The Case Book of Arne (アルネの事件簿)

THE CASEBOOK OF ARNE

ONE SWALLOW DOES NOT A SUMMER MAKE!

First, let's go over your alibis.

Before the master of the house called for Lynn Reinweiß,

the only people moving about were the two maids, correct?

FLOOR MAP OF THE REINWEIß ESTATE 1ST FLOOR

After that, Diana left her room and went to the guest room on the second floor.

That's what Zisye... uh, wh-what the mirror showed.

The mirror?

I rigged the mirrors so we'd know when someone passed in front of one.

Huh?

As such, in order to get to the master's room on the third floor,

FLOOR MAP OF THE REINWEIß ESTATE 2ND FLOOR

you'd be seen by the second-floor mirror or the guard in the dining room.

FLOOR MAP OF THE REINWEIß ESTATE 1ST FLOOR

Around that time, Kai climbed a ladder to meet Diana in the guest room.

The figure Heinz saw outside must have been Kai.

We also know the gardener didn't continue into the house from the guest room.

The mirror confirms that.

FLOOR MAP OF THE REINWEIß ESTATE 1ST FLOOR

Next, Elise made her way from the kitchen to Father's room.

She got as far as the door before returning to the second-floor hallway.

She remembered he didn't want any water,

so she poured it into the vase of flowers.

FLOOR MAP OF THE REINWEIß ESTATE 1ST FLOOR

By that time, my father had called for me, so I was on my way to the third floor.

As I passed the second floor,

I heard Elise break the vase and the glass,

FLOOR MAP OF THE REINWEIß ESTATE 2ND FLOOR

but I continued on up to Father's room.

FLOOR MAP OF THE REINWEIß ESTATE 3RD FLOOR

KLAUS'S ROOM BEDROOM

That's where you were struck by the killer and left pleasantly unconscious.

What do you mean "pleasantly"?!

FLOOR MAP OF THE REINWEIß ESTATE 2ND FLOOR

Anyway, Elise cleaned up the mess in the hallway,

FLOOR MAP OF THE REINWEIß ESTATE 3RD FLOOR

then went to the third-floor storeroom to look for a replacement vase.

FLOOR MAP OF THE REINWEIß ESTATE 1ST FLOOR

Around the same time, Gordon left his room to go talk

about meals with Heinz in the kitchen.

On the way, he saw Bernd in the dining room.

A short time after that, the guard headed to the master's room,

where he'd been summoned.

FLOOR MAP OF THE REINWEIß ESTATE 3RD FLOOR

Elise took a vase down to the second floor, but the two didn't cross paths.

Then, Bernd used his spare key to enter Father's room.

He saw me unconscious next to the corpse and cried out.

The only other people with spare keys are the old butler and the taller maid.

That pretty much it for what we know.

Huh?

THE MAID, ELISE

This maid visits the master's room to give him the water for his medicine.

She enters the room, knocks out Lynn Reinweiß when she comes to visit,

then shoves the master into the basement, where he falls to his death.

The storeroom next door holds weaponry.

It wouldn't have been hard for her to remove the impostor's head.

Impostor?

The headless corpse was not Father's.

His actual body was in the basement.

Huh?

B-Basement? But I never—

After the act, she locks the door and escapes to the storeroom via a route

only someone of her size can squeeze through.

She crawls through the air vent.

It's extremely narrow, but this petite maid could have made it through.

That ignores one thing!

Elise could not have used the air vent.

When I crawled through the air vent, it was dust paradise in there.

If Elise had already crawled through it, there would've been much less dust.

You are correct.

This maid is not the killer.

Elise!

Miss-tress Lynn!

What a relief. I'm so glad.

I am, too.

Now it's your turn, Lynn Reinweiß.

This is the moment of confrontation.

I have to identify the killer?

THE COOK, HEINZ

H-Heinz leaves the kitchen before the time of the crime to go to Father's room—

To get out of the kitchen, he'd have to go through the dining room or backyard,

FLOOR MAP OF THE REINWEIß ESTATE 1ST FLOOR

but the guard was in the dining room the whole time.

Th-Then, he goes through the backyard...

There are guard dogs in the yard.

What else do you have?

Nothing.

Then, that means Heinz isn't the killer, right?

Even if you're just trying to use me to get off the hook,

I'd appreciate shrewder theories than that.

Right.

So that's what that was about.

Thanks, Lynn.

THE MAID, DIANA THE GARDENER, KAI

Given how you were coordinating with each other,

I hereby deduce you were accomplices.

If they'd found a way to break into the master's room,

they could've easily done it.

If the gardener doesn't enter the mansion through the guest room,

he must use the ladder to get in.

The ladder may only just reach the second floor,

but if he pulls it up with him once there,

he has access to the third floor as well.

Sure, but isn't it too heavy for that?

He can't lift it alone,

but the maid is there, waiting in the guest room.

So they pull it up together,

then the gardener climbs up to the third floor.

Next, he scrambles onto the roof and heads to the master's room.

The maid goes to the master to distract him.

Meanwhile, the gardener enters from the balcony,

and they commit the crime together.

The gardener could then take the head and weapons outside,

while the maid locks the door with her spare key.

Clearly, these two are the killers.

You can't...

It's not true! We were simply...

That ignores one thing!

The two of them couldn't lift the ladder together!

Oh?

Diana has an extreme fear of heights.

She could never go out onto a balcony.

As they didn't leave the guest room, they couldn't have committed the crime.

Hmph. Fine.

Mistress Lynn.

I wanna hear all about you two later on, okay?

Sure.

Well, that leaves two.

Which one do you want to take?

It looks like you've already chosen the one you think isn't the killer.

Wait, so whoever she doesn't pick is the killer?

You'll pick me then, won't you?

I'm not the killer!

Stop being so disrespectful.

Who gives a damn about respect now?

Gordon!

Bernd, yeah. Pick Bernd.

Bernd. Bernd.

Then, I choose...

Gordon.

Huh?

Oh? How would he get from his room on the first floor to the master's room?

I don't know.

Which means it's impossible for him to have done it.

Ergo...

Wh-What the hell? I'm the security guard here!

Why would I want to kill—

THE GUARD, BERND

Huh?

No! I'm not the killer!

Mister Bernd?

But why?

I knew it.

So it was you.

No! This doesn't make any sense!

Is Bernd really the killer?

Of course not.

Huh?

Hey, guard.

I don't care what you say. I'm not the—

Hmm. It's even worse than I heard.

Oh! Bernd faints at the sight of blood!