Returner Fantasy-Chapter 170: Murder - Part 3

"Tell me what you need. If I deem it worthy of my pledge, the Iron Rod Legion will answer your call."

"Jess and I weren’t the only ones who didn’t have an alibi, right?"

Continuing Jeff’s supposed interrogation, Luke told him about the other suspects who didn’t have any proven alibi at the time of Cindy’s death.

First was Cindy’s new photographer—Keny—a 25-year-old guy of average height with a chubby body.

"He was exploring the island alone at night to relax and didn’t know about Cindy’s death until he returned to the hotel by midnight. He was sure no one saw him, as he didn’t encounter anyone during his stroll."

Luke repeated the exact statement he got from the interrogation, then showed the suspect’s profile to Jeff—doing the same routine for the next suspects.

Second was Cindy’s assistant—Rose—a 19-year-old blonde girl with the same height of 169 centimeters as Cindy, and also a newbie model.

"She said she was in their room the entire night, but the hotel staff already verified that no one was in Cindy’s room when they first checked on her due to Mira and Mina’s complaint about the thief. So she was lying and doesn’t want anyone to know the truth."

Third was one of the PoruMerc staff—Jaxon—a 30-year-old married man who was usually in charge of security.

"He said he was in his room sleeping the entire night, but his roommate claimed that he was gone for an hour under the pretext of going to the bathroom during the time of the murder."

Fourth was one of the PoruMerc Women’s Division producers—Gray—a middle-aged man already showing obvious signs of balding.

"This one was indeed seen going into his room, but he didn’t respond when the hotel staff checked on him during their inspection—not even when the PoruMerc staff tried to report Cindy’s death."

Fifth and sixth were two male models from the PoruMerc Men’s Division—Sam and Theo—the first had black hair while the other was blond. Both were around the same height as Jeff and just as muscular as him.

"These two claimed to be having intimacy somewhere on the island at night—"

"The two of them?" Jeff asked in disbelief, cutting into Luke’s explanation, thinking that the two men were having a duel with their swords on a remote island—or so he assumed, until Luke continued.

"—with other female models."

"Sorry about that."

"However, they refuse to name who those models are, so they can’t support their alibi."

"Or maybe it was really just the two of them, right?"

Ignoring Jeff’s unnecessary concern, even though the other suspects didn’t have an alibi, Jess and him still remained the main suspects.

Not only did they have motives—with Jess threatening to kill Cindy in front of everyone for approaching Jeff—but they also had the means to access the villa through the underground passage connected to the cave where they had their intimacy that night.

After all, the villa was locked—both doors and windows—making Cindy’s death a locked-room murder case.

"Couldn’t there be someone who got out of the cave after we left?"

Jeff’s reasoning was a possibility Luke had considered as well.

"However, you’ve got no evidence to prove that—or that someone is trying to frame Jess by using her greatsword as the murder weapon."

"Then what about the missing thief? He could be the killer," Jeff said, asking Luke for any information the police had on the thief’s identity.

"I’ll tell you once I get the report from the station, but wouldn’t it be better to just find him and ask him directly?" Luke replied as he stood up from his seat, ending Jeff’s interrogation.

Aside from finding the thief, Jeff’s goal was to learn more about the other suspects—their real locations during the time of the murder and any possible motives to kill Cindy.

However, when he arrived at the hotel buffet hall together with Luke, Jeff noticed a different goal he immediately had to deal with.

"Can you lend me your gun, Luke-senpai?"

"Oi—don’t increase the body count and add another murder."

Luke himself understood—or so he thought—that Jeff wanted to shoot his senior detective, Rowan, for trying to make a move on Jess.

Although he clearly misunderstood half of the situation, since Jeff was actually trying to save Rowan’s life and stop Jess from truly murdering someone.

"I mean your taser gun, not your handgun," Jeff said, making it clear what he actually meant.

"Make it hurt, then," Luke replied, handing his taser gun to Jeff.

