Casper and Klein immediately rushed into the coach opposite to them. The coach was narrow and the carpet was soaked with multiple wet footsteps.
"What is it?" Casper called out, running towards her.
"I—I heard a loud sound from the neighbouring compartment moments ago and when I came to see what the matter was…" her voice faltered as she pointed to the compartment.
Casper peered into the window slit to see a man slumped over the floor of the compartment. He had short hair and a light-colored shirt and darker pants, with a large amount of blood pooled around him.
"Yeah, he's dead." Casper said plainly, "Take a look," he told Klein as he took a step back.
Klein stepped past Casper and leaned into the slit of the window, "Yeah. It's clearly a murder."
He then tried to open the door but the handle didn't budge. "The doors locked."
Casper smiled and walked over to Klein. "So, Klein, you have nothing to do before we reach Backlund, right? Shall we have a contest to see who can find the murderer first? It'll be good practice for you."
Klein nodded. "Sure, although this case is quite complicated."
Suddenly, a plump man wearing a luxurious blue suit turned the corner and arrived next to them. His eyes were shifty and his shirt was covered in blood.
"What's all this fuss about!" A gruff voice rang out through the coach.
Casper turned around to see two transport policemen barreling towards them.
…
"What the hell?" The older of the two policemen peered into the scene.
"The great northern railway transport is in charge of this. You two can leave." The younger one stated with a hint of pride.
Casper scoffed and turned his head to the side before discreetly whispering something to Klein.
The older policeman immediately ordered the younger policeman, "Take this man into custody."
"Aye." The guy acknowledged.
"Wait just a moment. This blood isn't — someone ran into me while I was leaving the loo. I went back to my compartment and noticed the blood after a short while. Please! You must believe me."
The younger policeman shook his head. "We'll listen to what you're spouting later. Now, come along."
"Wait, officers. I'm Detective Sherlock Moriarty from Tingen," Klein said, flashing his badge before they could get a proper glance.
"This is a consulting and private detective James Holmes," he declared, pointing at Casper who simply nodded.
"The man right here is not someone who would commit murder. Look at his dress — they're made of a luxurious fabric we only see in Backlund. There's no reason for him to kill a jeweler carrying some gems that he can get for not much money."
Casper calmly deduced, pointing at the plump man.
"How did you know he's a jeweler?" The younger policeman quickly asked, narrowing his eyes.
Casper raised his head. "Didn't you see his suitcase? The name Redwood Jewellery was literally engraved on that."
Klein nodded his head and casually added, "From what I can see there are two footsteps in that coach. It's likely that someone saw that and attacked him for their gems."
Casper chimed in. "The murderer is still aboard the train as per our deductions unless he's leapt from a train travelling to Backlund at 100 kph, that is.
"The next station this train will stop at after leaving Tingen is Wienia Town which is about 80 kilometres away if I remember right. In other words 48 minutes until the murderer jumps ship. So please, do entrust this to us."
The older policeman scratched his chin before sighing. "Fine, I'll trust your word Detective Moriarty. I'll give you until the next station to figure out the murderer. But until then, this man will be under arrest," he asserted, pointing at the plump businessman.
After saying that, he placed the man in cuffs and walked away.
…
"Time's short. Let's do this quickly, Klein." Casper rubbed his hands together with a curious grin.
He then walked to the door and in a few short seconds opened the door.
"He—hey, you don't have a key. How did you do that?" Klein asked with mild surprise.
Casper turned back, and smirked haughtily, "Which self-respecting detective can't pick a lock?"