He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 149

149. The End of the Truth Game (3)

◈ Garrett Duke’s London Townhouse

“Information is proving difficult to obtain; they’re thoroughly securing the area and investigating. However, the prevailing sentiment suggests the incident was orchestrated by a farm owner named Hogarth Fisher, who bribed a maid.”

At this, the corners of Duke Garrett’s lips lifted slightly.

“Captain Cook, who visited the Runners office, told me that when Leo Edwards presented irrefutable evidence that he was, in fact, Tommy Clark, everyone was so surprised they were speechless, heh heh. It seems things will conclude that way.”

Even if the farm owner revealed his instigator, Duke Garrett had no fear of his own identity being exposed.

The person who delivered the poison to Hogarth Fisher had died five years prior.

◈ Bow Street Runners Office

“We found him! A man named Hunt. But… he died five years ago.”

By mobilizing reliable informants, they managed to identify the person who instigated Hogarth Fisher and delivered the poison. But he was already deceased.

Moreover, no connection could be found between this Hunt and Duke Garrett.

Sergeant Townsend asked Theo with a worried expression.

“No matter how much we search for a relationship between Mr. Hunt and Duke Garrett, there’s no connection. What should we do?”

“As I said before, there’s no need to overthink it.”

“Yes?”

“The person who planned all of this must possess the two official documents related to the Dylan family’s death that Mr. Hogarth Fisher provided.

In other words, the incorrect coroner’s report, before its correction, stating that Leo Edwards had died, and the church’s funeral record with Leo Edwards’ name added in Fisher’s handwriting. Whoever possesses these two… that is the culprit who instigated the poisoning of the Dylan couple.”

Sergeant Townsend nodded.

“So, you believe Duke Garrett has them?”

“It’s not an assumption; it’s a certainty. He definitely has them.”

“But, he might have disposed of them immediately after hearing about the suspect’s transfer, or hidden them in a very secure location. How can we find them?”

Theo shook his head.

“The Duke Garrett I met displayed a certain anxiety. He suffers from a mental condition that compels him to constantly check things to feel secure. He even published a false autobiography due to the anxiety that his title of Duke might be threatened at any time.

Just as the destruction of all data on Dylan’s marriage and childbirth in the fire was decisive in elevating him to the position of Duke, the documents confirming the Dylan family’s deaths will be invaluable to Duke Garrett, as precious as life itself, something he must safeguard.

And since he needs to be able to check the data whenever anxiety strikes, it must be near him, readily accessible.

Therefore, there’s a very high probability that the materials Fisher gave him are in Duke Garrett’s study.”

It was well known that Theo possessed a keen understanding of the human mind and mental illness.

Sergeant Townsend had no choice but to trust Theo’s analysis.

With anxious eyes, Sergeant Townsend asked, “The Duke has those materials now. Then… what’s the best course of action for us?”

With a firm expression, Theo replied, “We must obtain a warrant from the magistrate immediately and raid Duke Garrett’s house!”

◈ Westminster District, Magistrate’s Office.

The Saint James area, where Duke Garrett resided, was located in the Westminster district, and the magistrate here was Sir Brian Jackson.

Magistrate Brian Jackson, having heard the entire story from Sergeant Townsend and Theo, pondered the situation.

Searching Duke Garrett’s house based solely on their word, only to find nothing, would be disastrous.

Only a decade prior, it was possible to issue a general warrant that didn’t specify the place of search during seizure, so there was no difficulty in searching the house of a suspected person.

However, an incident involving the search of a major British journalist and member of parliament with a general warrant raised concerns about evidence that didn’t specify the place and object of the search, causing significant trouble.

Since that incident, the issuance of general warrants has been deemed illegal in England, and the magistrate must issue a warrant specifying the specific location and purpose.

As such, from the magistrate’s perspective, if the desired evidence wasn’t found in the place he specifically authorized, he would face political and legal criticism, and in severe cases, even punishment.

‘But if my role is instrumental in solving this case…’

If clear physical evidence was secured from Duke Garrett’s house due to his warrant issuance, his evaluation, as the one who directed this case, would undoubtedly be significantly enhanced while resolving a major case that had captured the attention of the entire nation and King George.

Besides, it’s Theo Sanderson, not just anyone.

Having observed him since the Gavin Murray case, he couldn’t help but trust in Sir Sanderson’s remarkable intelligence.

