Volume 2: Empire Chapter 29 Suspect
When Luke and Kaileena arrived at the dungeon, Shelley and Pisco had already set up the interrogation room. Seven suspects were tied to chairs with their heads covered, and Pisco was whipping them with a whip.
Shelley was holding a gun and was about to interrogate the first person. When he saw Luke come in, he immediately stood at attention and saluted.
"Your Excellency the Governor!"
Pisco turned around and saw Luke also standing in standard military posture: "Mr. Governor!"
Kylena brought a chair, and Luke sat down and asked Shelley, “What are you doing?”
"Interrogate the suspects..." Shelley replied, "Governor, you are of noble status now. Let Pisco and I do the interrogation. I guarantee that they will confess within an hour."
Luke sighed in his heart, if Kylena hadn't reported it in time, several suspects would have died.
"This case concerns the safety of Princess Dale. No one can conduct a private interrogation without my permission. You and Pisco stand on the same side...Kaylena, give me the information sent by the headquarters."
Shelley and Pisco stood aside obediently, and Kaileena took out several documents from her briefcase. When she handed them to Luke, she said, "The Imperial Secret Service Headquarters has done a lot of preliminary work on this case. These seven people are very likely related to the attack on Princess Dale. Here are the files of the seven people, as well as the files compiled by the headquarters."
Luke took the document and looked at it carefully.
After Princess Dale was attacked, the Imperial Secret Service kept arresting people in the imperial capital. The purpose was not only to cast a wide net, but also to alert the attackers and make them reveal their true colors under pressure.
Under Agatha's supervision, the Imperial spies were very attentive to this case. All the people who were captured were cross-screened, and after repeated screening, these seven people who might have a significant connection with the case were selected.
But further investigation was impossible. No matter how much threats, inducements or torture were used, they denied any connection with the attack on Princess Daier.
Time passed slowly and no one dared to make a sound in the interrogation room.
The files describe these people in great detail, including what kind of torture they were subjected to, when they were subjected to it, when it ended, how many times they were whipped, how many minutes they were waterboarded, how many times they fainted, what injuries they suffered, how many times they were mentally attacked...
Just by looking at it, Luke couldn't help but feel that the CIA headquarters was very professional. If nothing could be learned from such cruel torture, these people were either innocent or had received professional training.
After about an hour, Luke finished reading all the files.
To sum up, on the night when Princess Dai'er was attacked, they either appeared near the attack site; or appeared near the attackers' retreat route; or tried to leave the imperial capital when the city was under martial law.
Of course there are other suspicious points, let the Secret Service headquarters screen them out.
"Take off their hoods."
Luke gave the order and Pisco stepped forward and removed all the hoods from the suspects.
The headquarters used a lot of torture on them, but they didn't hit their faces, so even though there were some bruises and scars, it was still easy to identify their appearance.
While observing the seven suspects, Luke tried his best to recall the NPCs of Saint Lun City that he had seen in the game. He also retrieved the information in his mobile phone to see if he could reduce the difficulty of the case.
The result... was indeed an unexpected surprise.
Philemon Sam was a salesman for a cosmetics company. Because he sold high-end cosmetics, he often went in and out of the Imperial City. When Princess Dale was attacked, Sam was captured by imperial spies in the bushes two blocks away.
He explained that he had just explained the usage of new cosmetics to a lady, which delayed him and caused him to stay in the imperial city. He was afraid and hid in the bushes because he didn't know what happened.
The lady and the servants confirmed Sam's words.
But the Imperial agents did not dispel their suspicions of Sam.
The attack on Princess Dale was a very careful operation. In addition to the assassin who carried out the assassination, there must have been people around to keep watch for the assassin. After the assassin escaped, there must have been someone to do some finishing work.
Therefore, the Imperial spies felt that Sam might be related to the case, but there was no evidence and they could not get anything out of him.
But Luke knew Sam.
He was a minor character, so minor that he didn't even know who he was working for. He was just a cannon fodder who followed orders. Even if he confessed, there was no way to find the mastermind of the attack. His superiors would have run away or been dealt with if they knew he was caught.
