outcomes of their actions are all random, which actually increases the difficulty."
"Who do you think the next victim will be?"
Shiller shook his head, "I'm not the one behind these crimes, how would I know? But I suspect, the relationship among these killers should be interesting. Why would the second killer copy the first killer's work? Why didn't the third even bother to?"
"Does the first killer realize someone's stealing his ideas? If he did, would he continue? If he didn't know, what if the other two killers off his second target ahead of time? Wouldn't that be awkward?"
"Now, mob bosses are in a state of fear, hiding in their mansions just like the Falcone Family in their castle, each having a safe house on their properties. Given their heightened alertness, I doubt the killer will have an easy time."
"But suspicion has already started to spread, hasn't it?" Shiller snapped his fingers, and the dream scene returned to the room in the mansion.
Shiller sat back at the table, picked up the globe, and held it still. As the globe stopped spinning, they both woke up and returned to the real world.
Constructing the crime scene had exhausted Batman's energy. The effects of Mad Liquor were still rippling in his brain. Shiller lifted his cup, drained the remaining liquor, and then pulled out a cigar box from the desk drawer.
As he lit a cigar, he said, "Now, each member of the Twelve Families should be in fear, not knowing who is responsible. But one thing is for sure, the Godfather will not sit idly by."
"Once the Godfather begins to investigate, a purge will start. You may want to protect the fourth victim, but they might not appreciate your efforts. More likely, the Godfather will not allow an outsider like you to get involved in this case. Hence, if you want to continue the investigation, you must change your perspective."
"Change perspective? You mean..."
"As far as I know, Alberto has finished building his house. Now that his personality and mental state have stabilized, he's ready to replace Evans anytime, anywhere, controlling his body, implying the Godfather has an heir in the truest sense of the word."
"Although the Godfather may be reluctant to acknowledge it, Alberto is his only choice. Given this incident, it's very likely that Alberto will replace the Godfather in leading the investigation."
"Alberto doesn't have many reliable people around him. Evans's character seemed a bit weak and fickle, which led to a group of ambitious underlings gathering around him. Alberto wouldn't use these people so he should be short of hands at the moment."
"You want me to work for him? But my alias, Bruce, is a playful Playboy, how am I to explain my overnight mastery in various detective skills?"
"I certainly don't expect you to get your hands dirty. I noticed you've still got some of Wayne Family heir's arrogance, taking no notice of some small characters. But sometimes, these insignificant characters can play a significant role. For example, the skinny boy, Cobblepot."
"Alberto also shares your mindset. He might not notice the boy who was once an umbrella carrier. But actually, I think he has great potential."
"If you recommend him to Alberto, you'll get a full view of the case progression through him. Or you'll indirectly influence Alberto. He would probably appreciate your recommendation too."
"You said before, Cobblepot probably works for the Godfather. And during the last events, he expressed interest in breaking free from the Godfather, not getting involved in these matters."
"But don't forget the reason why he did so. Because he didn't see any hope in Evans. Evans is not fit to be a Godfather, but Alberto is different."
"Now, Cobblepot's dilemma is Alberto inherited Evans's memories, knowing Cobblepot's plan to leave the Godfather. Cobblepot clearly knows this too. If he goes back to Alberto, it might look awful, like running back to him. However, a suitable recommendation might help ease things."
"If you can't find the right timing to approach him, I can take you and Evans to an internship at a vocational school tomorrow."
Batman squinted at him, saying, "You should know what I'm suspecting..."
"You suspect one of them to be the killer?"
"Cobblepot has a criminal record, so does Alberto."
"That simplifies it then. Keeping an eye on both of them would be a lot simpler than protecting the as yet unknown fourth victim."