“Sir Sanderson, do you truly believe that evidence is definitely in Duke Garrett’s house?”

“Yes! I’m certain. But we must act quickly. Duke Garrett’s numerous informants are spread throughout the palace and the police; they will soon realize what’s happening, and all the crucial evidence will disappear. If that happens, the real culprit in this case will never be caught, and the truth will remain a mystery.”

Jackson, the magistrate, who had been agonizing with his lips tightly closed, nodded vigorously.

“Okay. Let’s issue a warrant! Harrison! Prepare a search warrant for Duke Garrett’s house immediately!”

“Yes! Your Honor!”

◈ Saint James, Duke Garrett Edwards’ Townhouse.

Late in the evening, Duke Garrett’s townhouse living room was crowded with Runners detectives and police officers, including Sergeant Townsend.

Duke Garrett appeared, maintaining a dignified demeanor amidst the flustered butler and servants, and shouted, “How dare you break in here and cause such a ruckus! I will hold you accountable for this commotion, so be prepared!”

Even in the face of his shrill intimidation, Sergeant Townsend calmly replied, “Yes, if we are at fault, you can hold us accountable at any time in the future. But first, today, you must cooperate with the execution of the warrant issued by the magistrate.”

“Warrant?”

Sergeant Townsend approached Duke Garrett, unfolded the warrant, and handed it over.

Duke Garrett, after reading the warrant, snorted.

Then he raised his head, looked at Theo standing behind Sergeant Townsend, and asked mockingly, “Oh—Sir Sanderson has come all this way? So, all these tricks originated from your mind? I think you’re making a grave error; wouldn’t it be wiser to back down now?”

“…….”

Duke Garrett was calm and relaxed. He seemed to have unwavering confidence.

Sergeant Townsend stepped forward and said, “We will now begin the search and seizure of the study. Please provide the key to the desk in the study!”

Theo, having information about the desk in the Duke’s study, requested Sergeant Townsend to obtain the desk key first.

Duke Garrett handed over the key without hesitation and said, “You will be held responsible for any evidence obtained with this key. Are you confident?”

Instead of answering, Sergeant Townsend took the key and handed it to the detectives, who immediately began searching the study.

Clatter—

Finally, the lock on the study desk was opened, and the detectives searched the drawers.

“Here, there’s a file!”

“Give it to me!”

Sergeant Townsend snatched the file and looked inside.

Whirr—

It was as Theo expected.

The file contained newspaper articles, coroner’s records, and funeral records announcing the Dylan’s accident 15 years ago.

A light of relief flashed across Sergeant Townsend’s face.

Duke Garrett, who was watching from the side, spoke with a rather relieved expression, “Okay. Now that things have progressed this far, I’ll tell you everything honestly. I genuinely didn’t know that Dylan had gone to North America. But one day, I heard the news that Dylan had died there. And I hurriedly had people obtain the official documents related to Dylan’s death.

Of course, I am ashamed of the moral implications of writing an autobiography while pretending not to know that Dylan had died, but all the truth is contained in this sole piece of evidence I possess.

As you can see from those documents, you have been misled by believing only the fraudster Leo because there was no clear evidence.

Now! Now that such clear physical evidence has been revealed to the world, you will pay a great price for the foolish actions you have taken while protecting the fake Leo with public opinion on your side. Of course, you will also be held accountable for searching my house without permission!”

Duke Garrett, with a triumphant expression, scrutinized the faces of the Runners detectives and Theo.

The Duke inwardly anticipated the surprise and embarrassment Theo Sanderson and the Runners detectives would display upon examining the official documents that served as decisive evidence and hearing his explanation.

‘……?’

But something was amiss. They didn’t react to his shouting.

Even after directly confirming the official evidence of Leo Edwards’ death, there was no sign of embarrassment or surprise.

Sir Sanderson and Sergeant Townsend were preoccupied with examining the evidence and whispering to each other.

Rather, they appeared to be searching desperately for something they already knew existed.

‘What…?’

At that moment, Duke Garrett felt a chill run down his spine. He sensed that something was going terribly wrong.

‘Was there… something I overlooked?’

Sergeant Townsend, while examining the documents, exclaimed with a happy expression, “Sir Sanderson! Look at this. The handwriting is definitely… Mr. Fisher’s handwriting.”

In the church’s funeral record, Leo Edwards’ name was added in a different handwriting.

It was clearly Hogarth Fisher’s handwriting.

