shadow of britain

Chapter 129 The King of Tower Hamlets

London, Westminster.

The sun was rising over Trafalgar Square.

4 Whitehall Street, in the interrogation room at Metropolitan Police Headquarters.

Mr. Disraeli looked up at the light coming in through the bars of the iron window. He leaned back on the chair with a tired face, and said.

"Mr. Police Officer, you have been interrogating all night. Why is it not over yet? How many times have I said that I gave a campaign speech at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park yesterday afternoon, but I left in the evening. I really didn't see someone hanged in the maple forest behind!"

The police officer sitting across from Disraeli was the same listless Charles Field, dozing off with one hand propped on his side, and his eyes half-closed.

He said in a daze, "Mr. Disraeli, we believe in your personal honor. There is indeed no social connection between you and the deceased, so we believe that you must be innocent, but we have invited you here for questioning." It is also imperative.

You're unlucky because yesterday was Wednesday, so very few people were speaking in Hyde Park.You were the only one who gave a speech there yesterday afternoon.If it had been Sunday afternoon, we would have found more witnesses, but right now, sorry, we can only find you.

Please think about it carefully, did you discover any details during your speech yesterday afternoon? "

Disraeli was so annoyed by Officer Field's words, he cursed: "Didn't I tell you everything? I didn't find anything, and why was I the only witness? Let me tell you clearly, yesterday I When we left Hyde Park, we also found a moving gentleman and his three servants. The gentleman who lived at No. 36 Lancaster Gate disappeared in the end. , you have to suspect him too! What did you call me for?"

When Police Officer Field heard this, he just curled his lips and shook his head: "Mr. Disraeli, I advise you to be cautious when it comes to this kind of matter. Besides, it's not that we didn't look for him. He should be on the way right now. On the way to Greater Scotland Yard."

"Have you found him?" Disraeli's sluggish spirit lifted a lot when he heard this, "When he arrives later, can I see him?"

Hearing this, Field lifted the teapot on the table and poured himself half a cup: "You want to see him? No, no."

Disraeli frowned and asked, "What? Are you worried about me colluding with him?"

Field blew on the steaming teacup: "No, I'm not worried about that."

"Then what are you worried about?"

Field took a sip of tea, he tasted it for a long time, then frowned and spit out a piece of faded tea: "I'm worried that I don't have the authority to command him. The most I can do is convey your request to see him. As for whether this request will be accepted Execution depends on his mood today."

Disraeli thought about this sentence for a while, but he still couldn't figure out the reason for Field's inexplicable words.

He leaned forward and asked, "Then do you know how he feels today?"

Field thought about the scene when Arthur talked to him last night, put down the teacup in his hand and said: "I can't figure it out, it may be very happy, or it may be calm. Of course, if I were him, I would He was furious because he was called up in the middle of the night to examine the body.

But the honorable gentleman... he is one of the few good-natured men in Scotland Yard, and perhaps he will be flattered by doing what he can for the public. "

Disraeli was confused by what Field said, he scratched his head, and knocked his knuckles on the table unhappily: "Forget it, let me ask the last question, when are you going to let me go back?" Before noon today, if you don’t let me go out, I will write to the Magistrate’s Court and ask them to issue a writ of habeas corpus against me! Although I am no longer practicing, I can tell you that I used to learn But the law!"

Field nodded: "Don't worry, the Metropolitan Metropolitan Police Department's routine London area senior police meeting will be held this morning. As soon as the meeting is over, we will definitely let you out."

As soon as Field finished speaking, the iron door of the interrogation room was slowly pushed open.

He turned his head and looked, his whole body trembling with fright, he quickly stood up and saluted: "Inspector Hastings!"

Hearing this, the old policeman who opened the door couldn't help but put on a serious face, and he corrected him: "Field, have you been working all night, is your head not so clear? Are you not connected to the Metropolitan Metropolitan Police Department now?" Can't you recognize your police rank?"

Arthur, who was standing behind the old policeman, put his white gloved hand on his shoulder and said with a smile, "Forget it, Cleverly, young people still need to learn. Besides, he After a busy night, some dizziness is also reasonable."

