I already read through all the reports you sent me, Senior.
You were right. This isn't an ordinary case.
I never imagined there'd be three different people confessing to the same murder at once. Have you ever handled a case like this before, Senior?
Ah, so this is your first time too, even after all your years in Department One. I see.
So, what do you think, Senior? Who do you suspect the most?
Lady Tremaine, maybe? The woman who claimed she killed the victim because she couldn't bear seeing her two daughters bullied at school anymore. From the reports I read, she was obsessed with the idea of a perfect family. The kind of mother who refused to let anything bad happen to her children.
Because she didn't want her daughters getting bullied again, Lady Tremaine snapped and strangled Ella. That's the conclusion I came to.
What about you, Senior? Do you think that's a strong enough motive for murder?
Or maybe... you prefer Anastasia Tremaine's motive?
Anastasia, consumed by jealousy after seeing her first love dancing with her own stepsister. The very person she hated most.
Murders driven by romance and jealousy aren't exactly rare, Senior. Just a few months ago, I handled a case with almost the exact same motive.
Then what about Drizella Tremaine?
You could say Drizella suffers from a bit of a mother complex. That girl loves her mother too much. Not that it's entirely wrong, though. Honestly, for some reason, I understand how Drizella feels. She just wanted her mother to be appreciated more. She couldn't stand seeing Ella treat her mother like garbage.
And Prince? I honestly don't know whether we should even include him on the suspect list or not, Inspector. When I read your report, I seriously couldn't figure that boy out. I mean... yeah, he's definitely weird. But... I don't know. I just don't think he's the killer.
Hm? My report?
Did you read the report I gave you, Senior?
That's pretty fast, considering I only handed it over a few hours ago.
Just like I wrote in there, I already interrogated Alice Bunn, Fairy Springfield, and several teachers responsible for supervising the event that night.
Personally, I didn't find anything strange about their testimonies.
Alice Bunn and Fairy Springfield were the ones who first discovered Ella's body in the back lobby of the school. Beneath the staircase, around one-thirty in the morning.
Ella's body was lying on the floor. Her dress was dirty with cake stains and dust. Both hands were wrapped around her neck, her mouth hanging open, her eyes wide like someone who'd been strangled or couldn't breathe.
Strangled by Lady Tremaine?
Or poisoned?
According to the forensic report, there were signs of an allergic reaction on Ella's body. Peanut cream residue was found stuck between her teeth.
While interrogating Alice Bunn and Fairy Springfield, I casually brought up peanuts and allergies.
"Yeah, Ella did have allergies."
"She was allergic to peanuts."
As her close friends, both Alice Bunn and Fairy Springfield confirmed it.
But that wasn't all the forensic team found. The examination also reported bruises on her elbows and shins, along with a sprained ankle.
Meanwhile, the crime scene investigation found a shattered flower pot. Soil and flowers were scattered near the corner of the first-floor staircase, not too far from where Ella's body had been discovered.
Fuuuuh. So what do you think, Senior?
Are you thinking the same thing I am?
The three of them weren't lying. Lady Tremaine and her two daughters, Anastasia and Drizella, really did kill Ella.
Or at least... that's what they believe.
Now then, what was the order of events, Senior?
You wrote in your report that before Lady Tremaine argued with Ella and strangled her, she saw Ella massaging her own leg first. And Ella's dress was already dirty by then.
Personally, I think Lady Tremaine's attack happened third.
Drizella came first. If Drizella truly didn't see the shattered flower pot downstairs, just like you wrote in your report, then that means Drizella's fight with Ella happened before Anastasia threw the pot from the second floor.
If I break it down in detail, this is the conclusion I reached.
Ella came from the school garden behind the building. Since the Prince had already discovered her lies, maybe Ella intended to confess and apologize. Especially to her own family: Lady Tremaine, Drizella, and most importantly, Anastasia, the one who suffered the most because of her.
In the back lobby, Ella ran into Drizella. Ella apologized through tears, but her stepsister didn't believe her. The two of them started fighting, rolling around on the floor. The cake stains dirtying Drizella's dress rubbed onto Ella's dress too. That's why Ella's dress looked filthy. Then eventually, by accident, Drizella pushed Ella down the stairs.
Drizella thought her sister had died. She panicked and ran away without checking.
But Ella wasn't dead yet, Senior. She was still alive.
After falling, Ella probably sat down at the bottom of the stairs first. Her arms and legs were bruised, and like the forensic team said, her ankle was sprained. She probably couldn't walk properly yet.
Not long after that, Anastasia came out of the restroom. She saw Ella sitting beneath the stairs. The person she hated most looked weak and helpless. So Anastasia made her move. Using that heavy flower pot packed with solid soil, she tried to kill Ella.
Unfortunately for her, Senior... she failed.
Anastasia had injuries on her wrist. Self-inflicted cuts from her failed suicide attempt. And besides, Anastasia wasn't exactly a strong girl to begin with. Her hands must've been trembling while lifting the pot. That's why her throw missed. The pot never hit Ella.
Anastasia, cowardly and emotional as always, fled the scene immediately. She thought she'd killed her stepsister.
But once again... Ella survived.
Wanting to leave the back lobby as quickly as possible, Ella started massaging her injured ankle, hoping the pain would ease. She kept rubbing it, over and over, until eventually she could stand and walk again.
Then, unfortunately, Lady Tremaine found her.
They argued. Lady Tremaine wanted Ella to admit all her lies, but Ella refused. After being pushed down the stairs and nearly hit by a flower pot, Ella no longer wanted to apologize.
She hated her stepfamily even more now. Ella started saying horrible things that provoked Lady Tremaine's emotions. The argument between mother and daughter spiraled out of control.
And eventually...
Well, you already know the rest, Senior. Lady Tremaine strangled Ella.
Done?
This case would've been easier if it ended there.
Unfortunately, something still doesn't add up, Senior.
Ella didn't die from strangulation. No. She died from poisoning. An allergic reaction.
That peanut residue found in her teeth...
Where did it come from?
I don't understand, Senior. Did I miss something?
Hm? What's that?
Wait a second. So you've had that thing this whole time? That's... Ella's diary. Since when...?
"Just recently," you said? This morning you went to the Tremaine residence, searched Ella's room, and found the diary hidden inside her study drawer?
You should've reported evidence like that first, Senior. You know the procedure.
Seriously, you hard-headed old... uh, never mind. I didn't say anything.
So? What's inside the diary? You've read it already, right? Did you find anything suspicious?
"The friendship between Ella, Alice, and Fairy wasn't actually healthy," you said?
Wait a minute. Weren't they close friends? Every witness said so, didn't they? Ella, Alice, and Fairy. The three of them were inseparable. Even in your report, Alice Bunn and Fairy Springfield helped Ella get dressed up. They even suggested she go to the infirmary when she looked sick.
Doesn't that mean they cared about each other, Senior?
"There was another motive," you said?
I don't understand what you're getting at.
You mean... they were never really friends? Alice and Fairy were just using Ella?
Then....
Is it possible that Ella didn't die because she was murdered at all?
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