Chapter 2357

"You mentioned a sweet smell. Did you notice anything else?" Warick asked.

Astin thought for a moment before responding. "Yes, there seemed to be something like fine threads."

"Threads?" Warick asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, greenish-blue fine threads, clearly visible on the floor of the room," Astin confirmed.

"Are you sure?" Warick asked, pulling out a file. "We didn't find any such threads at the scene. We thoroughly examined the area and found nothing resembling what you described."

Astin thought for a moment before replying firmly, "There were definitely threads. If they're not visible now, they might have been hidden."

"Hidden? That's unlikely. We had the area sealed off," Warick responded.

At that moment, a middle-aged man walked in. "Captain," Warick greeted then stood up to make way for him.

The man took a seat and then addressed Astin. "Astin, can you determine the cause of death?"

Astin closed his eyes and contemplated in silence for a while. After a moment, he opened his eyes and said, "I know what happened."

"Oh? Let's hear it." The captain took a sip of water and gestured for Astin to continue.

Astin explained, "Based on my understanding, the cause of death might be quite unusual... He was likely choked to death."

At this, Warick's expression changed instantly. "H-How is that possible? We just received the report-"

"Warick, don't interrupt," the captain said, pressing Warick back into his seat and signaling for Astin to continue.

Astin elaborated, "The sweet smell, the burnt smell of flames... The perpetrator likely poured melted syrup directly into the victim's body. The low temperature from the air conditioning would cause the syrup to solidify slowly.

"But I find it hard to believe that the murderer would go to such lengths. That's something I don't quite understand."

The captain clapped his hands. "Good job. Your observations are quite impressive. But if I told you that this hotel isn't the actual crime scene, what would you deduce?"

Astin thought for a moment and then cautiously asked, "Are you saying the victim was killed elsewhere and then moved to the hotel?"

The captain nodded. "Exactly. You've deduced it well, but your focus on the room's environment led you to overlook many details. The temperature inside the room was indeed low, but air conditioning has a fixed range of temperatures. Even the lowest setting wouldn't be cold enough to freeze syrup.

"Additionally, as you mentioned, you detected a sweet smell, which means the syrup had not solidified. Otherwise, no matter how keen your sense of smell is, you wouldn't have detected it."

Astin nodded in agreement.

"That's right. If you already know so much, then you must have figured out who the perpetrator is, right?"

The captain shook his head. "Sorry, despite checking the surveillance footage, we haven't identified any suspicious individuals. We didn't even see anyone carrying luggage."

"What about the hotel records?" Astin asked.

"We checked those too. They were mostly fine."

Astin sighed. "Sorry, I'm at a loss here. But I reiterate, I have no connection to this

case. In the end, I'm just a passerby and can't be of much help.”

The captain stood up, offering, "Then how about this? Become a special investigator for this case and assist us in solving it. What do you think?"