Operation Red Book

"After dinner, everyone went to the reception room on the second floor. The men were playing billiards at the end of the corridor, while the women were drinking tea and playing cards in the reception room."

"The servants were running back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room, while Wendy played with the little boy in the castle."

"I followed them, floating above them, repeating to myself, 'Be careful... be careful...'"

"The little boy wanted to play the game of 'climbing the stairs'. The rules are very simple. Two people stand at the bottom of the stairs and play rock-paper-scissors with each other. The winner goes up one step. The first one to reach the highest step wins."

"The two of them played the first round, and my Wendy won, but the little boy was not willing to accept the result."

"They played two or three more times. The little boy only won one round. Wendy won the rest."

"Until the last inning, the little boy got angry."

“I don’t know who he learned this from, but he grabbed Wendy’s neck and pushed her against the wall.”

"I'm so scared, I'm really scared..."

"Wendy was crying and yelling, she was shouting for help, she was shouting for her mom, but the little boy didn't let go, instead he stretched out his right hand and slapped Wendy."

"Wendy's right cheek was scratched twice by the boy's sharp nails. I couldn't bear to watch it anymore. I just hoped that the boy would have a conscience and let Wendy go..."

"But...but...the thing that scared me really happened!"

"Just when I was praying to God for the fifth time, a dark shadow jumped out from the corner."

"She screamed and pulled the little boy away, frantically trying to comfort Wendy."

"But that little boy, I saw his forehead hit the handrail of the stairs, and then..."

"The center of gravity is unstable, and I missed a step..."

"Roll down the stairs, motionless..."

"A lot of blood was flowing out from the back of his head."

"The way he looks...oh no, God!"

"God, please forgive me, please forgive her!"

Amy burst into tears again. Her emotions completely broke down and she couldn't utter a word anymore.

"Then the Madam and Wendy came up with this demonic possession drama..."

Holmes smoked his cigarette and told the rest of the story.

"But Wendy is too young, so she'll be exposed. She put some potion on Wendy, making her look like a mad devil..."

"The next day, when the priest arrived, she fed Wendy sleeping pills to shut her up. This stopped the priest from performing the exorcism ritual and dispelled other people's concerns."

"Ah."

Holmes sneered and crushed the cigarette butt with the sole of his shoe.

"It's so painful, isn't it? Other children fell to their deaths, but your Wendy was in pain for the whole night."

After saying that, he took out another cigarette and lit it.

"Since Wendy is fine, her legs and arms are most likely not broken. If they are, then your wife really fits the stereotype of a ruthless murderer."

"Wendy's legs and arms are really broken."

"what?"

Joshua and Holmes looked at Jacob at the same time.

Jacob nodded calmly. He had carefully checked Wendy's injuries and they were all real.

"Oh my God! Please let my daughter go. This is not her intention. She didn't do it on purpose!"

"Shut up!"

Holmes shouted impatiently, and Amy sobbed softly and dared not say anything.

"But before Ben was pushed into the operating room, he pointed at Christine and called her a devil. What's going on?"

Joshua asked about the unresolved doubts in the case.

"I'll make a bold guess..."

Holmes took a long drag on his cigarette, his eyes narrowed with uncertainty.

"No one can tell what happens to children. Before he died, he saw Amy's ghost and thought it was the devil."

"So, Ben wasn't pointing at Kristen, but Amy who was floating behind her."

"Or maybe, in Xiao Ben's world, the person who hurt him is the devil, and he is identifying the murderer?"

Ivy lay on the ground and spoke incoherently. She opened her eyes dazedly, her breath still weak.

"Mrs. Bruce is standing behind Christine? This guess is actually not bad..." Holmes crushed the cigarette butt.

"Student Ivy!"

Joshua hugged Ivy in surprise. If you look closely at his eyes, you will see a few tears.

"How could you just come on me without my permission? And you even controlled my body to take off my clothes in front of Joshua! That's too much!"

Ivy finally sat up and started to rant about a series of accusations.

"Student Ivy, stop talking..."

"I'm sorry, young lady..."

"What did you say? Take off your clothes? When did that happen?!"

"Shame on you! You all need to kneel down and repent!"

"Joshua I'll kill you!"

“I see nothing, Mr. Holmes!”

"I do not care!"

"Take care of me!"

A painful whimper interrupted everyone's quarrel.

Amy lowered her head, and the cross nailed to the wall was shaking slightly.

"I am almost out of strength. Please, let me lie back in the music box. I am so tired. I have been crying for a long time..."

Everyone was silent for a few seconds. After a while, Jacob looked at Holmes.

Holmes waved his hand, indicating that the person should be released.

"Thanks……"

The cross was pulled out with a "swoosh", and the weak ghost left a faint voice before floating out of the window.

Jacob finally stopped manipulating time. After exerting so much effort for so long, he felt a little tired.

"So, the murderer of Little Ben is Mrs. Bruce, right?"

After a long moment, Holmes broke the silence.

The rest of the people looked at each other, trying to find the answer from each other's eyes.

"Little lamb, you say." Holmes pushed Ivy.

Ivy rolled her eyes in response, then shook her head sincerely.

“I don’t think so,” Joshua followed.

"From the beginning to the end, we have only heard one-sided statements and made subjective guesses."

"Without any context, witnesses or physical evidence, it's hard to tell whether Madam is the murderer."

As soon as these words were spoken, the others nodded immediately.

"Well said, without the key evidence, the murderer has not been found."

Holmes frowned and rubbed his chin with his hands.

After thinking for a long time, he said in a resounding voice:

"Go on, we still have to find evidence, keep looking."

"I'll go ask Christine about their actions that day." Ivy took the initiative to ask.

"I'm with you, Ivy-san."

Joshua moved his feet and stood with Ivy.

"I'll go see Wendy. She's not in a good condition. Maybe I can help."

Jacob said as he put away his pocket watch.

"Then I'll have no choice but to go with you, and take a look at the crime scene..."

Holmes said reluctantly.

"Oh! And there's Xiao Ben's body. So far, none of us has seen it."

Everyone shook their heads, agreed on the time and place to meet, and then started to act.