Pokémon Detective Case Files

Chapter 324 Poison – The Private Investigator's Recipe

Chapter 326 Poison – The Private Investigator's Recipe

"Dead? And poisoned!"

After getting out of the car, the detective answered a call from Azure's assistant and was quite startled.

The reason Hugo didn't put aside his schedule to participate in the search during the previous operation was because he felt that after determining the direction of the search, the Feiyun Police Station and Azure had already narrowed the search area for the suspect to its limit.

They've done everything they can; even if another detective intervenes, it won't significantly improve the efficiency of arresting criminals.

Since the motive for the poisoning remained unclear, Hugo was not optimistic that the manhunt would be a success. The poisoner might escape beforehand, violently resist arrest, or have accomplices waiting in their wake. In short, the failure of the arrest operation was not entirely unexpected.

However, Fang Fang never expected that the perpetrator of the case involving the poisoning of discarded wound medicine would ultimately appear before the police in such a tragic manner.

"I'll have Officer Jenny send you the police's on-site photos later, but that's roughly the situation. Based solely on the current description, Hugo, can you deduce any useful insights?"

After briefly describing the situation on the other end of the phone, the detective's assistant turned to the official director of the detective agency and asked...

"In cases of poisoning, it is difficult to draw well-founded conclusions without examining the autopsy."

A salty sea breeze swept over him. Hugo gazed at the beach under the setting sun and sighed. "But if I had to offer advice, you could conduct a scientific analysis of the items left at the scene. Examining the gaps in the suitcase, the dust on the soles of the shoes, the hair on the clothes—if you thoroughly investigate these items that haven't been taken away, you might be able to find out where the deceased went before entering Flying Cloud City and what Pokémon they might have used before their death. Also, don't forget to collect fingerprints from flat surfaces like doors, windows, and walls. Although I suspect the murderer would likely have been wearing gloves when handling the body, we'll still have to try our luck; after all, everyone makes mistakes sometimes."

"Do these scientific analyses require an application to the police?"

Azure asked anxiously. Although she had passed the initial test for detective, she wasn't omnipotent enough to analyze the dust on the soles of shoes.

"No need," the detective replied.

"The police departments in the Unova region have investigators who specialize in these kinds of analyses. You can assist them by filling in any gaps in their knowledge. I've worked with investigators from the Flying Cloud Police Department before, and they're all quite friendly. As long as you don't damage the evidence at the scene, they won't give you too much trouble."

"Really?" A fleeting image flashed through Azure's mind of a detective wielding a trophy at a crime scene, smashing it against a flowerpot, but she quickly dismissed it and asked, "Hugo, will you be involved in the investigation afterward?"

This poisoning case was the first serious case that Bilan had encountered on her own since becoming a detective. Although Bilan felt relieved to have to hand over the half-finished case to her superior because of this sudden turn of events, she still felt a little regretful.

"My arrangements here are almost finished. After saying goodbye to my companions, I can meet you at the police station."

Because he was on the phone, Hugo walked aimlessly along the road for a few steps while talking.

As they got closer to the beach, the detective noticed the figure standing at the far end of the sand again.

It really was a standing figure.

Why is this person standing alone on the beach? The water there must be knee-deep.

While the detective was distracted by the strange occurrences in the distance, Azure hesitated again on the other end of the phone before speaking, "I have one last question, Hugo. This might sound a bit naive... but if the victim at the crime scene really was the perpetrator of the poisoning case in Feiyun City, then the person who poisoned him could be considered to have done a good deed, right? Even so, should we still pursue the perpetrator who did the good deed to the very end?"

"This is no child's question," Hugo said.

"Ah, I don't have any intention of resisting this case. I know that crimes cannot cancel each other out. On the contrary, I'm quite unhappy that someone else has struck first when I was hunting my prey."

Perhaps sensing that her question might cause a misunderstanding, Bilan quickly added, "I just want to know, as a professional detective, Hugo, how do you think about and handle such problems in a case?"

