## Chapter 68: Stormy City
The rain in London poured relentlessly throughout the night, and Arthur had been busy at the police station almost all evening.
Every few minutes, the station’s entrance would be pushed open. Though the officers coming and going wore the same uniform, those in the know could discern their different districts by their shoulder boards and the numbers on their collars.
From XH in Hillington, the westernmost district of Greater London, to KD in Havering, the easternmost, from YE in Enfield, the northernmost, to ZD and PY in Croydon and Bromley, the southernmost.
Almost overnight, Greenwich Police Station had become the central hub for the entire Scotland Yard.
“Sir, we’ve basically finished checking all the hospitals in Greater London, and the results… aren’t very optimistic…”
“The number of unexplained corpses in the hospitals has exceeded our initial estimates…”
“Several inspectors are currently interrogating suspects with the urgent assistance of the interrogation department. Based on the information we have so far, most of the corpses are unrelated to the missing persons cases.”
“The inspectors have preliminarily determined that most of these bodies should be those stolen from cemeteries by professional grave robbers.”
“According to our understanding, these grave robbers should have multiple stable channels of contact.
They would find out about upcoming burials in advance and wait near the cemeteries.
After the deceased’s relatives left, they would immediately pry open the graves and steal the bodies to sell to the hospitals.”
“Several inspectors have requested permission to put the grave robbers’ case on hold for now, as the number we’ve caught is quite large. If we interrogate them one by one, it might delay the progress of the murder case…”
Arthur, upon hearing this, spoke up, “Put it on hold? How can we put it on hold? The difference between grave robbers and body snatchers is very blurry. Who knows if those bodies were stolen or murdered?
Ten years ago, there were only eight anatomy schools in England, but now that number has doubled.
Even during the Napoleonic Wars, when the ‘Bloody Code’ was at its most stringent, there was still a shortage of legal corpses for dissection.
There’s no reason why the demand would increase and the supply of legal corpses decrease, and yet these people are still running a common grave-robbing business.
Go back and tell them to isolate and interrogate all these people individually. Tell those body snatchers and anatomists not to think that they can get away with it by keeping their mouths shut and not providing evidence.
If they can contribute useful information, then the Home Office and Scotland Yard can consider leniency from a legal standpoint and spare their lives.
If they don’t confess, then we can let them go.
But they better not forget how the British public views body snatching and dissection, let alone the fact that murder is involved!
In 1795, when the body snatching case in Lambeth occurred, the outraged public, upon discovering that their relatives’ coffins in the cemetery were empty, nearly beat those grave robbers to death. It was only the intervention of the authorities that saved their lives.
In 1801, Londoners burned down the houses of those people, and it was only the authorities’ intervention that prevented a large-scale violent incident.
And it’s not just England. In the past few decades, the Scottish guard district has deployed military police at least four times to prevent angry crowds from attacking the University of Glasgow.
Why? I’m sure those doctors know very well. If we hadn’t stepped in to protect them, they probably would have been tied to the stake and burned by the public!
The entire British public, as well as the priests and archbishops of various parishes, have been uncomfortable with them for a long time!
Tell them that if Scotland Yard can catch the perpetrators of the missing persons murder case, then according to the ‘Grave Robbing and Body Snatching Act’ passed in 1828, the doctors will get charged with ‘unlawful possession of corpses’, and the grave robbers will get charged with ‘grave robbery and theft of corpses’.
These two charges are both punishable by a fine and release.
However, if they don’t clarify the source of the corpses and their methods of obtaining them,
Then, although Scotland Yard can’t punish them legally,
I assure you that those who don’t cooperate with the investigation will be on the front pages of all the major and minor newspapers.
At that time, if any righteous Londoners go to burn their houses, beat them up, or dig up their ancestors’ graves, don’t blame Scotland Yard for failing to protect their lives and property!”
The young policeman standing before Arthur, upon hearing these words, broke out in a cold sweat, “But… sir… can we say that? Aren’t we supposed to guarantee their dignity and honor?”
Tony, who was sitting next to Arthur with a dark expression, looked up and down at the young policeman and asked, “Newbie, are you?”
The young policeman nervously stood at attention and saluted, “Report! I’ve been on the job for a month.”
Tony asked, “Then have you read the revised regulations recently issued by Scotland Yard?”
The young policeman nodded, “Yes.”
Tony asked again, “Then tell me, what is the third clause of the Arthur Hastings Principle in the revised regulations?”
The young policeman, after recalling, loudly recited, “Clause three of the Arthur Hastings Principle, if the law-abiding public voluntarily cooperates with the police, the police must ensure and uphold the honor and dignity of the public!”
“What is the fourth clause of the Arthur Hastings Principle?”
“Clause four, the degree of public cooperation received by the police is inversely proportional to the amount of force and coercion needed to achieve the police’s goals!”
“Did these people abide by the law?”
“Report! No!”
“Did they cooperate with the investigation!”
“Report! No!”
Tony stood up, slammed his fist on the table, and roared, “Then what dignity and honor are you guaranteeing? Crime is crime. We’ve already given them enough face by not using violence directly against them!”
The young policeman was sweating profusely, “Yes, sir!”
Arthur, seeing his state, raised his hand, “Tony, that’s enough. Don’t take your anger out on him, it’s not his fault.”
Tony also realized his mistake. He rubbed his face.
Not only had Arthur been busy all night, but so had he.
He patted the young policeman on the shoulder and apologized, “Sorry, actually… maybe you’re right.
When I first joined, I thought the same way as you. But after working here for a long time, I realized that sometimes the right way doesn’t work, and the way that works, it might not be right.
Sigh… what am I saying? I’m not a lawmaker, nor a judge deciding trials. I… I’m just a policeman.”
Tom, hearing this, also felt a pang of sympathy. He comforted Tony, “Don’t worry, Tony. With Arthur around, the case will definitely have a good outcome. You and Arthur have been up all night, why don’t you two go inside and rest for a while? I’ll keep an eye on things here, and I’ll call you if anything happens.”
Tony nodded gloomily, “Maybe… maybe I should get some sleep. The world in my dreams might make me feel better.”
Arthur watched his departing figure, but didn’t follow him inside. Instead, he turned to the young policeman and said,
“Are you going back to Scotland Yard? I’m going to a meeting soon, so I might as well take you along. It’s the same price for the public carriage whether one person rides or two.”
Tom was surprised, “Arthur, you’re not going to sleep?”
Arthur shook his head, “I can’t sleep.”
After saying this, he pulled the bewildered young policeman along with him and walked outside.
Arthur found an empty spot, lit the pipe in his pocket, and took a deep drag. As the thick smoke billowed out, he asked, “What’s your name?”
The young policeman looked at the legendary figure of Scotland Yard and stood at attention, saluting.
“Report! My name is Charles Field!”
(End of Chapter)