After a few glances at the state of the body on the bed, the Chief Constable had a rough idea of how the man had died. Several constables searched the room, one opening the window to inspect the area above and below, another crouching to look beneath the bed.
The Chief Constable looked toward the doorway. Beyond the colleagues blocking the entrance, the innkeeper, the staff, and many other guests were watching what went on inside, without much murmuring.
"Who was traveling with the deceased, or knew him?"
At the Chief Constable's question, the people outside exchanged glances. Some instinctively shook their heads.
"Innkeeper, you don't remember either?"
The innkeeper and the staff looked around, seemingly searching for whoever they remembered traveling with the deceased. Only then did an anxious-looking guest squeeze closer to the doorway and speak.
"I... I was..."
Everyone turned toward the speaker. The Chief Constable took a few steps toward the door and looked him up and down. He was a middle-aged man with a round face, though his figure was not particularly stout. His beard was short, and his clothes were fine.
His clothes were disheveled now, however. He had clearly scrambled out of bed in a hurry, and his somewhat pale face suggested he had yet to recover from the fright.
"What was your relationship? What did you come to Haiyu County for?"
The man hurried to answer.
"Officer, the man inside was my household servant. He'd been with me for many years. I came to Haiyu County from out of town to sample the seafood, to satisfy my appetite..."
The Chief Constable swept his gaze over the people around him, then narrowed his eyes at this outsider, who did not look much like a killer. ...
A little under an hour later, at