Chapter 129: The King of Taura Hamlets
Chapter 129 – The King of Tawr Hamlets
London, Westminster.
The sun leapt over Trafalgar Square to rise.
4 Whitehall Street, in the interrogation room at the headquarters of the Greater London Police Department.
Mr. Disraeli looked up at the light coming in through the bars of the barred window, and, leaning back in his chair with a weary face, he spoke.
“Mr. Officer, you’ve been interrogating here all night, why aren’t you done yet? How many times have I told you that I was making a campaign speech at Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park yesterday afternoon, but had left by early evening, and I really didn’t see anyone hanging in the maple grove back there!”
The officer sitting opposite Disraeli was none other than the equally depressed Charles Field, dozing with one hand propped up on the side of his face and one eye half open and half closed.
He spoke in a daze, “Mr. Disraeli, we believe in your personal honor. It’s also true that there was little social connection between you and the deceased, so we believe that you must be innocent, but we had no choice but to bring you here for questioning.
You were unlucky in that yesterday was a Wednesday, so there were very few speakers in Hyde Park. You were the only one who spoke there yesterday afternoon. If it had been a Sunday afternoon, we would have been able to find more witnesses, but now, I’m sorry, we can only look for you.
Please think about it, are there any other details you found out about your speech yesterday afternoon?”
Disraeli was so exasperated by Officer Field’s remark that he opened his mouth and cursed, “Didn’t I tell you everything? I didn’t find out anything, besides, how come I’m the only witness? I clearly told you that when I left Hyde Park yesterday, I also found a moving gentleman and his three servants, that gentleman who lives at 36 Lancaster Gate ended up disappearing, and he had all the time in the world to commit the crime, you have to suspect him even if you want to! What’s the point of bringing me here?”
Hearing this, Officer Fielder just skimmed his lips and shook his head, “Mr. Disraeli, I advise you to be careful with your words when it comes to matters like this. Besides, it’s not like we haven’t been looking for him, he should be on his way to the Greater London Police Station at this time.”
“You have found him?” Hearing this, Disraeli’s wilted spirit perked up quite a bit, “Can I meet him when he arrives in a while?”
Hearing this, Feld lifted the teapot on the table and poured himself half a cup, “You want to meet him? No, I can’t.”
Disraeli frowned and asked, “What? Are you worried that I’m colluding with him?”
Feld blew on his steaming cup of tea, “No, I’m not worried about that.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
Feld took a sip of his tea, he savored it for half a second before frowning and spitting out a discolored leaf, “I am concerned that I do not have the authority to command him. The most I can do is convey your request to see him, and whether or not that request will be carried out depends on his mood today.”
Disraeli mulled over the statement for a moment, but still couldn’t figure out the reason for Field’s inexplicable remark.
He probed and asked, “And do you know what his mood is today?”
Fielder thought about the scene last night when Arthur was talking to him, and put down the cup of tea in his hand and spoke, “I can’t figure it out, it’s possible that he’s happy, or he’s calm. Of course, if I were him, I would be furious due to being called up in the middle of the night to examine a body.
But the honorable gentleman …… is one of the few good tempered men in Scotland Yard, and perhaps he will be honored by having done his duty to the public.”
Disraeli was clouded by Field’s words, he scratched his head and tapped his knuckles on the table unhappily, “Never mind, I’ll ask one last thing then, when exactly do you intend to let me go back. If you don’t let me out by noon today, I’m going to write to the magistrate’s court and ask them to issue a writ of habeas corpus against me! Although I am no longer practicing law, I can tell you that I originally studied law!”
Fielder nodded, “Don’t you worry, there will be a routine Greater London Police Authority senior policing meeting for the London area this morning, and as soon as that meeting is over, we’ll be sure to let you out.”
As soon as Fielder’s words fell, the iron door of the interrogation room was slowly pushed open.
He twisted his head to look, and with a jolt of fear, he hurriedly got up and stood at attention to salute, “Inspector Hastings!”
The old policeman who opened the door couldn’t help but sternly slate his face when he heard this, he opened his mouth and corrected, “Fielder, after a night’s work, isn’t your head not quite clear? Can’t you even recognize the rank of the Greater London Police Department now?”