"I see. It does feel satisfying to see bad guys get their comeuppance, and it can certainly make people want to support the killer. Also, if the person who poisoned the poisoner is motivated by social justice or is even a former victim of the poisoner and decides to take revenge, continuing to investigate the case can indeed make people feel morally uncomfortable."

As Hugo spoke, he followed his curiosity and walked toward the figures on the beach.

Do you ever feel that way?

"There might be a little bit. But as detectives, the part we need to be morally responsible for is actually very small."

"Very insignificant?"

"Yes, even if we help the police catch criminals, it's not us who convict them. The Alliance's legal system will slowly assess the crimes committed by criminals according to standards through lengthy and complicated judicial procedures. In this process, all the moral considerations we can think of will ultimately be factored into the punishment. The detective work we do to assist the police may sound prestigious, but at best, it only increases the efficiency and accuracy of sending criminals into the assessment system."

Of course, if you feel the court's ruling is unfair, or that the law itself has problems, and therefore refuse to become an accomplice to this assessment system, that is certainly a reasonable and understandable choice. After all, standing idly by is a freedom inherent in human nature. But that's another matter entirely, unrelated to the case at hand—the detective added.

Stepping onto the beach outside the road, Hugo felt the fineness and flow of the sand through his shoes.

As the night grew darker, it became even harder for him to see the figure in the distance. The detective was in a dilemma; he hadn't brought a flashlight with him, and his phone was on a call and couldn't be used for lighting.

"So that's what you were thinking—"

Azure Assistant's voice rang in my ears, still filled with deep contemplation.

"Actually, there is an even simpler way to clear your mind."

Hugo suddenly had a good idea and said in a light tone, "This time, you can ask Officer Jenny for the consultation fee. The specific amount can be assessed by you, who participated in the entire investigation. Detectives are not some chivalrous heroes, but professionals who act only when commissioned—nothing makes this clearer than being paid to do something."

The waves crashed against the shore, producing a deep yet rhythmic sound.

Amidst the monotonous white noise, Hugo heard the detective's assistant's wry smile: "You're right. After working as a private detective in the agency for so long, doing things like stalking, secretly filming, and illegally gathering evidence, it seems I'm still not fully mature."

"After all, our world isn't just black and white," Hugo couldn't help but smile.

He didn't tell Bilan that for a detective, a commission is not just a means of making a living by doing things for money. It is also a constraint.

Those who seek the truth are sometimes blinded by their intense curiosity, unable to resist doing unnecessary things and uncovering unnecessary truths.

The extra consequences are often not something a detective can easily bear based on mere interest.

That is precisely why delegation is necessary, and why a delegate is needed.

Whether it's a wife investigating her husband's infidelity, a child searching for the location of a lost Pokémon, or a detective tracking down a heinous criminal, there needs to be a client to ensure that, when the final mystery is revealed, at least one person in the world is willing to pay the commission fee for that truth.

Only in this way can a detective be a detective—not a nuisance who arbitrarily exposes things, invades others' privacy, and interferes with police duties.

Just like the difference between poison and medicine, sometimes all that matters is a doctor's prescription.

Just as Hugo reached the deeper part of the beach, hesitating whether to get his shoes dirty and step into the water, a new clue seemed to have been discovered at the crime scene. After reporting to Hugo, Azure hurriedly hung up the phone.

As the detective approached, he finally saw the figure at the edge of his field of vision, thanks to the reflection of the sea.

She was a long-haired woman wearing a light pink dress. She had been standing in the water, which was knee-deep, at the end of the beach ever since the detective got out of the car to make a phone call.

Because her back was to the beach, Hugo couldn't see her movements or expressions; he could only see her hands in front of her, as if she were holding something.

Is it calling for a Pokémon that lives in the sea?

The detective simply couldn't believe that the long dress the woman was wearing, while beautiful, was clearly a style impractical for movement in the water. Moreover, so much time had passed, and the woman had remained completely still, making no attempt to attract attention, and not a single Pokémon had appeared on the shore.

