In her office, Alice was reading the reports that Dan presented to her. "I can't believe I was right. Anubias actually kidnapped Chris, who in reality is Gunz's sister Marie, for ransom. I definitely see the resemblance now, particularly with their blond hair and amethyst-purple eyes. And I also realize that you coming to my office with information is becoming a frequent habit."

"What a great use of taxpayers' money..." Shun scoffed.

"Hey, don't blame me! I can't help that the perpetrators use insane methods to cover up their crimes. Alice has an exceptional mind and can't resist solving a good mystery. Besides, what are you doing here? Don't you have secretary work to do?"

"At least I'm still in the department building where all my supplies and equipment are. You came all the way here to show Alice some reports when a phone or video call would've sufficed."

"Can you two please stop arguing?" the assistant professor pleaded before flipping to the next report. "Wow... Dan, you even interviewed Sellon if she knew anything at all about the kidnapping."

"Her response is kind of weird and ridiculous. She said her cousin ran away because she didn't want to take care of her deformed kid anymore. Then the kid died from kidney failure, as we all know from the medical examiner's report. Sellon was worried that her cousin might come back someday to reclaim the kid, which is where Anubias came in and claimed that he found a replacement for Chris."

"But that excuse was just to cover up the fact that he kidnapped Marie Lazar. Sellon can't be entirely oblivious about this. Also, do we know why Gunz went to that abandoned building that was scheduled for demolition? What else did the private investigator tell you?"

"The PI told me that he never called Gunz at all on the day that he died, so I asked the telecom company for help. Apparently, the caller used a burner phone that didn't belong to the PI agency at all."

"But we all saw dash cam footage of the perpetrator wearing all black and walking around the building, right?" the raven-haired secretary asked. "If that was Anubias, then he might've reached out to and lured Gunz to the abandoned building to kill him. The real kidnapper would know the abduction details better than anyone else can."

Alice returned the reports to Dan and sighed. "We all agree that Anubias killed Gunz, so who killed Anubias then? And what's the motive? Even if it was revenge, I don't know who else could've done it because Gunz is dead, and his father is in the hospital. I doubt Gunz would've told anyone else, since this is a confidential family issue, after all."

"Does Chris know about her real identity is yet?" the brunet asked. "I remember Soon was very upset at the police station."

"Soon told me she'll tell Chris the truth when the time is right, but regardless of how the message comes out, Chris will eventually find out through the news and police. I'll continue analyzing the locked-room murder while you keep interviewing people and searching for old information."

"That works for—"

Someone knocked on the door, and the redhead let the visitor inside. "Good afternoon, Professor Alice. Am I bothering?"

"Not at all, Soon. Have a seat. Shun, Dan, and I were just discussing the case. I saw you and Chris returning together on the day that the police came to investigate Anubias's murder. Did you already tell Chris about her real identity?"

"I told her as much as I knew and omitted the part about Mister Anubias actually kidnapping her." The auburn-haired student saw the reports in Dan's hands. "You were right, after all."

"The truth will come out eventually, but there's still something that doesn't make sense. Gunz's father was admitted to the hospital after a formal diagnosis of stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Gunz himself has been flying in and out frequently for work. I believe he's been searching for his long-lost sister ever since the kidnapping, but he likely became more desperate after learning that his father won't live long. The irony is that Gunz died first."

"I never thought about it that way before... Even if Chris Barlow is actually Marie Lazar, she'll have no more biological family members left. Should she still reunite with her father then?"

"That is a very good question..."

After receiving a call, Soon excused herself out of her seat. "My apologies, but I have an urgent matter to attend."

"No worries. We can—hold on! You dropped something!" On the floor was a small rose made of what looked like white tissue paper. "This is pretty. What is it?"

"Allow me to demonstrate. Do you have a lighter?"

"I have matches."

