Fog City Detective

Chapter 7: Case Closed

Liang Xi explained to the butler, "The Earl had a total of three wills. The first one was a will entrusted to the lawyer for witnessing and safekeeping. The second was a sealed will. The third was a sealed will drafted by the Earl a few days before his death. After examining the first two wills, I found that the distribution of assets was identical. It puzzled me initially—why would the Earl draft an identical will?"

Liang Xi continued, "The answer lies in the influence of Lady Dai. Through conversations with the children, it became apparent that they were aware of some issues with Lady Dai, to varying degrees. Unlike her brothers, Lady Dai dared to discard noble etiquette and express her dissatisfaction. In my discussions with a maid, I learned that Lady Dai dined with Cook. The maid, unaware of the situation, and as a butler, wouldn't concern herself with such matters. Only Lady Dai, in a situation where the Earl didn't trust his own family, would seek evidence. The dialogue between father and daughter didn't exclude the maid, leading her to discover Lady Dai's dinner with Cook."

Liang Xi continued, "Upon learning about Cook's connection with Lady Dai, the Earl drafted the second sealed will. To the Earl's disappointment, Lady Dai continued her association with Cook, possibly even inquiring about the will. Considering the current state of technology, a paper-sealed document isn't foolproof. Cook could easily open the sealed packet, not necessarily from the signature area, use technology to remove the signature, or forge the signature."

Liang Xi went on, "Aware of how much Lady Dai stood to gain from the first will and upon learning about the existence of a new will, her interactions with Cook became more frequent. I never understood why Cook would abandon his professional ethics to privately associate with the potential heir. I found out from others that Lady Dai's wife and Cook's daughter were good friends, best friends even. I believe you all knew, but you wouldn't gossip about others' affairs with an outsider like me."

Liang Xi continued, "I found out that you had a lengthy conversation with the visiting doctor before the drafting of the third will. After that, your mood was low, even erupting in anger at the gardener and other staff, something unheard of in your thirty years of working at the Earl's Manor. I assume the doctor had already pronounced the Earl's death sentence. Hence, the third will."

Liang Xi said, "I have two hypotheses. The first: the purpose of the final will was to teach Cook a lesson, especially since Cook was the lawyer for the Earl's father. Simultaneously, the Earl hoped his descendants wouldn't employ Cook again. The second: the Earl wanted to punish Cook, who had betrayed the trust of the Davis family over the decades."

After a brief pause, Liang Xi, seeing no response from the butler, continued, "Yes, the one who stole the will is none other than Earl Davis himself. Now, the only thing I'm uncertain about is the Earl's character. If my first hypothesis is correct, the will should be in your possession. You'll present it at the public announcement tomorrow, at an opportune moment. This way, you won't embarrass Cook, and the family won't be tarnished. It's a subtle way of reminding of Cook's possible resignation from the Davis family."

The butler took a moment to savor the information and asked, "And if that's the second possibility?"

Liang Xi replied, "In that case, you sleep, I go back to my detective agency, and we pretend like nothing ever happened."

Curious, the butler asked, "Oh? Just like that?"

Liang Xi shrugged, "I'm just a detective, not a cop. I don't have a search warrant or any evidence. If I blabber carelessly, I could be sued into bankruptcy. Though I don't have many assets myself. As for Cook, well, I'd say sorry."

The butler remarked, "Cook is your employer; you should share your views with him."

Shaking his head, Liang Xi said, "What employer? Without pay, there's no employer." Raising an eyebrow, he implied the importance of the expenses.

The butler genuinely didn't understand the meaning behind Liang Xi's raised eyebrows. He believed that the detective Cook could hire wouldn't be concerned about a few hundred or a few thousand pounds. After contemplating for a while, the butler stood up, entered his bedroom, retrieved the will from the drawer, and placed it in front of Liang Xi. "You're right."

Liang Xi said, "You can follow the plan and give it to Cook tomorrow."

The butler said, "No, this is your reward, a well-deserved reward. Although it wasn't in the plan, I think I should give you the will."

Liang Xi, hinting for the second time, said, "Reward? Haha, I always thought rewards referred to pounds. "

The butler had other things on his mind and said, "Mr. Cook is not only the lawyer for the Earl's father, but also a good friend of the family. The second sealed will was already the Earl's hint to Mr. Cook. As the lawyer for the Davis family, he should possess basic professional ethics. Regarding Lady Dai's actions, the Earl didn't blame her, considering he had served the family for twelve years. He didn't want his son to be embarrassed in front of him, so he asked me to have a conversation with Lady Dai after the funeral. There was only one thing — to persuade Lady Dai to settle her debts and entrust her assets to a trust fund for investment management."

Liang Xi pondered for a moment and commented, "This case changed some of my views on the aristocracy. Although they inherently look down on commoners, their manners are decent."

The butler smiled in response, "Aristocrats can be arrogant and self-assured. Some might even engage in absurdities. However, they also value dignity the most. They won't and can't tarnish the image of their class. For this reason, they are extremely strict in educating their children, because the children represent the future of the aristocracy and the dignity of the family. As you said, they might look down on you, but they won't lack the basic courtesy."

Liang Xi picked up the will, stood up, and extended his hand, "It was a pleasure chatting with you."

The butler shook hands with Liang Xi, "I'm glad to have met such an interesting detective."

Liang Xi headed towards the door, turned, and waved, "Goodbye."

The butler escorted him to the door. Standing at the entrance, he said, "Goodnight, sir."

...

At two in the morning, Liang Xi knocked on Cook's door. Cook, in his pajamas, welcomed him. Liang Xi handed over the will, saying, "The job is done; I have to go now."

After receiving the will, Cook checked the seal to confirm its authenticity. Initially wanting to ask how Liang Xi obtained it, upon hearing that Liang Xi was leaving, Cook asked, "Now?"

Liang Xi replied, "It's late, and I might have to tip the staff in the morning." Wasn't the hint clear enough?

Cook, thinking Liang Xi was joking, considered John's status. Why would he care about a few pounds in tips? Concerned about the will, Cook asked, "Now, where did you find it?"

Expecting such an inquiry, Liang Xi answered, "After you read the will, I believe you'll know what you should do. Goodnight, and goodbye." Assuming Cook would understand the significance of three identical wills, Liang Xi left without elaborating on where or how he found the will, thinking it was a waste of words.