shadow of britain

Chapter 54 Fagin's Information

Almost at the same moment when the door opened, Tom and Tony rushed forward.

Tony tugged at the edge of the door, trying not to let it close.

And Tom immediately picked up Adam who was staying at the door and retreated to the back.

Seeing this, old Fagin, the thieves inside the door, suddenly changed his expression. The 60-year-old man almost didn't even think about it, and immediately took out his right hand, which was always behind his back, which was a gleaming butcher's knife.

Just as he was about to slash Tony in front of him severely, a strong hand like iron pincers grabbed his wrist.

Old Fagin was in pain for a moment, and the knife in his hand fell to the ground with a 'clank'.

Arthur, wearing a bowler hat with a high brim, lifted his coat with the other hand, showing him the flintlock pistol in his waist.

Arthur said: "Don't bother, Mr. Fagin. We don't mean any harm, just want to have a brief chat with you."

As soon as Arthur finished speaking, Tony and Tom standing behind him also lifted their coats, and they also had pistols in their arms.

Seeing this, old Fagin had no choice but to raise his hands slightly to show that he had no intention of resisting.

The bald old man opened his eyes wide and took a deep breath: "Okay, it seems that I was stumped today, are you here to ask for the bill? Please, do you want me to make you a cup of tea?"

Arthur raised his eyebrows: "A bill? Do you owe people a lot of money?"

"You didn't come here to ask for a bill!"

Old Fagin looked up and down a few people with a look of surprise: "Then you are Fred's people? Could it be that he found out his conscience and finally planned to settle the payment he owed me for several months?"

Tom and Tony looked at each other, and Dickens was about to answer, but they also stopped him.

Arthur pondered for a while, sticking out his tongue and licking the corner of his mouth, he leaned against the door and smiled with his head tilted.

"Mr. Fagin, I suppose you have forgotten something important?"

"What else?"

Old Fagin rolled his eyes, glanced back and forth at Arthur, and suddenly narrowed his eyes: "If you have anything to say, just tell it straight. You don't need to argue with me. If you are really a brother on the road, you should Know the rules."

After Arthur heard this, he didn't say much. He just pulled out the pistol in his waist and put it on Fagin's head.

"Old stuff, sorry, I'm new here and I don't understand the rules here."

No sooner had the gun been placed on Fagin's head than the old man raised his hand which had just been put down.

He cursed loudly: "Damn it! I hate young people like you who have just entered the industry! You know nothing but violence!"

Seeing this, Adam couldn't bear to say: "Mr. Hastings, you, you promised me."

Fagin glanced at Adam who was held in Tom's arms: "Adam, you actually believe their nonsense. What benefits did they give you, that you just sold me out like this?

I usually treat you well, right? When you were kicked out by your parents, who took you in?Who taught you those meticulous tasks?
The most I can do is get some commission from the things you stole. Don't think that I take [-]% as a lot. It's a risk of losing your head. I just want to earn some pension money!

If you inquire at St. Giles, who among those middlemen will charge you a [-]% discount? "

When Adam heard this, he felt a little uncomfortable: "Mr. Fagin, they have no ill intentions towards you."

"Would you put a gun to my head without malice?!"

When Arthur heard this, he could only sigh helplessly. He reversed the muzzle of the gun, aimed at his head and pulled the trigger.

There was only a snap, but nothing happened.

Arthur put the pistol back in his waist, and said to old Fagin, "Mr. Fagin, as you can see, this is just a joke."

Old Fagin took out a handkerchief from his jacket pocket, wiped the sweat from his chin, and blamed him with staring eyes: "Is there such a joke? The old man's life almost scared you to death! What on earth are you doing?"

Officer Tony took out the armband of Scotland Yard from his coat pocket and displayed it in front of Fagin.

"As you can see, we are the police."

"Police?" Old Fagin held his aching heart and bowed his back timidly: "Mr. Police Officer, I, I think there must be some misunderstanding here."

He groped in his bosom for a while, tremblingly took out a gold pocket watch that was probably new and stuffed it into Arthur's pocket.

"For the sake of us all knowing Adam, please accept a little bit of caution."

