"Go... go! Hurry up!!!"
The sheriff's voice trembled as he stumbled and turned to walk out of the estate. The policemen behind him were confused but could only follow him out. However, some were still reluctant, turning back to look at the bizarre estate that stood out discordantly.
Many among them slowly came to a stop. The gaze of the officer at the rear lingered on the second-floor window of the mansion. He squinted his eyes, and his expression turned to one of fear before he finally took off running.
The police came quickly and left just as fast. The patrol cars sped away as if desperate to drive straight down the mountainside like descending stairs. Within minutes, they had completely vanished from everyone's sight.
"They really saw a ghost," Strange said.
"That's right, they definitely saw a ghost," Stark exhaled in relief. "See, there is an advantage to living in a haunted house. As long as you're not afraid of ghosts, everyone else will fear your house."
Greed and Arrogant had also returned. Natasha walked to the island platform, poured herself a glass of ice water, and gulped it down. Arrogant stood on the other side of the island platform watching her and asked, "Explain in detail, madam."
"I will, great detective," Natasha wiped her mouth and said, "The banquet was held on the front yard lawn, and about ten minutes after it started, a maid ran through the estate to the front yard saying a corpse was found in the backyard. Everyone went over. Manas was found hanging on a branch of that maple tree in the backyard, about three meters off the ground."
"Whose house is it?" Steve asked.
"The bride's family," Strange replied. "The groom's family is decent enough, but not as well-off as my patient. So they're having the wedding at the bride's house."
"A branch over three meters high..." Coulson pointed out first, "Miss Manas shouldn't be able to climb a tree, right?"
"No," Natasha said confidently, "because she was a cripple and usually sat in a wheelchair. She couldn't have climbed such a tall tree, and it would be incredibly difficult to hang herself at the end of a branch."
"Exactly," Arrogant nodded, "Maple tree branches aren't strong enough to bear the burden of the weight when a body suddenly falls from a hanging."
Everyone understood what he meant. If someone else had gently hoisted the corpse up from below and secured it, it might have maintained a balance. But if she had climbed up herself, tied a noose, and jumped, the sudden force could have snapped the branch.
Natasha thought for a moment and then nodded, "Indeed, that branch wouldn't likely hold a living person suddenly dropping down. The corpse must have been hung up afterward."
"However," Natasha's tone changed, "When they took the corpse down from the branch, I took a look. There were no obvious external injuries, but the ligature marks on the neck were very clear. I suspect she was strangled to death first and then hung up."
"Then what happened?" Arrogant asked again.
"The bride's father was deeply saddened, demanding that no one leave without catching the murderer. Then suddenly someone stood up and asked Natasha where she was at the start of the banquet. They said she disappeared for several minutes and accused her of being the murderer, trying to restrain her," Strange explained.
"A man next to me rushed at Natasha—I think he just wanted to take advantage of the situation—Natasha stabbed him in the thigh with a dinner knife. Blood splattered all over the two of us. The crowd was in an uproar, everyone was shocked. We took advantage of the chaos to escape."
"Quite an effective self-defense move," Arrogant commented, "Choosing the femoral artery because it's not as deadly as the carotid, but the blood spurts quite dramatically. Most who haven't seen real bloodshed are bound to be shocked. That gives you a chance to run away."
Natasha stood across the island platform, raising a glass towards Arrogant from afar, affirming him. Coulson praised, "Miss Romanoff's 'Good Agents Crisis Response' class is famously popular at S.H.I.E.L.D. She is, without a doubt, a master."
"So did you really leave the banquet site before it started?"
"Of course not," Natasha said. "From the moment I entered the estate, I stayed by the champagne tower. I first drank some champagne, then got a glass of red wine from a waiter, followed by an aperitif, and then Italian citrus wine and San Marino..."
"Indeed. Our Mrs. Romanoff was acting like nothing more than a drunkard mistakenly entering an upper-class banquet scene," Strange couldn't help but comment, "From the moment she walked in to the accident, she never stopped."
"Because S.H.I.E.L.D.'s cafeteria doesn't provide alcohol," Coulson explained from the side, "and she was the creator of that rule. With unlimited drinking, we're afraid she might drink herself to death."
"As expected," Arrogant said.
"Yeah. Russians and drinking—it's really not a stereotype," Greed sighed.
"What I'm saying is, this lady is just a scapegoat they hastily found, even the excuse they made up is so clumsy," Arrogant paused and then said, "If she was merely a temporary companion brought by a doctor, no one would be watching her closely at the reception, noting whether she disappeared for a few minutes. This is a flawed lie, but obviously, they couldn't come up with anything more reasonable."
