The Deceitful One

53 Augustus Street.

Inside the study on the second floor, Butler Alfredo, who was also known as Blood Moon, was pacing around restlessly in the room.

He was talking to his master about how to raise more Blood Path Apprentices in Damascus a few minutes ago when all of a sudden his master abruptly got up and rushed out of the window of the study.

Alfredo was taken aback by his master's sudden behavior. He anxiously thought, 'What happened to master? I've never seen him like this. Did something happen to one of his contingency plans?'

As he was pacing back and forth, a sudden gust of wind blew inside the room. The parchment papers on the table flew up and fell to the ground. Alfredo turned around and looked at the main seat of the table.

His master had returned. He sat there leisurely as if nothing had happened before. Alfredo heaved a sigh of relief. He couldn't help but ask, "Master, is everything all right?"

The man with red eyes chuckled, "Yes, it is now."

Alfredo hesitated for a moment but still asked, "Master, what happened just now for you to leave so suddenly?"

The man stared at Alfredo silently for a moment, causing the latter's heart to palpitate. In the end, he smiled faintly and replied, "My most important chess piece was in trouble just now. But he's more tenacious than I expected."

'Master's most important chess piece?' Alfredo was in deep thought, but he tactfully didn't probe further.

…

22 Augustus Street.

Detective Watson was sitting in the living room, about to have his dinner. Right at that moment, he heard frantic knocks coming from the main door of the villa.

Butler John opened the door and a young police officer barged in. The youth appeared to be around 20 years of age. He was wearing the classic deep blue police uniform and custodian helmet of the Belize Kingdom.

He looked around the villa in panic, then his eyes laid on Detective Watson who was looking at him with a frown.

He stuttered, "D-Detective, please forgive my intrusion. Someone attempted assassination on your student. Head Constable Smith instructed me to inform you as soon as possible."

Detective Watson abruptly stood up from his chair and said in a loud voice filled with concern, "Where is Bryan? How is he doing right now?"

"He has been taken to the hospital by the police at the crime scene. He is unconscious at the moment, but.." The young police officer hesitated to speak further.

"But what?" Detective Watson's eyes narrowed as the temperature in the living room suddenly plummeted.

The young officer felt a chill crawl up his spine as he struggled to speak, "B-both his knees were shattered. His left forearm is broken and so is his nose. The back of his skull is slightly cracked and his windpipe has been severely damaged. I-I'm afraid he'll become a cripple for the rest of his life."

After listening to the young officer, Detective Watson sighed in relief as he thought, 'Thankfully these injuries can still be cured with special medicinal potions.'

He turned to Butler John and instructed, "Go to the hospital and have Bryan transferred to the Church's infirmary." Butler John nodded and immediately departed.

Detective Watson then looked at the young officer, "You. Take me to the crime scene. Now." His tone was filled with authority, leaving no room for any refusal.

The young officer could only nod nervously. He then led Detective Watson to the police carriage and headed for Bryan's Apartment.

…

7 Robinson Street.

The tenants living on the ground floor had all come out of their apartments, huddling in front of Bryan's apartment which had already been barricaded by a group of police officers.

Seeing the blood stains on the floor, the tenants standing outside panicked. The police officers were having a hard time trying to pacify them.

"Make way! Coming through!" The young police officer led Detective Watson through the crowd and entered Bryan's apartment. Inside, Head Constable Smith was discussing what might have transpired at the crime scene with two other police officers.

Head Constable Smith saw Detective Watson enter the apartment and approached him. "It's unfortunate what has happened to your student, Detective Watson." Officer Smith said in a solemn tone as he slightly shook his head.

Detective Watson's lips twitched as he thought, 'Why are you making it sound like he's dead?' He replied with a smile, "It's all right. Bryan will pull through." Then he looked at the crime scene and tried to deduce what had happened.

He walked to the door and observed the black dagger that had been lodged there. "The assailant attacked as soon as Bryan entered the apartment. But Bryan dodged the attack, causing the dagger to miss the target and get lodged in the door."

The police officers present on the scene quietened down. Not daring to disturb the great detective's deduction process.

