## Chapter 58: The Study of Gases
The second floor of the Wells Hotel was bustling with activity. The room where the crime occurred was surrounded by curious onlookers, all guests of the establishment.
Under Arthur’s orders, all guests were confined to the hotel until the investigation of the crime scene was complete. The officers who had arrived earlier had already questioned everyone, and now, with Arthur’s arrival, they were presenting their findings to their superior.
“Sir, this is all the information we have gathered so far. Please take a look.”
Arthur accepted the documents but didn’t immediately delve into them. Instead, he surveyed the layout of the room.
The room was relatively narrow and oddly shaped, with simple furnishings. A bed barely large enough for two to lie comfortably, a bedside table used for storing belongings, and a extinguished gas lamp on top of it.
Across from the door was a wooden window with black curtains hanging from it. Below the window sat a two-inch-tall iron canister.
The two deceased women lay on the bed, their faces covered with white sheets. The bleached bedsheets and pillowcases bore traces of yellow-white vomit.
Arthur gently sniffed the air. A faint smell of gas lingered in the room.
Arthur opened the documents and began flipping through them while asking, “Have you examined the bodies of the deceased?”
The patrol officer nodded. “Yes, sir. There were no wounds on the bodies, and there were no signs of a struggle at the scene. Therefore, we initially concluded that it was not a violent crime.
Moreover, there was indeed a smell of gas in the room. You might not be able to smell it as strongly now, but when we first arrived, the whole room reeked of it. We had to open the windows and air it out for a long time before the smell subsided.
Sir, I think we can close the case. It was just a gas leak accident. There’s nothing more to investigate.”
As soon as the patrol officer finished speaking, the guests standing outside the door began demanding, “That’s right! Close the case quickly. We’ve been locked up here for over two hours, and we all have things to do!”
The sturdy middle-aged man standing beside the patrol officer also smiled and said, “Yes, the guests all have things to do. I need to open my business too! Officer, you may not know this, but the rent on Central Street is not cheap. My monthly profit is only a few days’ worth of rent. If I lose a day of business, I might end up losing money this month.”
Arthur looked up at the middle-aged man. “So, you are the owner of the hotel, Mr. Wells?”
The middle-aged man took off his hat and held it over his chest. He nodded and bowed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Inspector Hastings.”
Arthur closed the file and asked, “How did you know I was an inspector and not a sergeant?”
“Uh…” Wells hesitated for a moment before pointing to Arthur’s shoulder insignia. “You have a star. I remember sergeants have three Vs. That’s how I figured it out.”
“Oh, is that so?” Arthur handed the file back to the patrol officer. “I thought you heard it from my colleagues. Didn’t expect you to be able to identify Scotland Yard shoulder insignia. So, did you used to work for Scotland Yard?”
“Uh…” Wells’ smile froze, but he quickly waved his hand in denial. “No, no, no. I’ve never worked for Scotland Yard. But I have a nephew who used to work there. I learned it from him.”
Arthur didn’t pursue the matter further. He simply stared at Wells for a moment before entering the room and lifting the white sheet covering the deceased woman’s face.
Her face was adorned with pale makeup. Beneath the pale skin, her face was slightly purple and bluish.
Arthur frowned and thought for a moment. He suddenly remembered the chemical gas knowledge they had exchanged privately after Faraday’s lecture.
He used two fingers to pry open the deceased woman’s tightly closed mouth and brought his nose close to it. A faint sweetness emanated from her mouth.
The onlookers at the scene couldn’t help but ask in confusion, “What are you doing?”
“Officer, hurry up. We’re all in a hurry.”
But unnoticed by the guests, the hotel owner, Wells, widened his eyes in terror.
However, Arthur paid no attention to them. He walked directly in front of the hotel owner, Wells.
“Mr. Wells, in your testimony, you said the deceased died from a gas leak?”
Arthur’s body stood between the window and Wells, bathing the room in sunlight. But all Wells saw was shadow.
Wells’ Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. He slowly nodded. “Yes, I think they might have died from a gas leak.”
“Why do you think so?”
Upon hearing this, Wells’ eyes widened. He suddenly erupted in anger, “Isn’t that obvious? People died, and there’s a smell of gas in the room. What else could it be besides a gas leak?
Officer, do you even know how to investigate? If you don’t, then find someone who does! There are so many officers in Scotland Yard, can’t you find one who knows how to handle this?
Just call the old sergeant back. He did a great job. You young people need to learn from him!”
“The old sergeant? You mean Willox?” Arthur suddenly chuckled. “How did he handle the case?”