The auburn-haired student balanced the end of the rose's stem on her palm and lit the base on fire using a burning match. Everyone else stepped back after seeing the flames, which Soon appeared to catch with her bare hand. Then she revealed a piece of foil-wrapped candy in her palm. "This is a magic trick that I learned from high school. I hid the candy in the makeshift rose bud. Here's another rose if you're interested in trying it for yourself."

"But where did the paper go? I don't see any ashes."

"This paper is specifically designed for use in magic tricks, so it burns very cleanly to create a disappearing illusion."

"Does this special material come in thread or rope form?"

"It does, but I personally don't use it that often. Anyway, I must leave now."

Dan also received a call and stood up. "Sorry guys, but Chan and Billy need my help. Just text each other if there's anything urgent."

"Thanks again for coming." Alice then snapped her fingers and asked, "Shun, do you still have the cardstock model of the convenience store and the storage room upstairs?"

"Let me get it from my work desk." The raven-haired secretary returned quickly with the item in question and placed it on the assistant professor's computer desk. "Is something wrong?"

The redhead unwrapped the magic paper from Soon's rose and rolled it up to resemble a straw. She taped one end to the binder clip on the replica desk and the other end to the replica exhaust fan. "Remember when I said the exhaust fan was the only other opening in the wall since the door was locked from the inside? The killer likely tied some magic trick thread to the binder clip and then looped the remainder outside through the exhaust fan. After locking the door, the killer slid the key back to the binder clip on the desk using the thread as a zip line. Lastly, the killer burned the thread to hide any trace."

Shun burned the paper straw with another match. "There's no trace as expected, but anyone can do something this simple, and it doesn't narrow down Dan's list of suspects. What makes you think that someone used magic trick thread, as opposed to tying regular thread on the binder clip and then pulling the knot loose?"

"Just think of how awkward it would be if the knot didn't come loose and the one and only key to that room was now stuck in that room. How would you get rid of the evidence? Besides, I saw some burn marks on the exhaust fan. This special material might not leave ashes, but the killer might've accidentally burned that area with the fire source when igniting the thread. Also, remember what you first said when you arrived late at the scene?"

"I do. I immediately recalled your lecture after I saw the bird feathers, fish scales, and puddles of blood on the floor."

"That's what I'm still trying to figure out. What you don't see is more important than that you do see. The killer used the gyojin urban legend to compromise the crime scene for a reason." Alice took a seat and tuned into the live news. "Shun, you need to see this. Sellon was just found dead at home!"

On the computer screen was a news report taking place in Minakami. Dan, Billy, and Chan were in the background with other several police officers at the scene. "So that's why Dan and Soon left in a hurry. First Anubias, now Sellon? How much more can Chris handle?"

"And I'm likely waiting on call for Dan to ask me for help..."

-x-x-x-x-x-

The next day, Dan brought Alice and Shun to the crime scene, which was Chris's house where she lived with Anubias and Sellon. "Thanks for coming to examine the place. Soon said she had to deal with something at home first before coming. Chris, can you tell us again what you saw when you came home?"

"Aren't you cold wearing just a cardigan over your blouse?" Alice interrupted.

"I'm fine." The amethyst-eyed blonde drank some water before continuing nodded while holding a water bottle with trembling hands. "My house is an older building from the 1980s, so the empty space that would've been the first floor is actually for docking boats. Jack accompanied me for a follow-up interview at GML Enterprises in central Bayview and didn't return until late in the day. I thought my aunt would've closed the store and come home already at 6PM, so when I noticed that the front door was still locked, I opened it with my housekey and saw her on the living room floor."

The raven-haired secretary looked through the crime scene photos and preliminary report. "I thought she would've killed Anubias, but now she's dead too. There are even more cuts on Sellon's face and even more blood stains on the floor, compared to what we saw with Anubias."

"What are you talking about?"

Soon arrived shortly while catching her breath. "I'm finally here... Did you tell her about the kidnapping already?"

