Chapter 839: Count Sacia on the Pillar of Shame

The three people who had secret meetings with Count Sacia were the local tobacco merchant, Mr. Sandberg, who was bald; Miss Martha, who was dressed in a red dress and smoking a lady's thin cigarette; and Mr. Francis, who had a gloomy face, greasy hair, and taught basic physics at the Huntington Public Theological Seminary.

The three followed the order of Mr. Sandberg, Mr. Francis, and Miss Martha to meet with the count in the room. The meeting time for each person was about half an hour. After the meeting, they did not leave the club. Mr. Sandberg continued to meet with business partners on the first floor, Mr. Francis met an acquaintance on the second floor, and Miss Martha had already left the club, but did not go far, so she was found back.

They all had letters from the count inviting them to meet today, and after being searched, no source of poison was found on them. But after meeting with the count, the three had time to deal with their personal belongings, so they still had the greatest suspicion of committing the crime.

Very strangely, before Colonel Wood brought Xia De and Mr. Bernhard into the room, the three refused to explain the reason for their meeting with the count. After Colonel Wood officially announced that Count Sacia had been confirmed dead and died in front of Princess Margaret, all three gasped and looked astonished.

"Three, if you don't figure out the truth of this matter, none of you can leave."

Colonel Wood, as a soldier, acted very decisively. Throwing out the princess's name was to let them know how big this matter was today. Sure enough, upon learning that this matter involved royal family members, all three were willing to loosen their mouths to explain the reason for coming here, but requested to speak separately. This matter could not be known by too many people.

So, the three were separated again. Xia De, Mr. Bernhard, and Colonel Wood first interrogated the tobacco merchant Mr. Sandberg, who met with the count first. The latter sat on the chair dejectedly, and after the last royal guard left and closed the door, this bald middle-aged man burst into tears while covering his face:

"I knew it, doing this kind of thing would be discovered sooner or later, this is God punishing me."

"What exactly did you do?"

Colonel Wood asked strictly. Mr. Sandberg, who covered his face, sobbed and replied:

"Count Sacia and I were partners in the tobacco business in the southern region of Delarion... the kind that doesn't pay taxes."

That is smuggling.

"Meeting today, the count wanted to readjust the distribution of profits. We had a big argument, and neither of us wanted this kind of thing to happen, but I swear, I would absolutely never want to murder a count."

"Smuggling?"

Colonel Wood looked at Viscount Bernhard, who nodded lightly:

"Indeed... there are such rumors, but I cannot be sure."

That is to say, this is a matter known to all nobles locally, but Mr. Bernhard would absolutely not testify for this and offend a count family... Whether this title can be passed down depends on how big the smuggling business was in the later investigation. But looking at the bald merchant's tearful appearance at this time, I am afraid the scale of that business was much larger than the three imagined.

Subsequently, the three met Mr. Francis, who had a gloomy face and looked like he hadn't washed his hair for several days. Although he taught basic physics at the university, he was a lecturer, not a professor.

"I know this is hard to explain, but in fact... the count wanted to get involved with the Military Intelligence Agency of Delarion through me."

As soon as he opened his mouth, it was another heavy news. Mr. Bernhard and Colonel Wood were shocked and speechless. Although Xia De was also shocked, he asked first:

"Are you saying that you are a member of the Military Intelligence Agency?"

"No, no, this gentleman from Deraerion, please don't wrong me. I am a very loyal Casenrik. As you know, teaching at a university is a decent job, but the weekly salary is actually not generous. Those few crowns used to raise three children are really..."

He took off his glasses and lowered his head to wipe the lenses with his clothes:

"I knew some friends in Delarion when I was young, so in Huntington, I sometimes work part-time... to keep and sell some information for people. I don't know the people of the Military Intelligence Agency, and they don't trust me, but I can contact them."

That is to say, this is actually an information dealer in the local underground black market.

"Count Sacia looked for you, what is he doing to contact the Military Intelligence Agency?"

The recovered Colonel Wood then asked. Mr. Francis hesitated and pursed his lips:

"This is actually not the first time the count has looked for me. He wanted to use the information of the Huntington Railway Department to exchange for Delarion's release of a batch of goods he transported from the New Continent and docked at Coldwater Port... Yes, a batch of herbs that do not quite comply with the terms formulated and recognized by the United Kingdom and guaranteed by mandatory force."

Mr. Bernhard had already raised his hand to hold his chin at some point, very interested but afraid to continue listening. Colonel Wood's brow was wrinkled like the bulging Rommel mountain range. He took a few breaths with his nose before asking with difficulty:

"Which aspect of illegal herbs? Addictive? Stimulating the spirit? Or listed by the True God Church?"

Mr. Francis pursed his lips and scratched his face. This strange appearance was to cover up his inner anxiety:

"Both. However, the count cannot be considered treason. He is very loyal to the kingdom and loves the people very much, and has been trying to stop the renovation plan of the eastern reservoir in Huntington..."

"Oh, my god."

Colonel Wood was no longer listening to the other party's words. He covered his forehead and groaned, then looked at the two gentlemen beside him.

"I didn't hear anything!"

Mr. Bernhard said immediately.

"What?"

Xia De patted his ears and made a blank look. Colonel Wood was relieved.

