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Victorique’s Dream Interpretation – Part 04

“You’re back sooner than expected. Did you learn anything?”

“Yes. I’ve acquired a crucial clue, John Smith.”

Victorique placed her pipe between her lips, took a drag, and met the man’s gaze with an air of arrogance. Amidst the cacophony of screams, gunfire, and the creaking pulleys, her eyes glinted with suspicion.

“The four New Yorkers responsible for the Mafia killings shared a hidden link. They were all patients of Dr. G. I. Boleid, a renowned psychologist.”

“What?” John exclaimed. The name was so unexpected that his voice came out an octave higher.

“There was no motive for the four murders. They were coerced into it by Dr. Boleid.”

“So, you’re suggesting a psychologist manipulated his patients into killing gangsters?”

“Exactly. It appears Dr. Boleid received orders from a mysterious figure known as the Director and has a specific target to eliminate. The killings of the gangsters served as a trial run for that.”

“What?!”

“As the saying goes: the best place to hide a tree is in a forest. They assumed that the daily violence among gangsters would camouflage a few extra bodies, but they were too optimistic. You sensed something amiss and hired a private detective to investigate the killings.”

John Smith stared grimly at Victorique.

Victorique glanced at Kazuya, sighed, and then gestured with her pipe towards the culprits still yelling in the background.

“So you see, they were mere pawns manipulated by the true culprit, Dr. Boleid. If you don’t mind, may I have them released briefly for a conversation? Unfortunately, I’m still in the middle of my detective work. I need more clues.” She cast another glance at Kazuya. “And once we identify the real mastermind, there’s no need to take the lives of three innocent citizens.”

“It’s not that simple, Gray Wolf.”

“From what I recall, Garbo Boss is attempting to win favor with the citizens through soup kitchens and charity work. If word gets out about this incident and folks learn that he tortured to death three citizens, his popularity will plummet.”

“Hmm…!”

Kazuya lifted his head with a sense of relief. John Smith narrowed his eyes at Victorique, then nodded, issuing orders to his subordinates.

Michael Kenton was the first to be lowered. The black pulley creaked eerily as the man descended slowly. Witnessing this, the other two grew wide-eyed, shouting profanities, demanding to be lowered down first. A young gangster fired a shot to shut them up. Profane shouts and screams reverberated throughout the church, rocking the rose windows, religious paintings, candle flames.

Kazuya’s face paled at the sound of their shrieks, shrieks that were filled with fear and anger.

“Kujou,” Victorique whispered softly. “I believe the three chosen by Dr. Boleid share a common trait. While Dr. Boleid planted the seed of murder, deep within their minds lie inherently sadistic desires. He exploited and manipulated those desires.”

“Y-Yeah. That’s what it said in their files.”

“And…”

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream rang out from somewhere near the ceiling. It was an unsettling sound, almost mechanical, like something inhuman. Unwanted yet lingering, it seemed to stick to the ears, refusing to fade away.

Victorique’s eyes glinted coldly. “Listen to that scream of terror. Vicious folks, real sadists hiding behind a veneer of decency, those who dream about killing others, are typically terrified of suffering themselves. True fear now undoubtedly grips their hearts.”

Horrific screams and roars descended like a dark torrent. Kazuya seemed to want to cover his ears, blinking rapidly.

The pulley turned, and slowly, the man descended. Michael Kenton’s face came in front of Victorique’s eyes.

“Michael Kenton, the white cook from Harlem,” Victorique began gravely. “You poisoned the Italian Mafia member. Am I right?”

“What?” The man shook his head frantically. A nearby gangster struck him hard on the back of the head, and he shrieked. “Th-That’s a serious accusation. W-Well, while I was serving food to customers, I started thinking how people could eat what others had made so easily. It made me wonder what would happen if there was poison in the food. Before long, a secret desire to try it myself began to grow… But still!”

He was struck again.

“It’s weird,” he groaned. “Please hear me out. You’re accusing me of serving poisoned food to a customer, and I feel like it’s true, or maybe not… It’s like I’m trying to remember something from a dream. Sure, I’ve wanted to do it for years, but it doesn’t feel like my own actions. I just don’t get it!”

A gangster kicked him, and he slumped down with a groan.

The next one to be lowered was Benny Sander.

“Benny Sander. You’re the one who orchestrated the explosion at the New York Public Library, correct?”

