The Shadow of Great Britain

307: Chapter 197 Chameleon and Lizard (4K4)_2 307: Chapter 197 Chameleon and Lizard (4K4)_2 If it were not for Bernie Harrison’s identity as a Member of Parliament being exposed at the last moment, this case would have been a sure conviction.

However, precisely because of this identity as a Member of Parliament, the case had escalated from a criminal matter to a political incident.

If Bernie truly were the murderer as the evidence suggested, it would be one thing, but if he were not, then Scotland Yard would inevitably find themselves under collective scrutiny by the MPs.

After all, Mr.

Harrison was one of their own, and as the MPs saw it, if Scotland Yard could arrest Bernie today, they could just as easily arrest them tomorrow.

This was not something that could be resolved by claiming a mere work error, as this represented Scotland Yard challenging the ultimate limit of parliamentary politics.

Rowan, the director, took a deep breath, placed down the file, and leaned back in his chair with fingers interlaced, “Arthur, you probably understand now how serious this matter has become.

Over half a year ago, Mr.

Hesketh was killed in a train accident, and we all expended so much effort to resolve it.”

“If this case remains unresolved now, or if we can’t provide Parliament with a reasonable explanation, neither you nor I will escape unscathed.

This is a capital murder charge, after all.

Hence, in this matter, we cannot count on the Home Office, nor should you count on the Lord Chancellor’s office, for this matter has angered the MPs, and neither the High Chancellor nor the Home Secretary will want to step in at this juncture.”

“As we all know, everyone loves to claim credit, no one wants to take the blame, especially for a case as troubling as this, so this time we can only rely on ourselves.

If you have any good reasons, now’s the time to mention them.

We might have had our small frictions in the past, but the purpose of those frictions was to kick each other out of the boat, not to sink this canoe we’re both in.”

Upon hearing this, Red Devil, ever the jester, couldn’t help chuckling as he covered his mouth, “Arthur, look at this, the chameleon really is the emblem of politics.

Talleyrand was right.

As long as the motivation is strong enough, even mortal enemies can sit in the same boat.”

Arthur, upon hearing this, understood Rowan’s stance as well.

Since Rowan had been upfront with him, he naturally had no need to keep secrets.

Because, as Rowan had said, whether he liked it or not, they were now grasshoppers tied to the same string.

And, most importantly, the case apparently was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.

Arthur tossed a file from the stack he had on his desk, “Fortunately, Scotland Yard has such a wise director as you.

Your analysis is quite correct, and I agree with your view.

It’s impossible to simply sweep this under the rug with a ‘work error,’ and it’s likely not a work error anyway.”

To be frank, before coming to your office, I even reviewed the file once more.

Had I not looked, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but this review led me to discover an intriguing piece of evidence, and it’s what made me initially suspect that perhaps this case was an attempt by you to frame me.”

Rowan, with a dark expression, spoke, “Arthur, I don’t like you, but I’m not a fool.

I don’t engage in actions that bring me trouble without any benefit.

Enough of that, what suspicious point did you find exactly?”

Arthur pointed to the documents on the table, “These files belong to the officers responsible for investigating Mr.

Harrison’s murder case.

Guess what, just like they had agreed beforehand, they have all recently resigned to seek better opportunities elsewhere.

At first, I thought perhaps you had arranged a cushy spot for them, but now it seems they obviously have their own connections.”

Upon hearing this, Rowan’s expression grew even darker, “Damn it, are you implying that someone is targeting me?”

Arthur slightly shook his head, “I don’t know whether they are targeting you, me, or if we are just caught up due to bad luck, but their true target might actually be the whole of Scotland Yard.”

Rowan pondered briefly, “I don’t think I’ve offended anyone recently, well, except for you.”

Arthur also pondered a bit, “I might have offended quite a few people, but I think those guys should have gone back to France by now.”

Upon hearing this, Rowan just rolled his eyes, “Young man, keep a low profile.

If you could just give me some peace of mind, things between us wouldn’t be so stiff.

