SGB Chapter 254

## Chapter 254: Confronting Scotland Yard Comes with a Price (4K)

Arthur finished reading the advertisement in front of him, then saw Superintendent Rowan, sitting across from him, toss a tin of tobacco over.

“If you’re going to smoke, then get your own,” Rowan said, his voice gruff. “And while you’re at it, let’s talk about your ideas.”

Arthur lit a match, leaned back in his chair, and said, “Harrison wanting to withdraw the lawsuit is good news, of course. But the problem is that he started this whole mess. We at Scotland Yard haven’t done anything to provoke him. If we just drop the case, wouldn’t that be telling other departments that we’re easy targets? I know our British police force can’t be as intimidating as the Parisian Prefecture of Police or the Imperial Chancellery’s Third Department in Russia, but we’re still a force of law. We don’t expect the MPs to respect us like they do the Royal Navy or the Army, but they shouldn’t just be able to throw mud at us whenever they want.”

Rowan let out a knowing chuckle, his fingers interlocked under his chin. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.

“You’re right, Arthur. Ever since Sir Peel ordered the establishment of Scotland Yard, the Home Office has always demanded that we present a good-natured image to London’s citizens. We fully understand and respect the top brass’s decision. That’s why our Scotland Yard officers do so much extra, unnecessary work. Like using police funds to distribute porridge, clearing congested roads, giving directions to strangers, helping citizens find their cats and dogs, and scaring the wits out of disobedient children on behalf of their parents.”

“Right now, there’s no police force in all of Europe, or even the world, that handles more trivial matters or treats its citizens with more gentleness. But to those narrow-minded MPs, it seems like a sign of weakness. If we don’t teach them a lesson, this kind of thing will only happen more and more often.”

Arthur took the letter from Sir Peel that Rowan handed him and glanced at it. The words were earnest and sincere, devoid of the arrogance of a party leader. The message was clear: to plead for Bernie Harrison and hope Scotland Yard wouldn’t make a fuss about the matter.

At the same time, Sir Peel also assured them that once the dust settled, the Tories would certainly take serious disciplinary action against Bernie Harrison.

Arthur stroked his chin, pondering. “It seems that Sir Peel is going all out to preserve the unity of the Tory Party. Harrison has committed such a grave offense, and he hasn’t even asked him to resign from the House of Commons.”

Rowan said, “The arrest of Louis Bonaparte has already diluted the impact of the Bernie Harrison incident. Plus, we have obtained some suspicious evidence in the Harrison case. And murder is a serious crime. Even MPs don’t have immunity from criminal charges. Now if those MPs want to bring this up again, they’ll have no grounds to stand on. At most, they can accuse us of not reporting to the Speaker in time. It’s safe to say that we have the upper hand now. If we want to take Harrison down, all we need is to give the Speaker advance notice, and he has no justifiable reason to reject our application. Of course, we must also consider Sir Peel’s feelings. We can let Harrison go, but we can’t just let this go without making a sound. That’s simply not possible.”

Arthur considered this for a moment and said, “Actually, we don’t have to do anything with Harrison for now. After all, we can’t directly convict him yet. At most, we can bring him to Scotland Yard for a few days of questioning. But if we want to punish someone like Harrison who doesn’t take Scotland Yard seriously, we have another angle. For example, Harrison’s little group.”

“Little group?” Rowan frowned. “Arthur, are you kidding? Harrison is a political broker who made his fortune selling perfume. He doesn’t have much power himself. He became an MP solely because of his extensive connections. His group includes many political heavyweights. We can’t even take down Harrison, who has incriminating evidence against him. Do you really think we can go after Earl Elden or Drummond or Crooke?”

Arthur laughed, “Sir, as you said, Harrison is a political broker. Those bigwigs just use him to expand their social circles. How can they be considered part of his group? Besides, if those bigwigs wanted to target Scotland Yard, they could just do it directly in Parliament. Why bother with such petty tricks? Those who really resort to such petty tricks are usually those who are neither high nor low in status. These are the ones who jump up and down.”

Rowan heard the implication in Arthur’s words. He took a drag from his pipe and said, “So it seems you’ve found your target?”

Arthur nodded, taking out the arrest warrant for Bernie Harrison, signed by George Norton, from his jacket pocket.

“I’m guessing you must have forgotten about this. Mr. Norton and Mr. Harrison have always been close, yet he ignored our arrest of Mr. Harrison. You can certainly guess that this newly appointed magistrate also participated in this obstruction of justice.”

Rowan continued to smoke, scrutinizing the warrant. “To bring down a magistrate? I feel like this is even harder than pulling down an MP. Dismissing a magistrate requires the King’s personal approval. Besides, he just signed a warrant incorrectly. It’s not a major mistake. Harrison’s problem is much more serious.”

Arthur smiled, “I understand, of course. One is a murder charge, and the other is a work error. The nature of the two is incomparable. But the problem is that Mr. Norton is not only an Oxford gentleman but also a hotheaded powder keg. As for the document for dismissing a magistrate, His Majesty certainly wouldn’t want to sign it casually. But if the dismissal of the magistrate is merely for a transfer to another department, just a job adjustment administrative document, then it will definitely be approved by His Majesty.”

Rowan was surprised, “Norton is going to be transferred to another department?”

Arthur said, “It’s not that Mr. Norton is going to be transferred, but that he wants to advance his career and face a more challenging role in the soon-to-be-established London Regional Prosecutor’s Office. But from what I’ve heard from the Lord Chancellor’s Office, Mr. Norton’s idea is a bit difficult to realize. So he’s been trying to cook up some big trouble recently.”

“Big trouble? What’s he going to do?”

