vncnus Chapter 106 Rookie Detective
Chapter 106 Rookie Detective
After removing cases where the victims were not prostitutes, Suren found that the frequency of the remaining cases was much more consistent each year.
Suren picked up those unusual cases and carefully reviewed them, discovering that these victims not only had their internal organs removed, but also some other organs.
Some had their noses removed, some had their arms removed...
"This modus operandi is completely different from other cases. In other words, it might be a copycat crime?"
Suren quickly drew a conclusion, but at the same time, doubts arose in his mind: "Such an obvious loophole, the Church couldn't possibly have missed it. Could there be a mole within their ranks? But what benefit would protecting the Ripper bring them?"
Suren couldn't help but frown; this matter was far more complicated than he had imagined.
He couldn't help but sigh: "So, besides Jack the Ripper himself, there's a copycat criminal, and even the church is intentionally covering it up?"
However, Suren decided to continue the investigation. Firstly, she was already at odds with the church, and secondly, "Ellie's Tears" had reacted to the Ripper, so perhaps the opportunity for promotion lay with him.
In addition, although Suren was not a great philanthropist, he was unwilling to see innocent girls suffer such a tragic fate again.
However, Suren currently has virtually no leads...
Suren couldn't help but think of the "Codex of Truth" that had been gathering dust in her ring.
"No, I don't have enough clues right now. It seems that both Jack the Ripper and Bloody Mary are extremely dangerous. The Codex of Truth is also particularly prone to setting traps. It would be too dangerous to use it rashly."
After much deliberation, Suren abandoned the idea of using the copy. He decided to start by investigating existing cases, hoping that the victims in the Jack the Ripper case might provide some clues.
Although the information Tom provided was complete, it was still missing some details, such as the victim's social circle and family situation.
"Let's start investigating the more recent cases tomorrow. First, we need to determine if Jack the Ripper has any other patterns in his killings. Hmm, it might involve the church; it would be best to forge another identity during the investigation..."
……
The next morning, Suren used the newly forged identity of "Detective Brian" to arrive at Clay Alley, the lower town of Libraton, where working-class people and the poor lived.
Upon arriving here, Suren was shocked by what he saw; the environment here was even worse than the slums of Loren Town.
The ground was filthy, and homeless people in disheveled clothes could be seen everywhere on the roadside. The ground was covered with filth, and the stench made Suren cover his nose.
Suren endured the stench and walked toward one of the alleys.
Suren's first stop was the home of "Katie," the brown-haired girl he had witnessed that night. His thinking was simple: start with recent cases, as this might yield more clues.
Of course, he mainly relies on the "revelation," since Suren is not a real detective, and pure reasoning is not his forte.
Soon Suren arrived at Katie's place, a dilapidated shack that looked on the verge of collapse.
"This should be it. It looks rather shabby... I'll ask the locals anyway."
Over the next few hours, Suren paid a few pennies to learn some information about Katie from the surrounding residents.
During this time, a few foolish poor people tried to take advantage of the situation, but Suren dealt with them one by one.
After organizing the available information, Suren sighed. Katie's situation was quite simple: her parents died of illness, leaving her with no choice but to become a streetwalker, supporting herself on a meager income.
Suren shook his head and was about to leave when he saw a black-haired young man in a formal suit running frantically toward Suren, followed by two disheveled homeless men.
"Is this a robbery? Oh well, let's just consider it doing a good deed."
With that thought in mind, Suren made a motion to draw his gun. The homeless man behind the other man saw the silver revolver in Suren's hand and ran away in fright.
The black-haired youth breathed a sigh of relief. He walked to Suren's side and said gratefully, "Sir, thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done without you."
He bowed and then introduced himself: "By the way, my name is Herbert Taff."
"Just call me Brian," Suren replied briefly, then added with some curiosity, "Mr. Taf, judging by your attire, you shouldn't be in a place like this, should you?"
