After Havelock examined the crime scene and made sure that all the details were recorded, he felt the need to begin interrogations. The atmosphere in the mansion was dark and anxious, and everyone there seemed confused and restless.
He started with Lady Victoria Livingston, who seemed to be the most open of them all. They met in a secluded room, where she managed to take a little break from the hustle and bustle around. Havelock noticed that Victoria was exhausted, but her face was focused.
"Lady Victoria,— Havelock began, sitting down across from her. "Can you tell me what you were doing on the night of the tragedy?"
Victoria sighed, her eyes glistening with tears.
"I was in my room getting ready for bed," she began. "I heard loud footsteps and screams, but it took me a moment to realize what was going on. I thought it was just thunder, but then I heard someone knocking on my door.
Havelock noticed that Victoria was trying to hide her concern, but her words were sincere.
"Did you see or hear anything in particular?" he asked, carefully watching her reaction.
"No," she replied. "When I opened the door, everything was quiet. I just saw the servant who was in the hall quickly disappear. I didn't understand what was going on, so I went back to my room."
Havelock took notes and thanked Victoria. He did not believe that there were any obvious contradictions in her testimony, but he felt that an important detail might be hidden.
The next person to be examined was Dr. Richard Morley. The Doctor looked worried, but remained calm. His old-fashioned medical gown and neat beard gave him the look of a respectable professional.
"Dr. Morley," Havelock began, "you said you were back in town after dinner. Can you clarify who you were meeting with and what your actions were that evening?" Dr. Morley shook his head.
"I was in consultation with a patient," he said. "It was a pretty important meeting, and I couldn't cancel it. When I returned, everything was in a complete mess. I was amazed to find out what happened."
Havelock noted that Morley avoided direct answers and that he may have something to hide, but there is no concrete evidence against him yet.
Havelock then questioned Robert Livingston. The younger son was clearly upset and seemed confused.
"Robert, you said you were working on your sketches. Can you tell me how long you were in your room and what exactly you were doing?"
Robert tried to remember.
"I was working on a new painting," he replied. "I heard some sounds, but I was absorbed in my work. I didn't notice it at first."
Havelock noticed that Robert was telling the truth, but there was something in his story that did not fit into the picture of complete clarity. There was a feeling that Robert might have seen or known something, but did not want to reveal it yet.
The last person Havelock questioned was Jonathan Reed. Jonathan was humble and calm, but his calmness seemed too frozen.
"Jonathan, you said you were doing your duties. Can you clarify what you were doing on the night of the murder?"
"I was checking accounts and documents," Reed replied. "I didn't have much contact with Lord Livingston that night. However, I heard that there was some kind of disturbance in the house, but I didn't know what it was."
Each member of the family gave their testimony, but Havelock knew that in order to uncover the truth, he needed to listen to the servants who could be witnesses.
After the interrogations, Havelock returned to the room where Lord Livingston was found. He examined it carefully, hoping to find more clues. Under the chair where the lord was sitting, he found several strange objects: half-rotted paper and an antique ring. He carefully collected them and returned to his temporary home.
The ring was made of silver with an unusual design. Havelock noticed that it was engraved with mysterious symbols similar to ancient runes. The ring was clearly not part of the lord's usual attire.
The half-rotted paper turned out to be an old handwritten draft. It contained several unfinished sentences about how Lord Livingstone wanted to change his will. Part of the text was illegible, but Havelock was able to discern that the lord was planning to change the distribution of his fortune, which could be a motive for someone in the family.
Havelock decided to investigate the ring and the paper further. He knew that the ring could be an important piece of evidence, and the will could reveal who might have a motive for the murder.
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Meanwhile, new contradictions arose in the mansion. Internal conflicts began to manifest themselves in the Livingston family. Robert, who was usually immersed in his sketches, suddenly became more withdrawn and irritable. He was arguing with Victoria, and their conversations were getting louder. Dr. Morley, in turn, became embroiled in a dispute over who should manage the lord's inheritance, which only added fuel to the fire.
The servants also began to show signs of unease. One of them, James, Lord Livingston's personal servant, seemed particularly nervous and refused to talk about the events of the night, claiming that he had received instructions from the lord not to interfere in his affairs.
Havelock spent time examining the new evidence and comparing it with the testimony of family members. He discovered that the ring and the will might be related. Lord Livingston planned to leave part of his fortune in a trust for charitable purposes, but this was met with resistance from some family members.
