Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

“Gallbladder?” Mike frowned.

“Gallbladder…” Xiaomei murmured to herself.

“The Australian shrike takes a part of the victim’s body after each murder,” Gordon began. “He seems to regard it as a souvenir.”

“Gallbladder, gallbladder…” Xiaomei pondered for a moment, vaguely feeling that something was stuck, as if something was not quite right, but that flash of inspiration was like a slippery bar of soap, slipping out of her hand in less than a second and falling to the ground. “Are there any written records of the previous thirteen cases?”

Gordon looked slightly surprised. "Madam, are you sure you want to see this? Isn't this a bit too stimulating for a woman?"

“Little girl, don’t force yourself,” Mike advised. “This isn’t something you should be watching at your age.”

"Is this it?" Xiaomei pursed her lips at the corpse on the antlers, sighed helplessly, and said quietly, adhering to the core social doctrines of the ancient Eastern country, "Since we're here, let me take a look."

"I always feel like something doesn't fit together."

----

Zhang Renfeng didn't go closer to examine the body. He had complete confidence in his partners; with Xiao Mei and Mike, they were more than capable of handling the matter. He stood on the stage for a while, walked around the edge, and stepped on the wooden planks beneath his feet. From the creaking sound, it wasn't hard to tell that there was a large space underneath the stage.

Near the backstage area, he heard hushed discussions. Although the people backstage tried to keep their voices down, it was to no avail against Zhang Renfeng's exceptional hearing. He found the path backstage and slowly walked over. The light there was very dim, and the narrow space was unusually crowded with people.

Marion, the theater owner who had just been arguing with Gordon in front of the stage, was also among them. But now, he was a completely different person.

When facing Sheriff Gordon, the fawning smile vanished, replaced by impatience that almost spilled from his eyes.

The ground was littered with all sorts of props, and a pungent smell of seafood lingered in the murky smoke.

Marion cut open an oyster with a knife, sprinkled some white vinegar in, then used the tip of her dagger to pick up the meat inside, put it in her mouth, and sucked on the fresh juice.

The girl, her face veiled in black, stood there with her hands clasped in front of her. From behind, Zhang Renfeng could only see the high collar and long sleeves of her black morning dress.

Everyone was several meters away from her, forming a semi-circular gap.

It resembled some kind of high and mighty judgment.

Chapter 128: Respect for the Dead?

“Evelyn, I’m not saying this to target you. I understand your sadness. But you should also be more sensible and understand how difficult it is for your boss.”

Standing next to Marion, a man in a ridiculous red and blue suit with slicked-back hair stared at the girl for a while.

Seeing her standing there like a wooden statue, without any response, he rubbed his neck and said in an even more aggressive tone, "Every day when I open my eyes, there are hundreds of people in the theater making a living off him. Business is tough these days. A ticket costs five dollars and you can see three shows. After deducting venue fees, hiring fees, and your share, the income and expenses are almost even."

Marion didn't say a word, just crossed his legs and sucked the broth from the oysters. He ate the whole plate of fresh seafood, one oyster after another, until only the shells were left.

"I don't know what's gotten into the police station. They used to just do a quick check and then move on to other things. This time they went and made such a big fuss, leaving the body on the stage all night. Didn't you smell it when you passed by just now? It was fucking stinking. If it's left for a few more days, who knows what your brother's body will look like!"

"Today is Saturday, which is usually the busiest time of day, but the theater has been forced to close for the whole day. How much will the theater lose? We didn't ask you for this money because of our long-term cooperation and the good relationship we've built. But you should also understand, right? There are many people who rely on this theater to make a living!"

His tone gradually revealed a hint of reproach, as if the group of people standing around them were the direct victims of the incident.

“You’ve misunderstood, Mr. Oscar.” The girl’s voice, clear as a spring, echoed amidst the chaotic props and trinkets, yet carried a cool and aloof quality that perfectly matched her upright and dignified posture. “These temporary sheriffs were not hired by me.”

"I doubt you have the ability. The reputation of the Dietersdorf family is a thing of the past."