When Field heard this, he couldn't help being stunned for a moment. When he focused again, he discovered the abnormality on Arthur's shoulder straps.

The three shining stars of Bath are missing, replaced by a crown emblem dotted with jeweled stars.

"Black... Superintendent Hastings, early... good morning!" Field's pupils trembled, and he stood at attention again in a panic and saluted.

Arthur smoothed his wrinkled white gloves, then saluted him with a smile.

"Good morning, Officer Field. By the way, I almost forgot to ask you if you are interested in being transferred to my police district. I am very satisfied with your ingenuity, so I plan to send you a transfer invitation.

Don't worry about your boss. I had a brief chat with Clemens when I was examining Clemens' body last night. Although he expressed regret for losing you, in the end he decided to reluctantly part with you and readily agreed. "

When Field heard this, he couldn't help but feel in a trance, and he didn't wake up like a dream until the old police officer Cleverley called him.

Field stood up straight and saluted with a loud voice: "It is my honor to join you!"

Arthur nodded slightly, then walked up to Disraeli with the police officer's knife in one hand.

Looking at Disraeli's expression of seeing a ghost, he smiled and said, "Sir, it's nice to see you again. Thank you very much for helping me carry my luggage yesterday."

Disraeli put one hand on the table and put the other on the back of the chair. He rolled his eyes and said, "Damn it! So you were the policeman yesterday. I thought he really came to investigate me for breaking public order and climbing over the railing in Hyde Park. and the walls."

The old policeman who followed Arthur couldn't help but frowned when he heard this: "What? Disrupting public order? Climbing over the wall of Hyde Park? There are hidden cases inside?"

When Field heard this, he couldn't help but stare in surprise. He stood behind the old policeman and lip-synced to Disraeli.

Disraeli deciphered from his lips the meaning he wanted to convey—be cautious in words and deeds.

He looked around with a smirk, then rubbed his palms with sweat on his cheeks, and said, "Look, I must have lost my head. It's nothing, Mr. Hastings, I believe we will be good neighbors in the future To be honest, our two families live very close, you live at No. 36 Lancaster Gate, do you know where I live? I live at 27."

Arthur nodded slightly when he heard the words, and then told Field behind him: "Mr. Disraeli must be very tired after being interrogated all night. Now that all the cases have been clarified, there is no need to keep him locked up." Here, let him go home and get a good night's sleep. After all, this afternoon, he has to continue to explain his beautiful vision to the public in Hyde Park."

When Disraeli heard this, he immediately wiped the sweat off his brow as if he had been forgiven. He picked up the coat that was on the back of the chair, stood up and smiled at Arthur with two fingers raised.

"That's all for today. Mr. Hastings, I'll treat you to something next time."

Arthur smiled and shook his head: "You are too polite, Mr. Disraeli. To tell you the truth, my family hired a French cook recently. Next time you come to my house, I will let you try his cooking."

……

In the conference hall at Metropolitan Police Headquarters.

Director Rowan held a brand new resignation letter in his hand, which was one of the evidences obtained from Clemens' body.

Director Luo Wan glanced at the contents of the letter, and the meeting hall was completely silent, and even the breathing of the seventeen superintendents and five superintendents could be clearly heard.

After reading the resignation letter, Rowan pressed it on the table and pushed it in front of the deputy director, Sir Richard Mayne, who was sitting beside him.

After reading the letter, Sir Mayne slightly raised his hand towards Director Rowan, and after receiving a nod from Director Rowan, he spoke loudly.

"Then, the 17th Metropolitan Metropolitan Police Senior Police Conference of this year begins. I believe you have already heard about the case that happened last night, so I won't go into details here. Regarding the cause of Taylor Clemens' death, After Scotland Yard received the report last night, it immediately set up a special investigation team to find out.

After a night of detailed investigation, a breakthrough has been made.Next, Superintendent Henry Robinson, Bayswater District Superintendent, will give us a detailed statement. "

When Sir Mayne said this, Superintendent Henry Robinson immediately stood up and saluted, and then he picked up the speech script before the case and preached according to the script.

