Malaysia Golden Ground Locked Room Murder Case - File 5

"Your hands please…"

Glenda showed her hand to him. Rook held her hand and smiled. He gets the lipstick and painted each of her hand's finger prints. Next, he took one paper and pressed Glenda's hand on it, to trace the fingerprints. "Beautiful fingernails, and soft hand, like that of a princess." He said. Glenda smiled back.

"I see…so that's how. By painting the lipstick on the back finger, the paint will follow the fingerprint's form and allowing its trace to be drawn from the lipstick paint," said Tatsumi in his mind, as he watched

Rook show them the analogue method. On the other hand, that was the first time Officer Salleh saw that technique.

Each of them was taken their prints. Each paper contained each prints. Rook had noticed something in Risa's hand; it was a little bit painted with billiard cue chalk. They said they were playing snake and ladder with Glenda. Second was Daigo, who had bluish color on the end of his fingernails. Third was Hana, whom he seen traces of white powder on her hand.

They went to each room next and inspected for prints. They went to the artist room, to see who's prints will they get from the bleach container.

"How will we do it?" asked Salleh excitedly.

"We can't use the lipstick, isn't it?" Tatsumi joked away. It's true. It ruins the credible evidence.

"You know my methods, Tatsumi. Apply them." He quoted, gave him the make-up kit and the scotch tape. Tatsumi opened the make-up kit, gets the make-up brush and dips it into the make-up powder. Next, he softly brushed it into the container. He saw prints near the bleach container handle. He rolled the scotch tape and pasted it on the fingerprint, then slowly removes it. The fingerprints were gathered. It's time for them to study it. They went into the other rooms, hoping they would find other prints, and gladly, they had.

Rook placed the first they gathered. On the artist room, the fingerprints had simple loop. There was only one of them there who had that kind, who was, Hana. On the other hand, the candlestick found on Hana's room, had a whorl. One of them had that, who was Daigo. Glenda and the others are out of question but, not because a print tells you it's there, it's there.

"Officer, I think you should detain our murderer…" he claimed, showing the officer the credible prints of Hana, matching with the bleach, to make chloroform.

On Tatsumi's investigation, he found out that Glenda had a long time fight with Aldrin because he stole the business proposal of Glenda for Sun Microsystems, which dated a long time quarrel between them. Risa on the other hand, has no motive for murder. Daigo had just a small quarrel with Aldrin because of the painting in the auction they went, which he bought for a higher price, yet it was already decided for him to get it. Lastly, was Hana, who was spoken ill by Aldrin's harsh words, who criticized her art talents.

Tatsumi sat on the chair alone, looking at the fingerprints of Hana on the bleach. He was thinking of something, plausible. "Bleach is a common ingredient to make chloroform and also with ice. Hana said she took five, but there were missing ice cubes right before then. Could she have developed chloroform?"

"I know what you are thinking, Tatsumi. All evidence points that she is the murderer…" said Rook, who was standing in a corner near him.

"But Rook, I want to clear her as our suspect, right now; Officer Salleh is holding her in detention. If I can't clear her as a suspect, am I worthy to become a detective?! Three hours from now Hana will be put up to jail, even with the motives to murder, the evidence points at her!"

"The fingerprints were found to be hers, in the container…"

Tatsumi stood, grabbed Rook's collar, and looked at him. "I will believe that she held the bleach but she is not the murderer! I saw her the time before the murder happened! You know that! If to detain my friend is a detective's judgment, then it's not a destiny to become a detective after all."

"Get off me!" Rook shouted as a reply and escaped from Tatsumi. He walked away, but Tatsumi heard him talk as he watched him go away.

"It is not a detective's job to judge people. Their sole purpose as a detective is to seek the truth, prove the doubt, and light the mystery with your deduction."

Rook examined the bleach and the ice, which he heard from Tatsumi. He was thinking about how the chloroform killed the victim.

"I think it is impossible to kill a victim with just chloroform. Reactions may occur but killing, no. Not unless…"

He rested his mind and went to his room first. He sat on the bed and looked at the lampshade. He noticed that the lampshade were a bit old, and used for quite a long time.

"Wait! As far as I can remember, lampshades are the room's lights here, also with the other rooms except the master rooms. That means the suspects are all of us. But among all of, there is one who made a mistake…and that person is the murderer. I solved the case!"

He stood up again and quickly went to where Tatsumi was, to tell him he had solved the case. He saw him standing on Hana's door. If the evidence is to be followed, Hana is the murderer. But Rook solved it, and he knew there was more mystery.

"Tatsumi…I have solved the case…but I won't tell the murderer. I know it is hard for you to crack the case alone, but I want you to understand the thing I understood the moment I became a detective. Sherlock Holmes once said, emotions are bias to clear judgment. Hana is innocent, Tatsumi."

"Tatsumi! I want you to solve this case alone. I know you can do it!" called Rook, as he approached him. The blank and wondering face of Tatsumi ignored his words.

"I have solved the case…but I won't tell how and who did it. I want you to solve it, because I want you to see Hana as a friend, not a murderer. Clear logic is like a double bladed sword and can break the secret of wicked alibi, a blade that will pierce through the mystery. I want you to remember that, because this are the building blocks of becoming a great detective."

"What for, Rook? Am I a great detective? Look at me! Am I worth to be a detective? Look at you. You have solved the case, yet did I have anything in my mind?"

Rook looked back and closed his eyes, with a deep smile in his heart. "I'll give at least one clue. Hana is innocent of the crime. A turtle in a log with its shell dry means that no one passed near it, for the turtle to hide. In this case, law and elimination method are your only weapon."

Rook went away as he whistled in melody. Tatsumi carefully thought back unto his words. What could that mean. Is it a clue or the name of the murderer?

"Elimination…? If Hana is innocent then…"

He looked back at his notebook. 'Aldrin Reichter. TOD: 10:30-11:30PM. COD: Chloroform poisoning with phosgene.

The word chloroform hits in his mind. He smiled, for like Rook, he has cracked the case! He raised his right hand in triumph and laughed at himself. He finally had the case solved!

"Right now, I will reveal the murderer right here…" said Tatsumi, as the spectators of the crime, the guests, sat on the seats of the lounge together with Rook and Salleh who was expecting the right answer.

"The murderer…isn't it Hana?" replied Glenda.

"It can't be her!" disputed Marion.

"That's right, it can't be her. The case flows this way, Mr. Aldrin died in his room, the only point of entry is the rectangular hole in the wall of the room. The cause of death is poisoning, through gas. You see, when you make chloroform, it has a Tatsumi it would create after creating one, similar to a paint."

So you are saying, someone right here is the murderer?"

"Yes. First, I want to explain how to create chloroform. To create one, you must have the primary ingredient that is the bleach. Start filling a container with half liter bleach. Lower the temperature of the bleach by placing ice into it, ten cubes or more is enough. Pour 10ml of acetone into the container, for it to maintain the 1:50 ratio. By adding some more ice, it would make the chloroform better. Keep it aside for 20 minutes to ensure complete reaction. In a while clouding up can be seen with an increase in temperature. Allow time for the reaction to settle. This will take about half an hour, but if after this time also the solution does not appear to be settling, a stir will help. Once settled, you will see either be a white powder residue or a bubble at the bottom. This is chloroform. Pour the solution out with care, ensuring that no powder or bubble leaves the container. Now the pure chloroform, which remains in the glass container, can be extracted with a separation funnel. But in this case, the murderer created a different way. By mixing phosgene, the murder invented a poison gas."