Chapter 1897 1905 [Riddler's Flaw]
The scriptwriter was annoyed to death by the ringing phone interrupting his work.
He pushed the stool away, strode to the landline, picked up the receiver, and was about to curse.
But when he recognized the voice on the phone, the scriptwriter's tone softened: "It's you. Haha, don't worry, I think I know who the 'red-bearded Santa Claus' is."
"Hmm? You finally changed your mind? - You're really slow to realize how powerful I am." The playwright laughed happily after hearing what he said. "Okay, I'll go over now."
After hanging up the phone, he didn't bother to pay attention to the new script that had not been revised yet. He rubbed his hands excitedly, put on his coat, and strode out.
At the same time.
By the window of a room on the 3rd floor.
Hashimoto Maya looked at the figure who had avoided the patrolling police and quietly slipped out of the house, with a serious expression: "What does this guy want to do?"
Izuka Saburo: "I don't know, but I have a feeling he won't live long."
The two men looked at each other and then looked away: Very good, now it was certain that "that thing" had completely focused its attention on this interesting troupe - they were safe.
…
"Hiss, it's so cold." The playwright, wearing a handsome windbreaker, stopped beside a small lake near the hotel.
He posed handsomely in the wind for a while, but he didn't last more than a minute before he started rubbing his hands in fear: "Why did we have to meet in a place like this? Women are so troublesome, always looking for romance... Hehe, but it doesn't matter, I will take you to a warm bed soon."
Imagining the happy time that was to come, the playwright smiled indescribably.
Behind him, in the howling cold wind, a tightly wrapped black shadow appeared silently and raised a cold steel pipe in his hand.
Then smash it down hard.
…
A few hours later.
I thought that since someone died last night, everyone could spend the night in peace and grief.
However, not long after, the second victim appeared.
In the frozen lake near the hotel, a body was lying face down in a hole in the ice.
On the belt behind the body was a greeting card with a Christmas pattern on it - there was no doubt that the murderer was the "red-bearded Santa Claus" again.
This time, Officer Fuwa finally lost her previous composure. She pressed the lighter but couldn't light it for a long time. In the end, she could only hold the cigarette stiffly in her lips.
Suzuki Sonoko was awakened from her sleepiness by the sight of this scene. She couldn't help but whisper to Jiang Xia, "Does the 'Red Bearded Santa Claus' really have a grudge against their entire troupe? Could it be that all of them will die this time?"
Hashimoto Maya glanced over here quietly: "..." How many people are going to die, don't you know? ——At such a young age, his acting skills are quite good, worthy of being Uzo's lackey.
...By the way, how did Uzo get the daughter of a wealthy consortium like this to obey his orders?
Seeing Uzo's power expand is more painful than seeing herself being arrested by the police. Hashimoto Maya can only pray secretly that the Suzuki couple, who are still in power, will not be deceived by the evil forces from the organization.
But these things are still far away.
Compared to Hashimoto Maya, some people were obviously more panicked at this time.
The "clown" in the troupe also heard what Suzuki Sonoko said, and couldn't help but loudly refute: "I didn't do anything, why kill me!"
As he spoke, he took two steps forward and grasped Jiang Xia's hand, as if he had grasped a life-saving straw: "I finally understand that these policemen are simply not reliable - now I can only rely on you, you should quickly solve the case and catch that man!"
The detective looked at the poor man who was troubled by the murderer with sympathy, as if he wanted to take his place: "Don't worry, I will do my best. But before that, shouldn't you tell me everything you know?"
…
Back at the hotel, they found a warm room.
The frightened "Joker" also followed in and told the crowd the information he knew under their gaze.
"This is not the first time our troupe has performed in this hotel. I also heard the story of 'Santa Claus with a Red Beard' by chance from the hotel manager."
The clown actor sighed and said, "You may not know that the manager likes to mention the matter of 'Room 315' and 'Santa Claus with a red beard' very much, but every time he mentions it, he is very secretive and mysterious, and refuses to tell others the details."
Upon hearing this, Hashimoto Maya and Izuka Saburo could not help but look at each other and wanted to nod: "..." They knew, they knew very well - if "that thing" was not likely nearby and they had to be careful with their words and actions, they would probably have followed their hearts and put the riddle man manager in a sack, beat him up, and tortured him severely.
The clown actor has his own unique trick of asking questions: "I am very curious and really want to know the whole story. Fortunately, although the manager is tight-lipped, he likes to drink. So one day after get off work, I got him drunk in the name of thanking him, and finally asked him about the thing he always talked about.
"'Santa Claus with a Red Beard' is a real guest. He first came to this hotel 10 years ago - it was also a Christmas Eve with a light snow. 'Santa Claus with a Red Beard' came to the hotel carrying a package.
"Even though 10 years have passed, the manager still has a deep impression of this guest because he was dressed in red from head to toe - he wore red pants, a red windbreaker, red gloves, and a red hat. Even his hair and beard were dyed red.
"The guest dressed in red came to the front desk and opened the bag he was carrying. Inside the bag were bundles of banknotes. He pushed the whole bag of money to the front desk and asked to rent Room 315 here for a long term of 10 years.
"From that day on, he lived in this inn."
Jiang Xia thought of the red room where Hashimoto Maya and the others were when he passed by the third floor: "So he was the one who decorated room 315 like that?"
The clown nodded. "From the walls to the curtains, to some furniture and ceiling lights, everything that could be changed was changed to red. The manager was also shocked when he saw it, and even now he can see that he is dissatisfied with it. But the guest paid too much money and paid a huge sum of money to rent the room for 10 years, so the manager had to endure it and did not interfere.
"In the ten years since then, the guest has hardly ever gone out, staying in that red room all day. The only communication with the outside world is the occasional phone call.
"One day a year ago, when the waiter went to clean the room, he saw 'Santa Claus with a red beard' lying motionless on the bed - he was dead."
(End of this chapter)
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