Chapter 33, Chapter 11: I Never Knew Him
Chapter 11 I never understood him
Moran witnessed Milverton walking into an apartment building with a blond young man, chatting and laughing.
Milverton may appear carefree on the surface, but he is actually extremely cautious and always cold and wary of strangers. Albert once commented that he was a man of unpredictable moods and not easy to get along with.
Even Moran, who dislikes intrigue and is usually carefree, often unconsciously tries to read Milverton's expressions and acts cautiously when dealing with him.
But what Moran saw now took him by surprise.
Milverton seemed particularly fond of the seemingly gentle and refined blond intellectual, his words and actions revealing a degree of indulgence and obedience, even a hint of flattery.
Moran couldn't even imagine that if Professor William appeared before him, Milwaldton would probably be so infatuated that he would completely lose his judgment and become completely obedient.
"I think if the professor were here, he could easily handle Milverton."
As soon as he finished speaking, Albert's mood suddenly turned cold, and he said, "Don't talk nonsense."
His tone was not heavy, but it carried an undeniable sharpness.
“Even if Milverton’s ideas are easy to read, we can’t let William do such a thing.” He said in a low voice, and added, “There’s no need for William to know about such pointless speculation.”
Moran had only mentioned it casually, but seeing Albert's serious attitude, he explained, "I just felt that Milwaldton's behavior today was a bit unusual, so I just said it offhand."
“He’s probably faking it,” Albert said, his tone calm and certain. “Moran, don’t let your guard down.”
Sensing that Albert wouldn't allow her to be careless about Milverton, Moran replied, "I understand. Albert, you certainly know Milverton better than I do, and I know what I should do."
Albert was silent for a moment, then asked, "So, he followed that person almost without hesitation?"
“The blond youth was initially wary of his attentiveness,” Moran recalled, “but Milwald was always good at winning people over, and with a few words, he gradually made the other man relax. The two walked side by side, getting closer and closer as they talked, and finally entered a nearby apartment.”
Moran paused, as if carefully choosing his words.
"Before entering, Milvolton even reached out and took the other person's arm. It wasn't a casual touch; it was more like an unspoken intimacy. You wouldn't believe how cold the person was at first, but how sweet their smile became when Milvolton touched their arm."
“I watched them disappear behind the door for more than ten minutes now,” Moran added, his tone becoming meaningful. “In my experience, they probably won’t be coming out anytime soon.”
Albert remained silent for a moment.
"Stop spouting your old advice."
His tone was calm, but cold and devoid of warmth: "Milwald doesn't do things without a purpose."
He then quickly analyzed the situation: "He deliberately lowered people's guard, so he would naturally leave enough clues to mislead people."
Moran couldn't help but sigh, "...Milwald's cunning is truly profound."
Albert said, “Let Mr. Jeff Hope keep watch nearby. Maybe today is the chance to strike. Turn off your phone so Milwalton won’t call you again, yesterday…”
"What happened last night will absolutely not happen again," Moran said confidently.
“Hmm,” Albert said, “Don’t forget what he did; there’s no need to go easy on him.”
Milvolton is like a wildcat living in the woods.
The wildcat, possessing all the characteristics of a top predator, has virtually no natural enemies. It is inherently ferocious and bloodthirsty. It hunts not for survival, but solely for pleasure. Studies show that the wildcat's killing spree has driven 33 species to extinction. And in many documentaries, they are even seen ruthlessly killing birds that share their daily lives, simply out of interest.
Beneath their seemingly harmless appearance and behavior, danger may lurk at any moment.
But in Milvolton's eyes, even the slightest oversight could be seen as prey.
Every time I approached him, every time we made contact, it felt like playing a dangerous game with a well-trained predator.
"Think more about the misfortune that happened to Jeff Hope."
Five years ago, Jeff Hope's seven-year-old daughter was brutally murdered in a disabled toilet stall in a shopping mall. When her body was discovered, the child was barely clothed, her death was gruesome, and there was blood everywhere.
The incident occurred in a blind spot of the mall's surveillance cameras. The perpetrator had been following the child, and when she left the restroom, he grabbed her from behind, dragged her into a nearby toilet stall for people with disabilities, and quickly locked the door.
The murderer was caught immediately; he was a father who usually seemed honest.
However, most people felt that it was more likely his son who committed the crime.
Because his son had a long criminal record, repeatedly harassing female classmates and neighborhood girls, he had been reported before. If it weren't for the fact that his son was also a minor, only 14 years old, the matter would have been suppressed through negotiation.
At the time, no biological traces of the murderer were found on the girl, and the murderer's son had an alibi from his friend. Therefore, the murderer's son avoided most of the charges because of this strong testimony.
Furthermore, the murderer's confession was inconsistent.
The case is now closed.
The turning point came six months after the verdict was announced.