But oh well, you probably won’t listen.

I didn’t like to take advice when I was young either.

Since your enemies are back in France, and most of mine are six feet under, then this incident is clearly aimed at Scotland Yard, right?”

Arthur nodded slightly, “It’s likely so, but I won’t rule out improbable events.

But I think Mr.

Bernie Harrison definitely knows something because his behavior is just too abnormal.

I really can’t understand why a House of Commons representative would accept arrest without a peep.

Can the shackles of Scotland Yard really make these representatives behave if the big iron cage of Parliament can’t?”

Rowan thought for a moment and suddenly asked, “Is Mr.

Harrison representing the Whig Party or the Tory Party in the House of Commons?”

Arthur glanced at the document just sent from Parliament, “Tory Party.”

Upon hearing this, Rowan couldn’t help but sigh.

He tapped the table irritably, “Sir Peel’s side, don’t rush to show your face.

Although you have a decent relationship with Sir Peel, you still lack the necessary rank and weight.

I’ll personally go to apologize to him later, so we show that we are treating this matter seriously.

I will explain it to him in person, otherwise if the Tory Party makes a fuss in Parliament, they will definitely seize the opportunity to claim that our arrest of Bernie Harrison is the Whig Party using executive power for political revenge.

Things have already escalated too poorly to step back now, and we can’t let them extend their influence further.

Yes, and if Sir Peel doesn’t believe me, he will certainly seek to verify it with you later, so let’s align our stories in a while just to make sure there are no slip-ups.”

As he said this, Rowan suddenly changed the subject, “By the way, has Mr.

Harrison been released yet?

If not, send him home quickly.

What fever has he caught?

Doesn’t he know how uncomfortable those Parliament seats are, why bother coming here to mess with us weary cops?”

Arthur spoke up, “Mr.

Harrison has already been released, but we definitely need to contact him again.

This case is simply too bizarre; if we can’t get him to speak, there’s simply no way to start investigating.”

Rowan tapped his fingertips on the table, his brow furrowed as he said, “I would rather not contact him.

If he just disappeared, that would make things easier for us.

We could accuse him of fleeing out of guilt.

That way, we could also shut up the Parliament, since they wouldn’t dare come to his defense if he indeed committed murder.”

“But Harrison’s willingness to come to Scotland Yard with me suggests that he isn’t the murderer, or perhaps he thinks even if he were, he wouldn’t be convicted.”

Rowan felt his head swirling in confusion.

He rubbed his hair and shared his thoughts with Arthur, “It certainly won’t be easy to get Harrison to talk.

Being an MP, we can’t simply interrogate him; we must find other ways to gather information about him.

Regarding Parliament, I will try to cover for you as much as I can, delaying them for a few days.

Although I dislike you, the kid, objectively speaking, when it comes to investigations, there’s no one in Scotland Yard better than you.

You are completely in charge of overseeing this case.

Use any means necessary, and don’t hesitate to ask me for help.

Whether it’s Scotland Yard’s resources or my personal connections, I’ll spare no effort to solve any problems for you.”

Saying this, Rowan couldn’t help but stand up, placing his hands heavily on Arthur’s shoulders as he reminded him, “Lad, whatever personal grievances we have, we can discuss them later, but let’s handle our internal issues internally.

Big picture, if this case isn’t handled well, it could mean thousands at Scotland Yard losing their jobs; small picture, it means early retirement for me and an early end to your illustrious political career.

I emphasize once more, any method is permissible.

I know your London Police Intelligence Bureau has resources in certain areas, but before using some extreme methods, you need to consult with me first.

This is an MP, not some commoner; you understand what I mean, right?

Handling an MP’s case requires finesse.

Everyone here agrees; none of us want a repeat of the Clemens incident.

Why did he die?

Because he handled things disgracefully.”

Upon hearing this, Arthur simply smiled and tucked away the file on the desk, his gloved hand pressing against his chest, “Understood, Chief.”