Shirou and the American Colonel / Shirou and the Shifty Salesman

"Could you please sign here?"

She signed quickly, with beautiful italic handwriting:

Teresa Fellowes

"Thank you for your cooperation, ma'am," Shirou said to the woman.

Teresa nodded and turned to walk outside.

At that moment, Shirou suddenly caught up with her, took out a handkerchief, and handed it to her.

"Madam, your handkerchief is on the chair."

Teresa turned around, glanced at the handkerchief, frowned slightly, and looked at Shirou with her beautiful eyes, saying, "Sir, I think you've made a mistake. This isn't my handkerchief."

"Is that so? Then maybe that lady left it behind. Could it be Miss Marie's?" Shirou said, holding up the delicate handkerchief embroidered with the letter A.

Teresa shook her head and said, "My lady doesn't have a handkerchief like that."

"Is that so? Then I won't bother you any longer. I wish you good health," Shirou nodded and said.

"She's a beautiful and good woman," Mr. Frederick said approvingly, watching the woman walk away.

Then he sighed again.

Unfortunately, there was little progress.

"That's right," Shirou said. "Those two didn't see or hear anything."

"Shouldn't we talk to that Magus now, okay?"

Looking at the information he had recorded, Shirou said, "Magus; let's talk to that US Colonel first."

Shirou asked the colonel for his name, age, home address, and exact rank.

The other party answered each question crisply and efficiently, responding to every question asked, but without uttering an extra word.

Shirou then asked him, "Are you on leave from Syria, what you call military leave?"

The US Colonel wasn't interested in how these foreigners addressed him; he simply replied in a military tone:

"Yes."

Why don't you take a plane home?

"I chose the land route for personal reasons."

The colonel answered with self-righteousness, and although he didn't say it out loud, his expression clearly said, "It's none of your business how I choose to go."

"Coming directly from Syria?"

The colonel replied coldly, "I spent a night in the birthplace of Babylon, then visited an old friend in Baghdad, stayed there for three days, then took a ship to Istanbul, from where I took the Mystic Train to London, and then a ship back to New York."

"I stayed in Baghdad for three nights. Oh, as far as I know, that young English girl, that pretty Red-haired Miss, also came from Baghdad. Perhaps that's where you met?"

"No, no. I first met her on the train from Kirkuk to Nashiben."

"Sir, I must remind you that you are the only person on the bus who knows Red-haired Miss. I absolutely need to ask what you both think of each other."

"Utterly boring! What does this have to do with the trial?" the US Colonel replied coldly.

"That's why I asked. You know, this murder was very likely committed by a woman. The victim was stabbed at least thirteen times. The train conductor first discovered the body also said without hesitation: 'It was a woman who did it.'"

So what was my primary task? Of course, it was to get to know all the female passengers in the Istanbul carriage, but even looking around the world, British ladies were definitely the most difficult to deal with.

They are often very tactful and reserved with strangers, and they don't open up to people, so I have to listen to what you have to say first. All of this is so that I can make a fair judgment.

What kind of person is this Red-haired Miss? What do you know about her?

Shirou stared at the US Colonel and asked, enunciating each word clearly.

"Miss England, she!" the colonel exclaimed excitedly, "She's a wonderful lady."

"Ah!" Shirou seemed quite satisfied. "So, you believe she has no connection to this case?"

"That view is utterly absurd," the US Colonel said. "She's a complete stranger to that man; she's never seen him before."

Did she tell you?

"Yes. His politician-like demeanor immediately disgusted her. If you believe his death was caused by a woman, I dare say Red-haired Miss couldn't possibly be implicated."

"Colonel, you're getting a little too emotional about this. Be careful not to let your emotions cloud your judgment," Shirou said with a smile.

The US Colonel gave him a cold stare.

"I don't understand what you mean at all," he said.

Shirou shrugged and said:

"Okay, I misspoke. Now, let's get back to the case. Based on the evidence we've gathered, we believe this incident likely occurred around 1:15 AM last night. Therefore, we must ascertain what the passengers on the bus were doing at the time; this is an essential procedure. Would you like to tell us what you were doing then?"

"Okay, I remember, a little after one o'clock, I was chatting with the young German man, who was also the victim's secretary."

"Hmm! Is it in your room or his room?"

"In his room."

"Was that young German named Caules?"

"Yes."

"Is he your friend or someone else?"

"No, I had never met him before. We met by chance yesterday, chatted casually, and hit it off immediately. I usually don't like rigid Germans. But he has insightful views on international politics, unlike other Germans who are so rigid and boring."

"He was interested in the situation in Syria, and I also wanted to talk about European perspectives there. So we hit it off, and later we discussed in general terms what Russia wanted to do there, and what would happen if China, which was already struggling to contain its rise, intervened from behind. Then I looked at my watch and it was almost two o'clock, and I was shocked."

"How many minutes exactly? Is that the end of your conversation?" Shirou asked.

"Yes, I remember it was around 1:45."

Chapter 1239 Shirou and the US Colonel

What did you do after that?

Go back to your room, turn off the lights, and go to sleep.

"Your bed was made a long time ago?"

"Yes."

"You're staying in... let me see... room number fifteen, the second room away from the food cart, right?"

"Yes."

Where was the train conductor when you returned to your compartment?

