Chapter 67: The Target of the Crowd
Chapter 67 The Targets of the Crowd
At 4 Whitehall Street, in the conference hall of Scotland Yard, a group of people sat around the two sides of a long conference table, filling the chairs so full that not a single empty seat could be found.
Looking from east to west, the first people to be seen were the four Assistant Superintendents and their assistants, who were in charge of important departments of Scotland Yard.
Further down, there are more than a dozen superintendents who are responsible for the specific command and management of law and order in the London boroughs.
Although the expressions of these people appeared to be calm, from the slightly shaking hands of many of them as well as their anxious sitting positions, one could still guess their anxious feelings.
And at the very top of the conference table sat Colonel Charles Rowan, the Commissioner of the Greater London Police, and Sir Richard Mayne, the Deputy Commissioner.
The two of them had just returned from the Ministry of the Interior in the pouring rain, and it was clear from their gloomy expressions that Sir Peel must not have said anything good when he summoned them there.
Director Rowan swept his eagle-like gaze over everyone present, yet everyone touched by his gaze lowered their heads sheepishly, and none of them dared to meet his gaze.
Seeing this, Luo Wan felt a bellyful of anger.
Snap!
He slammed the table, pointing at everyone present and cursed, ”Wastes! All a bunch of fucking wastes! Whose jurisdiction is St. Giles Parish, get the fuck out!”
As soon as his words fell, a Chief Superintendent carrying a Crown Bass Star shoulder badge immediately stood up on the east side of the conference table.
“Report! It’s my precinct!”
Director Rowan’s eyes fell on him as he pointed at the report in front of him and rushed to angrily curse, “Clemens! What do you normally do for a living! You don’t know about such a big case in your precinct yourself?
If it wasn’t for Inspector Arthur of the Greenwich Police District who had an extra eye on the case and pulled out the case of ‘Murder and Sale of Corpses’ along the way, wouldn’t you still be in the dark now!”
Superintendent Clemens sniffed, his throat knots slightly shrugged, and he loudly responded, “Report sir! According to the Home Office documents, the Greater London Constabulary is mainly funded by the local parish policing levy.
You are well aware of the policing tax payment situation in St. Giles Parish, and I must first safeguard the security of other parishes with good policing tax payments, for the collective benefit of Scotland Yard.
And we nearly lost men in St. Giles a few months ago, with its many alleyways and complex terrain, which are prone to attacks on the police. With the police forces I am currently able to deploy at hand, I have to make a trade-off.
Regarding the application for a reasonable reduction in the number of police patrols in the parish of St. Giles, I submitted it to the headquarters three months ago, and it was approved and agreed to by the Ministry of the Interior.”
Hearing this, Director Rowan suddenly leaned his back toward his chair, “So, according to you, you think you’re doing a pretty good job?”
“No.” Clemens stood upright and returned, “I would like to take responsibility for this incident, and I assure you that I will get to the bottom of all the disappearances and arrest all the murderers. If I fail to do so, you can remove me from office at any time!”
Hearing this, Director Luo Wan grunted, “Count on you kid to still have some commitment. I brought you out of the army in the first place because I saw that you had some ability.”
Clemens was slightly relieved when he heard this, “Then according to your intention, I will take the lead in this disappearance investigation?”
“You still have a big mouth! Did I let you speak?” Director Rowan took off his gloves and slammed them at Clemens from afar, “Let go of your mother’s ass!”
Sir Mayne, the deputy director at the side, shook his head with a sullen face, “I’m sorry, Clemens, we did not receive an order from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for you to take the lead. This investigation operation will be taken over directly by the Home Office, with the highest nominal command being taken by the Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel himself.”
A flash of disbelief flashed through Clemens’ mind, “What about the actual operational command? Is that the responsibility of the Criminal Operations Department?”
“No.”
Sir Mayne stood up with a dark face, “The Criminal Operations Department is also just cooperating with the investigation and following orders. Given that some of the corpse sellers have gotten wind of the situation and absconded to various places.
Therefore, after Sir Peel reported the case to the Prime Minister, he finally decided that this investigation will be initiated by the Greater London Police Department along with the three major police districts in the country.
And the man in charge of the operation, you’ll meet him in a moment.
I’m sorry, gentlemen, Mr. Director and I have to take the relevant materials to the Home Office to explain the detailed case to Sir Peel, so excuse us for now!”
With those words, the head and deputy head of the department stood up together and left the conference hall.
Before leaving, Mr. Rowan pointed at the senior police officers and scolded, “This time, only success is not allowed, all police districts will do their best to cooperate with me. If you end up messing up the case, you’ll all have to deal with it!”
At the end of his words, the door to the conference hall was slammed shut by him.
After a long time, the conference hall once again resounded with rising and falling breaths.