Oscar picked at his ear impatiently. "What you need to do next is simple: go backstage, show a tenth of the flair you have on stage, shed a few tears, and convince that damn mustachioed sheriff."

“Just say… you don’t want your brother’s body to stay here, it’s disrespectful to him. Say you’ve already booked the funeral time, and now you need to start preparing to get your brother’s body out. Also, get these temporary sheriffs out of here so we can open for business sooner.”

"I will make the arrangements for the funeral."

Evelyn's tone was somewhat detached, as if she had completely withdrawn from her role as a relative, speaking simply as an observer, "He still has some unpublished works, and I hope to hold a farewell exhibition for him at the [Outer Light House], to publicly display his paintings, novels, and unpublished manuscripts."

"Boom!"

Marion's brows furrowed tightly, his previously somewhat comical expression quickly turning gloomy. He slammed his fist on the table. "No! There's no exhibition, no funeral service, you idiot! Don't you understand?"

He roared hysterically, "No one can know that this guy died on our stage. Once the audience finds out, the Emerald Theatre's reputation will be ruined. Do you think the audience in White Torch Town would come to a theatre visited by a deranged killer?!"

"Hire someone to dig a hole in the cemetery, buy a coffin, and bury your brother. Don't let anyone notice, do you hear me?"

Evelyn's back remained ramrod straight as she spoke in a slightly unsteady voice, neither humble nor arrogant, "Theonado has left me, but he is still a member of the Dietersdorf family. His burial and rest in peace will be handled according to family tradition, so you need not worry about it."

"boom--!"

Marion instantly flew into a rage, smashing an oyster shell with her fist and cursing, "What kind of bullshit family is this? You're the only one left alive in the world from the Ditasdorf family. A stripper on stage, putting on airs like a noble lady?"

"You dare to get in my way of making money? You'll see what happens!"

"Alright, alright, boss, please calm down..." Oscar said, feigning concern, then turned around and said in a reproachful tone, "Evelyn, you're so immature. What good does it do you to cause trouble at the theater like this?"

“You can pack your bags and leave the Emerald Theatre, or even leave this town, but what about the others? There are many people who depend on this place for their livelihood. If the theatre’s reputation is ruined and its income declines, it will affect more than just you.”

The group of people standing around him came in handy at this moment.

They were all actors with long-term cooperation agreements with the Jade Theatre—singers, dancers, acrobats, and animal performers—and they all looked at her with some hostility.

"Yes, Evelyn, our theater troupe can't compare to yours. We're just a small business, and we don't make much money to begin with."

"If we don't open for business soon, I don't know what we'll eat this month."

"Let's just let this matter go. The boss has always been very kind to us. Let's not make things too ugly."

"Besides, it's already difficult for a girl like you to handle things like funerals, right? Why not do what the boss said? That way, everyone can save some effort."

Oscar gave a forced smile and tapped his fingers on the table.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

……

He deliberately created this irregular noise as part of applying pressure. "You've heard everyone's opinions; we don't want to make things too ugly. It's almost time, so as the boss said, you go out and get them..."

----

"Respect for the dead and peace in the afterlife are natural principles."

Despite living in a different place, Zhang Renfeng has always been a very traditional person at heart.

Weddings and funerals are four major events in life. If any ignorant outsider dares to interfere, he'll definitely make them eat their words. After standing there listening for a while, he couldn't help but feel inexplicably angry, even putting aside his investigation.

He strolled in slowly from the entrance, sneering, "It's none of your business how they arrange their own brother's funeral."

……

When he appeared, Marion's first reaction was to stand up, but after seeing who it was, she curled her lip in disdain and sat back down.

"Boss, who is this...?" Oscar's tone was a little nervous, perhaps because he saw the medal on Zhang Renfeng's chest.

"Ignore him. Some foreign bastard he found somewhere, wearing some shabby thing, trying to pass himself off as a sheriff." Marion scoffed, glancing at him with disdain. "You don't actually think you're a sheriff just because you changed your clothes, do you?"

