When Arthur Havelock was analyzing new evidence, he received unexpected news from one of the local residents. It was Grayson Cartwright, an old employee who had recently returned to the village after years of working in London. Grayson claimed that he had information about the strange behavior of one of the members of the Livingston family, which no one knew about until that moment.
Havelock decided to meet Grayson, and they arranged to meet at a small cafe on the outskirts of the village. Grayson turned out to be a middle-aged man with intelligent but tired eyes. He looked like he had lived in the shadows for many years, and now that he was back in his native village, he was ready to reveal his knowledge.
"Mr. Havelock, I've been thinking for a long time about whether I should share this information," Grayson began, barely able to contain his emotions. — But I think you need to know the truth.
Havelock nodded, warily waiting for what would happen next.
"I worked at the mansion many years ago,— Grayson continued. — I remember that at one time Lord Livingston had a special secret. He was involved with one of his closest friends, a man named James Edwards. You've probably never heard of him, but this man often came to the mansion and had access to many of the family's internal affairs.
— And what exactly is bothering you about this secret? Havelock asked.
"Edwards wasn't just a friend,— Grayson said. "He was part of something darker. Lord Livingston often discussed with him issues related to mystical practices and ancient rituals. This may be related to the ring and the rituals you are exploring.
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Havelock was shocked by the new information. James Edwards, unknown until now, could be the key to the solution. He decided to immediately conduct additional investigations to find out who this man was and how he was connected with the murder of Lord Livingston.
Havelock immediately began checking the new information. The first thing he did was go to the archives of the local library to find records about James Edwards. He found references to him in old newspapers and magazines: Edwards was a well-known figure in occult circles and wrote articles about ancient rituals. His name has been repeatedly mentioned in the context of various esoteric practices.
He also discovered that James Edwards was closely associated with several well-known occult societies of the time, which had their own secret rituals and traditions. This confirmed Grayson's speculation that he might have been involved in mystical practices related to the ring and the lord's will.
Havelock conducted interviews with local residents and senior members of the Livingston family to gather more information about how Edwards might have been connected to them. It turned out that some of them remembered his visits to the mansion, but no one knew the exact reason for his frequent visits. These people claimed that Edwards always came with a specific purpose, but his real intentions remained unknown.
Havelock also found several letters and notes that confirmed that James Edwards was a frequent guest of the mansion. These documents contained indications of discussions with Lord Livingston about secret practices and changes in family plans. All these findings allowed Havelock to suggest that Edwards could not only be a friend, but also a possible accomplice or even the main motivator in the murder case.
In order to determine how significant the new information was, Havelock developed a strategy to test all the evidence and theories related to James Edwards. He planned to conduct a detailed investigation of all his contacts and interactions with members of the Livingston family.
Havelock also decided to go back to previous interrogations and check if any of the suspects had mentioned Edwards. He focused on those family members who might have a business or personal relationship with him.
In his work, Havelock used all his skill to connect new information with existing evidence and verify its authenticity. He understood that the appearance of a new suspect could radically change the direction of the investigation, and was prepared for the fact that each new discovery could be the key.