Chapter 406: Your Crowd's a Mess
Chapter 406: Your Crowd’s a Mess
"You two... what exactly are you talking about?" Carolmadam’s voice trembled as she stared at Barton in shock. Her face paled, and she suddenly lunged forward. "It was you, wasn’t it? Barton, did you kill Dennis? Why? Why?!"
Powell, the nearest doctor, grabbed her shoulders to hold her back. "Stay back, Carol! That man’s a murderer!"
Barton lifted his eyes, his gaze cold yet oddly pitying. "Why...?" he echoed softly, his tone almost sanctimonious. "Poor woman… In more ways than one, you deserve compassion. Perhaps one day, when you understand the truth, you’ll even thank me for this."
"Mr. Feng, could you explain what’s going on?" Nancy, still kneeling beside her father, asked quietly.
Feng Bu Jue leaned back in his chair, a showman’s grin spreading. "Ah, where to begin..." He set down his cutlery, dabbed his lips with a napkin, and pointed at Barton. "Let me first introduce: the gentleman before you all is none other than the legitimate eldest son of Mr. Kolsten Lovecraft."
The room erupted in murmurs. Even Scofielddetective raised an eyebrow, but Feng Bu Jue’s smirk widened. Though Kolsten’s illegitimate son had been mentioned earlier, hearing it confirmed still sent ripples through the room.
"Stop talking nonsense!" Kolsten barked, hunched on the floor. "I’ll confess! I killed Dennis! Arrest me, officer! I’m guilty!"
Feng Bu Jue’s laugh was sharp. "This isn’t a medieval church court, Mr. Lovecraft. We’re in a nation governed by law—evidence matters. Even a mafia boss consults a lawyer before arranging a scapegoat." He tilted his head at Kolsten, his eyes glinting with disdain. "Do you think this act of yours is noble? In my eyes, even if you take the blame, it’s not sacrifice. It’s simply the harvest of your own sins."
"Don’t push him too far!" Jack snapped, standing protectively. "So Barton’s your bastard son? What of it? My father didn’t kill anyone! He’s just lost one son and now faces losing another—can’t you show a little mercy?"
Feng Bu Jue barked a laugh. "Confirming Dennis was your biological brother, are we?" He turned suddenly to Hendersonbutler. "Or perhaps... confirming Dennis was ever a Lovecraft at all?"
The room froze. All eyes swung to Hendersonbutler. His face drained of color, his hands trembling as if the chair beneath him might collapse at any moment.
Scofielddetective, an outsider to this scandal, sighed inwardly: Your crowd’s a mess…
"I’m sure Dr. Powell understands genetics better than most", Feng Bu Jue said, pulling two photos from a paper bag. "These family portraits were hidden in Kolsten’s safe."
Dempseyofficer frowned. "Wait—how’d you open the safe? The door was locked, but a vault’s different!"
"A mechanical lock", Feng Bu Jue shrugged. "A stethoscope and I are old friends."
"Stethoscope?!" Powell’s jaw tightened. "That’s mine!"
Feng Bu Jue grinned. "Doctor, your deductive skills are sharper than I expected!"
"Of all your talents, becoming a thief was such a waste", Powell muttered.
Feng Bu Jue waved the photos. "Here’s Kolsten with his two late wives—red-haired, then black-haired. Tragic beauties, both. Much like you, Madam Odetta", he added, winking. "No offense intended!"
He turned to Jack and Nancy. "Golden hair runs in your family, Young Master Jack, Miss Nancy. But let’s consider recessive genes—" He gestured to Dennis’s photo. "How likely is it for Kolsten’s first wife to birth a brown-haired child? Combine that with double eyelids, a defined chin groove… Who does Dennis resemble?" His gaze settled on Hendersonbutler. "Your silver hair hides Latinx or Germanic traits—am I wrong?"
"Fine!" Hendersonbutler roared, his voice cracking. "Dennis… was my son. Mine and the first Madam’s." He slumped, teeth clenched.
"Henderson!" Jack staggered back. The butler who’d tucked him into bed… his mother’s lover?
Feng Bu Jue chuckled. "A classic tale: a wealthy lothario beds his mistress before marriage. His proper wife retaliates in kind."
He paced the dining hall like a lecturer. "The seeds of tragedy were sown forty years ago." He gestured to Kolsten. "Someone help Mr. Lovecraft onto a chair. Surely even a broken man deserves seating during this history lesson."
Odetta, Jack, and Nancy obeyed numbly, their minds reeling.
As Kolsten slumped into a chair, Feng Bu Jue produced more documents. "Now that we’ve clarified parentage, let’s begin with Mr. Barton’s true identity…"
(End of Chapter)
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