In the bustling Pluto Church, everyone was busy with their own tasks, filled with enthusiasm and excitement.
The only ones who stood out were two police officers who had worked through the night and came to help again.
Beck lifted one end of a long table and glanced at his wife, who was happily arranging fruit plates on the other side, then turned to his colleague and supervisor, Jeffrey, who was not exactly human, and muttered in a low, frustrated voice.
"So, you're really convinced that this hotel case isn't just an ordinary incident but a supernatural event?"
"I can't be certain, but there's a significant chance, which is why we need Father York to take a look."
Jeffrey responded, observing the exhausted look on Beck's face. Despite the distance of a long table between them, he could still feel Beck's deep resentment.
"Just hang in there a bit longer, while Father York is still in New York…"
Hearing this, Beck, despite his resentment, had no choice but to bear it.
"Okay! After this, you must grant me leave; I need to rest."
Jeffrey smiled, knowing his colleague was the type to complain about everything but act more proactively than anyone else.
"Alright, you'll get three days off."
Beck rolled his eyes in disbelief.
"I thought you'd give me half a month off."
Jeffrey shrugged, "That's as far as my authority goes. If the boss could give you half a month off, I wouldn't mind letting you rest all you want."
The thought of requesting leave from their always stern boss made Beck surrender and sigh.
"Fine, three days it is. Just remember what you said today and don't get me involved in any more tasks."
Jeffrey glanced at Beck but didn't respond, his mind already filtering out all distractions to focus on the so-called case.
The victim was named David Everett, a practicing dentist, found dead in room 1408 of a hotel.
After receiving a call from the hotel, they investigated and concluded from all evidence that the victim had committed suicide.
However, this case caught his attention due to its suspicious nature.
Even though the cause of death was ruled as suicide by wrist cutting, the victim's face bore an expression of immense suffering.
Remembering the victim's face and photos made Jeffrey frown.
The victim seemed relieved by death, which typically aligns with suicides, but something felt off.
This odd feeling led him to a secret investigation, revealing that David Everett was a fortunate man with a happy family, luckier than many.
With a beautiful wife, a son, and a daughter, a car, a house, and a dental clinic, his life was very fulfilling and happy.
According to his wife, friends, and acquaintances, David always appeared happy and smiling, showing no signs of suicidal tendencies.
If David had been depressed or had reasons for suicide, those close to him, including his wife and colleagues, would have noticed something over the years, but they found nothing suspicious.
Suicide usually involves factors related to illness, finances, family, or personality.
While the reasons behind suicide are complex and varied, everyone has their unique background and circumstances.
However, no matter how much he investigated, Jeffrey couldn't find a reason for David Everett's suicide.
David didn't fit into any of the common categories. After a thorough investigation, aside from a happy family, David's finances, health, and personality were all in good standing.
Coincidentally, David had a psychiatric evaluation the day before his death, which deemed him healthy.
So, there was no apparent reason for suicide.
This was strange…
He decided to treat it as a homicide instead of a suicide and began investigating from that angle.
With the family's consent, the body was sent for a forensic examination, which revealed new clues.
David Everett's time of death was confirmed to be about an hour after entering room 1408 of the hotel, between 22:08 and 23:08.
Besides the fatal wrist injury, there were new bruises, swelling, and burns on his palms, arms, neck, chest, back, and face, all occurring within an hour of entering the hotel suite.
After a series of scientific examinations and deductions, it was preliminarily concluded that the swelling near David's little finger on his clenched fist was likely from striking something forcefully.
The burns extending from his hands to his arms, including his neck and other areas, appeared to be splash marks, suggesting that David had vigorously scrubbed his back and neck...
This alone was enough to warrant an investigation.
However, despite initiating an investigation, they still couldn't find any useful information. Despite reviewing countless surveillance videos and theorizing numerous times, the conclusion remained that David Everett had indeed committed suicide.
Still, they uncovered something very peculiar and unsettling.
The hotel's room 1408, where the incident took place, was infamous.
It was known as the death room.
According to the detailed accounts of the manager, Orin, and records buried in archives, 56 guests had died in room 1408 before David Everett's death.
What was eerie was that all the guests who stayed in room 1408 committed suicide.
Notably, the hotel's very first suicide case occurred in room 1408 in its founding year, 1912, with the death of Kevin Miller, a sewing machine salesman, who died by cutting his throat.
The most bizarre aspect was that Kevin Miller, before bleeding to death in a nearly frenzied state, attempted to sew his wound closed with an old-fashioned sewing needle.
Since then, all subsequent cases had strange elements, similar to the swelling on David Everett's fist and the odd burns on his body...
"Hey! Buddy!"
Just as he delved deeper into his thoughts, a voice in front interrupted his train of thought, and Jeffrey instantly focused on the source.
He saw Beck, on the other side of the long table, wearing a teasing expression.
"Are you tired? Need a break?"
"Huh?"
Jeffrey didn't catch his meaning at first, but then he followed Beck's gaze and noticed that his position had shifted the long table.
"I was just thinking."
Jeffrey explained briefly, not looking at Beck's expression, and quietly moved the long table back into position.
"Oh～"
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