## Chapter 129: The King of Tower Hamlets
**Chapter 129: The King of Tower Hamlets**
**London, Westminster.**
The sun rose over Trafalgar Square, casting its golden rays across the city.
At 4 Whitehall Street, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, in the interrogation room.
Mr. Disraeli looked up at the light filtering through the iron bars of the window. His face was weary as he leaned back in his chair.
“Officer, you’ve been interrogating me all night. Why hasn’t it ended yet? I’ve told you countless times, I was giving a campaign speech at the Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park yesterday afternoon, but I left in the evening. I really didn’t see anyone hanging from the maple forest behind it!”
The officer sitting opposite Disraeli was Charles Field, equally exhausted. He propped his head with one hand, his eyes half-open and drowsy.
He mumbled, “Mr. Disraeli, we believe in your personal honor. You and the deceased have no social connection, so we believe you are innocent. But we had to bring you in for questioning.
You are unlucky because yesterday was Wednesday, so there were very few people speaking in Hyde Park. You were the only one speaking there yesterday afternoon. If it had been Sunday afternoon, we would have found more witnesses, but now, sorry, we can only find you.
Please think carefully, did you notice any details when you were speaking yesterday afternoon?”
Disraeli was furious at Officer Field’s words. He retorted, “Didn’t I tell you? I didn’t find anything. And why is there only one witness? I told you, when I left Hyde Park yesterday, I saw a man moving house with his three servants. The man, who lived at 36 Lancaster Gate, disappeared later. He had ample opportunity to commit the crime. If you want to suspect someone, you should suspect him! Why bring me here?”
Officer Field just shrugged and shook his head. “Mr. Disraeli, I advise you to be careful with your words in such matters. Besides, we didn’t just leave him alone. He should be on his way to the Metropolitan Police now.”
“You found him?” Disraeli’s spirits lifted at the news. “Can I see him when he arrives?”
Field heard this, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured himself half a cup. “You want to see him? No, you can’t.”
Disraeli furrowed his brow and asked, “Why? Are you worried about me colluding with him?”
Field blew on the steaming teacup. “No, I’m not worried about that.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
Field took a sip of tea, savored it for a moment, then frowned and spit out a discolored tea leaf. “I’m worried that I don’t have the authority to command him. At most, I can help you convey your request to see him. Whether or not the request will be granted depends on his mood today.”
Disraeli pondered these words for a moment but still couldn’t figure out why Field was saying these nonsensical things.
He leaned forward and asked, “So, do you know what his mood is like today?”
Field thought back to the scene of Arthur talking to him last night, put down his teacup, and said, “I’m not sure. He might be happy, or he might be calm. Of course, if I were him, I would be furious at being woken up in the middle of the night to examine a body.
But that respectable gentleman… he’s one of the few good-tempered ones at Scotland Yard. Perhaps he will be honored for serving the public.”
Disraeli was baffled by Field’s words. He scratched his head and tapped the table impatiently with his knuckles. “Forget it. I’ll ask one last question. When are you going to let me go? If you don’t let me go before noon today, I’ll write to the Magistrate’s Court and ask them to issue a writ of protection for me! Although I’m not practicing anymore, I can tell you, I studied law!”
Field nodded. “Don’t worry, the Metropolitan Police will hold its regular London Regional Senior Police Conference this morning. As soon as the conference is over, we’ll let you go.”
As Field finished speaking, the iron door of the interrogation room was slowly pushed open.
He turned his head and saw, startled, and quickly stood up and saluted. “Inspector Hastings!”
The old policeman who opened the door frowned, sternly correcting him. “Field, you’ve been working all night. Is your head not clear? Now, you can’t even recognize the rank of the Metropolitan Police?”
Arthur, standing behind the old policeman, put his white-gloved hand on his shoulder and said with a smile, “It’s okay, Cleverly. Young people need to learn. Besides, he’s been busy all night, it’s understandable that he’s a little dizzy.”
Field was stunned for a moment, and when his attention refocused, he noticed something unusual about Arthur’s shoulder boards.
The three sparkling Bath stars were gone, replaced by a crown insignia studded with jeweled stars.
“In… Inspector Hastings, good… good morning!” Field’s pupils dilated. He hurriedly saluted again.
Arthur stroked his wrinkled white gloves, then smiled and returned the salute.
“Good morning, Officer Field. Oh, I almost forgot to ask, are you interested in transferring to my precinct? Your intelligence impresses me greatly, so I plan to send you a transfer invitation.
Don’t worry about your superiors. I chatted with him briefly last night when I examined Clemens’ body. While he was sad to lose you, he decided to reluctantly let you go and agreed happily.”
Field felt a little dazed, and it wasn’t until old policeman Cleverly called out to him that he snapped out of it.
Field stood at attention, shouting, “It’s my honor to serve under you!”
Arthur nodded slightly, then stepped forward with his officer’s sword in hand, standing before Disraeli.
He looked at Disraeli’s ghostly expression and said with a smile, “Sir, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Thank you for helping me move my luggage yesterday.”
Disraeli placed one hand on the table and the other on the back of his chair. He rolled his eyes and said, “Damn it! So, that policeman yesterday was you. I thought he was really investigating me for disrupting public order, climbing over Hyde Park’s fences and walls.”
The old policeman behind Arthur frowned. “What? Disrupting public order? Climbing over Hyde Park walls? Are there any hidden details here?”
Field, standing behind the old policeman, mouthed the words to Disraeli.
Disraeli read his lip movements and understood the meaning: be careful with your words.
He laughed awkwardly, looked around, then wiped his sweaty palms. “You see, I must have been out of my mind. Nothing, Mr. Hastings, I’m sure we can be good neighbors in the future. To be honest, our two houses are very close. You live at 36 Lancaster Gate, you know where I live? I live at 27.”
