บท 7: Chapter 7: The Misleading Path to the Truth
Officer Jenny used her radio to contact her subordinates, instructing them to take over the follow-up investigation regarding the trash can.
Meanwhile, the detective began to explain his reasoning.
"There are two major misconceptions you have about this case."
Hugo, appearing to be in a good mood, tossed the empty gasoline bottle in his hand — a critical piece of evidence — while elaborating on his theories to Officer Jenny. His reckless behavior made her eyes twitch nervously.
"First, it's undeniable that the victim found near the sewer exit was deliberately murdered. The perpetrator's prior preparation of gasoline for burning the corpse shows that they had anticipated the victim's death. The faint scent of gasoline lingering on the corpse further supports this. Pokémon attacks that cause burns don't typically leave such a smell, so the only explanation is that the gasoline was brought by the Trainer."
Officer Jenny recalled the scene of Hugo lying face-to-face with the corpse earlier, realizing it had been to confirm the odor on the charred remains.
"But why are you so sure the victim didn't die from a Pokémon battle? It's still possible that the Trainer died in a battle accident, and the opponent used gasoline to destroy the body afterward. Attacks like Double-Edge, Take Down, Pursuit, or Head Smash from Pignite could have easily been the cause of the delinquent's death," she countered.
"This leads to the second key issue — why did the perpetrator burn the body?" Hugo said, leaning into the conversation.
"At first, we assumed it was an accidental battle gone wrong, causing the Pignite to go berserk," Jenny recalled. "But that theory was disproven. Burning the body turned out to be the work of the escaping Trainer. Was it to erase evidence and buy time to flee?"
"That explanation has a contradiction," Hugo replied. "If the perpetrator wanted to conceal their identity, they wouldn't have used fire to burn the body. That act would immediately draw the police's attention to Trainers with Fire-type Pokémon. For the Trainer of the Pignite, it's a foolish move."
Pointing toward the crime scene, Hugo elaborated, "If the perpetrator truly wanted to mislead the investigation, they could've thrown the body — injured or killed in a Pokémon battle — into the depths of the sewer. By the time the body was discovered and retrieved, the decomposition would make the time of death unclear, and the cause of death could be attributed to any Pokémon's attack. This would make identifying the perpetrator even more challenging."
"So why did the perpetrator both try to hide their involvement and simultaneously expose themselves as a Fire-type Pokémon Trainer?" Hugo raised the gasoline bottle high, emphasizing his point.
"Could it be an oversight on the perpetrator's part? Maybe they thought burning the body was advantageous without considering the complications," Jenny suggested.
"A plausible guess," Hugo acknowledged. "Every crime has its share of stupidity and accidents. However, such carelessness is unlikely during the preparation phase of a premeditated crime."
He put the gasoline bottle aside and began lecturing like a criminal psychology professor.
"In most murder cases, the perpetrator's ultimate goals fall into two categories: committing the crime and escaping punishment. The first involves a breakdown of rationality, with the murderer acting under destructive intent. The second signifies the return of rationality, as the murderer seeks to evade consequences and reintegrate into society."
"In premeditated murders, where escaping punishment is planned from the outset, every action during the preparation phase typically has a clear purpose," he concluded.
"So what was the perpetrator's true purpose?" Jenny asked, anticipating his answer.
"To reconstruct the crime scene!" Hugo declared. "The perpetrator deliberately disrupted all traces left at the crime scene to mislead the investigation."
He continued, "Think about the anonymous tip-off. An accidental witness? Watching from afar but somehow knowing the identities of both parties? Using an outdated emergency public phone instead of a mobile device? Do you really believe it was a simple report?"
Jenny gasped, "Are you saying the anonymous caller was the perpetrator themselves?"
"Absolutely," Hugo nodded.
"No well-meaning bystander disconnected from the case would go to such lengths to use an emergency phone. At the crime scene, the only person capable of making that call was the perpetrator."
Hugo pressed on despite Jenny's shocked expression. "Your understanding of the case is entirely based on the perpetrator's lies. Therefore, everything — the victim's identity, their Pokémon, and the scene's condition — must be reconsidered with irrefutable evidence."
Jenny mulled over the clues: a charred, unidentified body, battle damage at the scene, an empty gasoline bottle, an unconscious Pignite in a Poké Ball, and a Liepard sent to the hospital.
"Don't forget the anonymous call," Hugo reminded. "Lies can still contain truths."
Jenny scribbled frantically in her notebook, circling "victim's identity" with bold strokes.
"I'm stuck," Jenny admitted. "The unconscious Pignite in the trash can is a mystery. Why would the perpetrator abandon their accomplice Pokémon?"
"They must've had no choice," Hugo mused. "And that Poké Ball? It distracted you, didn't it? You almost overlooked the gasoline bottle."
Jenny paused, noting "no choice" in her notebook.
"And the Liepard. If we discard the caller's unreliable claims, we can only assume the Liepard belonged to either the perpetrator or the victim," she said.
"Exactly," Hugo confirmed.
"The last clue is the phone call. What does a deceptive call reveal? Did the perpetrator want the police at the scene as soon as possible?"
"Correct!" Hugo snapped his fingers.
Jenny glared. "Stop promoting me in your imagination!"
"You've recorded everything needed to solve this case. Now, we only need to connect the dots…"
Suddenly, Hugo paused, realization dawning on him.
"What's wrong?" Jenny asked.
"The truth is clear now," Hugo murmured. "I know where the perpetrator is headed!"
The murderer wasn't in hiding; they had somewhere to go.
"To the Pokémon Center treating the Liepard! Quickly!" he ordered.
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