Time felt slow without Arez's presence. Ever since he got absorbed in the school mystery—a case so personal and intricate it was perfect for his training—my detective office felt a little empty. However, that silence didn't last long. A mysterious black envelope, with no sender, arrived at the office.
Inside, there was only an old photograph. The photo was blurry, showing a middle-aged man standing in front of an old warehouse at the Southampton port, holding a bronze statue. On the back of the photo, there was neat handwriting: "A choice in the middle of the waves will lead you to the bottom."
My brain immediately went to work. This was a challenge. A puzzle deliberately sent to me. Without wasting any time, I contacted my police connections to get information about the man in the photo and the warehouse behind him. His name was Jonathan Harper, an art collector who disappeared 10 years ago. The warehouse was his, and it was now abandoned.
I immediately went to the old warehouse, bringing my trusty pistol and chain. The air around the port was cold and damp, mixed with the pungent smell of fish and seawater. The warehouse looked dilapidated, its paint peeling and windows broken. Inside, the warehouse was empty, leaving behind only piles of dust, spiderwebs, and a strong musty smell.
In the middle of the warehouse, on the dirty floor, I found something. A strange symbol drawn with white chalk. The symbol resembled a chessboard, but there were only four squares in the middle, and inside each square, there was a miniature image of a chess pawn. Next to the symbol lay the tarot card "The Magician," drawn with red ink on its hands, as if it were controlling something.
The message was clear: there was a mastermind, a "Magician," controlling a game. If so, what if I was one of his pawns? That meant this was no longer just a theft or a murder. This was a psychological game, where the mastermind not only wanted to win but also wanted to play with my mind.
I immediately photographed the symbol and the tarot card, then sent them to my network of informants. As I suspected, soon after, I got information that Lupin was also in Southampton, looking for something related to that warehouse. They must have received a similar puzzle.
Our search continued. I delved into Jonathan Harper's background. He was a very ambitious art collector, known for often doing illegal things to obtain his collections. He was also known to have enemies among other collectors. However, most interestingly, he had an adopted son named Liam, a smart young man who now worked in technology.
I decided to meet Liam. He lived in a modern apartment in the city center. When I arrived, Liam greeted me politely, but there was a coldness in his eyes. He knew who I was, and he had already expected me to come.
"I knew you'd come, Detective Claret," he said, inviting me in. "My father disappeared ten years ago. I've let him go a long time ago."
"What about your father's art collection?" I asked. "There's a rumor he had a very valuable ancient bronze statue."
Liam nodded. "Yes, the statue 'Echo of the Oracle'. The statue was believed to be able to produce sound and predict the future. The statue was his obsession. But the statue also disappeared, along with my father."
A statue that could produce sound. "Echo of the Oracle." The name resonated with the theme of "singing" and "melody."
"Did your father have enemies?" I asked.
Liam gave a faint smile, but his eyes remained cold. "An art collector always has enemies, Detective. My father also had a fierce rival, an old woman named Mrs. Eleanor Blackwood. She was also obsessed with the 'Echo of the Oracle' statue."
I thanked Liam and left immediately—now, it seemed, I was starting to understand. I sensed manipulation here. Liam was too calm, too willing to give information. Something was wrong. He might be one of the pawns being manipulated by the mastermind.
I realized that this mastermind wasn't just twisting facts, but also manipulating people around me, making me doubt everyone. This was a dangerous psychological trick.
As I was about to get into my car, a sports car sped past me, then stopped suddenly. The door opened, and three familiar figures emerged: Leve, Alefen, and Zenith.
"Long time no see, Detective Claret," Leve said with his cynical smile. "Looking for clues about the 'Echo of the Oracle' statue too?"
"This isn't your business," I replied, my hand already on my pistol.
"Oh, of course it's our business," Alefen retorted, twirling his knife. "The mastermind left a much more interesting puzzle than the one he gave you."
Zenith, who was usually silent, stepped forward. "The mastermind is challenging us. He knows we're the only ones who can beat him at this game. And we're going to win it."
"You're not going to steal it," I said firmly.
"We'll see," Leve said. "And don't trust the people you meet too much, Detective. They might not be what they seem."