Arthur looked at the old man's metamorphosis back and forth, but reluctantly sent the gold watch back.

"Mr. Fagin, you know I'm a policeman. How can I do this?"

Before old Eugene could reply, Adam, who was held in Tom's arms, said weakly, "That's right, Mr. Fagin, you have to give it in private."

Tom stared at him, and he taught: "Adam! Who did you learn this from? You can't give it in private, and you won't accept it if you give it to Arthur. He is not short of money now."

Adam nodded thoughtfully. He blinked his watery eyes and said to Fei Jin: "Then...Mr. Fei Jin, please give it to my father, our family is short."

Dickens on the side was stunned, and asked Tony beside him, "Are all the policemen in Scotland Yard like this?"

Tony pursed his lips and shrugged: "There are such things everywhere, but at least we don't."

Old Fagin was bewildered by them, and when he did not know what to do, it was Arthur who spoke.

"Well, Mr. Fagin, let's go in and talk."

Knowing the other party's identity, Fei Jin didn't dare to neglect, he hurriedly led them in.

"Please, police officers, I'll make you some tea right now."

"You don't need to make tea."

Arthur entered the house, and he surveyed the living room, which had windows covered with newspapers and a floor that had leaked water.

The walls blackened by firewood, the table with half a leg missing and covered with chalk graffiti, and the half-gnawed rye bread, the starched ash cup and the pot without the lid on the table teapot.

And in the small hole filled with thatch deep in the corner, there was a thin black mouse sleeping soundly.

Faced with this situation, Arthur couldn't whet his appetite anyway.

Old Fagin also saw that several police officers seemed a little uncomfortable, and the old thief blushed embarrassedly and said: "Mr. Police Officer, my house is not bad in the vicinity.

The landlord told me that this place used to be a nobleman's house, and both the baron and the baroness lived here, and every wall is full of classical and elegant taste.

It's just that because of the lack of maintenance for a long time, you may not be able to see it now.Don't believe it, just look here..."

As old Fagin said, he stretched out his greasy sleeve and rubbed vigorously against the handrail of the stairs leading to the second floor.

"Look at the carvings on the handrails, it's definitely the master's taste."

Arthur raised his hand to interrupt him: "Mr. Fagin, we can talk about taste next time.

I heard from Adam that you are a prominent figure in this area, and you have a lot of information that others don't know.So I'm here today mainly to ask you some questions.

I have received reliable information that there have been many disappearances in the parish of St. Giles recently. Do you know anything about it? "

"The disappearance?"

Old Fagin's eyes were vacillating, and he pursed his dry lips: "Actually, this kind of thing has never been lacking in St. Giles. After all, you should also know the situation here. People come here every day, every day. Some people leave, and it is normal to have fewer people."

"But I heard that this time, the few people are familiar faces on the street. There are adults and children, men and women. With your network in St. Giles, you won't hear any news, right? ?”

After finishing speaking, Arthur threw a list from his arms and threw it on the table: "Do you know how to read? If you don't, I can read it to you."

Old Fagin was sweating profusely: "I can't say too clearly about...some things, or I will be in trouble. Everyone is doing this, and I have cut off their money."

Arthur heard this, and threw out another document: "Mr. Fagin, this one is a criminal charge against you. Based on the amount of your stolen goods and abetting crimes, combined punishment for several crimes may not be enough for hanging. Enough of exile, you should know that at your age, exile and hanging are no different.

However, if you are willing to cooperate with our investigation, I can drop these charges immediately. After all, St. Giles Parish is not my jurisdiction, and I don't need to meddle in this business. "

When Fagin heard this, he hesitated again and again, but when he saw the handcuffs that Officer Tony took out, he finally gritted his teeth.

He said: "I dare not say that I know everything. But I am willing to tell you everything I know."

Upon hearing this, Arthur immediately threw the accusation documents into the dirty fireplace next to him.

"Please speak."

Fagin took a deep breath and asked, "Mr. Police Officer, do you know about the funeral mutual aid society? It's the kind of family that pays a few pennies a week, and then if a family member dies, they can get a funeral from the mutual aid association." The kind of association that subsidizes."

(End of this chapter)