Herbert smiled somewhat sheepishly: "To be honest, I'm a detective, and I'm here to investigate a case."
"This guy must be a complete newbie, coming to the slums unprepared and almost getting robbed..."
Suren found it somewhat amusing, but he didn't show it directly. Instead, he subtly suggested, "As someone who's been through this, I still recommend that you prepare some weapons for self-defense..."
He glanced at Herbert, who was still panting, and added with a pump in his fist, "You're a bit out of shape too. After all, detectives rely on more than just intelligence; sometimes you need your fists too."
Herbert blushed, then realized Suren's choice of words and said with some surprise, "Mr. Brian, are you a detective too?"
"It's just a hobby..." Suren replied with a smile.
Herbert looked around, as if he had thought of something, and tentatively asked, "Are you investigating Jack the Ripper?"
"Oh? You're also investigating this case?" Suren was somewhat surprised, after all, this Herbert looked like a novice.
At this moment, Herbert seemed somewhat excited: "To be honest, although I recently joined the detective profession, I've actually been following Jack the Ripper for three years now, and I've even compiled a lot of information about him."
"So, have you made any progress?" Suren asked casually, without much hope.
To everyone's surprise, Herbert nodded and blurted out, "I think some of the cases from three years ago were copycat crimes, and the killer's weapon was a scalpel! Furthermore, he was violent, bloodthirsty, had childhood trauma, and his mother was very likely a prostitute!"
He then explained his reasoning process in detail, leaving Suren completely bewildered.
"It seems this guy, despite his lack of physical strength, is quite suited to being a detective."
Suren felt a pang of emotion, and asked with some curiosity, "You seem very interested in Jack the Ripper, is it because of the bounty?"
"No, because I hate him!"
Herbert sighed, his voice low and somber:
"Three years ago, my mother died at the hands of Jack the Ripper, and a year later my father committed suicide because he couldn't bear the burden. So after graduating, I immediately became a detective."
He gave a bitter laugh at this point: "However, I recently discovered that my mother most likely died from a copycat crime, and the real killer is someone else."
But I won't let Jack the Ripper get away with it! Whether it's a copycat or Jack the Ripper himself, I will bring them to justice!
Looking at Herbert, who exuded an air of righteous indignation, Suren couldn't help but admire him inwardly: 'He even deduced the copycat crime; he has some ability, and he also possesses a heart of justice. A rare good person indeed.'
After thinking it over, he decided to remind the other party: "Jack the Ripper is no ordinary criminal. I suggest you give up the investigation for now."
"Don't worry about that. I won't confront Jack the Ripper head-on. I'll just try to gather clues and then share useful information with capable people."
Herbert looked at Suren, pondered for a moment, and then said, "You must be a superhuman, right?"
Suren didn't deny it, and simply nodded.
Upon hearing Suren's admission, Herbert took out a notebook from his pocket, tore off a page, and handed it to Suren.
Suren took it and saw that it was a simple hand-drawn map with some areas marked in red ink.
"This is my analysis and speculation based on the areas where Jack the Ripper committed his crimes. The red area is most likely his hiding place. You can keep an eye on it."
Hearing Herbert's explanation, Suren put the paper away and asked with some confusion, "This is only our first meeting, why are you helping me?"
"This isn't helping you, it's helping myself." Herbert grinned. "It's just a small favor, but I'll provide clues to anyone investigating Jack the Ripper."
After saying that, he handed over a card and said, "This is my detective agency. You can contact me if you need anything."
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Suren saw Herbert out of Clay Alley.
Watching the black-haired youth's retreating figure, Suren stroked his chin, lost in thought.
"Herbert's analysis is indeed logical and well-founded, but do people really possess such unwavering enthusiasm?"
It's no wonder that Suren suspected him. Since coming to this world, Suren had experienced many things that were full of suspicion, so he subconsciously didn't want to trust anyone else.