"He sat at a small table at the far end. In fact, as soon as I returned to the private room, Caules called him over."

Why did he call the train conductor?

"I think I should have him make his bed. His bed hasn't been made yet."

"Colonel, please think carefully. While you were talking to Mr. Caules, did anyone walk through the corridor outside?"

"There are so many people passing by, I didn't pay attention to each and every one of them."

"Yes! In the last hour and a half of your conversation, you got off at a station in Romania, right?"

"Yes, but only for a short time. The blizzard was still raging, and it was freezing cold. We opened the door and turned back inside; the wind outside felt like a cold knife, so we decided to just go back inside the car and stay there."

Mr. Frederick sighed, "It's really difficult to satisfy all the passengers. Some find it too cold, some too hot, some want the doors and windows closed wherever they go, while others want the windows closed."

"Colonel, think back," Shirou encouraged him, "It was cold outside, so you went back to the car, sat down and smoked—maybe a cigarette, maybe a rolled cigarette..."

"I don't remember," he said. "I already told you I didn't notice."

"However, as a soldier, you must have been trained in observation, so you might inadvertently discover something."

The colonel thought for a while, but then shook his head.

"I can't quite put my finger on it. Besides the train conductor, I really can't remember anyone else who walked by. Wait, I remember now, there was also a woman."

"You saw them? Were they young or old?"

"I didn't see a face, and I didn't look in that direction. I only heard a rustling sound and smelled a fragrance."

"A perfume scent? Is it a floral fragrance like roses?"

"Yes, a very strong fragrance. You know what I mean? I mean, you can smell it from ten meters away. However," the colonel hurriedly continued, "it's probably from earlier last night. As you just said, it was just something I noticed by chance. You could say that when I smelled it, I thought to myself, 'Woman, perfume, that's really strong.'"

Well, I can't be sure of the exact time. But it will definitely happen after I leave Romania.

What is your basis for this?

"I remember now! It suddenly got really cold! Just like when I came out of the station earlier. I shivered, and then I saw a woman in a red cape walk by out of the corner of my eye, and I even smelled her fragrance."

"It's strange, but after that woman left, it seemed to get warmer again. If it had stayed that cold, I would have definitely had to put on a coat."

Hmm... I took a deep breath at that moment. Here's what happened: I was discussing how the US would draw the 38th parallel in Syria. Actually, that's part of the US-European and Asian strategy in the Middle East. Countries need to use friction to determine a balance. For example, it might split into two countries, like East and West Germany in the past.

I remember it was about this topic, and then Caules said that it was really unfair to his own people.

I told him that this is politics, and war serves politics; it's just that sometimes those who fight get carried away and forget their original purpose.

Then Caules talked about women. We discussed the situation of women in Syria. You know, my compatriots, especially those in the military, often can't control their lower bodies. Even if they contract syphilis as a result, they can't stop.

We discussed this topic until the end of the conversation.

Could you be more specific?

"I can't say for sure, maybe in the last half hour."

"After the train stopped?"

The other person nodded.

"Yes, I'm absolutely certain."

"Let's leave that aside for now. US Colonel, as a Magecraft, what are your thoughts on your joining the war?"

"It would be strange to think that Magecraft must hide themselves. Throughout history, in every country, haven't the overlords always been surrounded by wizards, alchemists, Daoists, and monks? I'm just doing my part for my country."

"Did you learn Magecraft in London?" Shirou asked.

"Yes, there are Magecraft schools in the United States too. I later studied in London for a few years."

"Do you know Lecturer Kenseth? You must be a few years older than him; someone your age should have met him before."

"Kaineth ... oh, you mean Kaineth El- El-Melloi? Yes, he was quite the figure back then, achieving a great deal at such a young age. All the lecturers said he had a bright future, but he was too arrogant, more arrogant than the other British people. Foreigners like me had no dealings with him."

"The man killed last night was Darnic, the one who orchestrated the Holy Grail War and then killed Kaineth."

A flash of anger crossed the US Colonel's eyes.

"So, that means this pig deserved what it got. If it were me, I would strip him of his Magic Crest, sentence him to life imprisonment, and keep him locked up in jail for eternity."

"It seems you're not in favor of war, Colonel?"

"Of course! I hate war! At least no one likes a proponent of war, sir, even if I am sometimes a beneficiary of war," the colonel said earnestly.

Shirou scrutinized him for a while.

"Yes," he said. "I think you're quite right, Colonel. I don't think there's anything more to ask. So, did nothing from last night impress you, or, let's put it another way, did something arouse your suspicion?"

The US Colonel pondered for a minute or two.

"No," he said, "Nothing, unless..." He hesitated.

"Please continue, please."

"Actually, it's nothing," the colonel stammered. "You mean, anything is fine?"

"Good, good. Go on."

"Oh, it's nothing, just a small thing. When I went back to my room, I noticed the door to the room next to mine, the one in the private room over there, you know that."

"Yes, number sixteen."

"The door wasn't closed properly. The person inside peeked out furtively, then quickly closed the door. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, but it's still a bit strange."

I mean, if you want to see outside, usually you just need to open the door, stick your head out, and you can see right away.

But his furtive manner caught my attention.

Chapter 1240 Shirou and the Sneaky Salesman

"Is that so..." Shirou replied vaguely.