In the small hotel, Victor and Arthur were almost face-to-face, smoking silently.
The two of them just sat there without saying anything, and the current situation didn’t seem suitable for cheerful chatter either.
Though these two were the best detectives in the French and British police forces, capable of addressing almost everything, this ti, it appeared they had both miscalculated.
On a Thursday afternoon, what type of guests would co to an unremarkable small hotel and rent rooms? And what was their purpose?
This was a topic quite worth investigating.
Of course, not investigating wouldn’t be an issue either.
Thanks to the hotel’s less-than-stellar soundproofing, even without seeing for themselves, Arthur and Victor were already quite aware of the guests’ current activities.
The people next door, Balzac and Mrs. Bern, naturally needed no ntion; they were there to revise Balzac’s newly completed work. Of course, aside from revising, they might engage in other activities as a diversion.
As for those whose main occupation wasn’t writing, their purposes were even more straightforward.
Even though the afternoon sun was obscured by heavy clouds, the air in the room had beco more sultry than before.
Victor, smoking calmly, teased Arthur across from him: "Brother, don’t tell you’ve never encountered such a situation back when you were at Scotland Yard."
Arthur shrugged and said, "Encountered them, naturally. In our line of work, isn’t it typical to choose such timing to make a move? But, being surrounded by love affairs from all directions is indeed a first. Mr. Victor, is today so kind of special day in Paris? How can a small hotel have such booming business?"
Victor lowered his voice and laughed, bending forward, "Brother, there’s sothing you don’t know. Every working day, when husbands are out of the house, it’s always a good day for Parisians."
Arthur joked, "Every day like this? In that case, Parisians sure have boundless energy. When I first ca to Paris, Alexander told eating asparagus strengthens the body, I didn’t believe it. But today’s experience in Paris finally made believe. Although I don’t know the scientific explanation behind it, the facts speak for themselves."
Victor was delighted and said: "Co to my house another day, and I’ll have my cook prepare so asparagus to boost your energy. In London, you eat jelly; in Paris, it’s asparagus. What’s the saying? When in Ro, do as the Romans do. You must blend in with the locals, right?"
Arthur didn’t refuse Victor’s invitation. He was always interested in this senior figure in the detective world: "I’ll definitely try the asparagus, but more importantly, how did you figure out in just two days that this hotel is a gathering place for these philanderers?"
Victor couldn’t help but boast upon hearing the question: "Perhaps what I’m about to say will upset you. But, brother, that’s the difference between you and . By simply standing in front of soone and observing them for a few monts, I can imdiately discern their sexual orientation, whether they like n or won, are con artists, perverts, or gamblers. I honed this ability from ti spent in jail when I was younger. After joining the Security Departnt, I even spent weeks mingling with these people to observe their behavior patterns."
Arthur asked curiously: "Mingling with these people? Gamblers and con artists might be easy to find; you only have to infiltrate a criminal group to encounter a bunch of such small fry. But perverts and homosexuals, where did you encounter them? Are Parisians so open that they’d blatantly share their sexual orientation with others? Has ’sodomy’ been abolished here?"
"No, of course not abolished. Paris and London are alike; sodomy is a capital offense."
Victor, holding a pipe, said: "But just because it’s a capital offense doesn’t an no one engages in it. At least, I know there is a gathering place for male prostitutes on the right bank of the Seine River. From the Louvre to the Pont au Change, you can spot them occasionally. I mingled with them to observe how they searched for clients and then how they extorted and blackmailed them afterward. They threatened clients that if they didn’t pay double the fee, they would report the clients to the police for engaging in sodomy, getting everyone hanged together."
At this point, Victor added a reminder: "By the way, that young man who entered the room opposite us? He’s a homosexual. I saw it right away. If you don’t believe , I’ll lure him out, strike a deal, and you can save at the right mont. If you want, we can even sche to extort him. However, I don’t highly recomnd it; they don’t have much to offer. Our primary focus should be on punishing those scamrs."
Arthur listened, quite intrigued, and casually asked: "Are all your riches obtained from those scamrs?"
Victor chuckled: "Brother, what do you take for? I’m making an honest living now."
Arthur saw the slyness in Victor’s eyes but chose not to point it out directly.
Whether at Scotland Yard or the Great Paris Police Hall, everyone has so less-than-honest revenue streams.
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