## Chapter 53: Fagin’s Information
Almost simultaneously with the opening of the door, Tom and Tony rushed forward.
Tony held onto the edge of the door, trying to prevent it from closing.
Tom immediately scooped up Adam, who was standing by the door, and retreated to the back.
Fagin, the old thief leader inside the room, saw this and his face changed drastically. This old man, in his sixties, hardly thought twice before instantly drawing the butcher knife he had always kept hidden on his back.
Just as he was about to strike Tony with the knife, an iron-like hand clamped down on his wrist.
Fagin cried out in pain, and the knife in his hand clattered to the ground.
Arthur, wearing a top hat, lifted the brim of his hat with one hand and pulled open his coat with the other, revealing the flintlock pistol tucked into his waistband.
Arthur spoke, “Don’t bother, Mr. Fagin. We mean no harm, we just want to have a little chat with you.”
As soon as Arthur finished speaking, Tony and Tom behind him also pulled open their coats, revealing pistols tucked into their waistbands.
Seeing this, Fagin could only raise his hands slightly, indicating he had no intention of resisting.
The bald old man gasped and widened his eyes, “Alright, I guess I’m caught today. You’re here to settle accounts, right? Come in, gentlemen. Would you like me to make you some tea?”
Arthur raised an eyebrow, “Settle accounts? Do you owe someone a lot of money?”
“You’re not here to settle accounts?!”
Fagin looked up and down at the group in surprise, “Then are you Fred’s people? Did he have a change of heart and finally decide to settle the debt he’s owed me for months?”
Tom and Tony looked at each other. Dickens was about to speak, but they pulled him back.
Arthur pondered for a moment, licked his lips, leaned against the door, and tilted his head, smiling.
“Mr. Fagin, I think you’ve forgotten something important.”
“Forgotten what?”
Fagin’s eyes darted around, he looked at Arthur a few times and suddenly narrowed his eyes, “Just say it straight. Don’t play games with me. If you’re really one of us, you should know the rules.”
Arthur didn’t say anything, just pulled out the pistol at his waist and pointed it at Fagin’s head.
“Sorry, old man, I’m new here, I don’t know your rules.”
The moment the gun was pointed at Fagin’s head, the old man, whose hands had just been lowered, raised them again.
He cursed, “Damn it! I hate you newbies! You only know violence!”
Seeing this, Adam couldn’t bear it and spoke, “Mr. Hastings, you… you promised me.”
Fagin glanced at Adam, who was held in Tom’s arms, “Adam, you actually believe their lies. What did they give you to make you betray me like this?
I’ve always been good to you, haven’t I? Who took you in when your parents kicked you out? Who taught you those delicate jobs?
I just take a cut from what you steal, don’t think it’s a lot for taking four tenths. It’s a risk to my life, I just want to earn some money for my old age!
Ask around in St. Giles, which middleman doesn’t take half of your price?”
Hearing this, Adam felt a little uncomfortable, “Mr. Fagin, they don’t mean you any harm.”
“No harm? They’d point a gun at my head?!”
Hearing this, Arthur could only sigh helplessly. He pointed the gun at his own head and pulled the trigger.
Click! Nothing happened.
Arthur put the gun back in his waistband and spread his hands towards Fagin, “Mr. Fagin, as you can see, it was just a little joke.”
Fagin took out a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped the sweat from his jaw, and glared at Arthur, “What kind of joke is that? You almost scared the old man to death! What exactly are you?”
Police Officer Tony took out the Scotland Yard badge from his pocket and showed it to Fagin.
“As you can see, we are police officers.”
“Police?!” Fagin covered his aching heart, hunched over in fear, “Officer, I… I think there must be some misunderstanding.”
He fumbled in his pocket, trembling as he pulled out a brand-new gold pocket watch and shoved it into Arthur’s pocket.
“Out of respect for our shared acquaintance with Adam, a little token of my appreciation. Please accept it.”
