novelraw Chapter 105 : Scene Investigation
Chapter 105 : Scene Investigation
Chapter 105: Scene Investigation
Goodness, what a sight this was.
Standing in the room, staring at the corpse before him, Levi’s face was expressionless, though inwardly he couldn’t help but sigh.
He had been in this world for quite some time, yet this was the very first time he had encountered a proper murder case.
It should be a proper one—without any supernatural elements involved, right?
Moreover, this corpse… was not unfamiliar.
In fact, Levi had seen her at the ball just last night.
Rosalie Porto, the millionaire lady.
She now lay on the bed, dressed in her nightclothes, a gunshot wound at her temple.
Well, the cause of death was obvious at a glance.
“You finally came, Mr. Levi.”
The man currently in charge of the scene was a plump old fellow, the Chief Inspector of the Arctic Star. At sea, the police had little means of exercising their authority. Thus, the ship naturally had its own designated role responsible for such matters. The Chief Inspector was the one who oversaw conflicts among sailors and handled incidents.
Naturally, now that a murder had occurred, this too fell under his jurisdiction.
However, the identity of the victim was clearly beyond what the Chief Inspector could bear.
If it were Inspector Lestrade here, even he would probably have buckled at the knees.
So, the Chief Inspector had almost immediately dispatched someone to fetch Levi. At the very least, this famous detective’s reputation was illustrious, and he could shoulder responsibility far better than himself.
“Go find a few people.”
Levi glanced at the scene, then turned to the Chief Inspector.
“A photographer, a doctor, a recording machine, and a few sailors to maintain order.”
“Understood.”
Hearing Levi take control of the scene and begin issuing orders, the Chief Inspector hesitated not in the slightest, carrying them out immediately. Only then did Levi turn back to him and begin asking about the situation.
Actually, the details were simple enough. In the morning, the maid had gone to wake Rosalie for breakfast, only to find her already dead of a gunshot wound. Panicked, she fled the room, ran into the Porto family butler, and after he heard what had happened, he immediately sent someone to fetch the Chief Inspector. Upon seeing the body, the Chief Inspector’s legs went weak, and he had wasted no time in calling for Levi’s help.
What a roundabout way you’ve taken.
Levi’s expression remained unmoved, though inwardly he sneered. He certainly understood why the butler had not sought him first. After all, the Chief Inspector was a servant of the Arctic Star, while the Portos were passengers. As a servant, it was only natural to serve the guests—it also made them easier to handle.
But Levi was different. As a renowned detective, he already drew high public attention. Unlike the Aurelia incident, which had occurred locally and gained little notoriety, the Porto murder had happened aboard a luxury liner. Unless the ship suddenly blew up on the spot, this matter was bound to become world famous.
And by then, the family’s dirty laundry would inevitably be dragged into the open… Heh, Levi rather enjoyed eating such gossip.
He could even be certain that the butler’s maneuvering was not simply about the murder; something else messy had likely happened last night. As the saying went, “Family scandals mustn’t be made public.” Of course they did not want their affairs exposed.
But Levi liked it—wasn’t that why people enjoyed reading detective novels? To dig into scandals.
Human affairs were truly fickle.
Looking at Rosalie lying dead upon the bed, Levi sighed again. Just last night, he and old Mr. Howard had been discussing whether the young lady’s marriage was a happy one. Well, now it no longer mattered.
Oh, speaking of which…
“Send for old Mr. Howard.”
“Why?”
The Chief Inspector asked in surprise, but Levi only shrugged.
“We need to examine the scene. But first, we need someone to testify to its integrity—that no one has tampered with it up until now. As we begin our investigation, we must ensure the room remains exactly as we see it. A third party is required to witness this.”
This era’s trials valued testimony and witnesses far more than physical evidence. That famous detective novel line, “I have no motive, how can you accuse me of murder?” had come about because the prosecution needed to convince a jury of motive. But Levi had no interest in such complications. In fact, this case was simple enough—one sweep with his Soul Sight, and he already knew much of the truth.
Still, to make the later proceedings smoother, he decided to conduct things properly.
Old Mr. Howard was respected, without motive, and a perfectly neutral third party. He was the most suitable witness.
And from Levi’s impression of their conversation last night, he was sure the old man wouldn’t want to miss such a spectacle.
After all, the most important thing in life was happiness.
And gossip was happiness indeed.
Sure enough, not long after, old Mr. Howard strode in briskly with his cane. His face was stern, but the sharp glint in his eyes and his vigorous step told Levi all he needed to know.
Gossip, bring me joy.
“Ah, Mr. Levi.”
Catching Levi’s gaze, Howard nodded and took his place at the door.
“I’ve heard… is it true?”
“Yes, Mr. Howard. We are about to examine the scene, and we ask you to serve as witness.”
