Chapter 6, Completion
Liang Xi waited for a moment, and seeing that the butler did not respond, continued: "Indeed, the one who stole the will is none other than Earl Davis himself. Now, the only thing I am uncertain about is the character of the Earl. If my first guess is correct, then the will should be in your possession, Butler. You will appropriately present it at the time of the will's announcement tomorrow evening. It would be a suitable approach to avoid embarrassing Cook, to prevent any blemish on the family, and to subtly remind Cook that he should proactively tender his resignation to the Davis family." If my first guess is correct, then the will should be in your possession, Butler. You will appropriately present it at the time of the will's announcement tomorrow evening. It would be a suitable approach to avoid embarrassing Cook, to prevent any blemish on the family, and to subtly remind Cook that he should proactively tender his resignation to the Davis family.
Liang Xi: "I have two conjectures. The first conjecture: 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 no longer employ Cook. The second conjecture: the earl wants to punish Cook, as Cook has betrayed the trust of the Davis family that he held for decades"
Liang Xidao: "Upon learning that Cook and Dai Er had private dealings, the Count drafted a second sealed will. To the Count's disappointment, Dai Er continued to associate with Cook, and may even be inquiring about the will. You know that with today's technology, sealing a paper bag is not foolproof; Cook could easily open the document bag, or he could avoid opening it at the signature, or use technology to remove the signature, or forge the signature"
Liang Xi explained to the butler: "The earl has a total of three wills. The first is a will entrusted to a lawyer for testimony and safekeeping. The second is a sealed will. The third is a sealed will drafted just a few days before the earl's passing. I have reviewed the first two wills, and I found that the distribution of assets is exactly the same, which left me puzzled as to why the earl would draft a completely identical will again"
Liang Xidao: "Then you sleep your sleep, and I will return to my detective agency, treating it as if nothing has happened"
At 2 a.m., Liang Xi knocked on Cook's door. Cook, dressed in his pajamas, welcomed him. Liang Xi handed over the will and said, "The matter is settled, I must leave now"
The butler and Liang Xi shook hands: "I am also very pleased to meet such an interesting detective"
The butler truly does not understand that Liang Xi's eyebrows signify something else; he believes that any detective Cook can hire would certainly not care about a few hundred or thousand pounds. After pondering for a moment, the butler stood up, entered his own bedroom, took out the will from the drawer, and placed it in front of Liang Xi: "You are right"
The butler was thinking of other matters and said: "Mr. Cook is not only the lawyer of the Earl's father but also a close friend of him. The second sealed will is already a hint from the Earl to Mr. Cook. As the lawyer for the Davis family, he should possess basic professional ethics. As for Dai Er's actions, the Earl did not blame him, for he has served the family for twelve years in the military and has made significant sacrifices. He did not want his son to feel embarrassed in front of him, and he asked me to have a conversation with Dai Er after the funeral. Regarding Dai Er's actions, the Earl did not blame him, for he has served the family for twelve years in the military and has made significant sacrifices. He did not want his son to feel embarrassed in front of him, and he asked me to have a conversation with Dai Er after the funeral. There is only one thing that I need to persuade Dai Er to do: after repaying his debts, he should entrust his assets to a trust fund for investment management.
Liang Xidao: "I have learned that before the drafting of the third will, you had a long conversation with the doctor who came to visit. After that, your mood was very low, and you even lost your temper with the gardener and other staff, which is something you had never done in your thirty years of working at the Earl's estate. I suspect that the doctor had already pronounced the Earl's death sentence at that time. Thus, the third will came into being"
Liang Xidao: "The answer is naturally due to the influence of Lady Dai. From my conversations with several children, they are more or less aware that there are some issues with Dai Er. Lady Dai is the most favored by the Earl and his wife; unlike her two brothers, she dares to discard noble etiquette and express her dissatisfaction. I learned from a maid that Dai Er dined with Cook. The maid certainly does not know this, and as the steward, you would not concern yourself with household trivialities. Lady Dai is the most favored by the Earl and his wife; unlike her two brothers, she dares to discard noble etiquette and express her dissatisfaction. I learned from a maid that Dai Er dined with Cook. The maid certainly does not know this, and as the steward, you would not concern yourself with household trivialities. Only when Lady Dai feels that the Earl does not trust her will she seek evidence. The conversation between father and daughter did not avoid the maid, which led to the maid knowing about Dai Er dining with Cook."
Cook thought that Liang Xi was joking; what status did John have that he would care about a few dollars in tips? Cook, preoccupied with the will, asked: "Where did you find it?"
Liang Xi stood up, holding the will, and extended his hand: "I am very pleased to chat with you"
Liang Xi spread his hands: "I am just a detective, not a police officer. I do not have a search warrant, nor do I have any evidence. If I speak carelessly, you could sue me into bankruptcy. Although I do not have much in terms of assets myself. As for Cook, I can only say I am sorry."
The steward said: "No, this is your reward, the reward you deserve. Although it was not part of the plan, I believe I should give you the will"
Liang Xi reflects: "This case has changed some of my views on the nobility. Although the nobility inherently looks down on commoners, their cultivation is quite commendable"
Liang Xidao: "Dai Er knew how much he could gain from the first will, and upon learning of the new will, his heart began to race. He started to have more frequent contact with Cook. I have always wondered why Cook would abandon his professional ethics to privately engage with a potential heir. It was only from others that I learned that Dai Er's wife and Cook's daughter are good friends, close confidantes. I believe you all know this, but you wouldn't discuss other people's private matters with an outsider like me." From others, I learned that Dai Er's wife and Cook's daughter are good friends, close confidantes. I believe you all know this, but you wouldn't discuss other people's private matters with an outsider like me.
After Cook received the will, he checked the seal to confirm it was genuine. He originally intended to ask how it was obtained, but upon hearing that Liang Xi was about to leave, he inquired, "Now?"
The butler curiously asked, "Oh? Is that it?"
... ...
The butler arrived at the door and stood by it, saying: "Good night, sir"
The butler said: "Cook is your employer, and you should convey your opinions to him as you see fit"
Liang Xi replied: "By tomorrow morning, it is likely that we will still have to give a tip to the waiter." This obvious hint should be understood, right
The butler smiled and replied: "Nobles can be arrogant, nobles can be conceited, and some nobles may even engage in absurd behaviors. However, they are also the group that values dignity the most; they will not and cannot tarnish the image of their class. For this reason, they are very strict in the education of their children, as children represent the future of the nobility and the dignity of the family. As you mentioned, they may look down upon you, but they will not lack the basic courtesy that is due to you"
Liang Xidao: "You can deliver it to Cook according to the plan tomorrow evening"
Liang Xi walked towards the door and turned his head to say: "Goodbye"
Indeed, a heartless person, not even giving twenty yuan. Liang Xi replied: "After you read the will, I believe you know what you should do. Good night, goodbye." When Cook discovered that three copies of the will were identical, he should have been able to guess the count's intention. As for where the will was found, how it was found, why should I tell you? It's a waste of breath. As for where the will was found, how it was found, why should I tell you? It's a waste of breath
Liang Xi's second hint: "Reward? Haha, I always thought the reward referred to pounds. How annoying!"
Liang Xi shook his head: "What kind of employer doesn't pay?" He raised an eyebrow, implying that you understand the transportation costs.
The butler pondered for a moment and asked, "What if it is the second possibility?"