Wells roared with fury, “How did he handle it! You’re a police officer, you’re asking me how he handled it? Damn it! Efficient, quick, and doesn’t disrupt business, that’s the kind of officer we poor citizens need!”
After speaking, he couldn’t help but incite the guests behind him, “Don’t you guys think so?”
Agareus, who had been perched on the windowsill watching the show, couldn’t help but laugh out loud. His tongue almost dragged on the floor.
The Red Devil mocked, “This idiot! He’s about to write the words ‘I killed them’ on his face. His little tricks are exposed, and he’s furious. I can’t find a word other than ‘incompetent’ to describe him.”
The onlookers were also baffled by Wells’ sudden outburst.
Someone tried to smooth things over, “Officer, that’s enough. Look at Mr. Wells, he’s getting angry.”
“It’s just a normal accident. There’s nothing to investigate.”
Seeing this, Arthur didn’t say anything else. He calmly addressed the officer beside him, “Take hotel owner Wells back to the police station.”
The officers were taken aback at first, but Tom and Tony were quick to react. They rushed forward, one on each side, and pinned Wells to the ground.
Wells struggled and flailed his arms angrily. He kicked Tony in the lower abdomen, trying to break free and escape.
Tony, in pain, clutched his stomach and rolled away along the floor. As he rolled, he cursed, “Damn it! What are you all standing around for? Pin him down. Damn it! I’m not even married yet…”
The other officers finally reacted and swarmed over, piling on top of Wells like a human pyramid, holding him down.
Wells roared with red eyes, “Why are you arresting me? I didn’t kill anyone!”
Arthur crouched down and asked, “Did I say you killed anyone?”
“I…” As soon as Arthur finished speaking, Wells’ words were abruptly choked in his throat.
The guests were stunned by the sudden turn of events. They didn’t understand why the peaceful scene just a moment ago had become like this.
“Officer, can you explain what’s going on?”
Arthur pointed to the two deceased women lying on the bed.
“As far as I know, if the deceased died from gas poisoning, there should be a strong foul odor in their mouths.
But just now, I not only didn’t smell any foul odor from the deceased’s mouth, but I also smelled a faint sweetness.
Moreover, the deceased’s face didn’t show the cherry-red spots consistent with gas poisoning, but rather a slight bluish-purple tinge. This is not like gas poisoning, it’s more like death by suffocation.
Therefore, I intend to take Mr. Wells back to the police station for further investigation. But I don’t know why Mr. Wells suddenly got angry, and I’m also curious about that.”
At this point, Arthur turned to Wells. “I’ve explained everything I need to. Now, can you explain why you got angry?”
Hearing this, the guests all quieted down. They looked at Wells with suspicion, whispering among themselves.
“My goodness! Does this mean it’s a murder case?”
“The hotel owner killed two prostitutes?”
“I…” Wells’ lips trembled. His mind was a jumble, and his whole body was shaking. “I, I thought you were going to arrest me, Officer. It’s all a misunderstanding.”
Arthur shrugged. “I hope it’s all a misunderstanding. Until everything is clear, I’m inclined to think you’re innocent. So, please cooperate as much as possible to find out the truth.”
He extended his hand to Wells.
Wells forced a strained smile. Before he could shake Arthur’s hand, he heard Arthur’s voice again.
“Send someone to the London Gaslight and Coke Company in Westminster immediately. The gas canister by the window has their label on it. Go and find out when it was delivered.
Also, send someone to the nearby shops to inquire. Ask if they sell nitrous oxide. If they do, get their records and see if anyone has recently purchased a large quantity.
Oh, it has another name, ‘laughing gas.’ It has a slightly sweet smell, and excessive inhalation can cause strong anesthetic effects, similar to the victim’s symptoms.
I suspect the victims probably inhaled too much of it, lost consciousness, and were then suffocated with the pillow on the bed.
You were too careless when investigating the scene. Two people sharing a room, but there’s only one pillow. Why isn’t that in the investigation record?
And…”
The more Wells heard, the colder he felt. His lips and teeth were chattering, his entire body lacked strength, and he collapsed on the floor like a puddle of mud.
Arthur glanced at him and asked with a smile, “Mr. Wells, don’t worry, I don’t know why the criminal killed them yet. Do you have any insights on this? Nitrous oxide isn’t cheap, and you’ve lost a canister of gas.
Oh, you mentioned Willox earlier. You said he investigated it before. Did a similar case happen in this hotel before?”
(End of Chapter)