In the following days, Suren visited the homes of other victims, but the information she obtained was still limited. Apart from all of them having worked as prostitutes, these victims had no other similarities.
Seeing this, Suren had no choice but to temporarily abandon the investigation.
……
Back at the secondhand shop, Suren was surprised to find two familiar figures waiting at the door: Charles and Loft.
By this time, Suren had removed his disguise, so he was naturally recognized by the two men.
"Mr. Dantès! It's been a long time!"
Charles gave Suren a warm hug, an attitude that made Suren feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Suren led the two into the secondhand shop. After some pleasantries, Charles tentatively asked, "Mr. Dantès, do you know the Land of Lamentation?"
Suren knew the main event was about to begin, so he smiled and said, "I know a little. The Land of Lamentation is in the wilderness east of Libraton. It's an extremely special terrain, also known as the Forbidden Land of Death because of its high level of danger."
"That's right, but there's something you might not know: the Land of Lamentation actually existed long before the Cataclysm."
Charles smiled mysteriously, then continued, "It is said that before the Cataclysmic Era, the desolate border had not yet formed, and the whole world was thriving. The Land of Lamentation was a core city at that time."
Unfortunately, with the arrival of the Cataclysmic Era, demons ravaged the land, causing the city to fall and leaving only this small area of the entire Protected Continent habitable by humans.
He looked at Suren, then said meaningfully, "Some time ago, a team of extraordinary individuals went to the Land of Lamentation. Although they suffered heavy casualties, they also obtained some items."
"He's probably referring to the books Viscount Howard acquired. Why would Charles know about these things?"
Suren's heart skipped a beat, but she remained outwardly calm, feigning curiosity as she asked, "Mr. Charles, are you interested in those items?"
Charles did not answer, but suddenly asked, "Mr. Dantès, do you know about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the god of life?"
Although Suren was a little confused, she nodded solemnly.
Seeing this, Charles stopped beating around the bush and said directly, "Among the items that the team brought back were some ancient books, which recorded the coordinates of a site of the God of Life and also included the method to open the site."
Moreover, I have reliable information that the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls were followers of the god of life, and that the first volume of the Dead Sea Scrolls originated from the Land of Lamentation!
Are the Dead Sea Scrolls related to the god of life?
Suren was somewhat shocked: 'Just who is this God of Life, and why are so many things involved with Him?'
"However, Charles's words cannot be entirely trusted; after all, he is only speculating. Moreover, Charles has remained silent about the secret to godhood that Mrs. Howard mentioned..."
These thoughts flashed through her mind for only a moment. Suren feigned shock, then smoothly asked, "So, what do you want me to do? I think what you've said isn't just about sharing information with me, is it?"
Charles laughed and said, "I do need your help. Regardless of whether the Dead Sea Scrolls actually exist, I am very interested in those relics."
Unfortunately, one of the ancient books containing the coordinate clues fell into the hands of the Howard family of Libraton.
"One book?" Suren caught the key information.
Charles nodded, saying with a hint of amusement, "Originally, there were two books in total. They were initially in the possession of Viscount Howard, but unfortunately, Viscount Howard was a rather incompetent fellow. Not only was he killed, but one of the books was also stolen!"
"Dead?"
Hearing this, Suren couldn't help but shake his head inwardly: 'Viscount Howard's death was too hasty. No wonder Mrs. Howard became a superhuman; she probably sensed the danger... I'm afraid her life in the Howard family isn't easy now.'
Charles, unaware of what Suren was thinking, continued, "The Howard family is, after all, a long-established noble family. We wouldn't normally have had a chance to get involved, but if we can find that lost book, we'll have leverage in negotiations."
Upon hearing this, Suren finally understood Charles's purpose: he wanted her to find that book.
"But why would he think of me? Uh, could it be because of what I did back in Verdot, bragging about being a detective...?"
Suren was somewhat speechless; it seemed that Charles genuinely believed himself to be a detective with exceptional reasoning abilities.