Arthur, who was standing behind the old policeman, stretched out his white-gloved hand and put it on his shoulder, and smiled as he spoke, “Forget it, Cleverly, young people, they still need to learn. Besides, he’s been busy all night, it’s only reasonable that he’s a little dizzy.”
Fielder couldn’t help but freeze for half a moment when he heard this, and when his attention was focused again, he then realized the abnormality on Arthur’s shoulder patch.
Three shining Bass stars were missing there, and in their place was a crown emblem dotted with jeweled stars.
“Black …… Superintendent Hastings, good …… morning!” Fielder’s pupils shook dramatically, and he stood at attention and saluted again in a panic.
Arthur smoothed his wrinkled white gloves, then smiled and returned his salute.
“Good morning, Constable Field. By the way, I almost forgot to ask you if you’d be interested in transferring into my police district, I’m so pleased with your intelligence that I’m going to send you an invitation for a transfer.
Don’t worry about your superiors either, I spoke to him briefly last night when I examined Clemens’ body, and while he expressed regret at losing you, in the end he decided to relent and readily agreed.”
Fielder couldn’t help but feel in a trance when he heard this, and it wasn’t until the old officer Cleverly called out to him that he woke up as if he were in a dream.
Fielder stood up straight and saluted at the top of his lungs, “It is an honor to be under your command!”
Arthur gave a slight nod, then stepped in front of Disraeli with the officer’s knife in one hand.
He looked at Disraeli’s expression of having seen a ghost and spoke with a smile, “Sir, it’s good to see you again. Thank you very much for helping me carry my luggage yesterday.”
Disraeli placed one hand on the table and rested it behind the back of his chair as he rolled his eyes and said, “Damn! So that cop was you yesterday, I thought he was really here to investigate me for disrupting public order and going over the railings and walls of Hyde Park.”
The old policeman following Arthur frowned when he heard this, “What? Breaking public order? Scaling the walls of Hyde Park? There’s a hidden case here?” Fielder couldn’t help but stare in shock when he heard this, and he stood behind the old cop rushing at Disraeli and mouthing off.
Disraeli deciphered from his lips what he was trying to say – be careful what you say.
He looked around with a sardonic smile, then rubbing his palms together with sweaty cheeks, he spoke, “You see, I must have lost my head. It’s nothing, Mr. Hastings, I’m sure we can be good neighbors in the future. To tell you the truth, we live very close to each other; you live at 36 Lancaster Gate, and do you know where I live? I live at 27.”
Arthur nodded slightly at his words, then rushed behind him and instructed Field, “Mr. Disraeli must be very tired after being interrogated all night. Now that all the facts of the case have been ascertained, there is no need to continue to keep him here, so let him hurry home and get a good night’s sleep. After all, he has to continue to expound the wonderful vision he envisions to the public in Hyde Park this afternoon.”
Hearing this, Disraeli wiped the sweat from his head as if he had been pardoned, and picking up his coat, which was resting on the back of his chair, he got up and laughed as he raised two fingers at Arthur.
“That’s all for today, then. Mr. Hastings, next time I’ll buy you a meal.”
Arthur smiled and shook his head, “You are too kind, Mr. Disraeli. To tell you the truth, my family has recently hired a French cook, next time you go to my house, I’ll let you try his handiwork.”
……
In the conference room of the Greater London Police Headquarters.
Commissioner Rowan was cupping a brand new letter of resignation in his hand, one of the very exhibits obtained from Clemens’ body.
Director Rowan swept a glance over the contents of the letter, the conference hall was silent, and even the breathing of the seventeen superintendents and five police commissioners present could be clearly heard.
Rowan finished reading the letter of resignation and pressed it down on the table again and pushed it in front of Sir Richard Mayne, the Deputy Director, who was sitting on the sidelines.
Sir Mayne finished reading the letter and raised his hand slightly at Director Rowan, and after receiving a nod from Director Rowan, he spoke aloud.
“Then, the 17th Greater London Constabulary Senior Policing Meeting of the year will begin. Regarding the case that happened last night, I believe you have already heard about it. Regarding the cause of Taylor Clemens’ death, as soon as Scotland Yard received the report of the case last night, they formed a specialized investigation team to go and find out at the first opportunity.
After a night of detailed investigation, a breakthrough has now been made. Next, we have Superintendent Henry Robinson, Superintendent in charge of the Bayswater area, to give us a detailed statement.”