"This kind of flimsy case comes up every now and then, and it always ends without a trace. This time will be no different. Once the case file is sealed and the temporary investigation is over, you'll be going back to where you were going to be."

Marion spat on the ground. "Who gave you permission to go backstage? Don't you know your place? You dare to meddle in our business? Get lost."

"Bernard, get him out of here."

He waved his hand impatiently, as if shooing away a fly, and a tall, fierce-looking man wearing a ridiculous halter top stepped out from the crowd, stretched his limbs, cracked his wrists, and strode towards Zhang Renfeng.

"Alright, you yellow-skinned bastard, stop wasting our time and get lost!"

Bernard was over two meters tall, and his arm span was much wider than that of a normal person. He pressed down on Zhang Renfeng's shoulder, and before he could push, Zhang Renfeng grabbed his wrist, twisted his foot slightly, and seized his wrist joint. Using the force of the twist, he executed a smooth over-the-shoulder throw.

His tall body, as if by magic, drew a beautiful arc in the air before crashing heavily onto the floor with a "thud".

"Click!"

Zhang Renfeng, expressionless, supported his upper arm muscles, used his knee to push against his elbow, and with a gentle force, dislocated his entire right arm.

"ah----!!"

For someone caught off guard, the pain from that blow was enough to shatter any fighting ability. The burly man instantly collapsed to the ground, clutching his obviously severed arm, utterly terrified.

……

"You misunderstood me, boss."

Zhang Renfeng dusted himself off, then suddenly removed the five-pointed star medal from his chest. His face was expressionless, but his eyes flashed with a fierce light. "What I meant by 'respect for the dead' is to show the deceased and their families a little more respect, within your means."

"After all, people are dying everywhere these days, and anyone could be the next one to die..."

"Maybe you'll be next?"

Zhang Renfeng suddenly laughed and said, "You don't want people pointing fingers at your funeral, do you?"

Chapter 129: My Listeners

Zhang Renfeng controlled the force perfectly. This over-the-shoulder throw was actually not heavy. Bernard was tall and strong with well-developed latissimus dorsi muscles. He only rubbed against the floor and did not feel any pain.

The truly deadly move was the next variation, a technique that could dislocate bones and tendons. It didn't require much strength; as long as you found the right spot, it was easy to dislocate an arm. The sudden pain naturally caused him to scream in agony.

The pitiful screams echoed backstage, attracting the attention of everyone on stage, especially the most curious newcomer, who darted in like a mouse. Before even seeing him, his parrot-like voice filled the air. It was as if he wasn't there to investigate at all, but rather to hear gossip.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? What's wrong?"

……

Seeing her scheme about to be exposed and thwarted, Marion's expression immediately darkened, and she glared fiercely at Zhang Renfeng.

"It's nothing, just a minor dispute inside the theater. We won't bother the police; we'll handle it ourselves."

Staying here would only be pointless. Marion knew this all too well; if this matter were brought up openly, she wouldn't have any grounds for argument. It was better to withdraw now and think of another way.

“Sheriff Gordon, you’d better keep an eye on things too. Even if you’re short-handed, you can’t just throw any kind of person into the team. These guys… humph… I suggest you investigate their backgrounds. They might have committed some crimes before.”

Gordon quickly glanced at everyone's positions. After all, he was a veteran policeman. Although he didn't know what was going on, he instantly figured out what had happened backstage. He tightened his hat and said in a deep voice, "I've been in this business for quite a few years. I'm afraid it's not up to a theater owner to tell me how to use people."

This is basically a milder version of "Are you teaching me how to do things?", and coming from a nice guy like Gordon, it carries a lot of weight.

“I will report your employee’s rude behavior today to Mr. Chilton.” Marion gritted her teeth and said in a deep voice, “You’d better pray that your police department doesn’t have any other problems to use against you for the time being, Chief Gordon.”

Seeing that the boss had left, Oscar glanced between the two sides and, seeing the situation, didn't say anything more to smooth things over. In this situation, it was impossible to please both sides anymore; as the most loyal mouthpiece, he could only follow suit immediately. The other performers followed suit, and in an instant, the previously noisy backstage became quiet.

