Chapter 16

Robert Turove’s face turned pale. It wasn’t a lie. He truly had spoken about his brother’s wife in front of his friends before. But he had only done so to praise her – to speak of how kind, beautiful, faithful, and pure she was.

Never had he spoken with such filthy intentions. However…

‘Brother, I, I…’

‘What was it you said about your sister-in-law’s figure when she walked around in her loungewear? And how did you describe the scent from her body after she’d gotten ready for the day?’

But what direction could talk about a woman possibly take in the company of gamblers and lowlifes? Robert Turove was left dumbstruck, his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.

‘Get out of my house at once. Don’t ever show your face here again!’

That day, Robert Turove had no choice but to trudge away from his brother’s mansion empty-handed.

“You were rejected, and without the Baron’s help, you tried to somehow handle your situation on your own. But it wasn’t easy, was it? Everyone around you was just as broke as you, and your family, except for the Baron, had long since stopped paying you any attention.”

Henry spoke softly, almost like singing.

“As time went on, you sank deeper into the mire. You shamelessly went back to the Baron several times, but it was all for nothing. And as that happened, a certain thought must’ve started to fester in you. Ah, if only my brother had been a bit more generous.”

Robert Turove’s shoulders gave a sharp twitch.

“He’s got so much money, what harm would it do to give me a little? What’s the big deal about some gossip floating around in high society? I’ve had worse rumors tied to my name for years, and now barely anyone invites me to parties. But my brother, with his wealth and his title, acted like a miserly coward over mere pocket change. …You must’ve thought something along those lines.”

“And then, probably this too. If it weren’t for my sister-in-law, my brother wouldn’t have had any reason to cast me out.”

Charlotte continued.

“You must’ve been furious at them both. You were at the Turove estate so often that rumors like that started, and you probably picked up on various family matters here and there. For example, that Sir Lau greatly admired the Baroness, that he served her like a servant, and that, once a month, he bought medicine under her orders.”

Charlotte tapped the table lightly with her fingers. Henry removed his hand from Robert Turove’s shoulder and leaned back against the wall behind him. His long exhale echoed in the quiet interrogation room.

“So, you came up with a good plan – one that would solve your debts and vent your rage all at once. You decided to frame your sister-in-law and poison your brother, making it seem like her doing. That way, everything he owned would be inherited not by her, but by you.”

Henry pulled out the last sheet from the stack of documents on the table and placed it before Robert Turove. It was the Turove estate’s inventory list of the private guards’ supplies, dated yesterday.

“On the day the Baron died, you went to the mansion as usual, pretending you were there to borrow money. After a few fruitless words with the Baron, you sneaked into the laundry room and stole one of the guards’ training uniforms. Then you disguised yourself as a guard, went to the apothecary, and bought poison, claiming it was on the Baroness’s orders.”

Henry tapped the document with his finger.

“When evening came, you changed clothes again and visited the Baron. You flattered him, playing nice. ‘You’re right, brother. I’ve been wrong all this time. From now on, I’ll live honestly…’ something like that.”

“The Baron must’ve softened after hearing that. He probably felt a little guilty for treating his brother coldly all this time. So, he decided to drink with you and mend fences… not knowing, of course, that his brother had poison hidden in his coat.”

Charlotte sneered. Robert Turove had his head bowed, shoulders trembling, silently listening to everything, then slowly lifted his head. He had a crooked grin tugging at one side of his mouth.

“Quite the story, isn’t it?”

Robert chuckled.

“Quite the story. But… isn’t it all circumstantial?”

He leaned back comfortably in his chair and continued with ease.

“It’s true I’m in debt. It’s also true things haven’t been great between me and my brother lately. But aren’t you reaching a bit too far, Superintendent? Where’s the actual evidence for all this? You think you can prosecute a noble with just that? Are you out of your mind?”

“We’ve already secured a statement from Bisset, the apothecary owner. He testified that, the day before the Baron’s death, a man wearing a Turove training uniform came to buy a deadly poison. He also identified you from your portrait as the same man.”

