The three people who had a secret meeting with Earl Saskia were the bald Mr. Thunberg, a big local tobacco businessman; Mr. Francis, who teaches fundamental physics at Huntington Public Seminary.
The three followed Mr. Sandberg and Mr. Francis. The order of Miss Martha, followed by a secret meeting with the Earl in the room. Each person met for about half an hour, and did not leave the club after the meeting. Mr. Sandberg continued to meet with his business partners on the first floor, and Mr. Francis I met an acquaintance on the second floor. Miss Martha had already left the club, but she didn't go far, so she was found again.
They all had letters from the earl inviting them to meet today, and after searching, no source of poison was found on them. However, after the three met with the earl, they all had time to dispose of their belongings, so they were still the most suspected of committing the crime.
What is very strange is that before Colonel Wood brought Shad and Mr. Bernhardt into the room, the three of them refused to tell the reason why they met the earl. After Colonel Wood officially announced that Earl Saskia had been confirmed dead, and died in front of Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret, all three of them took a breath and looked shocked.
"Three, none of you can leave without finding out the truth of this matter."
As a soldier, Mr. Wood acted very decisively, throwing out the name of the princess just to let them know how big this matter is today. Sure enough, after learning that members of the royal family were involved in this matter, all three were willing to let go of their reasons for coming here, but they asked to tell each other separately. This matter should not be known by too many people.
So, the three were separated again. Shad, Mr. Bernhardt and Colonel Wood first interrogated Mr. Thunberg, the tobacco merchant who first met with the earl. After the royal guards closed the door from the outside, the bald middle-aged man covered his face and burst into tears:
"I knew that sooner or later I would be found out if I did this kind of thing. This is God punishing me."
"What the **** did you do?"
Colonel Wood asked in a stern tone, and Mr. Thunberg, who covered his face, sobbed and replied:
"I partnered with Earl Saskia to do tobacco business in the southern region of De La Rion...the kind that doesn't pay taxes."
That is smuggling.
"We met today because the earl wanted to readjust the distribution of profits. We had a big fight, and no one wanted this to happen, but I swear, I would never want to murder an earl."
"smuggling?"
Colonel Wood looked at Viscount Bernhardt, who nodded slightly:
"It's true... there are rumors of this, but I can't be sure."
In other words, this is a well-known matter among the local nobles, but Mr. Bernhardt will never testify against it and offend an earl family...Whether this title can be passed on depends on the Looking at the later investigation, how big is the smuggling business? But seeing the bald businessman crying sadly at this time, I am afraid that the scale of the business is much larger than the three of them imagined.
Later, the three met the gloomy Mr. Francis who seemed to have not washed his hair for several days. Although he lectured on basic physics at the university, he was only a lecturer, not a professor.
"I know it's hard to explain, but in fact... the count wants to use me to get involved with MI6 in de la Rion."
As soon as he opened his mouth, there was heavy news. Mr. Bernhardt and Colonel Wood were too shocked to speak. Although Xia De was also shocked, he still asked first:
"You mean, you're from MI6?"
"No, Mr. De La Rion, please don't wrong me. I am a very loyal Carson Riker. You also know that although teaching at a university is a very decent job, the weekly salary is not very rich. , those few crowns are used to raise three children, it is really..."
He took off his glasses, lowered his head and wiped the lenses with his clothes:
"When I was young, I met some friends in De La Rion, so in Huntingdon, sometimes I worked part-time... holding and selling some information for people. I didn't know anyone from MI6, and they didn't Didn't trust me, but I was able to reach them."
In other words, this is actually an intelligence dealer in the local underground black market.
"Earl Sakia is looking for you, why contact MI6?"
After regaining his senses, Colonel Wood asked, and Mr. Francis hesitated and pursed his lips:
"This is actually not the first time the Earl has approached me. He wants to use information from the Huntington Railway Department in exchange for Delarion's release of a batch of cargo from the New World that he docked at Coldwater Port... yes Yes, a group of herbal medicines that do not quite comply with the terms formulated and recognized by the United Kingdom and enforced to ensure implementation."
At some point, Mr. Bernhardt raised his hand and held his chin. He was very interested but did not dare to continue listening. Colonel Wood's frown was like the raised Rommel Mountains. He took a few breaths through his nose, and then asked with difficulty:
"What kind of illegal herbal medicine? Yin-forming? Spirit-stimulating? Or was it included in the list by the Church of the Five Gods?"
Mr. Francis pouted and scratched his face. This strange look was to hide his uneasiness:
"All of them. However, Earl, this is not a traitor. He is very loyal to the kingdom and loves the people. He has been trying his best to prevent the reconstruction plan of the eastern Huntington reservoir..."
"Oh my God."
Colonel Wood no longer listened to the other party. He moaned while covering his forehead, and then looked at the two gentlemen beside him.
"I didn't hear anything!"
Mr. Bernhardt said immediately.
"What?"
Xia De patted his ears and made a dazed look, and Colonel Wood was relieved.
After confirming that the dead Earl Sakiya was engaged in smuggling business and collaborating with the enemy, the three met the gorgeously dressed Miss Martha again. She had a very pungent perfume smell on her body, and this inferior perfume could not be compared with that used by the girls around Shade.