They then got back into the car and sped away, leaving me in confusion. Leve's words hit home. Had Liam been manipulated? Or was he the mastermind himself?
I realized that this mastermind wasn't just fighting me, but also fighting Lupin. He was using Lupin as a catalyst, pushing both of us to race to solve this puzzle. He was making us his pawns.
I had to find out who Mrs. Eleanor Blackwood was. I also had to go back to that old warehouse, looking for clues I might have missed. The mastermind must have left something hidden.
In a street corner, I found a trash can with the same chessboard symbol as the one in the warehouse. Inside, there was an empty matchbox. Behind its label, there was a complex code: 4-1-18-16-5-18-2-12-1-3-11-23-15-15-4.
"A choice in the middle of the waves will lead you to the bottom," I repeated the lyric on Jonathan Harper's photo. Then, I looked at the code on the matchbox. These weren't just numbers. This was a complex code, which required intelligence to solve.
I had to solve it immediately. The mastermind was giving clues, but he was also giving a time limit. I had to be smarter, faster, and more meticulous than both Lupin and the mastermind himself. This chess game had just begun.
After Lupin left, I returned to my car, my brain already full of the puzzle. The code on the matchbox kept spinning in my mind. 4-1-18-16-5-18-2-12-1-3-11-23-15-15-4. I knew this was a cipher, a hidden message that could only be solved with logic.
While driving, I tried to crack it. The numbers were too small to refer to a book, and too random to be coordinates. Then, an idea popped into my head. A simple substitution cipher, where each number represents a letter in the alphabet.
A=1, B=2, C=3, and so on.
I tried to solve it:
4 = D
1 = A
18 = R
16 = P
5 = E
18 = R
2 = B
12 = L
1 = A
3 = C
11 = K
23 = W
15 = O
15 = O
4 = D
The word formed: "DARPERBLACKWOOD". There was a mistake here. Darper? What was that? I tried again, this time separating the words. Maybe there was a hidden space.
DARPER BLACKWOOD. Still didn't make sense.
I parked the car near a cafe, ordered a hot cup of coffee, and poured all my thoughts into this puzzle. I looked at the code again, then at the lyric on the back of Jonathan Harper's photo: "A choice in the middle of the waves will lead you to the bottom."
Choice... Waves... Bottom...
Then I realized. This cipher wasn't just about substitution. It was about permutation. There was a word that was deliberately placed in reverse or distorted.
I looked at DARPER and BLACKWOOD again. Suddenly, my eyes caught a hidden pattern. DARPER... the word was the reverse of REPRAD. I tried to find the meaning of the word REPRAD. There was none.
Wait. The number 16 represents P. The number 18 represents R. And 4 represents D. 4-1-18-16 is DARP. Reversed, it's PRAD. Strange.
I moved on to the word BLACKWOOD. If BLACKWOOD was correct, then what was DARPER?
I looked back at the photo, the photo of Jonathan Harper. He was standing in front of a warehouse. This was an old warehouse. It was possible that its name had changed.
I went back to the cafe, opened my laptop, and searched the Southampton port archives. The warehouse that used to belong to Jonathan Harper, 10 years ago, was named Blackwood Warehouse. However, the name of the warehouse no longer existed. Its current owner was a small company named Reprad Corp.
Bingo!
4-1-18-16-5-18 is REPRAD, which is DARPER reversed. This mastermind had deliberately reversed the word to test my mind. He wanted me to look at a puzzle from a different perspective.
The message was "REPRAD BLACKWOOD". Meaning, the warehouse that was once called Blackwood, was now called Reprad. This was a location clue.
I immediately drove my car to the Reprad warehouse, which was located not far from Jonathan Harper's old warehouse. This warehouse looked newer and better maintained. I snuck in through a small window in the back, like a ghost.
Inside, the warehouse was also empty, but much cleaner. There was no dust, no spiderwebs. In the middle of the warehouse, on the floor, I found the same chessboard symbol, but this time the pawns were already filled. White pawns on one side, black pawns on the other. As if two players were in a strategic battle.
Next to the symbol lay the tarot card "The Lovers". A card that symbolizes a difficult choice. This mastermind was challenging us to make a choice, and he would control the final outcome.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps from outside. I immediately hid behind a pile of empty crates. The warehouse door opened, and three familiar figures entered: Leve, Alefen, and Zenith.
