Ahah, indeed! I allowed my gaze to search Mr. Souseki's room one more time, hoping to uncover more stray clues. That is when I saw them; a small whistle on the desk and a saucer of milk on the floor. My deductive power moved swift as an arrow. There it was, right before my nose, the identity of the speckled band. I searched the room with my hands and found it, hidden in a suitcase.

It was a snake, its body donning an interesting speckled pattern!