Chapter 562: Chapter 562: The Double Identity Murder Case_1
That evening, at the Empress Hotel.
Aiden and Deborah sat across from each other at a small table in a private room, with Silvertown’s bustling night scene visible through a small window, and the room lit not by gas lamps but by fragrant candles, their scent wafting through the air.
In Aiden’s own assessment, the place had quite the atmosphere of a matchmaking session. Naturally, Deborah had reserved the private room right from the start.
As soon as Aiden finished work that day, he met up with Deborah, who had been waiting outside the prison to invite him to dinner.
"Last time I went overboard with the opulence, so this time I’ve chosen a more affordable restaurant. Please, allow me this opportunity to treat you," Deborah said, her hands intertwined and propped under her chin as she gazed at Aiden with shining eyes, "Mr. Aiden can treat me in return another time."
"An affordable restaurant, huh..." Aiden chuckled wryly as he glanced outside the window, "Miss Deborah, it seems your idea of ’affordable’ differs a little from mine. I suspect your income must be quite high."
Dinner at the Empress Hotel wasn’t exactly cheap. The working class would normally only come here for meals on special occasions like wedding anniversaries. It was certainly not what one would consider "affordable."
"It’s decent. The theater offered me a very generous contract to keep me on board," Deborah said with a smile, "On top of that, I’ve done some magazine covers and advertisements... Ah, please rest assured, all fully respectable! My face alone is enough for these photoshoots."
"I believe that, and you didn’t really have to explain it to me specifically," Aiden replied with a smile.
"More than that, though the photographer I work with is male, he’s a vampire with little interest in women!" Deborah continued her explanation.
Aiden widened his eyes in surprise, "A vampire photographer? Don’t tell me... it’s not Kaordo, is it?"
"You know him? He’s quite famous in the industry," she replied.
"I thought he was just bragging all the time," Aiden remembered the somewhat obnoxious vampire and couldn’t help laughing, "I only recall him giving me some... ’benefits’ that are strictly for men’s eyes."
"I’ve never taken those, really!" Deborah immediately insisted, as if she was about to swear an oath.
"Alright, alright, I know," Aiden raised his hand to signal that she need not emphasize it further and steered the topic back on track, "So, Miss Deborah, about the matter we discussed last time, how have you considered it? Seeing as you suddenly asked to meet, it seems you’ve come to a conclusion."
"I’ve given it careful thought, and indeed, it must be Mr. Aiden," Deborah said earnestly.
"Uh, that’s not what I meant," Aiden’s smile turned a bit bitter.
"That is what I mean. After careful consideration, I believe that since I’m the pursuer, it’s only right for me to adapt to Mr. Aiden’s pace," Deborah explained as she pulled out a piece of paper.
"What is this?" Aiden turned his gaze to the paper, not immediately grasping the situation.
"It’s the itinerary for our dates, or in other words, the things I hope to do with Mr. Aiden," Deborah said with excitement.
"All I see is a newspaper clipping," Aiden noted, "Have you got the wrong paper?"
"No mistake, please take a closer look at this clipping," Deborah insisted, holding up the newspaper.
"Urban legend ’The Doppelganger Killer?’ What is this..." Aiden skimmed and frowned instantly.
The clipping collected reports on three supernatural murder cases and the related investigation progress, with two incidents occurring in the Empire and one in a self-governing state, all within the past three months.
The victims were brutally murdered at night and then turned into zombies using necromancy by the killer, who left them to wander the streets of the city attacking passersby.
There were some commonalities among these cases, such as the incidents all occurring on the night of a full moon, the fifteenth of the month, and all the victims being young women. The most chilling detail was that investigations into the victims’ activities prior to death revealed they had all appeared simultaneously in two different places.
In other words, on the day that they met their demise, a doppelganger-like presence appeared in the same city. This harbinger of death, dubbed "The Doppelganger" by the reporting media, added a layer of mystery and eeriness to the murders.
The Empire’s inquisition concluded that the perpetrator was a necromancer taking pleasure in the killings but didn’t release further details from their investigation. Clearly, they had no leads on the "Doppelganger" phenomenon.
"So, what is it you’re planning?" Aiden asked, looking at Deborah.
He vaguely guessed what she had in mind.
"That is, I hope Mr. Aiden will join forces with me to take care of this serial killer!" Deborah said with a serious face, "This is second on my list of issues to tackle."
"Your idea of a date is certainly unique," Aiden remarked, "But if it’s just about catching a criminal, I think you might have better luck working with the inquisition or some famous Bounty Hunters."
"This criminal, I’m afraid, is not someone that official organizations or ordinary Bounty Hunters can catch. You, being as astute as you are, must have already noticed the technique used by this person," Deborah said, looking into Aiden’s eyes.
"’Doppelganger’ magic?" Aiden voiced his guess.
"Exactly!"
"That would indeed be hard to catch," Aiden nodded.
"Doppelganger" magic allowed one to freely switch their appearance with someone else’s, making it perfectly suited for crime. The master of disguise, Liv the Phantom Thief, flaunted herself for years without being caught, mainly relying on this trump card.
"Mr. Aiden, you mentioned a trade last time, didn’t you? Here are my terms," Deborah said, "If you help me catch this criminal, I’ll give you what you want."
"Is that all?" Aiden sounded slightly surprised.
"Mr. Aiden seems quite confident," Deborah’s eyes brightened, "I surely didn’t choose the wrong person."
"No, I’m just a bit surprised by the condition you’ve set. I thought..."
"That I’d use this to coerce you into marrying me? Of course not, I’ve always said forced affection is meaningless," Deborah waved her hand dismissively, "Everything has to progress naturally. I hope to develop a relationship with you through our cooperation, just like my beloved parents did."
"I don’t mind going after the criminal, but where should we start?" Aiden inquired.
As for the nature of the condition itself, Aiden couldn’t have asked for a better one, but the premise was that Deborah’s described incident had a solution.
"I naturally have some leads," Deborah said as she pressed the service bell, gazing meaningfully at Aiden, "We can discuss it over dinner."
