None of Them Were Good People

After listening to the grain merchant Duke's account, Raphael pinched the cat's ears and smiled mockingly. "Only I can 'get justice' for you?"

"Then why didn't you seek my help in the first place?"

Duke replied rather awkwardly, "I... I didn't know how to ask you for help at first."

Raphael Collins smiled again. "No need to go out of your way to explain. I know. You were afraid of getting involved with the Gang and owing me a favor."

Clearly, Raphael had voiced Duke's true thoughts. The grain merchant rose to his feet, looking even more uncomfortable. "Your Excellency Collins, as long as you can kill those two and recover my investment of twelve hundred pounds, I can pay you a substantial sum."

At that moment, Carter, who had been sitting in a chair nearby, sprang to his feet and said angrily, "Boss, let me string this rude bastard up and give him a beating!"

The grain merchant Duke jumped in fright, but clearly still did not quite understand what he had said wrong. For a moment, he stood there at a complete loss.

Raphael, however, gave a slightly crazed smile and waved Carter back. Then he set the cat from his lap onto the desk, stood up, and asked Duke, "Mr. Duke, what have I done to offend you that you should treat me with such disrespect?

"This is our first meeting, and you're already asking me to kill people?"

Duke's hands trembled a little. "Your Excellency Collins, I meant no disrespect. I... I just didn't know how to express my respect for you."

Watching from the side, Audrey reflected that a "calm lunatic" really was harder to deal with than either a calm person or a lunatic. It was difficult to predict when he would go mad, and equally difficult to notice when he was concealing his anger.

If this conversation were viewed as a confrontation, Mr. Duke was already entirely under Raphael's control.

"It's very simple." Raphael walked up to Duke. "I hope you've come here to make a friend, not to hire a murderer.

"And from the moment you walked through the door, you haven't once called me Godfather."

"Make a friend?" Duke looked somewhat surprised, but quickly caught on. "Yes, yes, of course. I came to make a friend."

Then he solemnly took Raphael's right hand in both of his, kissed the back of it, and addressed him respectfully. "Godfather."

Raphael nodded in satisfaction. "We aren't assassins, and we won't collect your debts for you. But we can help you vent your anger."

He patted Duke on the shoulder. "You can also use my reputation to intimidate your competitors.

"But if, at some point in the future, I need you to do me a favor, you must do everything in your power to help.

"Of course, that day may never come."

Duke finally smiled. "I'd be happy to oblige."

Raphael gave a hum of acknowledgment and indicated that Duke could go home and wait for news.

Once only Raphael, Carter, and Audrey remained in the room, Raphael told Carter, "Go get ready. Bring four or five reliable men. I'll go myself."

He glanced at Audrey and smiled. "Let the newcomer take part in this operation too."

If official Beyonders investigated this place later, the fact that Godfather Raphael had carried out an operation today would be enough to throw them off a little more.

As for bringing Audrey along, that was naturally because Raphael could only feel at ease with her constantly in his sight.

"Yes." Carter immediately went out to make preparations.

Audrey reminded him, "That grain merchant wasn't telling the truth about certain things."

"Of course I know." Raphael smiled. "Ever since the Corn Laws were enacted, large numbers of grain merchants have gone bankrupt. A grain merchant like Duke, who not only avoided bankruptcy but made a tidy profit, is hardly a good, law-abiding citizen."

Audrey froze. "You... you knew he was lying about some things? Then why are you getting involved in this?"

Raphael went over to the bookshelf and poured himself a glass of liquor. Only after taking a small sip did he say, "Duke's competitor Holm did indeed work with Logan to set a trap for him. And when it came to bribing the judge, Holm and his associates were clearly more generous.

He paused before continuing, "As for why I'm still helping Duke, they're unscrupulous merchants, and we're the Gang. None of us are good people. Why shouldn't I get involved?"

At first, Audrey was taken aback. She had not expected Raphael to admit so frankly that he was a bad person. Then she asked in surprise, "Did you get information in advance?"

After all, Raphael had sounded utterly certain when describing Duke and the others just now, rather than as though he were guessing.

Raphael took another sip. "As long as you understand people like that well enough, it's easy to deduce what happened."

Audrey fell briefly into thought. She suddenly realized something: she had indeed observed that Duke was lying, but she had been unable to determine which of his statements were lies.

The reason was that her understanding of human nature was still insufficient!

Clearly, after falling into his rival's trap, Duke had entered a state of self-hypnosis, believing that he was a law-abiding citizen who had been wronged, while his opponent had used underhanded competitive tactics and was thoroughly evil.

This self-hypnosis had made Duke himself believe he was a law-abiding man, so when he described himself that way, he did not consider himself to be lying.

That was why Audrey's observations had produced contradictory results. At such times, she needed experience to judge which statements were true and which were lies.

However, the advantages of a Spectator were beyond those of ordinary people. Audrey did not need a wealth of life experience. Now that she understood this concept, she would be able to make an accurate judgment next time.

Even after his men were ready, Raphael did not act immediately. Instead, he first sent his subordinates to conduct a brief investigation into the grain merchant named Holm.

Upon learning that the man merely had some connections with a city councilor, he decisively led his men to Holm's grain company. Carter and the others cleared the way with menacing looks, and before the company's employees could react, a Mafia subordinate had already kicked open the door to Holm's office.

This was Raphael's usual approach. Once an operation began, they had to move quickly. Catching the other party unprepared saved a great deal of trouble.

A flicker of panic crossed the eyes of Holm, a man in his forties with thinning hair. "Gentlemen, you..."

With practiced ease, Carter and several subordinates hauled him out of his chair and brought him before Raphael.

Meanwhile, another subordinate took out Holm's wallet and handed all the banknotes inside to Raphael.

Raphael put the money away and smiled. "We've brought you Mr. Duke's best wishes."

Holm looked both shocked and furious. "That bastard Duke..."

Carter punched Holm in the stomach, making the formally dressed, thinning-haired grain merchant cry out in pain and crouch on the floor, clutching his belly.

Then Carter took out a small iron hammer and told his men, "Hold him steady."

"Let me." A flicker of madness crossed Raphael's eyes. "I love the sound of bones breaking."