During the story missions of a prince in the Anno game, the player will have several encounters with Philemon Sam. He is a high-end cosmetics salesman who knows the ladies in the Imperial City very well and can provide useful intelligence in some missions.
But this cannot be used as evidence to prove that the prince was the mastermind behind the attack on Princess Daier. Should he take out his cell phone and let Augustine see it?
And... it seems that there is no proof that the prince is related to the case. It is possible that Sam just happened to pass by there.
As for the others… their information was not found in the phone, but it cannot be said that they have nothing to do with the case.
It's very tricky!
Luke said to everyone in the interrogation room : "I am Meteorite, the newly appointed acting governor of Raging Waves City by His Majesty, and concurrently the director of the Sixth Division of the Imperial Secret Service. I am now fully responsible for the attack on Princess Dale. I will give you a chance. Tell me what I want to know, and it will reduce the crime..."
"Governor." A suspect immediately cried, "I am innocent! I have a factory outside the city. That night a worker came back to tell me that the factory warehouse was on fire, so I was in a hurry to leave the city.
My workers can prove what I said. Please let me go, my family is still waiting for me.”
"Governor, he is innocent..."
…
There were pleas for mercy in the interrogation room, and even Philemon Sam was in tears, as if he had been truly wronged.
Seeing that it didn't work, Luke said, "Okay, since no one is talking, let's start the interrogation!"
Seeing these people still crying and complaining, Pisco cracked his whip and shouted, "Shut up! Didn't you hear what my governor said? If anyone makes a sound, I'll tear his head off!"
Pisco's image was indeed more effective in scaring people than Luke's, and the interrogation room suddenly became quiet.
Luke gave Pisco an admiring look, and then said to the suspects: "Now I will ask the questions, and whoever wants to answer them will answer them. Shelley..."
Shelley replied respectfully: "What do you want, Governor?"
"Anyone who speaks without my permission will be shot immediately!"
Shelley replied loudly and energetically: "Yes, Governor!"
"Philimon Sam," Luke looked at the second young man on his left and asked, "Tell me again in detail what you did, who you met, and what you said in the Imperial City that night."
Being called out first made Sam show a fleeting expression of surprise, but he quickly adjusted his mentality and repeated what he had said countless times to the imperial spy.
When it was over, Luke didn't say anything but asked the next person the same question.
After asking all seven people.
"Philimon Sam" Luke called Sam's name again: "Where do you live, how many people are there in your family, what are their names, and what is their relationship with you?"
Sam continued to answer. He was very confident in his disguised identity, an orphan from a remote area who was admitted to a school in the imperial capital through his own efforts. After graduation, he has been selling cosmetics. His performance is not top-notch but he has a good income. He just got married last year and his wife's family background is very ordinary.
Everything can be verified, and I am just an ordinary citizen of Saint Lun City.
After Sam finished speaking, Luke moved on to the next person.
Wait until all seven people have asked the question.
"Philimon Sam." Luke called Sam's name again. "When we arrested you, you were carrying some cosmetics. Tell me the types, names, and functions of the cosmetics."
This time Sam couldn't keep calm.
He was not nervous because of Yunxing's questions, but he didn't know why Yunxing started asking questions from him three times in a row. If he asked in order, it would be fine, but he asked the next six people in a random order.
Only I was the first one three times in a row.
Is this a coincidence?
Luke's questions were not difficult for Sam. After answering them easily, he turned his attention to others.
They were all very simple questions, but there was no pattern in the order of calling the names.
After a round of questions...
"Philimon Sam," Luke stared at Sam and asked, "You often go in and out of the Imperial City, so you must have met many noble people. Do you know any members of the royal family?"
"I, I don't know any royal family members." Sam's voice was trembling.
He really didn't know any members of the royal family, he just made sure that his identity had been exposed. If the questions were randomly called, he would be ranked first among seven people four times in a row, and the chance of coincidence was very small.
