Chapter 61

Possessed by an Evil Spirit 1, Devil's Bend

On a cold day in November, Angell tossed and turned under the covers, listening to the chirping birds outside, feeling too lazy to get up.

Angell was sore from Mo Fei's wild antics the night before and chose to stay in bed for rest.

Mofei had been running up and down from the ground floor to the upper floors countless times, while Angler comfortably and lazily lounged in bed, fidgeting with a pillow.

Since the Oria case, Angell had been enjoying some rare downtime. Aust hadn't brought any new cases to him, and there were no commissions. However, after Oria introduced Angell's paintings to some friends, there was a constant stream of visitors eager to see his work. After viewing Angell's paintings, many offered high prices for pre-orders, but Angell painted at his own pace and wouldn't paint multiple pieces a day for money. Thus, art dealers often had to wait, hoping Angell would have a sudden burst of inspiration to paint several works.

As a result, although Angell hadn't been working on cases recently, he was still earning a lot. Mo Fei was managing his finances, and Angell's assets had multiplied several times over in a short period. Even Angell, who typically paid little attention to money, was surprised when he saw his bank statement. Mo Fei had even bought several properties for him.

Under Mofei's management, Angler's wealth had grown rapidly. With Mofei's birthday approaching, Angler had been contemplating for days whether he should give Mofei something special.

As he thought about it, Angell felt something furry against his ear. Turning his head, he saw Ais had climbed onto the bed and was nuzzling him. Angell petted Ais and asked, "Ais, do you know what Mo Fei would want for his birthday gift?"

"Celebrating birthdays at his age," Mo Fei commented as he walked in, holding a cup of tea, and asked Angell, "What do you want for lunch today?"

Angler thought earnestly in bed, saying, "Hmm, I’d like a steak."

"Anything else?" Mo Fei sat beside the bed, combing Angell's hair, and smiled. "Want any dessert, perhaps?"

"Dessert...," Angell pondered, "I'd like strawberries and chocolate."

Mo Fei paused, asking, "How do you eat those together?"

Angell raised an eyebrow, looking at Mo Fei.

Mo Fei thought for a moment and said, "I've got an idea. Do you want to eat downstairs or should I bring it up?"

"Let's go downstairs," Angell extended a hand from under the covers to Mo Fei, who took his hand, helped him dress, and carried him downstairs. Angell lounged comfortably as Mo Fei arranged everything.

Ais followed behind. As Mo Fei carried Angell downstairs, they saw Aust entering through the door.

Aust watched as Mo Fei carefully placed Angell on the sofa, covering him with a blanket and positioning a pillow for support.

Aust's mouth twitched as he remarked, "Angell, you're acting like you can't take care of yourself."

Angell glanced at him and pointed, commanding, "Ais, bite him!"

As soon as he said it, Ais charged forward. Aust, as usual, climbed onto a chair while Ais tugged vigorously at his trouser leg.

Aust, with a mournful expression, pleaded, "Ais, stop shaking me. You've already torn three pairs of my trousers this month."

"Ais," Mo Fei called out, instructing, "Stop tormenting Aust, let him come down." As he spoke, he moved Ais's food bowl aside, and Ais hurried over to eat, tail wagging.

Mo Fei went to the kitchen to get breakfast and asked Aust, "Have you eaten, Aust?"

"I've eaten. Just came from the police station," Aust brushed off his trousers and sat on the sofa, evading Ais, before announcing to Angell, "There's a new case."

Angell looked up, surprised, and smiled, "It's been a while since we had a case. Finally, there's one?"

"Yes, a rather peculiar one," Aust replied, handing over some documents to Angell. "The pianist, Mark Kay, do you know him?"

"Of course," Angell replied, flipping through the documents. "He's a genius. Aust, don't tell me he's run into trouble?"

Aust sighed, "More than trouble. Big trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Angell inquired.

"He's involved in a serial murder case," Aust answered.

Angell frowned, reading the documents, "Three men, killed at night, and all of them handsome?"

"Right," Aust nodded. "These men were all stabbed to death at night and found in a pond near his house the next morning. We found bloodstains in his car and the victims' hair in his bedroom."

Angell shrugged helplessly, "So it's a case of the criminal caught red-handed? Or is it that he wasn't home at the time?"

"He was there, but he denies the murders," Aust explained. "We haven't found the murder weapon, either."

"Hmm..." Angell pondered and then asked, "Is there anything particular that brought you to me?"

"Yes, there is," Aust leaned on his hand. "Mark Kay denies the killings but can't provide solid evidence of his innocence. He just claims that he's been in this state for a year now."