Arthur pointed to the letter from Sir Peel on the table. “I’m afraid Mr. Norton might become resentful of our boss, Viscount Melbourne, because he couldn’t get the position at the London Regional Prosecutor’s Office. After all, Mrs. Norton seems to have some unsavory ties to Viscount Melbourne.

So, I suggest that you first agree to Sir Peel’s request. We will eventually drop the charges against Bernie Harrison, but only after Harrison drops his unconstitutional accusations against Scotland Yard. I think this request is quite reasonable, and Sir Peel should understand. After all, we are in the right in this matter.

But before that, tomorrow during the parliamentary inquiry, please represent Scotland Yard in front of all the MPs and make a request to hold Mr. Norton, who issued the arrest warrant, jointly liable. And while you’re at it, ask for a change of coroner to examine the body. In short, we need to address the problems that have arisen in this case in the Magistrate’s Court.

It doesn’t matter whether Parliament approves your request or not. All we want is to light a few small sparks for this powder keg. Afterward, if MP Harrison cancels his accusations against Scotland Yard, then it will naturally mean that he can’t further harm the Home Office. In that case, Mr. Norton might lose his temper. He might even panic because of your proposals in Parliament.

Once his mental pressure rises, I’ll try to give him a little more insignificant stimulation. Like a dismissal notice or something.”

“Then here’s the question,” Rowan tapped the table. “Where are you going to get that dismissal notice?”

Arthur put away the documents on the table and said with a smile, “Sir, have you forgotten what I said just now? I’ve held several meetings with the Lord Chancellor’s Office regarding the establishment of the London Regional Prosecutor’s Office these past six months. The main framework has been determined, and the Chief Prosecutor of the London Regional Prosecutor’s Office has been decided to be John Austin, the Dean of the London University Law School. However, there are still some vacancies for deputy positions, and coincidentally, Lord Brougham asked me if I had any suitable recommendations for those positions.”

“Ah…” Rowan understood Arthur’s intentions and grinned. “I don’t know much about this new organization. Arthur, can you explain to me if dismissing a prosecutor requires reporting to His Majesty?”

Arthur shook his head slightly with a smile, “Of course not. The London Regional Prosecutor’s Office is a subordinate organization of the Lord Chancellor’s Office. All we need is the Lord Chancellor’s approval. And Sir, I have to correct you. It’s not a prosecutor, but a prosecutor who hasn’t been appointed yet. So, we only need to withdraw the appointment document that hasn’t been delivered to him.”

Rowan laughed even more brightly, “Arthur, rest assured on this point. I’ve lived in Britain for so many years, and I’m not sure about most things, but one thing I’m sure of is that the efficiency of our British postal service is second to none. I’m always confident in their incompetence.”

Having said that, Rowan continued, “The Norton matter is settled. As for Harrison, although we will eventually drop the charges, we have to put some pressure on him before that. At the very least, we have to make him understand that confronting Scotland Yard comes with a price.”

“Of course,” Arthur put the ‘Stilicho’s Secret’ advertisement into his jacket pocket. “At least I can’t just watch him continue to sell this stuff. Besides, I’m very interested in knowing what kind of misfortune befell that unfortunate maid.”

…

London in the 19th century was never short of shopping districts. While Regent Street, Jermyn Street, and Savile Row were the preferred destinations for the upper-class gentlemen and ladies to buy various fashionable goods, Bond Street, named after King Charles II’s close friend Sir Thomas Bond, was also a great place to go.

Bond Street’s advantage over the aforementioned three streets was its geographical location. As the main thoroughfare connecting Oxford Street and Piccadilly, the aristocrats living in Mayfair could simply step out of their homes and find everything they needed in this high-end district.

And the most famous and sought-after perfume shop on Bond Street was none other than Rubin’s Perfumery.

As for why this seemingly ordinary shop was so well-known, it all goes back to the original owner, Mr. Rubin.

Just like many of those who made waves in London’s fashion circles, Mr. Rubin was a Frenchman. Moreover, he was the personal perfumer of Josephine de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s first Empress.

As a man who could concoct scents that even the conqueror of Europe found intoxicating, Mr. Rubin’s perfumery skills were beyond question.

To ladies, Mr. Rubin often proclaimed, “Napoleon conquered Europe with force, and Josephine conquered Napoleon with scent. Buy one of my perfumes, and your husband will be the next Napoleon.”

And to men, Mr. Rubin had another spiel, “Give your beloved a bottle of perfume, and she will be your Josephine. No need to conquer Europe, you can still have a royal experience.”

The young apprentice working diligently in the shop saw a gentleman dressed as a banker enter the store and quickly greeted him with a smile. “Sir, are you looking for some cosmetics for your beloved? Rose water? Rouge? Or perhaps you’re here specifically for our shop’s treasure, the ‘Imperial Addiction,’ the same one used by Empress Josephine?”

“Imperial Addiction?” Arthur tapped his hat with his cane. “Is it the one that smells like cheese?”

“Cheese?” The apprentice was annoyed at this remark, but he still tried to maintain a smile. “What are you talking about, sir? Imperial Addiction is made with the finest rose, pineapple, pear, lavender, and dozens of other essential oils. We don’t sell any perfume that smells like cheese. You must be joking, right?”

Arthur heard this and stepped back out of the shop to look at the sign. He then confirmed, “Have you been selling fake goods all along? A friend of mine told me that the genuine article is supposed to smell like cheese.”

The apprentice questioned, “Sir! Our formula hasn’t changed in over a decade. If it smells like cheese, then the perfume you bought must be fake. Napoleon himself praised the scent of Empress Josephine’s perfume. Could your friend be more professional than Napoleon himself?”

Arthur recalled the memory, feeling a bit ashamed. “Well, there’s still a bit of a gap. To be honest, the one I know is a little kid.”

(End of Chapter)