"So, we're here too," Leve said, his eyes scanning the room.
"The mastermind is smart," Alefen muttered. "He knew we'd solve the puzzle and come here."
Zenith, who was always silent, stared at the tarot card. "The Lovers. He wants us to choose."
"Choose between what?" Alefen asked.
Zenith didn't answer. He just stared at the chessboard.
Leve took a letter from his pocket. "I found a letter. The mastermind gave another clue." Leve read the letter in a mocking tone. "Behind blind love, there is unspoken truth. Your choice determines their fate."
Then, a mocking laugh came from above. On the second floor of the warehouse, on a balcony overlooking the floor below, stood a man. He had long hair, a gaunt face, with hollow eyes. The same man I had seen in the apartment earlier. Liam.
"Welcome, my pawns," Liam said, his voice cold and manipulative. "You've come just in time. The show is about to begin."
"You!" Leve exclaimed. "You're the mastermind?"
Liam smiled cynically. "I'm just a 'Magician' controlling the chessboard. Now, let's play. You'll see who among you is the smartest."
Liam then threw two cards down. One card landed in front of me, and the other in front of Lupin. The cards were two identical "The Lovers" tarot cards, but with different images. On my card, there was a picture of a woman standing at a crossroads, having to choose between two men. On Lupin's card, there was a picture of a man having to choose between two women.
"The Lovers," Liam said. "This is a difficult choice. One of you must make the right choice. If not, you'll lose your chance."
"Nonsense!" Alefen snapped. "What do you want?"
"My father, Jonathan Harper, is dead," Liam said, his voice filled with anger. "He was killed by his rival, Mrs. Eleanor Blackwood. And the 'Echo of the Oracle' statue is the only evidence. You must find it. And you must choose. Will you go to the old Blackwood warehouse, or will you go to Mrs. Eleanor Blackwood's house? Choose one, and you will find the answer."
Liam then disappeared into the darkness of the second floor. I knew this was a trap. Liam was manipulating us, making us compete with each other, and making us believe that a choice had to be made.
I remembered Leve's words. "Don't trust the people you meet too much." And my own words. "This mastermind is manipulating the people around him."
I stared at "The Lovers" card in my hand. A choice between two things. Between the old warehouse and Mrs. Eleanor Blackwood's house.
Then, a crazy idea came to my mind. I wouldn't choose. I would create a third choice. I would act as a rebellious pawn. I would control this game, not the mastermind.
I looked at Lupin. They also looked confused. Leve looked at Alefen and Zenith, as if looking for answers. They were also trapped in this trap.
"I won't play his game," I whispered to myself. "I'll play my own game."
After Liam disappeared and left us with a manipulative choice, the atmosphere in the warehouse became tense. I saw Lupin whispering to each other, arguing. They didn't know I was here, hiding behind a pile of crates. They thought I was chasing the wrong clues. This was my advantage. I had the same information as them, but with a broader perspective.
"Idiot!" Alefen grumbled, throwing "The Lovers" card on the floor. "This is a trap! How can we trust that mastermind?"
"But he mentioned Mrs. Eleanor Blackwood's name," Leve said, his eyes serious. "Maybe the statue is in her house."
"Or Jonathan Harper's old warehouse," Zenith interjected.
The three of them were confused, trapped in the dilemma created by the mastermind. At that moment, an idea came to my mind—I decided to come out of my hiding place.
"You're too easily played," I said, stepping out from behind the crates.
Lupin was surprised to see me. Leve immediately drew his pistol. "You! How did you get here?"
"I solved the puzzle faster than you," I replied calmly. "And I know this is a trap. The mastermind wants us to be divided, to compete with each other, while he waits somewhere else."
Zenith looked at me with sharp eyes. "Then, what's your plan, Detective?"
"We won't play his game," I said. "We'll play our own game."
"What do you mean?" Leve asked.
"Liam, the mastermind, said that the statue is the only evidence of Jonathan Harper's death," I explained. "He also said that Jonathan Harper was killed by Mrs. Eleanor Blackwood. But do we know if that's true? Those are just facts he presented."
Alefen smirked. "So, we'll solve this case not by following his clues, but by finding the truth behind his story."