"Wouldn't the first person to accuse Natasha be a suspect?" Steve asked, "Maybe he has a guilty conscience and wants to frame an innocent person with no power or influence."
But he quickly realized. Because Natasha had mentioned, the moment the body was discovered, the estate owner already requested everyone to stay. This indicates that things had already turned abnormal before Natasha could be accused. Requesting everyone to stay at the crime scene is not a decision a competent businessman would make. This would surely offend everyone present.
Even if he loved his daughter dearly. The younger daughter was dead, the eldest still alive. Keeping everyone there, what if the murderer wanted to harm his eldest daughter? It made no sense at all. This meant that the estate owner was also highly suspect. The person who spoke out against Natasha might just be acting on his orders.
"You said they were also very panicked?" Arrogant looked at Natasha again.
"Yes, I couldn't be mistaken. At the moment he saw the body, the bride's father was also shocked and somewhat flustered, not like he was pretending. Something unexpected must have happened."
"I understand now," Stark said, "His daughter died, he realized who the murderer was, but he couldn't identify them. So, in a moment of brilliance, he decided to keep everyone around and then frame someone else."
"The person who framed you probably also knows who the murderer is, but he can't identify them either, so he picked on you, an easy target, made up a reason to frame you, and wanted to pin you down first, then force you to confess. Once the police arrive, the case would be concluded."
Natasha thought for a moment and said, "It certainly looks like it, but something doesn't add up. That Augustus—the father of the bride—who would he be afraid of? He seems to be the most powerful and influential among them."
"Indeed," Strange said, "Augustus's family is a pharmaceutical giant and has deep connections with Elders Council Hospital. If not for this, I wouldn't be attending."
Upon saying this, everyone understood the weight of this family. Strange isn't one to have idle time. On the contrary, he's incredibly busy, being both a surgeon and the Supreme Magician, not to mention interstellar chairman. Practically, he holds the balance of personal, planetary, and cosmic security in his hands. A wedding that could make him take time off to attend must be highly significant. So much so that not going would ruin one of his identities.
Few in this world could make Strange tread carefully. Arrogant had already formed a hypothesis in his mind, and this event cemented it for him.
"How did Manas become crippled?" Arrogant suddenly asked, and everyone fell silent again. The topic changed so quickly, many were caught off guard, unable to follow Arrogant's train of thought.
Stark thought for a moment and said, "Augustus is from my father's generation. His eldest daughter is around my age, but we didn't attend the same school, so I'm not familiar with her. The younger daughter is a good ten years younger than me, born when I might have already left home, so I knew even less about her. Also, families like these value their privacy highly. If it was an accident or a scandal, they would never divulge it, and there wouldn't be any news coverage. I doubt anyone would know the situation of that younger daughter."
"Where's the body?" Arrogant asked.
Everyone turned to him in unison. Stark suddenly realized, "If there's anything peculiar about Manas's death, they wouldn't allow the body to be taken to the police morgue, they'd likely destroy it on-site. Even if the police were bribed, they couldn't stop them—we need to intercept."
The group sprang into action, grabbing their gear and trying to rush out. Greed quickly stopped them: "You can't just rush and seize the body, or you'll definitely be seen as freaks. Steven, I'm afraid you'll have to help with this."
"It's no trouble," Strange gently shook his head and said, "It's my duty."
He opened a teleportation portal, and his figure disappeared inside. After about ten minutes, Strange returned alone and then said, "I feel I cannot transport the body without leaving traces. So, if any of you want to take a look, I can take you there."
Arrogant walked over expressionlessly. The others didn't have the same thought because, in truth, they wouldn't be able to see much. So Strange left with Arrogant.
"You know what's going on, don't you?" Arrogant asked.
Strange remained silent, and Arrogant did not press further. They arrived at a cellar, where Manas's body lay on a platform. Arrogant first glanced at her neck, then focused on her legs. He did not reach out to touch, only observed.
When the two returned, everyone looked at Arrogant. Arrogant said, "The muscle atrophy suggests a congenital paralysis. The leg muscles hardly developed, showing that she has never been out of her wheelchair since birth."
"Who would kill someone like that?" Hawkeye felt a bit puzzled, "If she was always in a wheelchair and rarely went out, it should be hard to make enemies with someone, right? Could it be a family member?"
"I find that unlikely. It's not an ordinary family; they could certainly afford to care for a paralyzed daughter?" Natasha said, "Plus, I knew she was a cripple because before the reception, the family was gathered, talking. From their expressions and actions, they didn't look like they had grudges. The emotions seemed genuine."
Everyone trusted Natasha's judgment. The eyes of a female agent are always sharp; it's not easy to fool her. Especially when off guard. Since she said so, the likelihood of an internal family vendetta was very low.