We made our way quickly toward the alley, Toonka leading the way, and Kael trailing behind us, still looking too relaxed for someone walking toward a crime scene.


    The alleyway was tucked between two tall buildings, casting long shadows despite the midday sun.


    A small crowd had gathered at the entrance, whispering among themselves in hushed tones, the air thick with anxiety and curiosity. As we neared, the crowd parted, making room for us.


    There, in the middle of the alley, lay the body.


    “Excuse me for a moment” I said to the corpse, crouching next to the body nonchalantly.


    The corpse was lying face flat on the concrete floor, blood dripping from below.


    “I’m surprised you could look at it so freely I could barely look at it without feeling nauseous” Toonka said hiding behind the building peeking at the body.


    “It would be weird If I weren’t used to looking at dead corpses don’t you think?”


    “Do you think he died because of the way he fell? That could kill someone right away” Kael commented.


    How did he know that?


    “Take a look at this” I say pointing at the man''s nape which had a small black hole on it. It wasn’t too deep but it was there for a reason so I made a mental note of it.


    “His hands seemed to have clenched reflexively but loosened partially as his strength faded.” I remark on studying the dead body.


    I turned his body around, his eyes were wide open as if in shock he looked in his mid-thirties, and was dressed in simple but well kept clothing.


    “Does anybody have anything that they know about this man?” I ask the crowd.


    “I was an acquaintance,” An old man said, raising his hand softly. “He was a good man he always helped me with things I can’t imagine anyone would hold a grudge against him enough to kill him”


    A woman raises her hand. “I was his wife, I can''t imagine who would want to kill him” she said mournfully, barely holding back tears.


    A man this time raises his hand “He was my best friend the fact that anyone would do such a thing is disgusting”


    After that people started speaking of how a good helpful man he was and couldn’t think of anyone who would do anything like this.


    “It’s pretty obvious that the death was because of the fall, look at all the blood.”


    “Yeah now that you mention it.”


    “But who on earth killed him? Did he just fall on his own?”


    "Alright," I said, quieting the gathered crowd. "I''m going to need everyone to clear out for a bit. This area isn''t safe for anyone to linger around."


    After people started to disperse, Toonka peeked from behind the building, his eyes looking curious. "What do you think happened?" he asked casually.


    “I don’t have enough information,” I said simply.


    Kael had been leaning against a nearby wall, watching us with his usual casual expression. “So, you think he was shot or stabbed in the neck and then tossed here?”


    “No,” I said, still studying the body. “The hole’s small, but deep enough to cause serious damage. But it''s not enough to kill someone. He could have been stabbed with something like a needle. I just need to find a syringe but its not in this area”


    “What about this?” Toonka asked nonchalantly, picking up the syringe from where he was standing.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I glanced over at Toonka, surprised. "You found it where you were standing?"


    I took the syringe from him, examining it closely. The tip was uncovered, and it had traces of something inside, though it was hard to tell what. I held it up to the light, the glass reflecting off the sun, and the liquid inside looked see through.


    I put a drop of the liquid into my mouth trying not to swallow it. It had a bitter taste and made my tongue feel a bit numb.


    Toonka and Kael both looked at me like I just did something absolutely crazy.


    “What the hell are you doing? You don’t even know what stuff is in that are you trying to kill yourself!” Toonka exclaimed in shock.


    “Why would you do something so stu-reckless?” Kael asked me in a bewildered voice.


    I spit it out and wipe my mouth with my sleeve. “As I thought it''s a paralytic agent” I didn’t think they would still have these things in this world. I read in a book that it would taste bitter or metallic and read that if you were to taste a tiny amount of a paralytic agent and immediately spit it out, the effects would be minimal.


    I did feel slightly dizzy though “I’m going to take a walk, it''ll probably help clear my brain” I said casually.


    As I turned to leave the alley, Toonka and Kael caught up with me.


    “Why are you guys following me?”


    “I don’t want to be left alone with a dead body,” Toonka said curtly “And I’m afraid you’ll do something stupid again” He adds frankly and glared at Kael with a look that said ‘why are you following us’


    “I’m scared of corpses too,” He laughs casually.


    I look at him with complete doubt in my eyes and sigh and just continue to walk ignoring them.


    As we walked in silence I overheard a snippet of conversation between a couple of the women gossiping to each other.


    "... she might be in more trouble than she realizes. It’s still a taboo in this town. She can’t remarry unless he’s dead for real since that''s the law in this town but having an affair would ruin her socially.”


    I grin. I had finally found the answer. Good thing I went for a walk.


    “Hey I finally figured it out, bring the people back to where the body was” I ordered Kael.


    Kael raised an eyebrow but didn’t question me. “You order me around pretty easily you know” he teased and had a hint of curiosity in his voice.


    I shot him a glance, my grin still lingering. "Someone has to keep things moving around here. Now, get them back to the alley. I have a theory to test."


    Kael gave a small nod and then turned toward the crowd, telling them to follow him back to the alley. As we made our way back, Toonka’s excited energy was palpable, but I could tell he was getting more invested in what was going on. His eyes darted between the people and me, trying to figure out what was happening.


    When we reached the alley again, I gave everyone a moment to settle. The crowd’s unease was still thick, their eyes shifting between each other as if they were waiting for someone to speak.


    "Alright," I said, voice carrying through the quiet alley. "Let’s clear this case up."


    "The cause of death wasn’t just the fall," I continued, pointing at the blood pooling around the man’s head. "The injury on his neck—a small puncture wound—was the true cause of this man''s death."


    The crowd started murmuring to each other, so I held up a hand to silence them… The strange thing is it really worked. People immediately hushed, eager to hear more.


    "And here’s the key part," I said. "The paralytic would’ve made him unable to move or scream, but his body would still be conscious. It would’ve been a slow, agonizing death as his body slowly shut down from the poison. The final blow was the fall. He fell forward into the concrete hitting his head, making him instantly die."


    "His wife," I said, meeting the eyes of the people gathered, "was having an affair. She couldn’t remarry unless her husband was dead, and that’s where the law in this town plays a part. She knew the only way to move on with her life—without breaking the law—was to have her husband killed."


    I could see the shock on the faces of the onlookers, but I pressed on, "The man followed his best friend—because he came to him with a story about needing help with something urgent. A small task, probably. Maybe something dealing with an issue nearby. The husband, being the kind of man who always helped others, went with him without doubt."


    I gestured toward the body. "The friend—he knew the only way to make sure the husband would be out of the picture was for them to carry out the plan together. The wife injected him with a paralytic agent through the syringe. It’s the same syringe Toonka found near the building," I explained, holding up the object for emphasis.


    “To make sure the husband couldn’t react, couldn’t escape, the wife drove the needle into his neck. The paralytic agent took effect quickly. It didn’t kill him right away, but it made him helpless. The man could do nothing but collapse in shock, his body going limp, before falling face-first into the ground.”


    The crowd exchanged glances, stunned speechless. I wasn’t done yet.


    "And then, the wife and her lover—her husband’s best friend—left the alleyway. But in their haste, the syringe slipped from her hand, and that’s how it ended up lying near the building. The evidence was left behind, a trace of their actions."


    I smiled at the wife and friend''s husband. “So was I right?” I ask, tilting my head, mocking curiosity.