I nodded. "Liam is a Magician, a master of manipulation. He doesn't just forge evidence, he also forges motives. He wants us to believe his story so that we clash. We have to be smarter than him."
Even though we had almost the same goal, Lupin and I weren't working together—because I wouldn't admit it. We just shared information, exchanged perspectives, and made our own plans. This was a chess game we created, where we were both players, and the mastermind was the piece we had to capture.
My plan was to find out more about Jonathan Harper and Mrs. Eleanor Blackwood, not from the information Liam gave, but from sources he didn't control. I used my connections in the art world, while Lupin used their connections in the criminal world.
I found something surprising. Mrs. Eleanor Blackwood, instead of being a rival, was actually Jonathan Harper's closest business partner. They both had the same obsession with the "Echo of the Oracle" statue, but they planned to restore it together. However, 10 years ago, Mrs. Eleanor Blackwood disappeared, just like Jonathan Harper.
Meanwhile, Lupin also found something surprising. Jonathan Harper, before he disappeared, was secretly in a romantic relationship with Mrs. Eleanor Blackwood. They planned to live together after retiring from the art collecting world. But they both disappeared, as if swallowed by the earth.
These facts proved that Liam's story was a lie. He twisted the facts, making us believe that there was a fierce rivalry between Jonathan Harper and Mrs. Eleanor Blackwood, when in reality they were lovers.
At that moment, we realized. This mastermind wasn't just manipulating us, but he was also manipulating memories and truth. Liam didn't want us to find the statue, because the statue was the evidence of the truth.
We returned to the Reprad warehouse, where we had met Liam. But the warehouse was already empty. Liam had left. However, on the floor, we found a small wooden chessboard with a black king and a white king facing each other. Under the chessboard, there was Liam's handwriting: "The king and queen have left, leaving you in the dark. Find them where a silent melody becomes a song."
"A silent melody becomes a song," I mumbled, remembering the "Echo of the Oracle" statue that could produce sound.
"The king and queen," Leve said. "That's Jonathan Harper and Eleanor Blackwood."
We finally knew what we had to do. We had to find the statue, because the statue was the only clue that could lead us to the living Jonathan Harper and Eleanor Blackwood, who were hidden by Liam.
The final battle began. Lupin, with their skills, would look for clues in the criminal world. I, with my skills in analyzing and solving puzzles, would look for clues in the art world. We both raced, not to beat each other, but to solve this mystery before it was too late.
I knew this would be a fierce battle. Liam was a smart and manipulative mastermind. He saw us as his pawns, but we would no longer play his game. We would be our own players, and we would win.
This mystery had turned into a dangerous race. The mastermind, Liam, had trapped us in a chess game where every move had to be carefully considered. Lupin and I, who were once rivals, now had the same goal: to find the "Echo of the Oracle" statue and uncover the truth behind the disappearance of Jonathan Harper and Eleanor Blackwood.
I began my search by focusing on the details I had missed. I went back to Liam's apartment, looking for clues he might have deliberately hidden. His apartment was neat, clean, but it felt cold, like Liam's personality. I scanned every corner, every book, every photo frame, looking for anomalies.
"A choice in the middle of the waves will lead you to the bottom," the lyric from Jonathan Harper's photo kept spinning in my mind. I knew this was not just a lyric, but also a clue. Waves, sea, and bottom. This all pointed to one place: the port.
I went back to the Reprad and Blackwood warehouses, looking for other clues I might have missed. In the Reprad warehouse, I saw an old map of the port hanging on the wall. The map looked ordinary, but there was a small mark circled with a red marker, indicating a hidden place at the pier.
"So, it's not a warehouse. It's a ship," I mumbled.
Meanwhile, Lupin wasn't standing still either. They found information from the underworld. Jonathan Harper, before he disappeared, was secretly in possession of a luxurious cruise ship, which he named "The Oracle". The ship also disappeared along with Jonathan Harper and Eleanor Blackwood.
"The Oracle," I said to myself. "Echo of the Oracle." The statue, the cruise ship, and Liam's name. Everything was connected.
I realized that Liam didn't want us to find the ship. He wanted us to clash, to waste time, while he hid the truth on the ship. I had to control this game. I had to be one step ahead of Liam.
