After discovering a new clue, Arthur Havelock realized that in order to better understand the situation, he needed to expand the range of his sources of information. The locals may have seen or heard something that could be related to the murder of Lord Livingston. The area around the mansion was populated by small villages and farms, and Havelock knew that each of the locals could have their share of information.
Havelock decided to conduct interrogations with local residents to find out if they had noticed anything suspicious in recent days. He contacted several residents and set up meetings at a local tavern where they could calmly discuss events and suspicions. The tavern, known for its warmth and friendly atmosphere, seemed like the perfect place to get information.
In the first meeting, Havelock talked with John Harris, the owner of a local farm. John was a sturdy man of an age who was distrustful of uninvited guests.
—Tell me, John," Havelock began, "have you noticed anything in the area lately?" Maybe something unusual or suspicious?
John thought about it, shaking his head.
"Not that I've noticed anything in particular, but the Livingston mansion has been looking kind of weird for the last few weeks. A lot of people came there, sometimes at night. I might add that one of the servants, Howard, has been quite nervous lately.
These words seemed important to Havelock. The servant's nervous state could indicate something significant.
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The next conversation was with Elizabeth Gray, the owner of the local store. Elizabeth was an older woman, with an open and trusting look. Havelock hoped that her opinions and observations might add new elements to the investigation.
"Lady Grey, could you tell me if you saw anyone unusual in the area?" Maybe someone often came to your shop or talked to you?
Elizabeth thought about it and nodded.
— Yes, I remember seeing a man in a dark coat several times. He always came in late, sometimes buying strange things like candles and some antique items. I thought it might be related to something unusual, but I didn't pay attention.
These details seemed important again. The dark coat and strange purchases could indicate a person associated with mystical aspects that Havelock had read about in ancient books.
Based on the information received, Havelock decided to conduct an additional inspection. He went to the local archives, where he could find records of visitors and other events related to the Livingston mansion. The archive contained ancient records and documents that could reveal more details about visits to the mansion and about people who might have been involved in the incidents.
Havelock found several records of various recent events in the archive. Among them were mentions of frequent visits by strange people to the neighborhood, including records of overnight visits that matched the information provided by Elizabeth Gray.
One of the most interesting documents was a note from a local doctor, which talked about some medical consultations that could possibly be related to the condition of some members of the Livingston family.
After collecting all the new evidence and information, Havelock noticed that some of them intersected with already known evidence. For example, the mention of a dark coat coincided with observations made earlier. This indication could be related to a person who may have had deeper connections with the mystical aspects of the investigation.
A connection was also established between the locals and the events at the mansion. This created additional connections and possible motives for various suspects. It was important to find out which of the locals had a motive for contacting the Livingston mansion and what their intentions might be.
Based on the new information, Havelock decided to conduct additional interrogations with family members and servants to clarify details that could be related to the evidence found. He also intended to continue researching the connection between the locals and the events at the mansion.
Havelock knew that the investigation was just beginning to open up new horizons, and that every detail could be crucial. He was ready for new difficulties and twists that could lead him to solve the mystery of the murder of Lord Livingston.