Chapter 6: Case Completed
Liang Xi explained to the housekeeper: "The Earl has three wills in total. The first one is a will entrusted to a lawyer to witness and keep. The second one is a sealed will. The third one is a sealed will drawn up a few days before the Earl's death. I read the first two wills and found that the property distribution in them is exactly the same. I was confused for a while. Why did the Earl draft a new will that is exactly the same?"
Liang Xi said: "The answer is naturally due to the influence of Dai Nu. From talking , they all know more or less that Dai Er has some problems. Dai Nu is the most favored by the Earl and his wife. Unlike her two brothers, she dares to throw away the etiquette of the nobility and speak out about her dissatisfaction. I talked to the maid and learned that Dai Er and Cook had dinner together. The maid certainly didn't know, and as a housekeeper, you wouldn't meddle in household affairs. Only when the Earl didn't believe her would Dai Nu look for evidence. The conversation between father and daughter did not avoid the maid, which led to the maid knowing that Dai Er and Cook had dinner together."
Liang Xi said: "After learning that Cook and Dai Er had private dealings, the Earl drafted a second sealed will. To the Earl's disappointment, Dai Er was still in contact with Cook and might even be asking about the will. You know that with current technology, paper bag seals are not impeccable. Cook could have opened the information bag, or not opened it from the signature, or used technology to remove the signature, or forged the signature."
Liang Xi said: "Dai Er knew how much he could get from the first will. After learning about the new will, he was worried. He contacted Cook more frequently. I never understood why Cook would abandon his professional ethics and contact the prospective heir privately. I learned from others that Dai Er's wife and Cook's daughter are good friends. I believe you all know it, but you won't talk about other people's affairs with outsiders like me."
Liang Xi said: "I found out that before the third will was drawn up, you had a long conversation with the doctor who came to see you. After that, you were in a very low mood and even got angry at the gardener and other staff members, which was something you had never experienced in the thirty years you worked at the Earl's manor. I guess the doctor had already sentenced the Earl to death. So there was the third will."
Liang Xi: "I have two guesses. The first guess is that the purpose of the last will is to teach Cook a lesson. After all, Cook is the lawyer of the Earl's father. At the same time, the Earl hopes that his descendants will not hire Cook again. The second guess is that the Earl wants to punish Cook because Cook betrayed the Davis family's trust in him for decades."
Liang Xi waited for a moment, and seeing that the butler did not respond, he continued, "That's right. The one who stole the will was none other than Earl Davis himself. The only thing I'm not sure about now is the earl's character. If my first guess is correct, the will should be in your hands, butler. You will take it out at an appropriate time when the will is announced tomorrow night. It is a very appropriate approach to not embarrass Cook and leave a stain on the family, and to subtly remind Cook that he should take the initiative to resign from the Davis family."
The butler thought about it for a while and asked, "What if it's the second possibility?"
Liang Xi said: "Then you go to sleep, I will go back to my detective agency and pretend nothing happened."
The housekeeper was curious: "Oh? Just let it go?"
Liang Xi spread his hands: "I am just a detective, not a policeman. I don't have a search warrant, nor do I have any evidence. If I talk nonsense, you will sue me to bankruptcy. Although I don't have much assets myself. As for Cook, I can only say sorry."
The butler said: "Cook is your employer, you should tell him your opinion."
Liang Xi shook his head: "What kind of employer is he if he doesn't pay?" He raised his eyebrows. You know about travel expenses.
The butler really didn't understand what Liang Xi's eyebrows meant. He thought that the detectives that Cook could hire would never care about hundreds or thousands of pounds. The butler pondered for a while, stood up and went into his bedroom, took out the will from the drawer, and placed it in front of Liang Xi: "You are right."
Liang Xi said: "You can hand it over to Cook tomorrow night as planned."
The butler said, "No, this is your reward, the reward you deserve. Although it was not in the plan, I think I should give you the will."
Liang Xi hinted for the second time: "Reward? Haha, I always thought the reward was pounds. Hate it!"
The butler was thinking about something else. He said, "Mr. Cook is not only the lawyer of the Earl's father, but also a good friend of the Earl's father. The second sealed will is already a hint from the Earl to Mr. Cook. As the lawyer of the Davis family, he should have basic professional ethics. As for Dai Er's behavior, the Earl did not blame him, because he had been in the army for twelve years and had contributed a lot to the family. He did not want his son to be embarrassed in front of him, so he asked me to have a conversation with Dai Er after the funeral. There is only one thing for me to do. I want to convince Dai Er to hand over his assets to the trust fund for investment management after paying off his debts."
Liang Xi was thoughtful: "This case has changed my view of nobles. Although nobles look down on common people, they are well-educated."
The butler smiled and replied, "Nobles can be arrogant, nobles can be conceited, and some nobles even do some ridiculous things. But nobles are also the most respectable group of people. They will not and cannot tarnish the image of their class. For this reason, they are very strict in educating their children, because children represent the future of the nobility and the dignity of the family. As you said, they may look down on you, but they will not lack the basic courtesy they should have towards you."
Liang Xi picked up the will and stood up, holding out his hand: "It's nice to chat with you."
The butler shook hands with Liang Xi: "I am also very happy to meet such an interesting detective."
Liang Xi walked to the door and turned his head to greet: "Goodbye."
The butler walked him to the door and stood by it saying, "Good night, sir."
…
At two o'clock in the morning, Liang Xi knocked on Cook's door. Cook greeted him in pajamas. Liang Xi handed over the will and said, "I have to go now that I have finished my work."
After Cook got the will, he checked the seal and confirmed it was the real will. He originally wanted to ask how he got it, but when he heard that Liang Xi was leaving, he asked, "Now?"
Liang Xi replied: "You may even have to tip the waiter tomorrow morning." You should be able to hear such an obvious hint, right?
Cook thought Liang Xi was joking. Who was John to care about a few dollars in tips? Cook was concerned about the will and asked, "Where did you find it?"
Sure enough, a heartless person would not even give twenty dollars. Liang Xi replied: "After you read the will, I think you know what you should do. Good night, goodbye." When Cook found that the three wills were exactly the same, he should be able to guess the earl's intention. As for where the will was found and how it was found, why should I tell you? It's a waste of saliva.