The brunet explained everything. "I know this sounds crazy, but the police have solid evidence proving that Anubias kidnapped you—Marie Lazar—twelve years ago. At the same time, Sellon's real niece died from natural causes, so they used Marie Lazar to replace the late Chris Barlow. I did my research and found that both your so-called aunt and uncle have gang affiliations. Even if Anubias kidnapped you all by himself, there's no way that Sellon wouldn't know. That would explain how and why you appeared in Minakami district out of nowhere twelve years ago."

"Then what's the point of raising me all these years?"

"Maybe Anubias and Sellon kept you alive so you could claim your dad's inheritance someday," Shun concluded. "Alice and Gunz are close acquaintances. We know that Mister Graeme Lazar has terminal cancer and might die soon. Gunz would've been next in line to inherit everything, but Anubias killed him, leaving you as the only biological heir left. Even if you do reunite with your biological father and inherit everything, Anubias and Sellon might ask you for money and other favors in return."

"How is it possible that my adoptive aunt and uncle are kidnappers and murderers?" Chris pulled on her hair again and took a chair. "No... I'm not Chris Barlow, and they're not my guardians."

"You don't have to worry about that anymore, but I have advice for you. See your father as soon as possible. Life is uncertain, and you two might never see each other again if you wait any longer."

Alice sensed the change in the Shun's tone and glanced at him, who instinctively looked back at her as well. Then she grabbed the report from his hands and analyzed the crime photos. "There's no denying that Anubias and Sellon were the kidnapper and accomplice from twelve years ago. But Shun, I don't think Sellon killed Anubias. I know you suspect that she staged the crime scene to appear as if a gyojin killed him, but her crime scene also has chicken feathers, fish scales, and way more blood."

"Or it could be a copycat killer. Dan, what did the medical examiner say? I don't see that report in this file."

"The medical examiner just confirmed said that Sellon died from sharp force trauma to the carotid artery, resulting in massive blood loss. Time of death was sometime between 5:30PM and 6:30PM."

"Any murder weapons?"

"None at all. The killer probably took it this time, whereas Anubias was found with the kitchen knife still in his back."

The assistant professor flipped to the final crime scene photo featuring Sellon's body. "You see something weird?" Shun asked.

"I do... Why is the freezer door open?" She approached the refrigerator unit and barely opened the freezer door when it fell on its own. "That's dangerous!"

"Let me fix that." Chris ran over and pushed the door up before closing it. "The freezer door has a broken hinge and can't hold up the weight. It also won't swing back into place to close itself. We haven't had time to buy a replacement."

"I see..." Then the redhead examined the rest of the kitchen. "Chris, do you know why Sellon would be at home and left the store unattended? She doesn't have Anubias anymore to—"

"Actually, I spoke with Miss Sellon just before she died," Soon interrupted. "I told Dan already. That was the reason I had to leave your office quickly that day. We talked briefly about what the future holds for Chris, but then Miss Sellon ran out of ice and had to get more from home. I stayed to watch the store and spoke with a few customers the whole time."

"Until Jack and I came home to see this bloody mess," the amethyst-eyed blonde repeated.

Alice nodded and closed the folder. "Thanks for letting us inside your house, Chris. We'll keep you updated."

After everyone went their separate way, Shun followed the assistant professor to her car and asked, "Do you think this is another locked-room murder? It sounds like Sellon came home, locked the door behind her, grabbed some ice cubes, but then got murdered before she could return to the store."

"Before I even start recreating the crime scene, I should tell you that there was no ice at all in the freezer compartment."

"Okay... Maybe Sellon put the ice somewhere else before she got murdered, or that the ice melted because of the faulty freezer door."

"According to the crime scene photos, Sellon was completely empty-handed when she died. I scanned the entire kitchen and didn't see any ice cube trays at all. Even if the ice melted because the freezer door was open, there would've been huge water puddles under the fridge, but there weren't any."

"Back to square one, then?"

