Leonard Mitchell clasped his hands and leaned forward slightly as he said,
“We reconstructed the scene Caron saw before he died.
“This didn’t directly show us who the killer was, but the glass of the bay window happened to reflect Baron Syndras’s figure.”
After a pause, Leonard added,
“This is too simple to be convincing. A noble and big banker of Baron Syndras’s stature would never personally kill someone or show up at the scene to watch, even if he wanted someone dead—unless he has a particular fetish.
“And as you know, there are plenty of ways to fabricate a scene like this—whether through illusion or disguise.”
When he said “disguise,” he slightly raised his head and glanced at Dwayne Dantès, as if to say, “Your current appearance most likely isn’t your real one, just like Gehrman Sparrow and Sherlock Moriarty.”
What a crude and heavy-handed frame-up. It makes one wonder if the mastermind behind it truly intended to frame Baron Syndras... Mm, let me review it from the beginning. First, suppose my response—that is, Dwayne Dantès’s response—is no different from an ordinary person’s... Anyway, I won’t state the conclusion; I’ll only guide the thinking process through questions. If the final answer is wrong, then it must be that the poet misunderstood my hints... Klein smiled as he picked up the bone china cup, took a sip of black tea, and said,
“Let’s not consider that for now. If it weren’t me who got caught up in it, how would things have developed?”
Leonard’s clasped hands rose slightly, and his index finger tapped gently as he said,
“As a suspect, Dwayne Dantès was locked up in the police station, but his butler, servants, neighbors, and friends could all confirm that he hadn’t had any contact with Caron’s family, so there was a huge contradiction between the two accounts. The police couldn’t handle it and had to apply for the Nighthawks to intervene.
“After a séance, we got the image Caron saw before he killed himself, and from that we extracted the figure of Baron Syndras...”
As he spoke, Leonard suddenly fell silent. After several seconds, he continued under Dwayne Dantès’s smiling gaze,
“No matter how strange or overly simple the appearance of this clue about Baron Syndras is—to the point that it’s unconvincing—we still have to contact him as per procedure and carry out a corresponding investigation... And would that lead us to discover some of his problems?
“Baron Syndras originally had issues involving the Beyonder domain, so he simply couldn’t withstand an in-depth investigation by the Nighthawks?”
The more Leonard spoke, the more certain he seemed, as if he had grasped the planner’s train of thought.
He—or they—didn’t care at all whether their trap would be seen through. As long as they could get the Nighthawks to conduct a routine investigation of Syndras, their goal would be achieved, because Baron Syndras himself had a fairly serious and easily discoverable problem!
Yes, that’s my thought too. This is actually closer to a report; just a bit gentler, it looks like a trap so the Nighthawks have to investigate, and it hides its own existence... Of course, I won’t directly affirm your guess. If it turns out wrong, wouldn’t that be embarrassing? Klein crossed his right leg over his left and said with a smile,
“Now that Baron Syndras is on alert, there sure won’t be any problems.”
Leonard slowly nodded and said, as if explaining himself,
“This baron’s experiences are quite legendary. He’s been on the verge of bankruptcy several times, only to pull through and climb to new heights.
“Maybe, during one of those times, he was in despair and had no other choice, so he sold his soul to an evil god, a demon, or some other hidden existence?”
Quite a plausible story... Klein didn’t say whether Leonard’s speculations were right or wrong. Instead, he asked,
“And in another respect, how would you view the real culprit that drove Caron to suicide?”
Leonard temporarily set aside his judgment and, based on the premise of “normal development,” said thoughtfully,
“The trap that was set is too crude. The hints, guidance, and memory implants aren’t subtle or smooth enough, so it’s easy to spot problems. Therefore, it probably wasn’t done by a mid-to-high Sequence of the Spectator pathway; instead, it’s more likely that Beyonders from other pathways used their corresponding mystical items to disguise themselves as one of them...”
Before he could finish, Leonard fell into silence again, as if he had thought of something.
Klein kept an faint smile, calmly watching the other man, as if everything was under control, but “I’m just not saying it—the latter’s understanding depends on himself.”
This matches some of the old man’s earlier words... Could it really have been done by a mid-to-high Sequence Spectator? His seemingly reckless, crude, and flawed arrangement actually precisely considered everyone’s reactions, considered the human nature that follows procedures; he just misjudged Dwayne Dantès’s experience and wisdom? Leonard felt he had figured out the sequence of events. He straightened up and cleared his throat, saying,
“Thank you for your guidance.”
Klein immediately laughed and said,
“I didn’t say anything.”
Without waiting for a response from Leonard, he took the initiative to ask,
“Your former colleague asked me to inquire of you: if he discovers traces of Ince Zangwill, how should he inform you?”
Leonard, who was about to stand up and take his leave, had only lifted himself partway off his seat before sitting back down. His expression turned somewhat complicated as he remained silent for ten-odd seconds before saying: