Chapter 379
“I already explained last night,” Carmen said. “I was looking for Zahra to double–check the list for Grandpa’s Birthday. I couldn’t find her, p! brought people over to the side wing.”
“Have you asked who saw Zahra last?” Caitlin asked coldly.
“How would I know?”
“Since you don’t, then gather everyone in the Yuncey household. We need to find out. The longer this drags on, the more it’ll affect Timothy’s birthday celebration.”
Though she was the prime suspect, Caitlin carried herself with authority and the confidence of someone in charge.
Carmen didn’t want to take orders from her.
Caitlin didn’t expect her to. She went straight to Rachel. “Rachel, you’re the matriarch of the Yuncey family. Please give the order–have everyone gather in the main hall. I have a way to find the killer.”
Rachel gave her a sharp glance but said nothing. Randall stepped in, “Grandma, if Caitlin says she has a method, let’s give it a try. Getting to
the bottom of this quickly is in everyone’s best interest.”
“Fine. Forrest, go tell everyone to assemble in the main hall.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Forrest quickly went to deliver the order.
In no time, the entire Yuncey household–old and new servants, housekeepers, staff–were assembled. The entrance of the main hall was packed. Everyone was still buzzing about Zahra’s death.
Rachel, leaning on her cane, stepped out with other family members and addressed the crowd. “Last night, something terrible happened in the Yuncey household. Zahra, a loyal and kind woman, was murdered in the east wing.
“We’ve gathered you here to find out who saw Zahra last–where and when. If you have any information, now is the time to speak.”
As Rachel’s gaze swept over the crowd, the murmuring quieted. One maid raised her hand. “Miss Beatrice, I was in the kitchen with Zahra around six o’clock last night, before dinner was served.”
Then others began chiming in–some had seen her in the morning, others in the afternoon or early evening. Most sightings were around meal prep time, and all in places like the kitchen or dining areas. No one had any clue how Zahra ended up in the east wing.
Caitlin walked slowly past the crowd, speaking as she moved. “The killer acted after dark, taking advantage of the chaos during dinner to avoid being noticed.
“The police and medical examiner confirmed that the time of death was roughly two to three hours before the body was found. I returned to my room close to nine. That timeline rules me out.
“What this proves is that someone set the crime scene in advance–waiting for me to walk into the trap. What they didn’t count on was the forensic team being able to determine time of death.”
As she analyzed the case, Caitlin closely observed everyone’s expressions and subtle movements.
“There’s another detail. Zahra wasn’t killed in the east wing. She was suffocated somewhere else, then drag
like she was murdered there.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. People began whispering in shock.
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Chapter 379
Carmen sneered, “Caitlin, you’re not a cop. Stop playing detective. Got any proof?”
Caitlin turned to her. “Good question. I said it’s a theory. But we can confirm it by checking the surveillance footage from the Yuncey estat
Carmen raised her chin, smug. “Well, what a shame. We thought of that yesterday, but the surveillance was down. And the east wins doesn’t even have cameras. So how can you prove you didn’t do it? Planning to pin this on someone else now?”
“If the surveillance is conveniently broken, then I won’t argue. Instead, let’s use a simpler method to identify the killer.”
“What method?”
Caitlin clapped her hands twice. James and Sebastian came forward, one carrying a stool and the other a washbasin,
Everyone craned their necks, curious. Douglas asked, “Caitlin, what’s this for?”
“As you can see, we have a washbasin here. Forrest, would you fetch some clean water and pour it in?”
Forrest did as instructed and poured fresh water into the basin.
Then Caitlin took a small red pouch from her pocket and emptied a powder into the water. “This is cinnabar powder. As most of you know, cinnabar wards off evil and is very difficult to dissolve in water. Right now, it’s settled at the bottom of the basin.
“Now, here’s how this works: if the real killer looks into the water, the victim’s face will appear. For anyone innocent, nothing will happen.”
She began pointing. “Let’s start with the first person in the front row.”
The servant she pointed to approached with curiosity and looked into the water.
“Nothing.”
“You’re not the killer. You may step back. Next.“*
One by one, the servants came forward to be “tested.” Each left the basin relieved. Even Omari, who had entered the room the night before, passed the test.
At last, only one person remained–Philip.
Standing at the back of the crowd, Philip was visibly nervous. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead as he tried to appear calm. He stepped forward, but hesitated to look into the basin.
Carmen, watching him closely, grew increasingly tense. She didn’t believe for a second that a basin of water could reveal a killer. It had to be a bluff.
And she was right. This was psychological warfare. Caitlin wasn’t using magic–she was betting on guilt and fear breaking the killer.
“You’re Philip, right? It’s your turn,” Caitlin said, eyes locked on him.
Philip’s face was slick with sweat now, though he didn’t seem to notice. Under Caitlin’s pressure, he stepped forward–but refused to look. Instead, he backed away, panicked.
“Someone grab him! Make him look at the water!”
Caitlin shouted. James sprang into action, grabbing Philip and forcing him toward the basin.
Philip’s eyes widened in terror as he was held over the water. The red powder seemed to shift mysteriously in the reflection–forming the outline of a face.
Chapter 379
Zahra’s face. Blood red.
“Ahhhhhh!”
Philip screamed, completely losing it. He shoved back, knocked over the bedin, and tried to fes.
But James pinned him down in a flash, forcing him to his knees and twisting his arms
Caitlin walked up to him, towering over him. “Philip. You’re the killer. You madered Zahra did yo
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