Detective Watson then walked towards the living room and squatted down, looking at the foot imprints of both parties and the amount of weight the footprints caused to the floorboard.

"Bryan and the assailant exchanged the first few moves here, with the assailant gaining the upper hand." He added and then walked to the kitchen to observe every bit of detail.

"The assailant then threw Bryan across the living room and onto this cabinet right here." Detective Watson pointed at the broken wall cabinet and then looked at the floor and said, "After crashing into the cabinet, Bryan fell on this spot."

He circled around the spot twice, looking at the blood mark and the depression on the floor in two key areas.

"The police officer from before said that Bryan's knees were shattered. After throwing Bryan, the assailant came here and stamped hard on Bryan's knees. Here, you can see the blood marks at the two spots and the slightly sunken floor." Detective Watson pointed at two places.

Then his gaze shifted to the wall to his left where a small part was damaged and formed spider web-like cracks on its surface. Detective Watson approached the wall and said, "The assailant then picked up Bryan and smashed his head on the wall right here."

Detective Watson looked down and his eyes landed on the 6-foot-tall dead man, who had a fork stabbed in his left ear.

He proceeded to deduce, "Bryan must have picked up this fork after he was thrown onto the wall cabinet in the kitchen. He waited for the right moment until the assailant let down his guard and stabbed his ear with his left hand, ultimately killing him."

The other officers present in the apartment had their mouths wide open in shock. They couldn't believe how easily Detective Watson had deduced everything at the crime scene. It was as if he was a spectator present during the crime itself.

'As expected of the great detective.' Officer Smith marveled in his heart. But he was puzzled about one thing, hence he asked, "But Detective, how can you be so sure that Bryan stabbed this guy with his left hand? When we arrived at the crime scene, we had seen that Bryan's left forearm was broken."

Listening to Officer Smith's question, Detective Watson chuckled, "I know my student very well, he's one crafty little fellow. It's precisely because his left arm was broken that he decided to use it to deliver the final blow. The assailant would have expected him to use his functioning right arm and would have definitely overlooked his left arm that was broken."

Then he pointed at the dead body and said coldly, "That's why this fucker died with a shocked look on his face."

Listening to Detective Watson's cold voice, all the police officers present, including Officer Smith, involuntarily gulped.

Detective Watson turned around and smiled at the police officers, "Everyone, thank you for your hard work. I'll leave the follow-up details to you guys. I still have to visit my student."

Officer Smith hurriedly replied, "Yes, of course. We'll notify you of the investigation results as soon as possible."

Detective Watson nodded and turned to leave. Then he stopped and added, "Oh, by the way, you should start asking questions at brothels first. The killer has slight traces of talcum powder and different kinds of women's perfume on his body."

With that said, he turned around and left. The young police officer who had escorted him to the crime scene, couldn't help but praise with shining eyes, "So cool!"

…

North Kingston Avenue, Church of Wisdom.

In the underground infirmary, Bryan lay on the bed almost motionless. His chest was undulating and his breathing ragged. White cloth bandages wrapped around his forehead as well as both his legs and left arm.

One could still see the handprint around Bryan's neck. His nose was broken at a weird angle, causing him to only be able to breathe through his mouth.

Two young men around 20 years old were standing beside Bryan and speaking in hushed voices. Both were wearing black full suits. One had blue eyes and black hair that almost reached his shoulders. The other had short brown hair and brown eyes.

"So this is Detective Watson's student? How can he be so weak?" The young man with black hair said languidly.

"He's only a mortal. Plus I heard, the other person is dead." The man with short brown hair rolled his eyes and replied.

At this moment, the door to the infirmary opened and two figures walked in. Looking at Bishop Walls and Detective Watson arrive, the two young men bowed respectfully and stood aside.

Detective Watson approached the bed and observed Bryan's condition. After making sure he was alright, Detective Watson heaved a sigh of relief.

He turned around, looked at Bishop Walls, and said gratefully, "Thank you for your assistance, Bishop Walls. I owe you one."

Bishop Walls smiled gently, "We're all believers of the Goddess, we should look after each other. Moreover, he's your only student and also has a supreme-grade spiritual aptitude. How can the Church sit back and do nothing?"

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