“Fisher’s handwriting? What… what are you talking about?”

Duke Garrett asked, a clearly embarrassed expression on his face.

However, instead of answering, Sergeant Townsend solemnly informed the Duke, “Duke Garrett! I am arresting you on suspicion of instigating the murder of the Dylan Edwards family!”

“What… what? Instigating murder? What nonsense are you spouting! There is such clear evidence; what game are you playing!”

“Tie him up immediately!”

“Yes! Sergeant!”

Duke Garrett, tied up and dragged away, screamed and struggled.

“Are you all insane? You arrest me even after confirming the official documents that Leo Edwards is definitely dead? Are you trying to eliminate the original? Are you trying to suppress the evidence and frame me?”

Sergeant Townsend sneered and retorted, “Your Grace, why would we eliminate this precious item? How long have we been searching for this data? The information you possess is either incorrect or fabricated. You have been guarding this data so carefully. We are simply grateful for you providing us with clear evidence.”

“…What… what?”

Duke Garrett’s face was completely bewildered.

Then he glared at Theo, who was standing next to him, as if to kill him, and muttered, “You… what trick did you play again? Right?”

Theo simply stared at him with a calm gaze.

* * *

It didn’t take long for the whole story of the incident to be revealed and for Duke Garrett to realize his mistake.

Whether by luck or fate, three days after Duke Garrett was apprehended, the South Carolina State Government sent an official letter.

The official letter contained the welcome news that they had located the official data from the state government and the church related to Dylan’s death.

Along with the official letter, there was a corrected coroner’s record stating that Leo Edwards, who had experienced cardiac arrest, had been revived, and the original list of funerals kept by the church.

Leo Edwards’ name was absent from the original funeral list.

Garrett was beside himself with the realization that the data he had cherished so much had played a decisive role in identifying the mastermind behind the poisoning.

Had he disposed of it all long ago, he could have evaded suspicion as the instigator of the crime in a situation where there was no clear physical evidence.

Clinging to the fabricated evidence like a treasure ultimately led to his downfall.

A few days later, a search of Duke Garrett’s country house uncovered a dozen secret letters exchanged with Mr. Hunt.

Through the letters with Mr. Hunt, who had died five years prior, the Duke’s heinous crime was exposed to the world.

* * *

At the trial held at the Old Bailey, the Central Criminal Court of London, the jurors unanimously identified Duke Garrett Edwards as the director and instigator of the Dylan Edwards family poisoning case, with Olga and Hogarth Fisher as the executors.

The judge sentenced all three to death by hanging.

Hogarth Fisher protested that he was merely an intermediary and had not planned or executed the crime, arguing that the death penalty was too harsh.

On the other hand, Olga willingly accepted the sentence with a light heart, kissed Leo Edwards’ feet when he visited the prison, and asked for final forgiveness.

Duke Garrett denied the charges until the end, cursing Theo and the King, and his brazen behavior sparked national outrage.

Ultimately, the day before the execution, Garrett endured the humiliation of being ridiculed and cursed by the public while confined in a pillory [a wooden framework with holes for the head and hands, used for public shaming] in Charing Cross, a downtown area of London.

And on the morning of February 1781, when the cold was particularly severe,

Duke Garrett was executed in front of a large crowd.

Hogarth Fisher and Olga, who had also been sentenced to death, were spared the death penalty because their confessions helped to apprehend Duke Garrett.

Hogarth Fisher was exiled to Australia, and Olga was allowed to go to North America, where her son resided, and live as a slave, thanks to Duke Leo’s consideration.

◈ Two months later, April 1781.

Warm spring arrived, and the world returned to peace as if nothing had happened.

The Edwards family bestowed the 6th Duke title upon Sir Leo Edwards, who regained his status as the legitimate heir.

Shortly after, Duke Leo Edwards held a grand wedding with Laura, receiving blessings from many.

The wedding venue was Theo’s wedding hall in Kensington.

Laura’s family and friends from Jamaica also attended to share the joy, and Mr. Robinson held his grandson, who had grown significantly, and smiled throughout the wedding.

Sir Jeffrey Edwards, who had moved to a better house with the assistance of Duke Leo Edwards, surprised everyone by quitting gambling and alcohol and becoming a completely different person.

The media reported in detail on the happy ending of this fairy tale, greatly praising Theo’s brilliance and King George’s decision.

In this way, history once again recorded a small change orchestrated by Theo’s hand.