"And what's Dean Chilton?" Mike asked with a hint of amusement. "They just killed Nordlin, and now a new one's popping up?"

"..." Upon hearing this, Zhang Renfeng's face darkened, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a murderous intent arose within him.

Evelyn, who had remained standing still, seemed to sense something at that moment and turned her head slightly to look at him.

“It’s not that bad,” Gordon sighed. “Chilton Miria Hargunda is the director of the White Torch Mental Illness Control Center.”

"The director of a mental hospital?" Mike's face was full of question marks. "What connection could he possibly have with the police department?"

“Chilton himself is certainly not an option, but he has a good personal relationship with the town’s newly appointed prosecutor and judge. Perhaps he will try to sabotage me in that regard... But that’s a matter for later. Mayor Lycot won’t tolerate such a thing, so there’s no need to worry.”

Gordon shook his head, then suddenly remembered that the deceased's family was still there, and quickly said, "I'm sorry, Miss Dietersdorf, we've kept you too long. The on-site evidence collection is finished, but... because it involves the Australian Shrike case, Mr. Theorado's body still needs further cause-of-death analysis, which will be done by professionals."

"We will complete this step as soon as possible and hand over the remains to you."

Koby assured, "Given the need for burial later, I will conduct the autopsy as little as possible without damaging the body."

"It's alright, Officer Gordon. Please do your job." The voice behind the black veil was very calm, devoid of sadness, and it was unclear whether it was numbness or genuine indifference. "Theodore's physical body has left me, but his thoughts will live on forever through his writings and paintings. In the meantime, I will organize his unpublished works and exhibit them at the House of the Light. You are welcome to come."

"Then, please forgive my rudeness."

Evelyn nodded slightly, performing an impeccable ladylike gesture, and turned to leave like a light, floating ghost.

……

"Her family member was murdered, and she can still be so calm?" The newcomer muttered softly as the girl walked away. "I've heard that people from the Dietersdorf family are all a bit mentally unstable. Maybe this girl is one of them..."

"What do you mean?" Zhang Renfeng asked curiously. "I just heard them say that the playwright who was killed seemed to have come from some kind of prominent family?"

“Not really, it’s just…” Gordon hesitated for a moment, but still said truthfully, “Their family is also known as the ‘Short-lived Muse’.”

As we all know, the Muse is the goddess of art, so the meaning of adding the word "short-lived" before her name is self-evident.

"A few years ago, the elder Dietersdorf set fire to his ancestral home and committed suicide in the flames. Since then, this artistic family has declined rapidly. Among them, there were indeed artists who were famous for a time, but like shooting stars, they briefly flashed across the public eye and died for various reasons."

"There were suicides and accidents involved... In short, some people believe that this surname is cursed. If the Ditasdorf family hadn't declined so rapidly, White Torch Town wouldn't have fallen into Nordlin's hands. Of course, without Nordlin, perhaps the Red Center wouldn't have come along, and there wouldn't be the current Mayor Wendigo... But that's another story."

Fortune is fickle, and cause and effect are cyclical; who can say for sure?

Gordon sighed. "Regardless, this family has completely fallen. Now, with Theonado dead, the last bloodline of the once illustrious Dietersdorf is a 17-year-old girl."

Having seen everything that needed to be seen, the next step is the lengthy investigation. The previous thirteen victims all got stuck at this stage; the Australian Shrike cleaned the crime scenes meticulously, leaving no extra clues, making it impossible to even begin the investigation.

Coupled with a shortage of manpower and other matters, the case was temporarily shelved. To the point that, later on, the police station developed a fixed mindset: if someone was found impaled on a deer's antlers, they would go to the scene, take a few notes, conduct a perfunctory investigation for a few days, and then leave it there and forget about it. As for the victims' families, they were received a few times at first, but later they became impatient and kicked them out of the police station, pretending not to see them.

However, given Mike's personality, now that he'd taken on this case, he was determined to find something, even if it meant turning White Torch Town upside down. Xiao Mei even obtained the files from the previous thirteen cases, planning to study them carefully upon returning to camp.