As the snow falls at night, hotel guests either go to the town to experience the Christmas atmosphere or stay in their rooms to solve mysteries, but as the hours get older, the lights in the hotel rooms go out, and only the drama hall where the crime scene is located has a police vigil.

It was a very special night, and the members of the troupe could not sleep until late at night.

"Jingle bell!"

The phone rings in the room of the scripter Yukio Hirokawa.

"What, it turned out to be you," Yukio Hirokawa smirked as he took a cigarette and smirked when he heard the voice on the other side of the phone, "What?" Finally figured it out? Don't worry, that old witch is gone, I will take care of you in the future......"

In the middle of the night, the town was bitterly cold, and Yukio Hongkawa walked to the pool at the back of the hotel wrapped in his coat, shivering from the cold.

"What the hell are you thinking about calling me to a place like this?"

Hongchuan found a place to shelter from the wind, looking at the frozen pool in front of him, but his thoughts drifted to other places.

Soon I will be able to roll the sheets in the warm bed, and it is really not easy to wait for this day, and the death of that guy in Bandai is still a little good......

……

The next morning, Gao Cheng was woken up by a loud noise, looked at the garden where he was still sleeping in bed, and then looked at the blanket he was wearing.

After returning last night, he had been looking up information about the Apulodi Theatre Company on the Internet, and unknowingly fell asleep in a chair......

Christmas Eve is the day after tomorrow, and after that he and Sonoko will return to Tokyo, there is not much time left for him, and the case must be solved as soon as possible.

"What's going on out there?" Yuan Zi rubbed his eyes, sat up in confusion, and stretched.

"It seems like the police ...... again"

Gao Cheng walked to the window and opened the curtains.

The pool was surrounded by police at some point, and among the broken ice, a corpse was floating on the water, and forensic personnel were making the final use of evidence, and many other residents were also at a loss for what to do.

"Didn't the events of the mysterious night last night? This ......"

"It's a real event, right?"

"Terrible ......"

The atmosphere of the Inhumankan Hotel has finally changed, and the mystery fans who were still keen on puzzle games before can't help but converge.

The one who was killed in the pool was the troupe scriptwriter, Yukio Hoshikawa, who ruled the entire troupe together with Bandai Suzue and had a mysterious relationship.

The police officer of Bupo Mingmei lit a cigarette at the scene, frowned at the remaining members of the troupe who heard the news, and said, "Didn't you stay in your room?" How did he come to such a place? ”

"No, I don't know ......"

Wen Yue Hualien bit her lower lip and wanted to stop talking.

"Forget it, it's okay with you," Bupo Narumi shook her head, "Hongchuan even our police deliberately avoided ......"

Gao Cheng stood on the periphery, observing the scene through the forensic staff, and found a card on the body of the pool, on which was painted a portrait of Santa Claus with a red beard.

I don't know what it means in particular, but judging from the policeman's expression, it should be the prisoner's stay.

Leaving his name at the scene of the murder seems to have something to do with the reason why the police came to the Inhuman Pavilion.

"I'm really sorry for the guests who haven't had breakfast yet, we have prepared breakfast in the restaurant, please taste it......"

In the inner courtyard of the hotel, the gray-haired owner Tsuyoshi Yukimura personally came forward to receive the talkative travelers.

The mystery night activity obviously can't continue, and many guests have already packed their bags and are ready to leave, and no one wants to be really involved in the murder.

When Gao Cheng walked into the restaurant, he only heard the sound of tableware colliding, and the chatters all lowered their voices and whispered, appearing extremely cautious.

I vaguely heard someone mention Santa Claus the Redbeard, who was a former resident of the Inhuman Pavilion, and was quite famous in the neighborhood, because he was wrapped in bright red clothes all over his body, and even his hair and beard were dyed red, and he appeared on Christmas Eve, so he was called "Santa Claus the Redbeard".

The strangest thing is that this red-bearded Santa Claus appeared 10 years ago and paid 10 million yen to buy a room in the hotel, room 315.

Room 315?

Gao Cheng thought that the room where Kojiro Sakata lived was 315, but he glanced around the restaurant but didn't see any trace of Sakata.

This high school detective should have known about Santa Claus the Red Beard from the beginning, right?

There are only 4 actors left in the troupe, the gloomy Bianjian Mozi, Wenyue Hualien, and the puppeteer and clown.

Among these people, only Wen Yue Hualien looks normal, and the others are not very easy to communicate......

Gao Cheng's eyes fell on the beautiful actress Wenyue Hualien, who was alone in the corner.

Wen Yue Hualien's face didn't look very good, it looked like she hadn't slept all night, she didn't know what she was thinking when she held the soup spoon, and she didn't even notice Gao Cheng approaching.

"Miss Hualien," Gao Cheng asked, "can I sit here?" ”

"Huh?" Wenyue Hualien raised her head, looked at Gao Cheng's familiar face and said in a daze, "Okay...... Have a seat. ”

"I came from Tokyo to watch you perform," Takanari introduced himself, "My name is Soji Okita." ”

"You, hello," Wen Yue Hualien didn't seem to be very good at communicating, she smiled reluctantly and lowered her head, and said in a soft voice, "I'm sorry to disappoint you......"

"No, Miss Hualien's performance is great, and this time it has nothing to do with you, Miss Hualien."

After Gao Cheng talked, he carefully observed Wenyue Hualien.

On the police's side, Wen Yue Hualien became the biggest suspect, because both the motive and the time for the crime were quite sufficient.

In addition to being often bullied by Bandai, Wenyue Hualien was also coveted by Hongchuan, which is indeed very suspicious logically, but because of this, Gao Cheng felt that Wenyue Hualien was the least suspicious.

Judging from the two cases that have occurred, the murderer must have been carefully planned, and if Wenyue Hualien is the murderer, there is no reason for the police to be so suspicious.

No matter how bold a criminal is, he should find a way to divert the attention of the police and commit another crime.

"Actually," Wen Yue Hualien said embarrassedly, "I'm already planning to give up being an actress......"

"Huh?" Gao Cheng was surprised, "You're very famous now, aren't you?" Even if you don't stay in the troupe, going out to make movies is a way out. ”

"No," Wen Yue Hualien shook her head, "I'm not good at showing my head in front of people, and the reason why I joined the troupe is because of ......"

"Because?"

"Because of something."

Facing Gao Cheng's inquiring eyes, Wenyue Hualien suddenly stopped talking and did not continue.

No matter how good your temperament is, it's impossible to talk to the person you just met.

Gao Cheng expressed his understanding that although there are relevant cliché skills in "The Cowherd", it is out of place, and he doesn't like to dig into other people's privacy, so he changed the topic and asked: "Does Miss Hualien hate Ms. Bandai?" Looking at your previous relationship, it doesn't seem to be particularly good......"

"No, teacher, she is just anxious before every performance," Wenyue Hualien denied, "I was originally an orphan, but I was raised by Teacher Bandai, and the teacher is like my mother, and she is actually very gentle in normal times." ”

Gao Cheng recalled the old witch-like face of Bandai Suzue.

It's not like it can be related to gentleness......

"You should ......" Wenyue Hualien glanced at Gao Cheng, paused, and asked hesitantly, "It's not Okita, right?" ”

"Why do you ask?" Gao Cheng wondered.

"I saw Okita when I went to Kyoto to perform before," Fumitsuki Hualien bit her lip, moistened her eyes and seemed to be determined, and looked directly at Gao Cheng expectantly and pleaded, "Detective Joto, I know you are the famous Detective Joto Takasei, please, please be sure to catch the murderer of the teacher!" ”