The local detective looked at Klaus in shock, then at Rio, who stood motionless as if she were part of the scene.
Local Detective: A killer is here? That's impossible!
Klaus: Not impossible. Just invisible. Just like the air.
Klaus ignored the detectives' astonishment and knelt beside the body. He slowly lifted Hermes Blackwood's hand, revealing a small, perfectly transparent piece of glass hidden in his palm.
Klaus: (Staring at the glass piece) Mr. Blackwood was not the only victim here. He was an accomplice. This piece is from the original "Glass Flower." It was deliberately shattered before it was replaced with a fake one.
Local Detective: A fake? But...
Klaus: (Interrupts the detective) Exactly. The mystery is not how the flower was stolen, but why it was replaced. The original flower has been gone for months. Mr. Blackwood made an identical replica to sell it to a secret client for a huge sum. The flower in the room was the fake one.
Klaus gestured to the smell of glue he had previously inhaled.
Klaus: That smell was not carpentry glue. It was a special adhesive for setting glass. And the print I found on the mirror was not an ordinary handprint, but a glove print, very smooth.
Klaus continued slowly:
Klaus: The killer is his accomplice. Someone helped him make the replica, and when Mr. Blackwood intended to sell it, they killed him to seize it. But the killer wasn't here tonight. They were here earlier.
Rio calmly walked over to the empty flower pedestal and placed her hand on the edge. She pressed a small, hidden button, and a part of the base lifted to reveal a secret compartment. It contained a set of glass-sculpting tools.
Klaus: (Looking at the detectives) This is the real crime scene. Here, the killer made the fake flower. And that's why it had to be carefully hidden.
Finally, Klaus walked toward the main door and placed his hand on the handle.
Klaus: The trick wasn't how the killer got in, but how they got out. They didn't leave through this door or the window. They left from another place.
As everyone's eyes followed his every move, Klaus pulled a handle that was connected to a small piece of glass, revealing a hidden, narrow secret passage with a strange scent. Rio followed him without hesitation, while the local detectives remained in a state of shock. Klaus gestured with his hand and entered the passage first, with Rio right behind him. The passage extended underground and was lit by dim gas lamps.
Klaus: (Lowering his voice) The smell... it's stronger here. This passage leads to their hideout.
Klaus walked quickly, as if he knew the place by heart, while Rio walked with quiet, cautious steps, watching every corner, ready to intervene at any moment.
After several minutes, the secret passage ended at an old wooden door. Klaus stopped and looked at Rio, then placed his hand on the handle.
Klaus: They're here.
He pushed the door open, revealing a small underground room filled with glass-sculpting tools, various molds, and a shiny piece of glass hanging on the wall. This was no ordinary piece of glass—it was the original "Glass Flower" that everyone thought was stolen. In the middle of the room stood a serious-looking young woman, her eyes wide with shock.
The Woman: How did you find me?
The woman was wearing a pair of black gloves on her hands.
Klaus: (Smiling faintly) You left a print on the mirror. It wasn't a handprint, but a glove print. A very smooth glove, the kind artists use to remove fingerprints from their work. And the smell of the glue you used to set the fake flower was strong enough for someone like me to smell.
The Woman: (In a broken tone) But I was careful.
Klaus: Very careful. But you made one small mistake. You forgot that I use my senses and my mind.
The local detectives arrived at the secret room as the woman collapsed in front of Klaus and Rio.
The Woman: (In a broken tone) I didn't want to kill him. He was my partner, and I helped him copy the flower so I could learn the art of glass from him. But I discovered that he intended to sell it and swindle people. I couldn't stand by idly. I just wanted to stop the deception!
Rio stopped her movement and looked at Klaus with her blue eyes. The detectives were preparing to take the woman.
Rio: (Her voice unusually low and calm) Why? Her motive is noble. She stopped a bigger crime. Shouldn't she be judged by her good intentions?
Klaus looked at Rio, then at the woman, before returning his gaze to Rio. This was the first time Rio had expressed an emotional opinion so clearly.
Klaus: (In a calm tone, watching her facial expressions) No, Rio. Her intentions do not justify her actions. She committed a crime.
Rio: But she didn't do it for greed or evil. There were other ways, but she chose the one she thought was the fastest and most effective.
Klaus: And the result was a crime.
Rio: (Takes a step forward) Don't we have a duty to see the human side of things? Doesn't that understanding give us a deeper sense of justice? Justice is not just laws.
This was a strong and logical argument. The detectives exchanged glances, and some of them even seemed to agree with her.
Klaus: (Gently places his hand on Rio's shoulder) Justice cannot open the door to good intentions. If we judge people by their motives, we turn from protectors of the law into judges of consciences.
Rio: (Insistently) But there's a difference between someone who kills for money and someone who kills to prevent fraud.
Klaus: Of course there's a difference. But the law is not in the business of distinguishing between a good kill and a bad one. If we allow ourselves to decide who deserves to be killed and who doesn't, all the rules of society will collapse. There were other ways to stop the fraud, Rio. She should have reported it to the police.
Rio: (Takes a step back, thinking) But she didn't.
Klaus: Exactly. And now she is paying the price for her choice. Every decision we make, even if its motive is noble, carries a responsibility. Responsibility is the weight that makes us avoid catastrophe.
Klaus looked at the woman, then at Rio, who was silent again, absorbing his words. Her logic had been defeated by his.
The detectives took the woman, while Klaus and Rio left the room.
Rio: (After a moment of silence) Are you sure justice is all that matters?
Klaus: (Walking slowly, looking forward) The truth, Rio, is that the world doesn't revolve around what we believe. It revolves around what we can prove.
Finally, Klaus turned to Rio, smiled faintly, then added in a playful tone:
Klaus: In any case, justice can't spend the night on the street. Let's go get some dinner.