Mystery: Gray Walker

Chapter 109 The Hypothetical Murderer

"What do you think of that visitor?" Alvin asked.

Green pondered for a moment: "Not tall, rather thin, wearing an old dark gray coat, hat pulled low... walking hurriedly. These characteristics are too vague, but 'hurriedly' might indicate that he is nervous, or pressed for time. What he handed to old Bob is the key."

"You think that's what killed old Bob?"

"Not necessarily." Green took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out and lit it.

"I found a notebook in the port authority's underground warehouse, left by old Bob. It mentioned that he was a sailor when he was young and participated in a shipwreck salvage operation. After that, the crew members died one after another in 'accidents,' which he believed was a curse."

Erwin raised an eyebrow: "A curse? Do you believe in that?"

"I had some doubts at first," Green said slowly, "but after seeing how old Bob died, and combining that with the contents of the notes, I have a different idea."

Tell me about it.

"What if... there was no curse at all?"

Green looked at Alvin, "What if the deaths of those crew members, including old Bob's, were all murders? The killer meticulously planned various 'accidents' to make it all look like the work of supernatural forces?"

Irwin lowered his head in thought for a moment, then glanced at Green. "An interesting hypothesis. What's the motive?"

"The notes mention that they salvaged a lot of things from the shipwreck. Some metal utensils, porcelain, spices... But what if the real value wasn't these, but something else? Like, someone discovered gems, gold bars, or some secret? The murderer, in order to keep it all for himself, or to cover up some more terrible crime, began to eliminate his comrades."

Why did old Bob live to the end?

"Perhaps he was timid and easily controlled; perhaps he was responsible for hiding the stolen goods; or perhaps the murderer needed a 'survivor' like him to spread the 'curse' and make things even more mysterious. Old Bob himself believed it and even wrote that notebook."

Green didn't mention the hardcover book with the twin symbols; his intuition told him it was best not to let anyone else know.

"And now, murder?"

"Silence him." Green exhaled a smoke ring. "The killer may have been lying in wait for years, and now, for some reason, old Bob must be silenced forever. That mysterious visitor is very likely the real killer from back then."

"He came to see old Bob, perhaps to ask for something, or perhaps he sensed that old Bob might have leaked a secret. The negotiations broke down, or it was all planned, the murderer killed old Bob and staged it as a hanging, mimicking the style of 'The Curse'."

Alvin stroked his chin: "So, you believe this is the final piece of a meticulously planned serial murder case spanning decades? The killer is using the legend of the 'curse' to cover up their true motives?"

"Um,"

Green nodded. "As far as I know, old Bob rarely interacted with people. He was the kind of person who just coasted along at the port authority and wouldn't offend anyone. Even the usually harsh administrative supervisor thought he was pitiful. There was no reason for such a person to commit suicide, nor would he have any enemies."

"When sheriffs and ordinary people see the scene, they might immediately think of suicide or some bizarre event. We Night Watchmen, if we prejudge and look for extraordinary factors, might also be misled. But if we peel back the veneer of the 'curse,' we might see a cold-blooded, premeditated murder."

"Where's the evidence?" Alvin asked, his fingers tapping lightly on his knee.

"Your speculation is reasonable, but it needs to be supported by evidence. In particular, how can you prove that the 'accident' back then was murder, and that the current murderer is the same person as the murderer back then?"

Green stubbed out his cigarette in the small brass dish inside the carriage and looked out the window at the street scene rushing by.

"We need to investigate a few things."

His thoughts became clearer. "First, we need to investigate the records from that year. I'll see if we can use the port authority's channels to find the crew list, accident report, and detailed records of those 'accidental' deaths. Let's see if there are any commonalities, or if there are any signs of forgery."

"Second, locate the second mate. Find out the name, whereabouts, and fate of the second mate who was transferred to inland waterway shipping years ago. Is he still alive? Where is he now? What is he doing?"

"Third, analyze the physical evidence at the scene. Focus on the knot. If it was tied by a professional sailor, it could be a clue. Sailor knots have specific techniques and habits."

"Fourth, investigate Bob Sr.'s social relationships. Has he recently reconnected with people from the past? Are there any unusual financial transactions? Is anything missing from his house? The murderer may have taken something."

"Fifth, profiling the killer. According to Mrs. Hudson's description, professionals were asked to draw composite sketches of the mysterious visitors, which were then secretly investigated in the port authority, dock area, and places frequented by sailors."

Alvin smiled approvingly: "Clear thinking, clear direction. It seems your time as a 'former private investigator' wasn't wasted. Clarice was right, this mission suits you."

"But remember, our primary responsibility is to determine if there are any extraordinary factors involved. If your theory of 'murder' is correct, and it is confirmed that no extraordinary forces were involved, the case may eventually be transferred to the Sheriff's Department for retrial. But before that, we must ensure that we do not overlook any supernatural possibilities."

"I see."

"Let's start with the easiest to verify: the knots and the 'Seagull' files," Green said.

Upon returning to the base, Green immediately sought help from Ms. Eliza White, providing a detailed description and sketch of the knots at the scene.

Eliza quickly confirmed from the Night Watch's files and maritime records that the knotting technique was very professional and had certain characteristics of old-school ocean sailors, and was not commonly used by ordinary people or land-based personnel.

Sure enough!

Green immediately dialed the phone number for his underground office. After three rings, a woman's voice came from the other end: "Hello, this is the port authority warehouse."

"Annaise, it's me," Green said in a deep voice.

"Mr. Morris?" A somewhat cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Well, I'm giving you a task now: see if you can find the files on the 'Seagull' accident from back then, as well as information on the people involved, especially the second mate."

Green paused, then instructed, "Try not to let Henry know."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then a voice said: "Okay, understood."

Green hung up the phone, and Alvin walked over, biting into an apple.

"Annaise, your little assistant?" he mumbled. "That girl's got guts, but aren't you afraid of alerting them by letting her investigate?"

"She is now my assistant. It is less noticeable for her to conduct the investigation under the guise of 'organizing old port authority files' than for me to do it directly."

Alvin swallowed the apple, lost in thought. "You trust her?"

"She passed the test," Green replied briefly, making no attempt to reveal that Anaïs was now also an Extraordinary. "Moreover, she needs to grow. This is something she requested herself."

"Alright, good that you know what's going on." Alvin shrugged. "So what do we do now? Wait for news?"

Just then, the training room door opened, and Rick walked in. He glanced at Green and Alvin and said directly, "Clarice is looking for you."