"What state?" Angell questioned.

"Possessed by a demon," Aust replied succinctly.

"Heh..." Angler couldn't help but laugh as Mofei brought him steaming hot milk and a sandwich, asking, "Possessed by a demon?"

Aust shook his head in resignation, sighing, "He's driving me crazy! He can't remember what he does every night!"

"Could it just be an excuse?" Angell asked, sipping his milk, "A way to evade responsibility?"

"It doesn't seem like it," Aust replied. "We've had him examined; many doctors are unsure about his condition. But he had a car accident and sustained head injuries, which could explain the memory loss."

"What does he say about it?" Angell inquired.

"I had a chat with this guy, and he seems alright, not like a remorseless murderer," Os said. "He's just really scared. He insists that the car accident happened because he hit a demon, and since then, the demon has possessed him. He might be himself in the morning, but at night, he becomes someone else."

"Could it be a split personality?" Mo Fei speculated.

"If so, he might not be held responsible for his actions," Aust said. "Given his status, he'd likely end up in a psychiatric hospital... But it means those men died in vain."

"Could he be using this to escape punishment?" Mo Fei asked.

"Exactly."

"What's the connection between those men and him?" Angler asked Oss.

"They met in hotels," Aust answered. "He brought them home for... certain activities."

"What do you mean?" Angler asked, puzzled.

Aust shrugged, "Mark Kay has a promiscuous lifestyle. He frequently brings home attractive men and women for one-night stands."

"Oh," Angell nodded. "If it's a common occurrence, surely there are others who haven't been harmed. Have you talked to them?"

"I can't reach them," Aust said with some frustration. "They seem to have their own social circles, and these victims weren't just escorts or prostitutes but people with status... They only socialize within their own circles. Each of them has a reputation to maintain, and any scandal would be a disaster. Who would willingly get involved in such a mess?"

Angell put down the documents, "Aust, I have no interest in these salacious affairs."

"You're not going to get involved?" Aust asked.

"No," Angell replied, biting into his sandwich and shrugging. "If the victims were escorts or prostitutes, maybe I'd consider intervening. But as you said, these socialites have plenty of people to advocate for them. They didn't get involved out of necessity but for pleasure... Dying for their passion was their choice, not my concern."

"Angell, sometimes your logic is really unbearable. While others dislike the poor and love the rich, you seem to have the opposite inclination," Aust said, exasperated. "What should we do then? If this goes on, a bunch of psychiatrists will claim Mark Kay is mentally ill and have him committed."

"For people like him, being locked in a psychiatric hospital is no different from execution. And if the experts declare him mentally ill, what else is there to doubt?"

"But the odd thing is, Mark Kay denies being mentally ill. He insists he's possessed by a demon," Aust added.

"Hmm... Drunk people often claim they're not drunk," Angell mused, turning over on the couch and resting his head on Mo Fei's lap. "I'm not interested in this case; I won't handle it."

Aust turned to Mo Fei for help, but Mo Fei just shrugged, indicating he was powerless to change Angell's mind.

"Sigh... It seems we'll just keep feeding 'demons' to the psychiatric hospital," Aust resignedly packed his things, preparing to leave.

Angell, hearing Aust's words, asked, "What do you mean by 'continue'? Have there been other similar cases?"

Aust nodded, "The place where Mark Kay had his accident is known as Devil's Bend on the A4 highway."

"Devil's Bend..." Mo Fei pondered, then said, "Oh... That place is notorious for accidents, hence the name?"

"Exactly," Aust agreed. "Recently, a woman had an accident there, suffered a head injury, and after recovery, she strangled her son and nephew, claiming a demon made her do it. She was committed to a psychiatric hospital. And there was an old man who, after a crash that caused brain damage, killed his boss and claimed he didn't remember what he did the night before, saying he was possessed by a demon. He was also committed."

"How many people have been sent to psychiatric hospitals after accidents at Devil's Bend?" Angell inquired.

"Quite a few. We're investigating," Aust replied.

Angell shook his head in exasperation, "Aust, you idiot, you didn't focus on the main point when discussing the case."

"Uh..." Oss opened his mouth, looking at Mo Fei, "Mo Fei, how come your Angler is so mercurial!"

"Wrong!" Angell glared. "It's Mo Fei of Angell's house!"

Aust rolled his eyes, "Looks more like he's your owner..." Seeing Angell narrowing his eyes, Aust quickly added, "Uh, I'm not getting involved in your domestic affairs. So, Angell, are you interested in the case now?"

Angler raised an eyebrow, "If we're talking about a devil... that I find interesting."