Preparations were set, and the pieces on the board moved into position. After the detective had checked the inn and found that Mr Brook Erwin was currently staying there, he went out with the setting sun behind him and met up with the remainder of the police waiting for his last instructions.
His hunch was spot on; Mr Erwin was the culprit. The innkeeper had mentioned that he was extremely clumsy and frequently knocked into chairs.
"Did he come back down and leave the inn wearing a pair of glasses?"
"I'm not sure, sir," replied the innkeeper, "I didn't pay much attention to him after he left, although he did mention he would be coming back later."
That settles things. Knowing the culprit's tendency to plan ahead is a vital piece of information; unless pressured into a corner, he is unlikely to make any desperate moves. As long as I lure him into a false sense of security, it shouldn't be too hard to catch him off guard and arrest him before he prepares anything…
"We're ready when you are, sir," said one of the constables waiting patiently.
"Arrest the mayor, then spread the news quickly," said Sigerson suddenly.
"Excuse me, sir?"
All the policemen stood there, bewildered at this command.
"The mayor doesn't have an alibi during the time of the murder does he? Not to mention he's an old friend of the Wycloffs; arrest him now and we may get a chance to catch the real culprit.
Mayor Frank was usually a bluff, cheerful man, whom everyone in his town knew and liked, due to his positive personality.
"He must have been quite a player," thought Sigerson, gazing at the countless ball-shaped trophies in the house, while the policemen moved in to take the mayor into custody. Within the minute, Sigerson could hear the mayor's voice roaring through the house; when he stepped into the room to assist them, he saw two dumbfounded constables trying to negotiate with the furious mayor, whose head had turned into the colour of an overgrown tomato, while several others, including the inspector, were huddled in a corner, questioning themselves whether this was really the most appropriate action to take.
Seeing that the scene might escalate quickly, the detective rushed forwards and placed himself between the mayor and the constables, saying, "Calm down, Mr Frank and come with us quietly for a moment."
"You've all been making a mistake! True— I was gone during the time of the murder but that was because I had some very urgent business to attend to—"
"Can anyone verify your location during the time of the crimes?"
"No, but I'm telling you, you've got the wrong person—"
"You say we have the wrong person? If that's so, you have nothing to fear, Mr Frank; just follow us and we'll have you released in no time if you really are telling the truth."
"But—"
When Mr Frank continued to protest, Sigerson quickly cut him off from talking.
"Think about your reputation, Mr Frank."
He paused, waiting for a reaction. The mayor's eyes twitched for a second; he remained silent, his face betraying a hint of nervousness. Sigerson, understanding that Mayor Frank would try to protect his reputation as well as he could, continued, "We can make sure the news of your arrest becomes harmless to your public image, if only you come quietly."
Mr Frank's shoulders sank in defeat, then he said in a small voice, "I'll come."
He allowed himself to be escorted away by the inspector with his head hung low. Watching the mayor disappear among the rows of brick buildings, the detective stood watching the orange sun, with his hands behind his back and his eyes twinkling. Not long after, the inspector reappeared at his side, ready to carry out the next steps of the plan.
"The mayor is safely residing in the police station, currently being thoroughly interrogated," announced the inspector to show that his job was finished.
"Good," replied Sigerson, still gazing into the sky in an oddly nonchalant mood. "Keep him there for as long as you can, but don't push him too hard; he's done nothing wrong to be punished."
"Why did we arrest him then, sir?" questioned the inspector.
"The culprit will let their guard down, making it easier for us to find and trap him," said Percy, striding to them so unexpectedly, it seemed like he appeared out of thin air. He turned to Sigerson. "Am I right?"
"That is correct," the detective replied, turning to face them. "If we force the culprit into a corner early on without a definite way of trapping him, he's more likely to make desperate moves and thus becomes more unpredictable and dangerous to the residents living here."
"The next move is to spread the news, isn't it? We need to make sure the culprit actually hears of the arrest first."
"I've already done that. The newspapers should all be spreading the news of his arrest by now. I notified them as he was being taken away. Although it is most likely that the culprit would never risk buying a newspaper, he will still hear of the news, since the mayor is a prominent figure in this town and rumors will inevitably arise."
He hesitated for a second before asking, "Do you know a man named Brook Erwin by any chance?"
He was now speaking directly to the two of them, expecting a response. The inspector shook his head.
"Brook Erwin? He isn't a resident here, is he?"
Percy scratched his smooth chin, his mind scrambling for names.
"Yes— I'm pretty sure he does not reside here; no one has moved in or out of this town for the past few years, though we do get visitors occasionally."
"In any case, if you happen to meet him, approach carefully and arrest him; I have identified him as the culprit."
"Understood."
They both nodded solemnly.
"And now," said the detective, checking his watch again. "I'll tell you the rest of the plan. First of all, did you position your men in the exact locations I instructed you, inspector?"
"Yes, sir, I did. Everyone is ready and waiting for further orders."
"Good. Tell them that their job is to stay where they are; they're positioned in every exit of the village and their fields of view should cover up for each other's blind spots. Right now, they are acting as barricades to prevent the culprit from leaving. Since the culprit is now trapped, village, all that's left to do is determine his whereabouts.
We know that the culprit has a broken pair of glasses, therefore this is a piece of information we can use to our advantage."
A light of understanding was dawning on Percy; gradually, he began to understand what Sigerson was planning. He asked excitedly but in a restrained voice, "Are you going to lure him into replacing his lenses at the pharmacy?"
"Yes— in fact, I've already sent out the advertisements for discounted replacements. I managed to persuade the owner, not without difficulty though, so we'd better get this done as soon as possible."
While the three of them made their way down to the pharmacy, where a large variety of drugs, medicines, and equipment were sold, Sigerson resumed his monologue.
"Because there are no other places to purchase lenses in this village, I'm sure the culprit will attempt to try and fix his glasses here," said the detective, jabbing his finger at the dull shop.
He took them both aside to an elusive corner where several crates hid them so they wouldn't be seen while checking the entrance and exit for their target.
"How can you be so sure that he will come?" questioned Percy.
"Just think about it. When a person, whose eyesight cannot allow them to see even a considerably sized rock in their path, loses their glasses, it's reasonable to say that they will do everything in their power to obtain new ones. In our case, it is even more likely, since we blocked the exits of this village, forcing him to stay in this cage and try to put on the appearance of a regular visitor. Besides, with this crowd coming to buy things, the culprit will think they have a much better chance of blending in with other people."
"What if he already has an extra pair and doesn't enter the pharmacy?"
"I've prepared for that as well. If he already has a pair with him, he'll try to escape from here. We'll have to rely on the police in Alms to help us arrest him; I alerted them to assist us by searching the trains as soon as they arrive in the station. By controlling which trains leave at which times, we can make sure he is sent to them, as long as they search every train before any passengers get out. The constables guarding the station should leave first, though. That will provide the only escape route for the culprit."
Not long after he had finished explaining, clusters of customers started to arrive at the pharmacy, filling the claustrophobic building in no time.
"The advertisement," started Percy, "wouldn't it be suspicious if you applied the discount to glasses only?"
"Oh, that. No, I've told the owner to reduce prices for everything in the store; that way, more people will come and purchase things, allowing the culprit to blend in more easily among them."
Sigerson put a finger to his lips, indicating that they were to remain silent and unseen. Minutes passed by and no signs of the mysterious killer appeared, while they watched people enter and exit attentively in their hiding spot.
Time was ticking.
And so was his freedom.