Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 322: Chapter 236: Interrogation_2

”Take him away.” William had no patience for his nonsense.

The style of the leader greatly influences the entire department’s approach. Under William’s command, the sheriff’s team displayed a strong and efficient attitude.

The current station of the sheriff’s team was a two-story brick and stone shop next to the square, which was why they were able to respond so quickly.

However, it couldn’t accommodate so many people.

”Bring the injured inside. Everyone else, squat outside. No whispering allowed; any violations will result in detention and severe punishment,” he ordered.

William didn’t choose the foreman but randomly picked a man to come inside and give a statement. ”You, come in and register.”

The singled-out man looked panicked, casting a glance at the foreman before entering—a small gesture that deepened William’s suspicions.

But William didn’t comment. Instead, he unhooked Fergus’s leash and let him out, saying, ”He’ll bite anyone who speaks.”

William stroked the dog’s head, but his words were anything but gentle, thoroughly scaring the suspects.

Why were they whispering? Because William knew that to extract effective testimony, he had to prevent them from colluding.

They instinctively feared law enforcement. The sight of the roaming hound made them clamp their mouths shut. Even the foreman said nothing, only shooting William a venomous look.

I’ll definitely report this guy when My Lord returns!

”Tell me, what happened in the square?”

”We all came here to gather, preparing to go... then he just ran into it...”

After the man finished speaking, William pondered for a moment before asking a challenging question.

”So, you’re saying you didn’t actually see the bribery? You just heard others talking about it?”

Speaking in a stern tone, William cautioned, ”Remember, you are responsible for what you say. If you lie, you will be considered an accomplice. Only if you tell the truth can I clear you of suspicion.”

Originally, these people were simply onlookers caught up in the commotion, speaking excitedly. Now, they were trembling, barely able to utter coherent sentences.

”I don’t know. After signing in, I went with a few others to get the tools loaded onto the vehicle. When I heard the noise and looked over, the man was already on the ground.”

”Do you recognize the injured person? Did you see him when you signed up earlier?”

”I don’t know him, really. I was just passing by and took a look out of curiosity,” the man said with a helpless expression. His curiosity had drawn him in, and unexpectedly, he was caught up in this.

However, he adamantly refused to mention what he had actually said earlier, portraying an image of innocence.

The man strongly denied it, and William didn’t press further. He merely recorded his name, took his fingerprints, and let him go.

As that man left, he immediately drew the attention of those outside. William glanced over, then casually pointed to someone and called him in.

”Do you really not know?”

”Although I was at the same construction site before, I’m not close to him. I didn’t see anything; I don’t know anything,” one man denied, shaking his head. Yet, he was one of the men who had queued up with the injured man to sign up earlier.

After interviewing several people using a similar process, William quickly spotted a pattern.

Most people hadn’t witnessed the alleged bribery. Even those who claimed to have seen it were vague, and when questioned further, they insisted they didn’t know.

These people gave William the distinct impression of being uncooperative, answering every question with ”I don’t know.”

William had dealt extensively with common folk, so he knew what they feared. He could also sense the foreman influencing them.

But William was puzzled. He hadn’t allowed the workers to speak amongst themselves, so how was the foreman influencing them?

With the leads gone cold, William couldn’t resort to torture for information, so he could only lead the current man out.

The foreman outside glanced at the man who had just emerged, then at William’s stern face. A look of understanding crossed his features, and his smile grew wider.

Now he was no longer in a hurry. My Lord’s plans had been disrupted, and he was keen to see how this fellow would handle the situation.

William certainly noticed this, but he couldn’t just give up. He had to find a way to uncover the truth.

Just as he was at his wits’ end, a woman leading a child hurried over. The child struggled to keep up, constantly being tugged along, but surprisingly, wasn’t crying or fussing.

After the victim’s identity was confirmed, William had sent someone to call his family. He knew, at this moment, that the victim’s family had finally arrived.

”Sir, what happened to my husband?” Panic covered the woman’s face; clearly, this family couldn’t endure another disaster.

”He’s just injured and unconscious but should be out of danger if treated promptly,” William quickly explained, leading her to the victim’s side.

Seeing her husband lying there, a blood-soaked bandage around his head, unconscious, the woman cried out, her voice choked with sobs.

”Why has this happened... He was fine when he left this morning... I don’t need any money... I just want you to be okay... Please come back...”

The child beside her seemed to realize something. His innocent expression began to morph into fear. He remembered the day his sister had disappeared; he hadn’t seen her since...

Even the people outside couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions. The Lord had rescued all of them from hardship, so they could somewhat empathize.

Even the foreman looked a bit uncomfortable, but his unease was quickly overshadowed by resentment.

William showed little reaction to this. His duty was to uncover the truth. Although there were suspicious points, he couldn’t yet completely clear the injured man of suspicion.

All he could do was continue the investigation and let the truth speak for itself.

”Madam, we need to clarify the situation right now. Please come with me.”

The woman, snapping back to reality, pulled her child along to understand what had happened. However, when she heard her husband was accused of bribery, she argued vehemently.

”Impossible! He’s not that kind of person! And this egg—I boiled it for him to eat on the road. We agreed last night that he was going to the western development project today.”

Her words made William react instantly. He pressed eagerly, ”Are you saying he told you last night that he had joined the western development project?”

”Yes! He even quit his job at the construction site because of it. And he bought fish and eggs too.”

”Quick, tell me everything. It can help uncover the truth and clear his name,” William said, knowing he had found the clue to break the case.

The workers were essentially silent, and what little they said was useless.

But the woman wouldn’t hide anything.

She quickly explained the previous night’s events. William now knew where to find the next clue. He immediately called a sheriff and instructed him to find the foreman of the construction site where the man had last worked, as well as the proprietors of the relevant shops.

Meanwhile, William asked the woman one more thing—about the man who had previously denied knowing the victim.

”How could he not know him, living on the same street? They even did odd jobs together at the same construction site. I heard from my husband that he and a few others also got spots.”

At this, William’s usually stern face showed a flicker of surprise, his eyebrow arching slightly. He immediately called the man in.

”You know you’re in trouble, don’t you?” As soon as the man entered, William snapped without preamble.

The sharp words almost scared the soul out of the man. His face turned instantly pale, and he didn’t dare lift his head to look at the woman, let alone William.

Clearly, he knew what he had done, but he didn’t dare admit it, couldn’t admit it, and could only deny it desperately.

”I don’t know! I really don’t know anything!”

”How can you say that! You two clearly know each other well...” Hearing this, the woman’s tears, which had just stopped, welled up again.

”Still stubbornly resisting! Deception, false testimony—either one is enough to disqualify you and banish you from Hamlet.” William, surprised the man was still resisting, spoke with an even harsher tone.

Hearing this, the man completely broke down. He couldn’t give up his status in Hamlet; he couldn’t lose everything and return to a life on the run. He fell to his knees, crying.

”Please, have mercy on me! I have elderly parents and young children to care for... I’m begging you...”