After confirming that the dead Count Sacia was doing smuggling business and treason, the three met Miss Martha, who was dressed in a gorgeous way. She had a very pungent perfume smell. This kind of inferior perfume could not be compared with the girls around Xia De at all.

"I am the count's lover."

Miss Martha sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, having already extinguished her cigarette under Colonel Wood's warning.

Hearing this answer, the three gentlemen standing were not surprised at all. Compared to the secrets the two just said, the answer "lover" seemed too ordinary.

"You only met for half an hour."

Colonel Wood pointed out very keenly, his eyes very sharp:

"Even if the count's body is not good, there is no reason to meet for only half an hour. This is unreasonable."

After speaking, he explained to the two gentlemen beside him:

"I don't have a lover, this is common sense."

"The count wanted to abandon me."

The woman said these words with no expression on her face, but instead looked at Xia De's face with great interest:

"The reason for abandoning me was just boredom. He gave me a draft, 200 crowns, to block my mouth. That draft should have been searched by you. Please return it to me after this matter is over."

She was looking at Xia De, and Xia De was also looking at her. It was not that the outsider had any interest in the woman in front of him, but the green emerald ring on the other party's finger caught his attention.

【Yes, it is an alchemical item, but the trace of elements is very weak.】

The other party was just an ordinary person. Even if there was an alchemical item on them, it could not be said that the other party was the murderer who poisoned Count Sacia, who would probably be nailed to the pillar of shame in Casenrik.

Colonel Wood continued to ask about Count Sacia's daily habits and the details of Miss Martha's acquaintance with the count. Mr. Bernhard, who was behind him, pulled Xia De's sleeve, and his finger pointed to Miss Martha's direction.

Xia De was startled, his mouth opened, and he made a mouth shape:

"Is it her?"

Mr. Bernhard nodded slightly, and then his two hands hung down on his sides, his palms facing down, shaking up and down quickly. Then his right hand raised and touched his nose.

"Hands imitating wings refer to bats; pointing to the nose refers to a keen sense of smell. He means that he relied on the keen sense of smell of the vampire talent to smell that the smell on the other party was abnormal."

Xia De nodded to show understanding, his eyeballs turned, and then his right hand raised, his palm facing up and handed forward, meaning "what is the evidence".

Mr. Bernhard also understood his meaning, but still shook his head, meaning that he had no evidence for the time being.

At this time, Colonel Wood had finished asking questions and turned to signal the two gentlemen beside him to ask a few words. Mr. Bernhard signaled Xia De to speak first, so Xia De thought for a while and said:

"Why don't we just treat this lady as the murderer."

"Hmm?"

The other three looked at him in surprise. Xia De analyzed:

"You see, these three people have the greatest suspicion. The tobacco merchant is smuggling, and he will definitely not be allowed to leave; Mr. Francis is suspected of treason, and he will not be able to escape. Only this lady, we have no reason not to leave her without going through the police. Why don't we announce to the outside world that it was Miss Martha who poisoned Count Sacia, and then detain Mr. Sandberg and Mr. Francis on the grounds of involving state secrets."

Colonel Wood, who was a bit surprised just now, had already understood at this time, and Mr. Bernhard was also sucking in his breath and touching his chin.

"In this way, the incident that should have been handled by the police can be handled by us alone. As long as the manpower of the Gray Gloves is transferred from Willendale, after Her Highness departs by steam airship, the Gray Gloves will take over this matter. In this way, the criminal case becomes a state secret case that does not need to be disclosed to the public, and the three people are all controlled. No matter what the truth is investigated next, there is no possibility of exposure to the public, so the princess's reputation will absolutely not be damaged."

In this way, the focus of the Gray Gloves' investigation will also be on these three people, and Xia De will jump out of this matter.

Xia De finished his thoughts, and "her" laughter came from his ears:

【Outsider, sometimes you really have to admire your wisdom.】

The middle-aged vampire gave Xia De a thumbs up at this time. Looking at his eyes, it was like re-recognizing this foreign young knight.

And Colonel Wood, who had some reservations about this Delarion just now, also said from the bottom of his heart:

"Really amazing, Mr. Holmes, really amazing."

This is a heartfelt praise:

"You shouldn't actually go to the New Continent to run a vineyard, but should go to take the civil service exam. Amazing, really too amazing."

Xia De smiled and shook his head modestly. He is a major in the Royal Army of Delarion. According to the kingdom's regulations, he cannot take the civil service exam of the kingdom before retiring:

"I am just better at grasping the main contradiction."

In the case of determining the real murderer but having no evidence to prove that the other party is the murderer, don't go looking for evidence, but turn the problem into how to arrest the other party without evidence.

"That's good."

Colonel Wood clapped his hands and made a summary of this matter:

"Then, let's temporarily treat Miss Martha as the murderer of poisoning."

After speaking, he coughed, turned to face the sofa, and his tone was very formal:

"Miss Martha, now you are arrested. Please don't make any extra moves, otherwise we have reason to take restrictive measures against you. It needs to be specifically pointed out that since you were arrested by the direct guard of the Anjou royal family, you need to be escorted to the Gray Gloves for processing, so you have no right to meet relatives and express opinions freely."

The woman sitting on the sofa looked at the three people in a daze, completely unable to imagine that they would be so shameless. ===== CHAPTER 840 =====