"After receiving the case, the police district immediately dispatched [-] police officers to the scene of the crime to block and isolate it in accordance with the latest "London Metropolitan Police Case Investigation Regulations", and conducted investigations and searches along the roads near the scene of the crime.

We have had the assistance of Inspector Arthur Hastings, who lives nearby, in the investigation of the case.In view of the outstanding performance of Inspector Hastings in the Greenwich Central Street Hotel murder case, Bayswater Police District has temporarily decided that Inspector Hastings will lead the post-mortem work.

As determined by Inspector Hastings and the medical expert team of St. Mary's Hospital, Taylor Clemens, the deceased, had obvious strangle marks and hanging marks on his neck, his face was pale and blue, and his remains were slightly hideous. The cause of death should be asphyxiation.No other suspicious points were found at the scene of the crime, and a confession letter detailing the cause of suicide and resignation was left at the body of the deceased.

The handwriting of the letter of confession has been checked and confirmed by the colleagues of the Metropolitan Metropolitan Police Service, and it is indeed written by Taylor Clemens himself.

The police district comprehensively considered the field evidence, the medical team, the investigation team and the suggestions of all parties, and finally presumed that the deceased Taylor Clemens performed self-extrication due to unbearable mental pressure. The cause of death was preliminarily identified as suicide. "

Director Luo Wan nodded slightly when he heard this, and said, "The facts of the case are already clear. Since this is the case, there is no need to go through so many troublesome approval procedures. Let's go directly to the final task force to vote."

After finishing speaking, Director Luo Wan raised his hand first: "I think it's suicide."

Immediately afterwards, Deputy Minister Sir Richard Mayne also raised his hand: "Second."

After Sir Mayne, the five police supervisors also raised their hands in unison: "Suicide."

Seeing this, the seventeen superintendents sitting at the bottom raised their hands almost without hesitation: "Second."

When Director Rowan saw this, he finally showed a satisfied smile. He threw Clemens' resignation letter to the side of the table, and picked up another document at hand: "Then, next, let's start this The second item of the meeting."

He paused for a moment, then frowned slightly, and then began to announce: "With regard to the promotion of Inspector Arthur Hastings, Superintendent Arthur Hastings, Greenwich Police Division, East London Region, London Metropolitan Police, for the Metropolitan Police The final decision of one of the superintendents in charge of the East London Region of the Metropolitan Police. The ability of Inspector Hastings is obvious to all, and this promotion is naturally reasonable. I don’t think there is much room for discussion. Then, please black Superintendent Stings, come in."

With a wave of his hand, the policeman standing by the door of the conference hall immediately opened the door knowingly.

Accompanied by the sound of crisp and heavy riding boots, a tall and straight figure in a dark blue tuxedo, white tight breeches, holding a slender police officer's knife, and a crown emblem on his shoulder appeared in the conference hall.

Arthur stood like a straight sword, and he raised his hand to salute: "London Metropolitan Police East London District Superintendent, Arthur Hastings salutes everyone."

Director Luo Wan nodded slightly. He threw the promotion document on the table and leaned back in the chair.

"Arthur, don't be so polite, sit down. A young police officer with outstanding ability like you should be reused. But, as the saying goes, with great ability comes great responsibility. From now on, except for Greenwich, Tower Hamlets will be delivered to you too. Are you confident?"

Hearing this, the red devil behind Arthur couldn't help covering his mouth and snickering: "Oh! My dear Arthur, this old thing actually wants to beat you. Tower Hamlets, that's the whole Worst part of London. Looks like you, the rising sun, aren't always welcome in Scotland Yard!"

Regarding Director Rowan's inquiry, Arthur just smiled, took off his hat and bowed.

"I don't know if I can do it well, but I think I must at least be a little better than Superintendent Clemens."

When Director Luo Wan heard this, the smile on his face became stronger, he nodded slightly and said, "Smart."

(End of this chapter)