“What’s he mad about today?”
“Can’t you tell? Sir Peel is probably furious. Piss off the Home Secretary, and how long do you think the two Directors will be able to work at Scotland Yard?”
“He just hasn’t been on the front line, it’s those words of his that sound like farts! This kind of missing body sale case is already difficult to investigate. That Burke case in Edinburgh before took over half a year to find the murderer, and it was only because the tenant stumbled upon the body hidden in the attic that the truth came out.
If the Scottish Constabulary hadn’t stumbled upon such good luck, wouldn’t it have been an ambiguous mix-up?”
“How can that be the same? Have you forgotten those famous words that Director Rowan always hangs on to?
We’re professional police, not amateur local magistrates, nor are we those police district military police that can only be used to maintain order, so we need to have better overall qualities and more specialized case handling abilities.”
“You net listen to his fart! Where is the case so good. He wants to handle more cases, but he’s increasing our police force! The people under my hand have enough trouble just doing daily patrols every day!”
Speaking of this, the police superintendent sitting beside Clemens suddenly elbowed him.
“Clemens, it’s time to say no, I do agree with you on that point. We’re funded by the security tax, and every time we collect the St. Giles security tax it’s like it’s killing us, so what do we care about them for nothing.
Bad luck, pal! The case happened in your precinct, and when people have bad luck they can’t be stopped.”
Clemens could only smile grudgingly at this, as he mulled over other problems.
“Can’t help it, what can you do when you’re staked out. Most of the West End of London is a well policed area, only the dirtiest parish of St. Giles fell into my hands, alas …… By the way, do you guys have any news? That person in charge of the operation command, who exactly is it?”
“We don’t know either, ah, I was going to inquire with you about it. Estimated that may be drawn from Edinburgh to sell the corpse case experts, after all, they have been out of the Burke case there, should have experience in this area.”
The police inspectors were whispering when suddenly the door to the conference hall was pushed open.
Black oily back, upright figure, straight as a sword arms, neat unblemished tuxedo uniform, the police officer’s knife on his waist swung neatly with his steps.
Arthur stepped into the conference room in the stunned eyes of many superintendents and assistant superintendents, and he placed the domed black hat clutched in his hand squarely on the conference table, and then slapped the police officer’s knife heavily on the front of the case.
The sound of the knife’s sheath vibrating against the conference table drew a sharp shock from everyone present.
They you look at me, I look at you, full of eyes written are a wave of ancient and odd inexplicable.
The Red Devil’s shadow fluttered behind Arthur as he warned, “Arthur, I told you not to look into this case, if you don’t get it right, you’ll become a target!”
Arthur grunted softly as he replied back in a voice that only Agareth could hear, “Then they can come all they want. No one is going to cross my path unless they put a bullet through my chest!”
Someone stood up and accused, “What are you doing! Why don’t you get out of the way, that’s the Commissioner’s seat, didn’t anyone tell you that a high-level meeting of the Greater London Police Department is being held here? Why don’t you, a police inspector, get out of the way!”
The others also chimed in, “This police inspector, please go out immediately now and bring the door with you by the way. The mid-level police meeting is held every Monday, and this is now an impromptu meeting about the murder and sale of a corpse case.”
Arthur looked at them and did not say anything, but instead clapped his hands at the door.
The sound of riding boots on the floor resounded outside the conference hall, and the superintendents turned their heads to look, and immediately realized that something was wrong.
Those were three burly men wearing blue, black, and green plaid shirt uniforms as well as light red uniforms respectively, wearing shoulder badges with officer’s swords.
Many of the superintendents had served in the military, so they easily recognized these checkered markings and badge insignia on their bodies.
“Aphor plaid, light red array, and yellow vipers?”
The three burly men came to stand at attention in front of Arthur and raised their hands in salute.
“By order of the Ministry of War of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Scottish Police District, the Police Company under the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Infantry, the ‘Blackguards’, is at your service!”
“By order of the War Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Police Region of England and Wales, the Police Company of the 5th Royal Infantry Regiment ‘Wellington Guards’ is at your service!”
“By order of the War Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Police Region of England and Wales, the Police Company of the 10th Royal Infantry Regiment, ‘The Yellow Vipers’, is at your service!”
Arthur nodded at them, then turned his head to look at the superintendents in front of him, “May I be seated, please?”
The Superintendents’ brains crawled with false sweat as they slowly nodded, “When …… of course ……”
“Good.” Arthur leaned back in his chair and crossed his fingers, “Now then, would the Superintendents please stand up.”
The shelves have been officially set for next Wednesday, that is, 6.14th, and the recommendation of the three rivers is also in the next week. Thank you for your support, readers and friends, have the time and conditions, I hope you can come on Wednesday to support ah!
(End of chapter)