Chapter 16: The Titanic Murders (Part 2)

"Chief, there's a Mr. Monet claiming he knows who the murderer of the Titanic case is!" On that day, just as Chief Klein had arrived at the police station, one of his officers reported to him.

"Monet? Why does that name sound so familiar?" Chief Klein murmured to himself.

"It's the same Mr. Monet, the writer who specializes in treasure hunt stories, that you've been following recently!" the officer reminded.

Chief Klein had a sudden realization, "Oh, it's him. Please, bring him in!"

Two minutes later, the officer brought Monet in, and Chief Klein asked him, "Mr. Monet, do you know who the murderer behind the recent series of murders targeting Titanic survivors is?"

Monet hesitated for a moment and then answered, "To be precise, I have a conjecture, and I'm quite confident about it."

To be honest, when Chief Klein heard that Monet's information was merely a conjecture, he felt a bit disappointed. However, since he had invited Monet in and had a favorable impression of him due to enjoying his novels, Chief Klein reluctantly gave him a chance, urging, "Then please share your conjecture with us."

"I speculate that the murderer is none other than Jack Donne, the younger brother of the third victim, Tom Donne," Monet said in a serious tone.

"Why do you believe he's the culprit? Remember, his brother, just like you, is a survivor of the Titanic incident!" Chief Klein asked in confusion.

Monet explained, "Actually, this whole matter has nothing to do with the Titanic incident. Or rather, the reason the murderer made us think these murders were related to the Titanic incident was to mislead us.

Imagine, if only Mr. Tom Donne had been killed, wouldn't you immediately suspect his brother, Mr. Jack Donne? As far as I know, Mr. Tom wasn't married, and his only heir was his brother, Jack. However, Tom was dissatisfied with Jack because he's a spendthrift who indulges in a life of excess. So, Tom was considering adopting an accomplished stepson to inherit his estate."

Before Monet could finish his explanation, Chief Klein interjected, "So, he killed three survivors of the Titanic incident one after another, then intentionally sent a letter to the newspaper, making everyone believe that he was targeting Titanic survivors due to a family loss in the shipwreck. This way, no one would suspect Jack. Is that right?"

Monet nodded and said, "Exactly, that's the idea. Essentially, he combined elements of 'Jack the Ripper' and 'The ABC Murders'."

But halfway through his sentence, he suddenly realized that maybe Agatha, the little girl, hadn't written "The ABC Murders" yet.

However, Chief Klein unexpectedly inquired, "Mr. Monet, what does 'The ABC Murders' mean?"

With no other choice, Monet awkwardly replied, "Um, actually, it's a detective novel I've written, but it hasn't been published yet." He then proceeded to outline the general plot of "The ABC Murders."

Surprisingly, Chief Klein wasn't surprised by this information, "So, Mr. Monet, you can write detective novels as well. It makes sense, your 'Treasure in the Declaration of Independence' is also a sort of detective story, with a rather rigorous deductive process. I wonder when you'll publish this piece; I'll definitely buy a copy to read!"

"When it's finished, I'll be sure to send you a copy!" Monet replied.

"Well, I appreciate that. But I'm still a bit confused. If that's the case, then shouldn't the relatives or heirs of the other three victims also be suspects? Why do you only suspect Jack Donne, Mr. Monet?" Chief Klein curiously inquired.

"Because among these four victims, only Mr. Tom Donne had left behind a substantial inheritance. The other three victims were poor, so there was no benefit in killing them.

Moreover, the sequence of Mr. Tom's death is crucial. If he were the first to die, the misdirection wouldn't work, and if he were the last, it would seem abrupt. Only by placing him in the middle would it be less noticeable.

Finally, the cyanide used to poison the four victims was found in Mr. Tom's dyeing factory. This substance isn't easy to obtain, yet Mr. Jack Donne could easily access it in his brother's factory." Monet explained.

Chief Klein nodded in agreement, "Yes, what you're saying makes sense. I'll go arrest this Mr. Jack Donne right now!" Saying so, Chief Klein stood up.

Monet, however, was a bit surprised and asked, "Ah? Shouldn't you investigate first?"

"Let's bring him in first and then investigate. We don't want him to escape," Chief Klein replied dismissively.

Later, Chief Klein came to thank Monet with a gift and said, "Mr. Monet, I believe you should write detective novels. This case is exactly as you analyzed. Initially, Jack Donne tried to deny it, but when we questioned him about the times of the four crimes, he couldn't provide alibis. Plus, after investigation, witnesses confirmed he had interactions with the other three victims. Soon enough, he admitted to the four crimes."

Unexpectedly, Monet furrowed his brow and asked, "He admitted so easily?"

"With all the evidence against him, what choice did he have but to admit?" Chief Klein asked, puzzled.

"I just find it hard to believe that someone capable of devising such a complex modus operandi would leave behind so many loopholes and confess so quickly."

"But during the interrogation, I didn't perceive him as particularly clever!"

"Chief, doesn't this seem contradictory? If this Jack isn't that smart, then how did he come up with such a method? And how did he know that the other three victims were survivors of the Titanic? Remember, the list of survivors hasn't been publicly disclosed."