The seawater had submerged the detective's shoes, began to soak through his socks, and seeped into his shoes. The seawater on this early spring night was colder than he had expected.

Something seemed amiss—Hugo sensed something was wrong and quickened his pace toward the woman.

Since the other person remained standing still amidst the waves, it meant that the woman still possessed the ability to maintain her balance in the water. Therefore, the figure I saw was most likely not a human body. So, what exactly did she want?

On this dark evening, on this deserted beach, braving the early spring sea breeze, with most of his lower body submerged in the cold seawater, facing the boundless ocean without moving, seemingly holding something in his hand—is there any theory that can explain this behavior?

An answer naturally came to the detective's mind: the other person wanted to commit suicide, attempting to leave this world by taking poison or jumping into the sea. The reason she was motionless at this moment was because she was gazing at the sea, hesitating whether her choice was right.

This conjecture was somewhat extreme and lacked reliable evidence, but considering the serious consequences that might result from standing by and doing nothing, the detective didn't have time to verify the correctness of his reasoning. He disregarded his clothes and began to run through the ankle-deep seawater.

Water splashed everywhere, and the sound should have reached the woman's ears, but she didn't react at all. "Hey! You in front! What are you doing?"

Hugo shouted.

It was only at this point that the woman made her first obvious movement.

She seemed to want to turn her head, but whether it was because she had been in the cold seawater for too long or because of a moment of panic, her movements were extremely stiff.

When dealing with someone contemplating suicide, calling out to them from a distance is not a wise move, as the person may react excessively due to panic.

However, the two were currently on a shallow beach, so there shouldn't be any immediate risk of drowning. The only thing to be wary of was, just as Hugo had feared, the woman glanced back at the detective, and then, like a machine awakened, clumsily began to do what she was doing.

Judging from the figure behind him, it seemed as if he was trying to open a bottle. Seeing the woman's haggard and dazed expression in the water, the detective quickened his pace. However, the increasing depth of the water hindered his progress, and there was still some distance between them.

The other person raised one arm, indicating that the bottle cap was already open and they were taking out the contents.

Just then, a small shadow leaped out of the water.

Bogarman, whose ball had been released by the detective beforehand, leaped out of the shallow water and snatched the object from the woman's hand amidst her gasp.

The little creature, having fallen back into the sea, plunged into the water, transforming into a blurry black shadow, and slithered back to the detective's side.

They even managed to find and tighten the bottle cap again; my handheld sprite is indeed not to be underestimated.

Hugo looked down at the container he had taken from Pogaman, sighed, and then looked up at the woman who had turned away but was now standing there bewildered.

"You—mine—return it—"

The woman in the pink dress was rambling incoherently.

The detective sighed, took two steps forward again, and spoke first, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Hugo, the head of a detective agency in Feiyun City. May I ask, madam, what kind of help do you need?"

Hugo opened his palm, revealing the medicine bottle that Bogarman had snatched from the woman's hand.

"By the way, even if you take sleeping pills in the water, the body will experience a strong jolt the moment you fall in, forcibly waking you up. Therefore, no matter the dosage, you won't drown while you're asleep."

The detective shook the medicine bottle in his hand, and only after sensing that it contained more than half the pills did he feel a little relieved—at least for the time being, the other party did not intend to overdose on sleeping pills.

If a person disobeys a doctor's orders and takes an excessive amount of medication, a sleeping pill that is meant to induce sleep can become a deadly poison that causes prolonged slumber.

The detective stopped in the water, straightened his brand-new tuxedo that he had intended to wear to the charity gala, and bowed politely to the trembling lady, saying, "I'm not sure if I can help you, but if you've been having any troubles lately, would you be willing to talk to me about them?"

He shrugged. "You don't need to be so wary of me. After all, I'm just a complete stranger who suddenly appeared; I can't possibly be more terrifying than death, can I?"