I immediately tracked down the cruise ship. With the help of my connections at the port police, I found that "The Oracle" ship was last seen at an old pier, which was now disused. The pier was secluded, far from the port's hustle and bustle, and surrounded by old, dilapidated warehouses.
I headed there, but I knew I wasn't alone. Lupin would surely come too. This was the final battle, where we would clash to get the statue and capture Liam.
When I arrived at the pier, it was already late at night. The air was cold and damp, and the sound of waves crashing against the pier created a chilling atmosphere. At the end of the pier, an old cruise ship was vaguely visible in the darkness. It was "The Oracle."
I saw three figures on the ship: Leve, Alefen, and Zenith. They had arrived first. They were searching the ship, looking for the "Echo of the Oracle" statue.
I boarded the ship carefully, hiding behind a pile of crates, observing their every move. They looked frustrated. They hadn't found anything.
Suddenly, a mocking laugh came from the upper deck. Liam stood there, with the same robe and hood. In his hand, he held the bronze statue "Echo of the Oracle."
"Welcome, my pawns," Liam said, his voice cold and manipulative. "You've come just in time. The show is about to begin."
"You!" Leve exclaimed, pointing his pistol. "Hand over the statue!"
Liam just smiled cynically. "I won't give it to you. This statue is mine. This is the only evidence that my father is still alive, and that Eleanor Blackwood is the one who killed him."
"That's a lie!" I snapped, coming out of my hiding place. "Jonathan Harper and Eleanor Blackwood were lovers. You're the one who killed them!"
Liam's face changed. His smile vanished, replaced by anger. "You don't know anything! Eleanor was the one who planned all this! She wanted to take all of my father's assets and destroy his name!"
"That's a lie," I said. "You're the mastermind. You're manipulating us, twisting facts, and forging evidence. You even manipulated the people around you, making them involved in this game."
Liam fell silent. He couldn't deny it. He knew I had broken free from his manipulation. He knew his game was over.
Zenith, who was usually silent, stepped forward. "You've lost, Magician. Your game is over."
Liam let out a bitter laugh. "Lost? I never lose! I'll win this, once and for all!"
He then threw the statue into the water.
"No!" I screamed.
I immediately jumped into the water, trying to grab the statue. But the statue had already sunk to the bottom. I knew I couldn't get it. The statue was the evidence of the truth. Without the statue, Liam would be free, and the truth would be forever buried at the bottom of the sea.
I returned to the surface, my breath ragged. On the ship, Lupin and Liam were fighting. Leve and Alefen attacked Liam, trying to capture him, but Liam was too agile. Zenith, just observed.
"This isn't about the statue," Zenith said, his voice calm. "This is about Liam."
I looked at Zenith. "What do you mean?"
"Liam is the mastermind. The statue is just a pawn. If we capture Liam, we will win this game."
Zenith jumped towards Liam, locking him from behind. Liam screamed, struggling, but Zenith was too strong. Leve and Alefen immediately helped Zenith, tying Liam up with ropes.
I was soaking wet, my breath still ragged. Liam looked at me with eyes full of hatred.
"You'll never win, Detective," he said. "The statue is gone. The truth will be forever buried at the bottom of the sea!"
I just gave a cynical smile. "You're wrong, Liam. The truth isn't buried at the bottom of the sea. The truth is in your hand."
I pointed to a small earring on Liam's ear. The earring was a small voice recorder, which he used to record our conversations.
"You recorded everything, Liam," I said. "All of your confessions. All the manipulations you made. All the lies you told. Everything is recorded on this earring. This is stronger evidence than the statue."
Liam's face turned pale. He didn't realize that he had manipulated himself. He had recorded all of his own crimes.
The police arrived. Commissioner Richard arrested Liam, and took his earring as evidence. I looked at Lupin. Leve, Alefen, and Zenith looked at me with respect. They knew I had won this chess game.
"See you later, Detective," Leve said, with a faint smile. "Our fight isn't over yet."
I just nodded. Our fight wasn't over yet. We were two sides of the same coin, competing with our intelligence. But for now, I had won. I had solved the mystery, and the truth had been revealed. And for that, I was grateful to myself.