Lord of the Mysteries

Melissa, can you not rub my nose in it… Klein muttered inwardly. He felt a throbbing pain in his head.

The amount of content Klein had forgotten was considered a lot, but neither was it negligible. The interview was in two days, so how could he find the time to make up for it…?

Furthermore, he was involved in such strange paranormal activity, so how would it be possible that he would be in the mood to revise?

Klein gave his sister a perfunctory response and began putting on the appearance of studying. Melissa moved a chair over to sit beside him. With light shining from the gas lamp, she began working on her assignments.

The atmosphere was serene. When it was almost eleven o’clock, the siblings bade each other goodnight and went to bed.

…

Knock!

Knock! Knock!

Poundings on the door roused Klein from his dreams.

He peered out of the window to see the first glimmer of dawn. In a daze, he flipped over and sat up.

“Who is it?”

Look at the time now! Why didn’t Melissa wake me up?

“It’s me. Dunn Smith,” a man with a deep voice outside the door replied.

Dunn Smith? Don’t know him… Klein got off his bed and shook his head as he walked towards the door.

He opened the door to see the gray-eyed police inspector whom he had met the day before standing in front of him.

Alarmed, Klein asked, “Is there something wrong?”

The policeman replied with a stern look, “We found a carriage driver. He testified that you had gone to Mr. Welch’s place on the 27th—the day when Mr. Welch and Ms. Naya died. Furthermore, Mr. Welch was the one who paid for your transportation fees.”

Klein was startled. He did not feel a tinge of fear or guilt that one would expect from having his lies exposed.

It was because he was not even lying. In fact, he was surprised by the evidence provided by Dunn Smith.

On the 27th of June, the former Klein had indeed gone to Mr. Welch’s place. On the night that he returned, he killed himself, the exact same way as Welch and Naya did!

Klein gave a forced smile and said, “This is insufficient evidence. It does not directly prove that I am associated with the death of Welch and Naya. Honestly speaking, I’m also very curious about the whole incident. I want to know what exactly happened to my two poor friends. But… But… I really can’t remember. In fact I have almost completely forgotten what I had done on the 27th. You may find it hard to believe, but I fully relied on the diaries I had written to roughly make a guess that I had gone to Welch’s place on the 27th.”

“You sure have great mental fortitude,” Dunn Smith said while nodding. He showed not a trace of anger; nor was he smiling.

my sincerity,” Klein looked him straight in the

the truth! Of course,

Smith did not give an immediate response. He swept his glance across the room before saying slowly, “Mr. Welch lost a revolver. I guess… I should be able

revolver had come from. A thought flashed

and retreated, leaving a path open. Then, he signaled at the

“Behind the bed board.”

mention that it was the bottom deck, as no one would normally hide things at the back of the bed board on an upper deck. That would be too obvious for guests to notice at a

corners of his mouth

hesitation, Klein replied,

of the night, I realized I was laying on my desk with a revolver beside me. There was a bullet at the corner of the room. It was as if I had committed suicide. But due

have lost some memories, including what I saw and did at Welch’s place on the 27th. I’m not lying. I

of all these strange events surrounding him, Klein explained almost everything

had hit

to convey the exact same ideas, but in

corresponds with the hidden logic

you believe in me. I don’t know how I survived

confirmed by an ‘expert’ that you have indeed forgotten what you went through, or that you

his

to the police station for the investigation. This should take roughly two to three days

Klein

say it would

came earlier than expected.” Dunn turned

leave a note,” Klein

only leave a note to inform them that he was involved in

Dunn nodded, barely minding.

“Alright.”

for paper, he began

not wish to meet the ‘expert.’ After all, he

major churches, under the premise that Emperor Roselle, who was suspected to be a

no match for a professional policeman. What’s more, a few of Dunn’s subordinates were standing in

and shoot at me,

the note, grabbed his keys,

four policemen in black-and-white checkered uniforms split into pairs and guarded them on

followed alongside Dunn as they went down the wooden stairs which

the carriage, there was the “two crossed swords and a crown” police emblem. Their

Dunn signaled for Klein

seller suddenly grabbed

parties wrestled and triggered a response from the horses, causing

An opportunity!

wasn’t much time for Klein to think any further; he bent forward and dashed towards