Arthur looked at the old man’s ever-changing act and simply returned the gold watch.
“Mr. Fagin, you know I’m a police officer, how can you still do this?”
Before the old man could answer, Adam, who was held in Tom’s arms, spoke softly, “Yes, Mr. Fagin, you have to give it to my father in private, we’re short on money.”
Tom was stunned, he reprimanded, “Adam! Who taught you this? You can’t give it in private, even if you give it to Arthur, he won’t take it, he’s not short of money now.”
Adam nodded thoughtfully, he blinked his bright eyes and said to Fagin, “Then… Mr. Fagin, you can give it to my father, we’re short on money.”
Dickens was stunned on the side, he asked Tony beside him, “Are all Scotland Yard police officers like this?”
Tony shrugged, “There are such people everywhere, but at least we’re not like that.”
Fagin was completely at a loss. Just when he didn’t know how to respond, it was Arthur who spoke.
“Alright, Mr. Fagin, let’s go inside and talk.”
Having learned the identities of the people, Fagin didn’t dare to be negligent. He quickly led them inside.
“Please come in, gentlemen. I’ll go make you some tea.”
“No need for tea.”
Arthur entered the house and surveyed the living room, whose windows were patched with newspaper and the floor was damp.
The walls, blackened by firewood smoke, the table missing a leg, covered with chalk graffiti, and the half-eaten rye bread and the white wax cup with a chipped rim and the teapot without a lid on the table.
In the corner, a lean black rat was fast asleep in a hole filled with straw.
Seeing this, Arthur had no appetite at all.
Fagin also saw that the police officers seemed uncomfortable. The old thief leader blushed awkwardly, “Officer, my house is considered pretty good in the area.
The landlord told me that this was once a nobleman’s house, the baron and baroness lived here, every wall is full of classical and elegant taste.
It’s just that it hasn’t been maintained for a long time, so you might not be able to see it now. Don’t disbelieve me, look here…”
As Fagin spoke, he used his greasy sleeve to vigorously rub the handrail of the staircase leading to the second floor.
“Look at the carving on this handrail, it’s definitely the taste of a master.”
Arthur raised his hand to interrupt him, “Mr. Fagin, we can talk about taste another time.
I heard from Adam that you’re a big shot around here, you know a lot of things that others don’t. So I’m here today to ask you some questions.
I got reliable information, it said that there have been a lot of missing persons in the St. Giles parish recently, do you know anything about this?”
“Missing persons?”
Fagin’s eyes darted around, he pursed his dry lips, “Actually, this kind of thing never stops in St. Giles. After all, you should know the situation here. People come and go every day, it’s normal to be missing a few people.”
“But I heard that this time it’s all familiar faces. Adults, children, men, women. With your network in St. Giles, you wouldn’t have heard anything?”
As he spoke, Arthur took out a list from his pocket and threw it on the table, “Do you know how to read? If not, I can read it to you.”
Fagin was sweating profusely, “This… some things I can’t say too clearly, or I’ll be in trouble. Everyone’s doing it, I’m cutting off their money.”
Hearing this, Arthur threw another document: “Mr. Fagin, this one is an indictment against you. Based on your amount of stolen goods and your instigation of criminal activities, you’ll be sentenced to death or exile for multiple offenses. You should know that at your age, exile and execution are no different.
However, if you’re willing to cooperate with our investigation, I can immediately withdraw these charges. After all, St. Giles parish is not my jurisdiction, I don’t have to get involved in this.”
Fagin hesitated for a moment, but when he saw Police Officer Tony’s handcuffs, he finally gritted his teeth.
He said, “I can’t say I know everything. But I’m willing to tell you everything I know.”
Hearing this, Arthur immediately threw the indictment into the dirty fireplace.
“Please speak.”
Fagin took a deep breath and asked, “Officer, do you know about the funeral benefit society? It’s the kind of association where a family pays a few pennies a week, and then if a family member dies, they can get a funeral allowance from the benefit society.”
(End of Chapter)