“Um, well… I’ve been piecing together memories since earlier. When I made that bomb for a university experiment, I was curious what would happen to a human body if it exploded. But then, why did I actually go ahead and do it? And why target a gangster of all people? I’m just as clueless.”

Another gangster approached and struck him with a gun. He howled. The candle flames flickered wildly.

A heavy silence reigned outside the church.

Nancy Doldor, the last to be lowered, sobbed as she spoke, “During the war, I served as a nurse, tending to wounded soldiers and witnessing death daily. I wanted to help, but the sheer number of casualties overwhelmed me. Eventually, under the stress, I began fantasizing about ending someone’s life myself.”

“Ahuh.”

“B-But with the war over, the idea of killing someone in New York, especially in broad daylight in Central Park, is unthinkable! I’m almost convinced I didn’t do it myself. I-I vaguely remember lying down on the couch at Dr. Boleid’s clinic. We were talking, and I think he ordered me to do something. If I recall correctly, it was the night before the incident.”

“Hmm?”

“But then, I got really sleepy and passed out halfway through our conversation, so I can’t remember it well.”

“You felt drowsy?”

“I did! I had some sweet but bitter tea. It smelled weird. Maybe it was that? I remember just feeling very sleepy all of a sudden. Then, as I lost consciousness, Dr. Boleid said something to me, but I was too sleepy to catch it. When I came to…”

“The tea likely contained hypnotic ingredients. What about the other two? Do you recall drinking tea and feeling drowsy too?”

At the mention of tea, Kazuya’s expression shifted to one of astonishment, then shock, and finally, pallor. He reached out his arm fearfully.

“What’s the matter, Kujou? Quit prodding me like a bird. We’re having a serious discussion here. Kujou, you’re not a bird, and I’m not a tree trunk. You’re an adult. How do you not grasp that?”

Victorique turned around irritably to find an anxious and apologetic Kazuya.

“What’s wrong? What’s that odd smell?”

He cautiously handed over a can of tea. As soon as the lid was lifted, an aroma wafted out. The culprits stirred, exclaiming, “That’s the smell!” “I drank this too!” “Damn, that’s exactly it!” The pulleys near the ceiling groaned.

Kazuya wore a pained and troubled expression. “Um, Victorique, there’s something I need to tell you. After sneaking into Dr. Boleid’s clinic to inspect the medical records, I found this tea and brought it along just in case. It was there when Nico and I visited yesterday for the interview, and its pungent odor bothered me. So, um…”

Even the gangsters began to converge suspiciously around the tea. Victorique remained impassive.

“It’s likely a tea laced with hypnotic herbs. Patients consumed it before being subjected to suggestions for the gang murders. With four rehearsals completed, Dr. Boleid is, as per the conversation I overheard earlier, gearing up for the main target. He mentioned the execution happening tomorrow. But we have a problem.”

“Victorique, there’s something bothering me about it,” Kazuya said hesitantly. “You see, yesterday, during the interview, I also… drank the tea…”

“Who is G. I. Boleid targeting and why? He mentioned finding a perfect candidate for the crime. That a newspaper company employee could get close to the VIP easily.”

“What?! A newspaper company employee?! This is even worse than I thought. Victorique! Um… I don’t know how to say this, but it should be addressed sooner rather than later.” Kazuya fidgeted.

Victorique was deeply absorbed in her thoughts to entertain him. “So, what is it? Speak up quickly.” She took the can and sniffed it. Suddenly, she frowned. “What an odd smell!” She wrinkled her nose in disbelief. Then she sniffed again. “What in the world… is this?”

“Victorique, I’ll explain. Yesterday, during the interview…”

“What’s this…”

“Victorique?!”

Kazuya rushed over in a panic. Victorique tried to respond, but suddenly her body froze, and she weakly blinked with her lips slightly parted.

“Victorique?”

“Ugh…”

“Hey! Did you sniff too much of that tea? You just passed out. Hey, wake up! Are you okay?” Kazuya asked anxiously.

“So loud,” Victorique mumbled. She looked up at him with glazed eyes.

As she slowly collapsed on the spot, her silver hair cascading, her green eyes quickly disappeared behind her eyelids.

“Guh!”

“Hey! You can’t fall asleep now, Victorique! We’re all counting on you!”