Shadow of great britain

Bayswater, in the living room of Arthur's mansion.

Dumas, Arthur and Vidocq were sitting at the dining table in the living room.

While Arthur poured tea for Vidocq, he quietly listened to the story told by this man known as the best criminal investigator in the world.

"I am actually not as legendary as everyone thinks. Since you have read my published "Memoirs", you should also understand that I have been an out-and-out little bastard since I was five or six years old.

Of course, this has something to do with my brother. Our family owned a bakery in Ostend, and my brother and I used to steal money from the shop when we were kids.

When my father discovered this behavior, he sent my brother to a tailor shop in Lille as an apprentice in anger, but I escaped because of my young age and my mother's intercession.

But instead of repenting, I got worse. Since I couldn’t steal the money from the store, I stole the silverware from home. I even played double act with my bad friends, pretending to kidnap myself and ask for ransom from my family.

But my parents found out that time, and I went to jail for the first time. If I remember correctly, I was locked up for two weeks. "

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but joked: "Mr. Vidocq, you have to be lucky that you were born in France. If you were here, even if you couldn't get the gallows for these crimes, you would still be exiled to Australia."

Vidocq laughed loudly and said: "Being exiled to Australia? In that case, maybe it will really be what I want. I was a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old bastard at that time. I stole two thousand francs from home and was obsessed with everything. I wanted to go to America. But before I left France, I was defrauded of all my money. During that time, I could only make ends meet by pretending to be a dwarf from West India and a cannibal in the circus.”

Arthur asked: "How did the man leave the circus and go to Paris?"

When Vidocq heard this, he was a little embarrassed but also vaguely proud. He raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "This is quite embarrassing to say, but it has been so many years. Now that I think about it, it is an interesting story. I The reason why I was kicked out of the circus was because I had an affair with the troupe leader's wife.

It was a young and beautiful lady who kindly took me in when I had no food to eat. Looking back now, I think about the women I have met in my life, maybe she is the only one who is truly good to me.

As for others, such as the actress in Paris, or the wife who came to me to get married without telling me that she was pregnant with someone else's child, although we also spent a happy time. But when I was down and out, they all left me one after another. "

Arthur took a sip of tea and said: "Although I may make you unhappy by saying this, I think formal dating and being a lover are two completely different concepts. The former requires a material foundation, while the latter requires both people. There's no responsibility, so just hang out and have fun. If that circus lady married you, you'd probably feel the same way about her as an actress does about a wife."

Vidocq leaned on the chair with a piece of rusk in his mouth. He laughed loudly and said: "Young man, if you have to tell things so straightforwardly, don't you think life is boring?"

Arthur smiled and nodded: "I do feel this way occasionally."

Vidocq took off his hat and put it on the table: "But being straightforward is indeed one of the indispensable qualities of a good detective. Not long ago, I investigated a theft case in Paris where the company's money was unaccounted for. You Do you know how I solved the case?"

Arthur smiled and said, "If you don't hesitate to give me some advice, I would love to hear your opinion on this case."

Vidocq said: "When I arrived at the company, I first asked the relevant personnel who handled the money, and then pointed at a 45-year-old bookkeeper and said that this woman is a criminal.

No one present believed me, but after subsequent investigation, it turned out that I was right. We found a large amount of unexplained money and jewelry in the female bookkeeper's home. "

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but asked curiously: "You can make a judgment just by knowing a few people involved in the case? How did you figure it out?"

Vidocq patted his thigh and laughed: "I didn't see it, I smelled it. Just like the early experience I just told you, I understood it from the circus lady—— A woman who smells of expensive perfume at nine o'clock in the morning must be for a certain man. And if this woman has a lover, then this lover is her motive for stealing money.

Facts have also proven this. The reason why the female bookkeeper of the company wanted to steal the company's property was all to support a pretty boy who was lazy and lived a luxurious life. "

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but laugh and said: "Don't you know better than me in life? In that case, why do you still write in the book that you seem to know nothing?"

Vidocq picked his ears with his little finger: "There is no way. If I don't write anything, how will I sell my "Memoirs"? Do you want me to point at the readers' noses and yell in the book - you selfish people?" What a handsome guy, I have actually seen through my underwear?

Please, writing a book is not really about handling a case, so you have to leave some room for your imagination. In this way, they gain a sense of security and satisfaction, I can also make a lot of money, and everyone has a bright future. "

Arthur originally thought that this big shot in the French police would be a serious person, but after contacting him, he discovered that Mr. Vidocq was obviously much easier to get along with than he thought.

But then I thought about it, how could a guy who can eat both black and white in France be a person who puts on airs and doesn't eat the fireworks of the world?

Of course, Arthur did not dare to believe everything Vidocq said.

After all, he has not forgotten how the other party got rich. This is a ruthless man who did not hesitate to use his former gangster brothers to surrender to the Paris Police in order to escape the hanging.

If Arthur remembers correctly, Vidocq personally participated in 811 arrests in the first year he led the Paris Criminal Investigation Bureau. On average, at least two brothers are sacrificed every day. Handling cases with this efficiency is enough to demonstrate Vidocq's social and investigative abilities.

François Vidocq is definitely not a bad guy in the absolute sense, but he can't be said to be a good guy either. Fortunately, Arthur is also such a person.

Perhaps, as Vidocq said, having two faces is one of the necessary qualities to be able to do intelligence work?

Arthur and Vidocq were talking happily. Suddenly, Alexandre Dumas, who was sitting in the chair opposite and reading Hugo's letter, frowned and raised his head and asked: "Mr. Vidocq, do you and Mr. Hugo have the same idea?" Do you want to persuade me to return to China?"

Vidocq leaned on the chair and said: "I won't give you any advice. Whether you go back or not depends on you. You should also know that after the death of Louis XVIII, Mark Du Plessis was appointed as Grand Chancellor. Since I became the director of the Paris Police Department, I have been suppressed by the department, so I later resigned in anger.

After the July Revolution, if it weren’t for the repeated invitations from the new director, I would not have wanted to come back to the world. You have been away from the police and power circles for so long, so I don’t know what the higher-ups’ attitude towards you is.

But since Hugo dares to persuade you to go back, it's probably because he got some rumors, right? If you think his words are credible and you are not used to staying in London, then you may also consider returning to Paris. "

Hearing this, Alexandre Dumas glanced at the letter in his hand again. After much hesitation, he solemnly replied: "Of course I long to return to the land of France, but I don't think it should be now. I just contacted a literary scholar in London The magazine has a one-year subscription agreement, and if I leave now, it will be considered a breach of contract."

When Vidocq heard this, he said with regret: "Is that so? That's a pity. But I can understand you. Writers, once they start writing, they can't put it down until they finish writing. The same goes for Honoré Such."

After saying this, he took out a book from the small bag he carried with him and put it on the table: "I didn't bring you any gifts when I came here this time. I just brought you a copy of Honoré's recently published masterpiece. Satisfying your cravings can help you not be too lonely in a foreign country, and at least you can read literary works from your hometown. By the way, this new book contains stories based on me."

Arthur stared at the cover of the book. Although he didn't know much French, there was no problem with simply spelling the name.

Author:Honoré de Balzac

As for the title of the book, although Arthur couldn't understand it, he guessed that it was probably "The Human Comedy".