Using the contents of the Briefcase, Dr. Morgan prepared another dose of painkiller for Jack to help him withstand the discomfort caused by Inspiration depletion.
Hope was changing clothes while thinking about what Dr. Morgan had just told him:
Elizabeth, Nancy, and Mr. Sawyer—the three people who had remained at Paul's house—had all disappeared.
"It was a kidnapping," Jack corrected. As Hope changed, he sat in a chair and picked up the silver Steel Pen with interest. "This was obviously a kidnapping. The culprit had barely made any effort to hide it."
"They—"
Hope had barely begun to speak anxiously when Dr. Morgan cut him off. "They're definitely still alive."
The doctor had Hope look at the wooden bed. It had been split into two halves, and the break was surprisingly clean, as though it had been cleaved apart in a single strike.
"No blood," Dr. Morgan said. "Even though this place was wrecked like this, there's no blood around. No one was hurt in the process, so the culprit destroyed this bed only to make a show of force—for Elizabeth and Mr. Sawyer, and for us."
"Can you do that?" Jack asked Dr. Morgan.
"Split the bed apart?"
Dr. Morgan felt the broken edge of the bed and shook his head. "With a weapon large enough and easy enough to handle, making a big cut wouldn't be difficult. But I couldn't split it in two with a single blow."
"Then none of us can do it," Jack said. "That was a convincing demonstration. You're no match for the culprit, I've exhausted my Inspiration, and Professor Armitage is already unconscious—they, or perhaps the whole group of culprits, did a fine job."
"The situation is terrible," Hope said.
But Jack shook his head. "Not terrible enough."
Hope looked at him, waiting