“Oh, I see… Of course, no problem.”
Howard was shrewd. A glance at the silent butler nearby told him exactly why Levi had called him here. The Porto family was wealthy and powerful; they could easily bribe sailors or servants to alter their statements later.
But not Howard. As a business magnate whose fortune rivaled the Portos’, the family would have to give away their entire estate to sway him.
As a luxury liner, the Arctic Star naturally had everything. Soon, the items Levi requested were brought: a doctor, a photographer, and a recording machine.
In this era, sound-recording devices did exist, though unlike modern tapes or discs, they worked by punching holes into cards. As for how this actually captured sound… chalk it up to the wonders of difference engines. Levi had no idea.
But he didn’t need to—he only needed to know how to use it.
Of course, this contraption was nothing like a portable recorder. It had a large sound-horn and stood half a meter tall, heavy and cumbersome.
“Well then, everyone is here. Let us begin.”
Levi glanced around. The others all watched him curiously. For the Porto family, this was a moment of grief and anguish, but for the rest, curiosity was all that remained.
“Turn on the recorder.”
“Yes.”
Following Levi’s instruction, the second mate guarding the machine switched it on. Levi began to speak.
“I am Detective Levi. Today is June 21st, in the 126th year of the Age of Bronze. The time is…” Levi checked his watch, “…9:03 in the morning. I am currently in the luxury suite B-32 aboard the Arctic Star, conducting an investigation into the murder of Miss Rosalie Porto. Present at the scene are…”
Levi introduced everyone, and the likes of Howard responded in turn. They knew well that this recording might one day serve as evidence in court, so none dared speak carelessly.
“Good. That is all for now. Next…”
Levi turned to the photographer.
“You, take photographs.”
“M-me? Me?!”
The photographer blanched. He was employed aboard the Arctic Star to take portraits of first-class passengers—meals, games, happy family moments.
But now he was being asked to photograph a crime scene? A corpse?
This was suicide!
“I’ll direct you. Just take the shots.”
“O-okay…”
With Levi commanding the scene, the photographer had no room to refuse. Trembling, he followed instructions, documenting everything. When it came to close-ups of the victim, his hands shook so badly he took several blurry shots before getting it right.
“Develop them.”
Once the photos were done, Levi dismissed him like a scoundrel tossing aside a lover, and ordered the second mate:
“Send two men to guard him. Until the photos are developed, no one is to approach him or ask questions.”
The second mate nodded, dispatching two sailors to follow the terrified photographer, who nearly bolted in relief.
Next came the doctor. Levi accompanied him to the body and began examining it.
“The fatal wound is only this one, as far as I can tell.”
“The wound shows burns—someone pressed the gun to her head before firing.”
“The bullet may still be inside the skull. Only an autopsy can confirm.”
“But they may not allow one.”
Levi glanced at the butler standing silently by the door and shrugged.
“A pity, isn’t it?”
The doctor stared at Rosalie’s corpse, licking his lips. Indeed, it was a pity. Desecration of corpses was still a grave crime, and the only way a doctor could legally dissect one was through judicial autopsy.
Of course, if a criminal was executed and had no family to claim the body, then one might happily haul it away for study.
If the corpse here weren’t the Porto heiress, the doctor would likely already have set to work under the guise of “judicial autopsy.”
But now… if he touched this body, the Portos might well see him executed instead.
“Can you provide a medical statement describing the cause of death?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll need you to sign it—and leave your thumbprint.”
“Sign? No problem… Thumbprint?”
“Like this.”
Levi had someone bring a sponge, poured red ink over it, pressed his thumb into it, and stamped it onto the paper.
“What’s this for?”
“This is the latest police standard and procedure.”
Levi smirked inwardly. The Chinese had been signing and sealing documents with fingerprints since ancient times, but this world had yet to adopt it. Still, no one dared question him. Though puzzled, the doctor complied.
“Now, bring blank paper, graphite powder, a brush, and some tape.”
Others had no idea what Levi intended, but his plan was simple: to collect fingerprints.
He had already studied fingerprinting at the library and knew a fair bit. Collecting them wasn’t difficult—anyone with the tools could do it at home. The real challenge lay in comparing them.
Fortunately, Levi had read enough to know how.
Contrary to what most thought, scientists of this age had already discovered that fingerprints were unique and unchanging. Yet the public knew nothing of their use. Unlike today, when any crime immediately called for fingerprinting or DNA testing, few in this time had even heard of such things.
Some even thought studying the lines on the human body was perverse.
Even Inspector Lestrade was skeptical of fingerprinting.
But Levi didn’t care to debate science. He was a pragmatist—if it worked, it worked.
Soon, the tools arrived, and Levi set to work. He had practiced at home many times, and was skilled at lifting prints.
Since this case contained nothing supernatural, he would solve it the scientific way.