"I am the count's lover."
Miss Martha sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, and had already extinguished her cigarette under Colonel Wood's warning.
"You only met for half an hour."
Colonel Wood pointed out very sharply, with sharp eyes:
"Even if the earl's health is not good, there is no reason to only meet for half an hour. This is unreasonable."
After speaking, he explained to the two people around him:
"I don't have a lover, it's common sense."
"The count wants to abandon me."
The woman said these words without any expression on her face, but looked at Xia De's face with a very interested look:
"The reason why he abandoned me was that he was bored. He gave me a money order, 200 crowns, to shut my mouth. You should have found that money order. Please return it to me after this matter is over."
She was looking at Xia De, and Xia De was also looking at her. It wasn't that the outsider was interested in the woman in front of him, but the emerald ring on her finger that caught his attention.
[Yes, it is an alchemy item, but the traces of the elements are very weak. 】
The other party was just an ordinary person. Even if he had an alchemy item on his body, it could not be said that the other party was the murderer who poisoned the Earl Sakia who would probably be nailed to the pillar of shame in Kasenrick.
Colonel Wood continued to inquire about Earl Saskia's daily habits, as well as the details of Miss Martha's acquaintance with the Earl. Mr. Bernhardt behind him pulled Shade's sleeve and pointed his finger in Miss Martha's direction.
Shocked, Xia De opened his mouth and made a mouth shape:
"is her?"
Mr. Bernhardt nodded slightly, and then hung his hands by his sides, with the palms down, and quickly swung them up and down. Then he raised his right hand and touched his nose.
"The hands imitate the wings, referring to the bat; pointing to the nose, referring to the keen sense of smell. He means that he relies on the vampire's gifted sense of smell to smell the abnormal smell on the opponent's body."
Xia De nodded to express his understanding. He rolled his eyes, then raised his right hand and stretched his palm forward, meaning "what is the evidence".
Mr. Bernhardt also understood what he meant, but still shook his head, meaning that he had no evidence for the time being.
At this time, Mr. Wood had finished asking questions, and turned back to signal the two gentlemen beside him to ask a few more questions. Mr. Bernhardt signaled Shad to speak first, so Shad thought for a while and said:
"Why not, let's treat this lady as a murderer."
"Um?"
The other three looked at him in surprise, Xia De analyzed:
"You see, these three people are the most suspected. The tobacco dealer will definitely not let him leave for smuggling; Mr. Francis is suspected of collaborating with the enemy, and he can't leave. Only this lady, we have no reason to stay without going through the police. She. How about we announce to the public that it was Miss Martha who poisoned and killed the Earl, and then detain Mr. Thunberg and Mr. Francis on the grounds that it involved state secrets."
Colonel Wood, who was a little surprised just now, has understood now, and Mr. Bernhardt also sucked in his breath and touched his chin.
"In this way, the incident that should have been handled by the police can be handled by us alone. As long as the gray gloves are dispatched from Willandell, after His Highness leaves in the airship, the gray gloves will take over the matter. In this way, the criminal case becomes a state secret case that does not need to be disclosed to the outside world, and the three people are all under control. No matter what kind of truth is found out in the future, there is no possibility of it being exposed to the public. Your reputation will never be tarnished.”
In this way, the focus of Gray Gloves' investigation will also be on these three people, and Xia De jumped out of this matter.
After Xia De finished his thoughts, "her" laughter came from beside his ears:
[Outlanders, sometimes I really have to admire your wisdom. 】
The middle-aged vampire had already given Shade a thumbs up at this time, looking at him, as if he had reacquainted with this young knight from a foreign country. Mr. Bernhardt now fully understands that Shade Hamilton became the only enshrined knight in this era is definitely not just because of good luck.
And Colonel Wood, who was still a little wary of the Delarion man, also said from the bottom of his heart:
"That's formidable, Mr. Holmes, that's formidable."
Here is heartfelt praise:
"In fact, you should not go to the New World to run a vineyard, but should apply for civil servants. It's amazing, it's really amazing."
Xia De smiled and shook his head modestly. He is a major in the Royal Army of De La Rion. According to the kingdom's regulations, he cannot apply for the civil servants of the kingdom before he is discharged from the army:
"I'm just better at grasping the main contradiction~www.mtlnovel.com~ When the real murderer is confirmed but there is no evidence to prove that the other party is the murderer, don't look for evidence, but turn the problem into, why not Evidence can arrest the other party.
"Well."
Colonel Wood clapped his hands and concluded the matter:
"Then, for the time being, we will treat Miss Martha as the poisoner."
After finishing speaking, he coughed, turned to face the sofa, and announced in a very formal tone:
"Miss Martha, now that you have been arrested, please do not take any additional actions, otherwise we have reasons to take restrictive measures against you. It needs to be pointed out that since the person who arrested you is the guard directly under the Anjou royal family, you need to be escorted to Ash Gloves, so you don’t have any right to meet relatives and express your opinion freely.”
The woman sitting on the sofa stared at the three people dumbfounded, never expecting that they would be so shameless.