But this is impossible!
I have been in the Secret Service Headquarters for so many days and have been tortured so many times, but I have not revealed any evidence. He is from Nutao City and we just met, how could he know my identity?
After Luke got the answer from Sam, he asked the next person without stopping.
Six people asked questions in random order, and after one round...
"Philemon Sam. Did you know that Princess Dale went to Miss Clear Sky's museum that night?"
Sam, who was already determined to die, answered calmly this time: "I don't know."
The questions continue.
Luke asked ten rounds of questions in total, and he named Philemon Sam first in each round. In the end, even the other six suspects who were questioned noticed something was wrong and looked at Sam differently.
Although Sam was still denying and covering up, his expression was no longer fake. When he knew that it was Princess Dale who attacked that night, he knew that he was a discarded child and had no chance to redeem himself.
In the end, Luke handed all the documents in his hand to Kylena and stood up to stretch his waist which was stiff from sitting for so long.
"I have asked all my questions. You are indeed all innocent. On behalf of the Imperial Secret Service, I would like to express my deepest apologies for what you have experienced these days. I am also prepared to pay you a sum of compensation out of my own pocket, hoping to make up for some of your losses and the damage caused to you.
Let's go, your families are waiting for you to return safely.
Pisco, untie them."
"Yes, Governor!"
Although Pisco didn't understand why his governor would let everyone go so easily, he still followed the order and untied the suspect.
The seven suspects were all dumbfounded... Will everything be fine if they answer just a few simple questions?
No beatings, no mental torture.
It’s hard to accept this kind of treatment!
But if the chains that bound my hands and feet were really opened, and the closed door was also opened, could I really walk out?
Kylena said: "Thank you, Governor, for your grace to you. Come with me, and after completing the formalities, you can leave."
The suspects hurriedly followed Kylena out of the interrogation room.
After they calmed down, Shelley asked Luke, "Governor, is there something wrong with Philemon Sam?"
Pisco asked, "Big sister, what's the problem with Philemon Sam?"
"Stupid... The Governor asked ten rounds of questions, and Philemon Sam was the first to answer. The adults must have noticed that there was something wrong with him."
Luke asked Shelley, "You figured it out? Very smart! You figured it out when I asked the first round of questions."
"The sixth round, the seventh round, or the eighth round..." Shelley couldn't remember clearly: "Anyway, the guy's face turned pale in the end. Governor, since you knew that Philemon Sam was problematic, why did you let him go?"
"You figured it out, and it seems everyone else has figured it out, too. Philemon Sam is just a small shrimp, and if you want to catch the big fish, you have to let the small shrimp swim out.
You two go to Silver Avenue in the Imperial City, there is a pizza shop that makes delicious pizza, buy me some."
"Yes, Inspector!"
Shelley and Pisco left the interrogation room. As soon as they got out of the door, Pisco couldn't help but ask, "Big sister, what's wrong with that kid?"
…
Philemon Sam walked out of the Imperial Secret Service's Sixth Division with his personal belongings. None of the cosmetics in his bag were missing, but they were all opened and inspected.
The dazzling sunlight shone down, and Sam, who had been imprisoned in the dark for a long time, couldn't help but squint his eyes. The pain all over his body told him that he was not dreaming...
He got out on his own and walked out of the Imperial Secret Service alive.
But where is the next destination?
Sam couldn't understand why Meteorite let him go. Since he saw through his identity and hinted to him that he knew about it during the interrogation, why did he let him go in the end?
Do you want to follow me and catch the person behind me?
But since I knew you had seen through my identity, why would I bring a spy to catch my superior? And I wonder if there is an accomplice among the six suspects. If there is, he must know that I have been exposed.
Everyone who has contacted me will disappear, and the assassin who is going to silence them will arrive soon.
Where can I go?
"Hey, don't just stand there at the door!" The Imperial spy standing guard outside shouted to Sam, "If we let you go, go home quickly. If you don't leave, we'll arrest you!"
go home?
hehe……
