“We didn’t find any trace of the victim on this side of the mountain. At the very least, it doesn’t look like a wolf attack.”
“I see. So maybe those animal tracks were just a cover-up—someone trying to mutilate the bodies to hide the cause of death.”
“Could be. Or maybe it was stray dogs from around the village.”
Kalz, Grill, Butler Squawk, and I spent several days combing the mountain, searching every inch. But despite our efforts, we didn’t turn up anything solid. Leon scribbled something in his notebook, looking serious, then tucked his pencil behind his ear.
“Alright, here’s what I’ve got. The victims were three women—one in her twenties, one in her thirties, and one in her fifties. When their bodies were found, they were all horribly mutilated.”
“How bad are we talking?”
“Not one of them had all their limbs intact. The remains were torn to shreds—looked like they’d been gnawed on by animals. We could only identify them through scraps of clothing and strands of hair. It’s honestly a miracle we even found stab wounds.”
In other words, they were completely torn apart. At this point, part of me almost wished it had been an animal attack. The idea that someone could kill like this—brutally, mercilessly—and might still be nearby… It made my skin crawl.
“Could it have been a sexual assault?”
“We considered that, but the damage was so severe there’s no way to tell. Especially the organs—none of them were intact.”
“Do we know the time of death?”
“That’s tough to determine too. But judging by the state of the bodies, they’ve probably been dead for less than a week.”
That meant the victims were alive for quite some time after going missing. Where the hell were they during that time?
“They all had a few things in common. Each one was a woman living alone, with no steady job. They were struggling to get by, so it wasn’t unusual for them to travel to other villages in search of work.”
“All three were like that? Then it’s definitely not a coincidence.”
“Even if the killer didn’t plan it that way, the fact they lived alone delayed the discovery. The only reason the woman in her fifties was found sooner was because she had a dog.”
“A dog?”
“Yeah. She’d had it for about ten years. A neighbor heard it barking from hunger and came to check. That’s when they realized she was missing. Normally, she’d ask that neighbor to watch the dog if she was going away. This time, when she didn’t, the neighbor figured she just forgot. But after a month passed and she still hadn’t come back, they filed a missing person report. That’s when people started suspecting the other disappearances too.”
The fastest anyone realized something was wrong… took a month. That kind of delay only happens when someone lives alone with no job. There’s no one around to notice they’re gone.
Kalz, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke.
“She didn’t forget. No one raises a dog for ten years and just forgets something like that. I think she believed she’d be back home that day.”
“You’re right. Everything points to the incident happening right here in Swalter. Were there any other similarities? Like appearance?”
“None. They were all different ages, builds, hair colors—you name it. No physical traits in common at all.”
So they weren’t targeted for how they looked.
“Are there still people missing?”
“Yeah, two more. Also women. Also no family.”
Then it wasn’t over. They had to catch the killer before those missing women turned up dead too. Leon spoke up again, this time with hesitation.
“Also… there’s one thing that’s been bothering me.”
“What is it?”
“But I don’t think it has anything to do with the case…”
“Leon, did you already forget?”
I adjusted invisible glasses and narrowed my eyes with theatrical flair.
“Remember how everyone laughed when Yard first pointed out that chickpea at the scene?”
“That was…!”
“And how did that turn out?”
“It was the key piece of evidence. Yeah… you never know what a clue might lead to.”
“Exactly.”
“…Why don’t you two save your little nerd-out for when you’re alone?”
Kalz grumbled with clear distaste, but Leon and I were already united in full mystery-novel solidarity.
“So, what’s been bothering you?”
“It’s about the woman in her thirties—the second victim. Apparently, she’d been acting a little off lately.”
“Off how?”
“She rarely went outside, right? But recently, she was out on the street, stopping people to ask if they smelled anything strange.”
“A smell? Now that you mention it, there was talk about a weird stench around town lately. Could it be connected?”
“That’s what I’m thinking. Her house was close to where people said the smell was coming from. She must’ve been really stressed about it. And she’s also the one who had the stab wounds, remember.”
No wonder Leon had hesitated. It wasn’t something you could easily tie to the disappearances. But right now, we needed every lead we could get.
“Do you have the exact locations? Where the victims lived, and where the bodies were found.”
“One sec.”
Leon pulled a folded map from the back of his notebook and spread it across the desk, circling key spots.
“Bodies were found here. Victims lived here. And the smell? Somewhere in this area.”
“Give me that.”
I took his pen and drew lines connecting the locations where the bodies had been discovered. It formed an irregular triangle at the edge of the village. At the center…
“What’s here?”
“Hmm? Looks like a residential zone. Oh, right. Remember what I said before? About the well that suddenly dried up? That’s right around here.”
That was… a little too convenient. Unexplained disappearances, horrific deaths, a creeping stench, and now a mysteriously dried-up well. Could all of this really be unrelated?
Leon shut his notebook with a quiet snap.
“That’s all I’ve got for now. Even if we ask around more, I doubt we’ll get anything new.”
“I knew you’d do well, but this is above and beyond. Great job, Leon.”
“Thanks. So, I guess it’s time for the obvious next step?”
“Yup. Just like Yard always says—‘The crime scene never lies.’”
“A field investigation, then. I’d better bring my magnifying glass.”
Kalz snorted.
“Are you serious? Playing detective again?”
“Oh, come on hyung, just read The Chickpea Murder Case already. It’s genuinely good!”
“You’ve lost your damn mind. And don’t call me your hyung.”
At Leon’s playful “Hyung,” Kalz’s fur practically stood on end. I’d never seen him get this worked up before.
“Anyway, have you decided? About going down to the village?”
“Yeah. I’ll go.”
“Really? I thought you’d turn it down for sure.”
“I was going to. But watching you two go at it… I’d better come along just to keep you from turning this into a full-blown LARP session.”
“You could’ve just said you didn’t want to feel left out.”
“…So when are we going?”
The way he dodged the comment basically confirmed it. I was just teasing, but I’d hit the nail on the head.
“The main festival’s on the weekend, but the pre-festival events start the day after tomorrow. People wear masks then too, so we won’t draw too much attention.”
“Perfect. We’ll start our investigation then. Before the festival ends, we’ll find solid evidence and nail the culprit.”
“Alright. I’ll come pick you up that morning.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just meet in town?”
“If anything happens between now and then, it’s better to talk in person. Don’t worry—it’s not a tough climb.”
Not a tough climb, he says. Yeah, right. I still remembered nearly collapsing halfway up that hill. I stuck my tongue out at the memory. Maybe it really was time to build some muscle.