---

"I’m giving you three seconds to get away from my boyfriend’s seat, or you’ll leave this island in a body bag... One... Two..."

"You’re not serious, are you—"

—BAM!—

At the count of three, without even speaking the word itself, Jess gripped her knife and abruptly stood from her seat, knocking down the chair and causing a loud thud that attracted everyone’s attention in the buffet hall.

She brandished her knife in a reverse grip, ready to stab Rowan’s left hand on the table, completely missing Jeff’s approach as she was too mad and irritated by everything that had happened—ruining her work and vacation.

—ZAP!—

A few meters away from his target, Jeff shot Rowan with the taser gun straight to the nape, instantly knocking him out as high-voltage electricity surged through his head and entire body.

"Please put down the knife, Jess."

His voice finally made her look in his direction, causing Jess to stop her knife right above Rowan’s left hand.

"You’re late, idiot," Jess muttered, pouting as she avoided his gaze.

He barely made it in time. Mira and Mina thought otherwise, sighing in relief—if Jeff had been a second late, Jess would really have stabbed that disgusting trash to death.

Despite the other police officers seeing Jeff taser a detective, no one said a word or made a complaint. They all simply pretended they saw nothing, making it clear how much Rowan was hated by his co-workers.

The other models and their crew, on the other hand, grew more afraid of Jess—though some liked her even more.

"I’ll keep him from interfering, so do your own investigation, Jeff," Luke said before leaving and returning to the interrogation room, dragging Rowan with him like a piece of wet rag across the floor—literally wet, since he had pissed himself when Jeff zapped him.

---

Despite Jeff wanting to join Jess, Mira, and Mina for lunch, the attention their group was getting from everyone in the buffet hall made it hard for them to relax.

Not to mention, Jeff’s supposed seat was now drenched with Rowan’s piss.

Therefore, they ordered takeout and returned to their new room on the 7th floor of the hotel. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"It’s probably her photographer—he probably got jealous that she was making a move on you," Mira said, guessing who the killer was after Jeff told everyone what he heard from Luke.

"It could also be her assistant. She most likely got tired of Cindy treating her like a slave," Mina added, giving another possible motive.

"Let’s put a bet on who the real killer is. I’m placing mine on that creepy producer—"

Interrupting Jess’s guessing, Mira and Mina tackled her down on the bed before scolding her again.

"Don’t treat this like a game, idiot!"

"If we can’t solve this murder, you’re really gonna get arrested, Jess!"

While Jess, Mira, and Mina were squabbling on the king-size bed, Jeff was enjoying himself—eating his lunch of mac and cheese topped with fries and chicken on the sofa—while watching what he could call erotic wrestling, all while thinking about the possible motives of the suspects.

Like Mira said, Cindy was probably in a relationship with her photographer and ended up having a fight because of jealousy.

As for Cindy’s assistant, she could have just resigned if Cindy really was treating her like a slave.

Maybe she had a reason to stay, Jeff thought, while watching Jess win the erotic wrestling by strangling both Mira and Mina.

As for the other suspects:

The security guard didn’t exactly have a motive Jeff could think of;

The producer could be hiding something, which is why he silenced Cindy;

And the two male models from the PoruMerc Men’s Division could possibly be trying to sabotage the Women’s Division photoshoot and the opening of the vacation island.

Regardless, those were poor motives and nothing more than Jeff’s speculation.

"We won’t be sure unless we confront them directly," Jeff said, getting Jess’s attention while Mira and Mina struggled to escape her iron grip over their faces.

---

Making a list of what they needed to do, interrogating the suspects—even through violence to force a confession—only came fourth.

Third was searching for the thief who ransacked their previous room and stole all of Jess’s undergarments.

Second was finding out who drew the Excalibur from the stone—or rather, who stole Jess’s greatsword that she left embedded in the ground in the hotel garden.

First and most importantly, Jeff had to answer the incoming call from Nubia.

[What kind of stupid things are you doing there, Jeff?!]