When Sir Mayne said this, Superintendent Henry Robinson immediately stood up and saluted, and then he picked up the script in front of the case and read from it.
“Upon receiving the case, this police district immediately dispatched twelve police officers to the scene of the crime in accordance with the newly promulgated ‘London Metropolitan Police Force Case Investigation Regulations’ to carry out lockdown and isolation, as well as along the road near the scene of the crime to carry out investigations and searches.
In the course of the investigation, we were assisted by Inspector Arthur Hastings, who lives nearby. In view of the outstanding performance of Inspector Hastings in the Greenwich Central Street Hotel homicide case, the Bayswater Police District made the interim decision that Inspector Hastings would lead the post-mortem examination.
Hastings police inspector and St. Mary’s Hospital medical expert group determined that the deceased Taylor Clemens, there are obvious strangulation marks and hanging traces of the neck, the face is white and blue, the remains of a slightly grim, the cause of death should be judged to be asphyxiation. The crime scene did not find other suspicious, and the body of the deceased left a detailed explanation of the reasons for suicide and resignation of the confession letter.
The handwriting of the confession letter was scrutinized by colleagues in the Greater London Police Authority and found to be in the handwriting of Tyler Clemens himself.
Taking into account the evidence on the ground, the medical team, the investigation team and the recommendations of all parties, the police district finally presumed that the deceased Taylor Clemens was unable to cope with the mental pressure to carry out acts of self-deliverance, and the cause of death was initially assessed to be undoubtedly suicidal.”
Hearing this, Director Luo Wan nodded slightly as he spoke, “The case is already clear, in that case, there is no need to engage in so many troublesome approved procedures, let’s go straight to the final task force vote.”
At that, Director Luo Wan took the lead and raised his hand, “I think it’s suicide.”
Immediately following, Deputy Director Sir Richard Mayne also raised his hand, “Seconded.”
And after Sir Mayne, the five superintendents also raised their hands neatly, “Suicide.”
The seventeen superintendents sitting underneath saw this and almost equally without hesitation raised their hands, “Seconded.”
Seeing this, Director Rowan finally revealed a satisfied smile as he casually tossed Clemens’ resignation letter towards the table and picked up another document in his hand, “Then, next, the second topic of this meeting will begin.”
He paused for a moment, followed by a slight frown, before he began to announce, “The final decision on the promotion of Detective Inspector Arthur Hastings, Sub-Inspector of the Greenwich Police District of the East London Region of the London Metropolitan Police, to one of the Superintendents in Charge of the East London Region of the London Metropolitan Police. The ability of Inspector Hastings is obvious to all, and this promotion is naturally justified, and I do not think there is much room for discussion. So next, let’s invite Superintendent Hastings in.”
With a slight wave of his hand, the police officer standing by the door of the conference hall immediately pulled the door open in understanding.
Accompanied by the sound of crisp, heavy riding boots, the upright figure wearing a dark blue tuxedo, white tight breeches, holding a slender police officer’s sword, and with a crown insignia on his shoulder appeared in the middle of the conference hall.
Standing like a straight sword, Arthur raised his hand in salute and said, “Superintendent of the East London Region of the London Metropolitan Police, Arthur Hastings salutes you all.”
Director Rowan nodded slightly as he flung his promotion papers towards the table and leaned his entire body against the back of his chair.
“Arthur, there’s no need to be so polite, have a seat. A young police officer with outstanding ability like you just deserves to be reused. However, as the saying goes, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. From now on, in addition to Greenwich, Tauerhamletts will also be handed over to you. Do you have any confidence?”
Hearing this, the Red Devil, who was adorned behind Arthur, couldn’t help but cover his mouth and snicker, “Wow! My dear Arthur, this old thing actually wants to hammer you. Tauerhamletts, that’s the worst area in all of London. It seems that you, the rising sun, are not always so popular in Scotland Yard!”
Arthur only smiled at Director Rowan’s inquiry as he took off his hat and bowed.
“I don’t know if I can do a good job, but I feel I must do at least a little better than Superintendent Clemens.”
When Director Rowan heard this, the smile on his face thickened a bit as he nodded slightly and said, “Clever.”
(End of chapter)