"Unfortunately, so... I need to ask the whole team to help me with this..." Before she unlocked her car, the assistant professor suddenly asked, "Is everything alright at home?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"You voice sounded different when you told Chris to reunite with her father again."

"Oh, that... They both have every right to see each other again. Anubias ruined the whole Lazar family by kidnapping her."

"Which leads me to my next question... How are you feeling, given that we haven't made any progress in looking for Shiori-san? She previously visited Kashiwagi and Minakami for research, which we're finishing for her right now, but none of this has led us any closer to finding her."

"I'm hanging in there... I don't blame any of us for making no progress and definitely don't regret moving here on impulse. You have classes to teach and assignments to grade. The entire police department has to keep up with new cases every day. I applied to be your department secretary and have my own work to do, too. I don't go back home as frequently as I anticipated, but I worked things out."

"As long as you don't give up, then anything is possible. You're pretty self-sufficient and don't need much supervision, but I'm always here if you need anything."

"Thanks, Alice." Shun sat in the passenger seat and stared at the scenery outside. That means a lot...

-x-x-x-x-x-

Inside the Department of Folklore's breakroom, everyone gathered at the break table to reassess the case. Dan led the meeting after writing and drawing on a whiteboard. "We all thought that Anubias's death in the storage room was a locked-room murder, but Alice already figured it out. But like Shun said, anyone in Minakami could be the murderer at this point."

"I still believe that Sellon killed Anubias," the raven-haired secretary insisted. "Given Anubias's gang affiliations, what if someone killed Sellon for revenge?"

"Dude, I have access to Anubias's rap sheet and communications logs, and he hasn't been in touch with anyone from his previous gangs ever since kidnapping Chris."

While those two guys argued, Baron commented, "At least you can omit Chris and Jack, since they were in central Bayview. You can also omit Soon since she was talking with neighbors at the store."

"This is too much of a coincidence," the auburn-haired student mused. "Graeme Lazar gets diagnosed with terminal cancer. Gunz Lazar gets killed while following a fake lead on his sister's kidnapping. Mister Anubias gets killed just when the police wanted to bring him in for questioning about the kidnapping. Miss Sellon gets killed just when you all suspect that she killed Mister Anubias."

Alice shook her head and sipped on her cup of ginger green tea. "A wise philosopher once said that 'there are no such things as coincidences in this world—only the inevitable'. I may have figured out how Anubias was killed, but I'm still trying to solve Sellon's murder, which is especially weird since there's no murder weapon."

"All this discussion is making me thirsty," the mauve-haired student complained. "I wonder if the ramune is cold enough to drink yet."

Shun overheard Baron talking and stopped arguing with Dan. "Isn't ramune sold cold to begin with? And why are you opening the freezer compartment?"

"I had to run several errands after going to the campus convenience store, so the ramune became warm during—oh no! Some of the bottles burst and cracked!"

Soon rushed over and saw the mess. "Don't you know that water expands when frozen? That's why ice trays warn you against overfilling."

"I just wanted to cool the ramune more quickly, but I completely forgot and left them frozen for too long." While the pair was cleaning the mess, Baron fell back and accidentally cut his classmate's down jacket with a piece of glass. "Did I just—"

"Do you know how expensive my jacket is?!"

"I can try stuffing the feathers back inside!"

"You're making it worse!"

Dan glanced quickly but discreetly returned to the whiteboard. "As long as you don't file a police report, then I'm fine with anything."

The raven-haired secretary began wiping up the fallen feathers with a damp paper towel. "Soon, don't even bother patching that huge rip. Baron, you'd better buy her a new jacket with your allowance." He gave up on cleaning and tossed the paper towel in the trash. "Alice, is there a vacuum cleaner somewhere that I can borrow?"

Instead of answering, the assistant professor opened her pocket watch and mumbled to herself. "The killer went great lengths to mislead us into thinking that Anubias and Sellon died from supernatural causes, but I just figured who staged both of these locked-room murders."