Robert Turove burst out laughing. He slammed the table with his hand as if he’d just heard the funniest thing in the world, laughing for quite a while. Then he let out a long breath and whispered quietly.

“You don’t seriously think that’ll hold up in court, do you? How much weight do you think a commoner’s testimony carries, huh?”

“……”

No reply came. Robert Turove regained his composure completely. To think they summoned me here over something like this? He was deeply offended, but decided to generously forgive it all. It was only natural that ordinary people couldn’t grasp or comprehend the brilliance of his flawless plan.

“You’d best start using your head a bit more. Otherwise, you might end up losing that precious job of yours.”

Robert tapped his temple with his index finger, then stood from his seat. As he reached for the door handle of the interrogation room, Charlotte spoke up.

“Sit down, Mr. Turove.”

Robert turned around with a look of displeasure. Still seated, Charlotte gave a slight nod toward the chair, signaling him to sit. His expression twisted even further.

“You’d better watch yourself.”

“And if I don’t? What do you plan to do?”

“What did you say?”

Robert Turove strode up to her in a threatening manner, but Charlotte didn’t even flinch. Instead, she placed a luxurious satin pouch on the table.

“Evidence. Right here.”

At Henry’s words, Robert Turove’s eyes twitched. His gaze was fixed on the satin pouch, staring at it with an intensity as if trying to pierce through the fabric to see what lay inside.

“The apothecary owner said, when he asked the man to settle the outstanding tab the Turove family had run up, the man offered something other than money.”

Henry slowly opened the pouch and turned it upside down. A signet ring bearing the Turove family crest clattered sharply onto the table.

“This is yours, isn’t it, Mr. Turove?”

Robert Turove glared at the ring, then clenched his trembling fists and smirked.

“And what proves that it’s mine?”

Charlotte picked up the ring with a casual motion. Under the dim light of the lamp, the ring’s scratches and nicks were clearly visible.

“You might not know this, but pawnshops typically document every single scratch on an item when they take it in. There have been plenty of incidents with people causing a scene later, claiming their items weren’t properly cared for.”

Henry spread out a few documents on the table – inventory sheets from various pawnshops. He kindly pointed to a spot on one of them.

“These were obtained from the pawnshops you’ve used. Official records, meaning they’re valid evidence. Here it is – ‘Turove family signet ring, Robert Turove.’”

“If we compare this documentation with the ring, it’ll prove this belongs to you.”

At Charlotte’s words, Robert Turove ground his teeth. Clenching his fists tightly, he growled as he dropped heavily into the chair.

“What if I said… I lost it?”

“Well. This ring is the last shred of a noble’s pride, isn’t it? Among all the items you pawned, this is the only one you always retrieved, wasn’t it? Letting it fall into someone else’s hands would be a disgrace to your family. Even the relatives who turned their backs on you probably would’ve given you money if you told them it was in a pawnshop.”

Charlotte placed the ring back on top of the satin pouch. Robert Turove’s eyes flicked back and forth between the ring and the pawnshop records. His clouded pupils trembled violently.

“The fact that you lost it and didn’t report it as lost or stolen – I think the judges will find that highly suspicious. Add to that the apothecary owner’s testimony, and… well, you’ve got a brain. I’m sure you can figure out which way the judges will lean.”

Charlotte watched Robert Turove’s face go pale with a mixture of pity and amusement. Knock, knock – a loud knock echoed through the room like a summons from a lion. Martin entered, saluted Henry, and placed a bundle from under his arm onto the table.

“We’ve completed the search of Mr. Robert Turove’s room. We found one Turove family guard training uniform.”

“We’ve already reported it to the court and secured a warrant.”

Dan followed Martin inside and handed a document to Henry. He skimmed it briefly, then gave a cold smile.

“A warrant signed by the judge. Looks like this is leaning toward a guilty verdict already, wouldn’t you say?”