Arthur nodded slightly, then instructed Field behind him, “Mr. Disraeli has been questioned for a whole night, he must be exhausted. Now that all the details have been investigated, there’s no need to keep him here. Let him go home and get a good night’s sleep. After all, he has to continue to expound his vision of a better future to the public in Hyde Park this afternoon.”
Disraeli, relieved, wiped the sweat from his forehead. He picked up his coat, which was draped over the back of the chair, stood up, and smiled at Arthur, holding up two fingers.
“Well, that’s it for today. Mr. Hastings, I’ll treat you to something next time.”
Arthur shook his head with a smile. “You’re too kind, Mr. Disraeli. To be honest, my family recently hired a French chef. Next time you come to my house, let you taste his cooking.”
…
In the conference hall of the Metropolitan Police headquarters.
Commissioner Rowan held in his hand a brand new resignation letter, one of the evidence obtained from Clemens’ body.
Rowan glanced at the contents of the letter, and the conference hall fell silent. Even the breathing of the seventeen police superintendents and five police commanders present could be heard clearly.
After finishing reading the letter, Rowan placed it on the table and pushed it towards Sir Richard Mayne, the Deputy Commissioner, who was sitting beside him.
Sir Mayne finished reading the letter, raised his hand slightly towards Commissioner Rowan, and after receiving Rowan’s nod, he spoke in a loud voice.
“Then, the 17th London Metropolitan Police Senior Police Conference of this year begins. I believe you all have heard about the incident that happened last night. I won’t go into details here. Regarding the cause of death of Taylor Clemens, after Scotland Yard received the report last night, it immediately set up a special investigation team to investigate.
After a night of detailed investigation, we have made a breakthrough. Next, Superintendent Henry Robinson, the head of the Bayswater District, will give us a detailed statement.”
As Sir Mayne finished speaking, Superintendent Henry Robinson immediately stood up and saluted. Then, he picked up the speech on the table and read it verbatim.
“After receiving the case, this district dispatched twelve officers to the scene, according to the newly issued “London Metropolitan Police Case Investigation Regulations,” to conduct a lockdown and isolation, and to conduct investigations and searches along the roads near the scene.
During the investigation, we received great assistance from Inspector Arthur Hastings, who lives nearby. In view of Inspector Hastings’ outstanding performance in the Greenwich Central Street Hotel murder case, the Bayswater District temporarily decided to have Inspector Hastings lead the autopsy work.
Inspector Hastings and the medical experts from St. Mary’s Hospital determined that the deceased, Taylor Clemens, had obvious strangulation marks and hanging marks on his neck, his face was pale and blue, his expression was slightly ferocious, and the cause of death was judged to be asphyxiation. No other suspicious points were found at the scene, and a detailed confession letter explaining the reason for suicide and taking responsibility for the resignation was found on the deceased’s body.
The handwriting of the confession letter was reviewed by all the colleagues of the Metropolitan Police and confirmed to be written by Taylor Clemens himself.
This district, taking into account the evidence at the scene, the medical team, the investigation team, and various suggestions, finally concluded that the deceased, Taylor Clemens, committed suicide due to unbearable mental pressure. The cause of death, after preliminary identification, is undoubtedly suicide.”
Commissioner Rowan nodded slightly when he heard this, and he said, “The case is clear enough. If that’s the case, there’s no need to go through so much trouble with the verification procedures. Let’s go straight to the final project team vote.”
Without hesitation, Commissioner Rowan raised his hand. “I believe it’s suicide.”
Immediately, Deputy Commissioner Sir Richard Mayne also raised his hand. “Second.”
Following Sir Mayne, the five police commanders also raised their hands in unison. “Suicide.”
Seeing this, the seventeen police superintendents sitting below almost unanimously raised their hands without hesitation. “Second.”
Seeing this, Commissioner Rowan finally showed a satisfied smile. He casually threw Clemens’ resignation letter to the side of the table, then picked up another document. “Then, let’s move on to the second item on the agenda of this meeting.”
He paused for a moment, then slightly frowned before announcing, “Regarding the promotion of Arthur Hastings, the Superintendent in charge of the Greenwich District of the East London District of the London Metropolitan Police, to one of the Superintendents in charge of the East London District of the London Metropolitan Police. Inspector Hastings’ ability is obvious to all. This promotion is naturally reasonable. I don’t think there’s anything to discuss. Then, please invite Inspector Hastings in.”
He gestured slightly, and the policeman standing at the door of the conference hall immediately understood and opened the door.
With the sound of crisp and heavy boots, a tall figure in a dark blue tailcoat, white breeches, holding a long officer’s sword, and wearing a crown insignia on his shoulder appeared in the conference hall.
Arthur stood like a straight, sharp sword, and he saluted. “Arthur Hastings, Superintendent of the East London District of the London Metropolitan Police, salutes you all.”
Commissioner Rowan nodded slightly. He threw the promotion document on the table and leaned back in his chair.
“Arthur, don’t be so polite. Have a seat. Young officers like you with such outstanding abilities should be given more responsibilities. But, as the saying goes, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. From now on, in addition to Greenwich, Tower Hamlets will also be entrusted to you. Do you have confidence?”
The Red Devil behind Arthur couldn’t help but cover his mouth and chuckle. “Oh, my dear Arthur, this old man wants to put pressure on you. Tower Hamlets, that’s the worst area in all of London. It seems your rising sun isn’t always so welcome at Scotland Yard!”
To Commissioner Rowan’s question, Arthur just smiled and bowed.
“I don’t know if I can do it well, but I think I have to do better than Superintendent Clemens.”
Commissioner Rowan smiled slightly when he heard this. He nodded slightly. “Smart.”
(End of Chapter)