Several days passed, and the tense atmosphere in the mansion persisted. Havelock gradually learned that each family member had their own secrets and motives, but no clue gave the full picture.
The ring turned out to be particularly interesting. Havelock found an antiquities expert who confirmed that the ring was connected to an ancient society known for its secret activities. This discovery added a new level of complexity to the investigation and offered a new direction for further investigation.
The case was getting more complicated every day. Havelock knew that solving the crime would require not only analyzing the evidence, but also a deep understanding of the family's internal conflicts and dark secrets.
As the night dragged on, Havelock knew he had a lot of work ahead of him. The mystery of Livingston's old mansion was far from solved, and he was ready to dive deeper into the darkness to find the truth.
The next day, Arthur Havelock delved into the evidence he had found. He decided to focus on the ring first. An antiquities expert confirmed that the symbols on the ring belonged to an ancient society known for its mysterious rituals and cryptic rituals. Havelock found this extremely intriguing. Why would Lord Livingstone need such a ring?
In search of an answer, Havelock turned to historical documents and books related to this society. His attention was attracted by a book about ancient rituals, which mentioned that rings with similar symbols were used to indicate belonging to certain groups or unions. In this context, the ring could indicate a hidden society that might have ties to the Livingston family.
Havelock decided to conduct his own investigation in this direction. He studied all the details related to the society and found that some members of the old families could be associated with such organizations. This discovery gave Havelock a new lead to search for.
During the day, Havelock also continued to study Lord Livingston's will. He analyzed the draft and found that the lord was indeed going to make significant changes to his will, leaving part of the estate to a special fund for the education of poor children. This idea was quite radical and, of course, could cause dissatisfaction among those who expected to receive a large share of the inheritance.
Examining the details of the will, Havelock discovered that it also contained instructions about the lord's personal, hidden debts and affairs, which were not obvious to most. These details could serve as an additional motive for those who were in debt or had personal problems.
As Havelock continued his research, the internal conflicts in the Livingston family began to escalate. Victoria and Robert continued to argue, and their tension began to raise questions from other family members. The servant James, who was often seen talking to Victoria, became even more suspicious.
Dr. Morley, who had previously seemed indifferent, suddenly became a question mark. Havelock found out that Morley had financial problems, which could be the reason for his interest in the lord's inheritance. Havelock also discovered that the doctor had visited Lord privately, which could give him a motive.
In addition, one of the maids, Mary, recalled that on the night of the murder, she heard a loud conversation in the hallway, where the duty of the master was mentioned. This information could be related to the financial difficulties that were mentioned in the will.
Havelock soon encountered false leads. One of the tricks was a false clue that someone planted in his temporary quarters. It was an old note saying that the lord was planning a major case that could disrupt the family peace. Havelock was attentive and did not allow himself to be mistaken. He realized that this note could be a manipulation, an attempt to confuse him.
In addition, when Havelock decided to question Mary, she turned out to be extremely nervous and apologized for her words as soon as she saw that Havelock noticed her agitation. This only increased his suspicions.
By evening, the atmosphere in the house became even more tense. Havelock noticed that each family member shows their own emotional reaction to the investigation. Robert, who had been introverted before, was now more open and desperate. Victoria continued to show her determination, but her inner turmoil was even more obvious.
Havelock also noticed that James, the servant who had previously refused to talk about the events of the night, was now showing signs of stress. Havelock decided to talk to him personally to try to find out exactly what he was hiding.
During a conversation with James, Havelock noticed that his account of the events of that night was inconsistent. James mentioned that he saw someone in the shadows, but couldn't tell exactly who it was. This ambiguity gave Havelock a reason to investigate further.
As the night drew to a close, Havelock began to realize that solving this case might require more than just analyzing the evidence. He felt that the case was related to internal conflicts and the personal motives of each of the suspects.
Havelock began to develop a plan to test his theories. He decided to review all the evidence, including the ring and the will. He needed to find out how they were connected to each family member and what details could change the picture of what happened.
As the night wore on, Havelock knew he had a hard job ahead of him. Every piece of evidence, every piece of evidence, was just a piece of a big puzzle. He was ready to continue the search and uncover the truth, despite all the difficulties and obstacles.
The investigation was just beginning, and Havelock was determined to find answers. The mystery of Livingston's old mansion was still lurking in the shadows, and he was ready to solve it, despite all the obstacles he had to overcome.