After considering the possibility that it was the Demon Dog's owner, Klein immediately changed his strategy and gave a very detailed account of how he had met
He also voluntarily mentioned how Isengard Stanton had organized a group of detectives to investigate the serial murders and how they had successfully received part of the reward.
"In that commission, although I only contributed some ideas, well, in the technical parlance of the private detective industry, I provided consulting opinions, Mr. Stanton still considered my contribution the greatest, so I received the highest bounty," Klein concluded.
The two police officers in charge of the interrogation scribbled down these statements and asked if anyone could vouch for what he had said. Klein provided the names and addresses of private detectives Stuart and Caslana.
"Very good, Mr. Moriarty. Your answers are sufficiently detailed." One of the officers stopped his fountain pen and instead asked, "How long were you in Isengard Stanton's home today? I mean, from the moment you entered to the moment we discovered you."
Klein thought briefly, not bothering to consult Mr. Jürgen's opinion, and directly replied: "About two to three minutes."
He was stating his true personal feeling.
The other officer raised an eyebrow.
"Several nearby residents can confirm that you entered Isengard Stanton's home around 2:10 PM, and we arrived at the scene at 2:28 PM. That means you were inside the house for about eighteen minutes, not two to three minutes!
"What exactly were you doing in all that time? Why didn't you leave or call the police?"
*Eighteen minutes had passed?* Klein suddenly frowned.
He felt that the standoff with that silent gaze had lasted at most a minute. How could eighteen minutes have passed?
Was that strange feeling of being watched distorting my perception of time, or was it something else? Was it the other party's Beyonder ability? If it really is the Demon Dog's owner, he is at least Sequence 6, and most likely Sequence 5... As Klein pondered in confusion, Jürgen leaned forward, ready to accuse the police of leading the witness.
It wasn't a very strong argument; he just wanted to interrupt the rhythm of the questioning and buy some time for that clearly disadvantageous question.
At this moment, Klein raised his hand and rubbed his forehead.
"Everything I said just now was true. In my personal perception, I had only been in Detective Isengard Stanton's house for two to three minutes."
He emphasized: "Yes, in my personal perception."
The two officers exchanged looks and noted this down.
After a brief silence, the officer who had asked the question said: "During those eighteen minutes, a servant who had been out returned and rang the doorbell. When no one answered, he looked in through the bay window and saw the scattered body parts on the floor and you standing by the living room door.
"He was terrified and ran to the police station to report the case. Many passersby and some residents can confirm this."
Klein ignored Mr. Jürgen's signaling and shook his head of his own accord.
"I didn't hear the doorbell."
The two officers exchanged looks again, not commenting, simply recording.
They then asked some questions about other details. Klein, who hadn't done anything and had no guilt or shame, answered them all truthfully.
Near the end, he couldn't help but ask with concern: "Have you found Detective Isengard Stanton? I didn't see a corpse in the living room, so he should still be alive, right..."
One officer tapped the desk with his fountain pen.
"That is also something we are confused about. The entire house only shows signs of a struggle in the living room, and the windows are tightly shut, not opened for many days. You know how normal this is in
"The attacker and Mr. Isengard Stanton strangely left that room, and we don't know where they went. We haven't found any clues in the rest of the house or the surrounding area. We haven't even found a single drop of blood."
Before Klein could speak, he asked and answered himself: "You must be thinking about the living room door and the house's front door, but many people have confirmed that there was no sign of a chase nearby, nor did anyone leave with a hostage or a corpse."
Maybe the actual event happened in the middle of the night? Maybe they can walk through walls? Klein silently provided other possibilities in his mind, and silently prayed: May the Goddess bless Detective Isengard Stanton to escape this calamity.
— The
The interrogation ended, and Klein was taken to a small room and handcuffed. The police department sent someone to follow Mr. Jürgen to 15 Minsk Street to retrieve the letter evidence.
After the ordeal dragged on until the evening, Klein was finally granted bail, the amount being 50 pounds.
"This is much more expensive than last time. An average private detective would have a hard time taking out this much cash in such a short time," Klein complained to Mr. Jürgen as he gathered the collar of his wool coat outside the gates of Hissack Police Station.
Jürgen still had that professional and serious expression.
"The last situation was in your favor. This time, many suspicious points point towards you."
He hailed a carriage and turned his head seriously to look at Klein.
"Sherlock, I am your lawyer. Before you answer the police's questions, it is best to have some form of communication with me, even if it is just eye contact.
"Don't just casually open your mouth thinking there is no problem. An untrained ordinary person can easily leave a handle in their words."
*This... I've gotten used to making up stories and solving problems on my own...* Klein recalled what had just happened and let out two dry laughs.