When the television station interviewed the boy and asked him how he viewed his father's methods of persecuting his daughter, the boy adjusted his posture.
This action was later repeatedly analyzed by body language experts.
Because he even gave a fleeting smile: "If it was choking, it must have been because of the child's annoying cries."
He paused, then added softly, "If I had known the disabled toilets were so soundproof, we probably wouldn't have made such a commotion."
The interview video sent chills down everyone's spines.
On the night the program aired, Scotland Yard received 237 complaint calls.
The hashtag "#NotFatherButSon" was shared 170,000 times on social media in just three days.
A renowned professor of criminal psychology also pointed out in the article that "this is a typical display of power, showing one's control over the truth through suggestive details."
Just as public opinion reached its peak, The London Observer published a lengthy feature article under the pseudonym "Millworth".
The article devotes three-quarters of its content to describing the predicament the boy faced as a result of the case, from the isolation he experienced after transferring schools to death threats on social media, and the words "son of a murderer" graffiti left by a neighbor on his fence, and so on. These details are described so vividly and realistically, yet there are numerous comments circulating online claiming that "these words are all lies."
However, the feature article still ended with the same words.
"When society refuses to gaze into the abyss, it often pushes more people into it. What we punish is not the crime itself, but how the crime appears in our collective imagination. In this process of observation and intervention, we do not prevent the birth of monsters, but often complete their final shaping."
This classic and thought-provoking quote, even after being widely reposted, was met with overwhelming opposition in the comments section.
However, this article became a crucial turning point, shutting out the surging public opinion from the high walls of the law.
Based on this, the boy's lawyer applied to the High Court for a "Mary Bell Order".
Three months later, the judge granted the rare motion at a closed hearing. Section 8 of the order states, "The applicant will receive a new identity, National Insurance number, and personal history file. Any attempt to trace, disclose, or disseminate his or her identifiable information constitutes contempt of court."
This virtually dashed the hopes of the deceased's father, Jeff Hope, to request another investigation.
Years later, Jeff Hope was diagnosed with late-stage aneurysm and realized his lifespan was limited. Determined to seek revenge, he turned to a criminal consultant for help.
After Moriarty's investigation, Jeff Hope uncovered the truth: the killer was indeed the minor.
The father was indeed implicated while taking the blame, while the friend provided an alibi.
The lawyer initially thought it would be a simple case, especially after the murderer confessed; it was supposed to be the last case he handled before his job change. However, the unfolding events forced him to bite the bullet and continue.
This rare lifetime anonymity protection order was the result of the actions of a cabinet member.
A year later, even though the underage boy died in a car accident caused by drunk driving, Jeff Hope's revenge plan did not stop.
He targeted the knight who facilitated the protection order, his friend who committed perjury, his former colleague who later went from lawyer to senior executive in the transportation department, and Milverton, who became famous for a highly discussed article and eventually succeeded in starting his own company.
...
Such wolves, who distort the truth and only seek their own benefit, are utterly unworthy of sympathy.
Albert thought coldly to himself, how could such a person understand what humanity is?
While waiting for Jeff Hope to get close to Milfordton, William also brought two messages.
Good news.
Bad news.
“Milverton did get into Jeff Hope’s taxi,” William said. “But he said the other man seemed to have realized his intentions and deliberately got into the car. So Jeff provoked him by asking if he wanted to know how he killed those four men.”
William's gaze swept over everyone in the room.
“The problem now,” he asked calmly, “is who among us going to take a look and make sure Jeff Hope gets out unscathed?”
Their gazes met briefly, and the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Finally, Albert spoke up: "I'll go."
“Moran is not suited to step forward now,” Albert added, his tone calm and realistic. “And my MI6 identity will be discovered sooner or later.”
Moran had no intention of going anyway, and immediately nodded in agreement: "Okay."
William continued, "I will have Jeff Hope wear a communication headset the entire time."
He looked at Albert and asked, "Brother, could you assist Commander Jeff Hope in guiding Milverton to ingest the poison?"
He paused for a moment, but his tone remained calm.
“If Milverton were to die at this time, the whole of Britain would be thrown into turmoil.”
"But perhaps this is the most opportune time."
That's a good point.
Milverton deliberately got into Jeff Hope's taxi but didn't get out immediately, indicating that he was still thinking of turning the tables and taking control of the situation. He hadn't realized that he was the prey in the hunting ground and hadn't completely escaped their control.
At this moment, Jeff Hope is the irreplaceable executor.
His motives were pure, and there was no turning back. Meanwhile, no one else could approach Milverton as naturally as he did.
This opportunity is irreplaceable.
Most importantly, the initiative is still in their hands.
Albert did not respond immediately. He merely nodded very slightly, the curve of his jawline tightening for a moment.
William spoke softly again: "Now is the only time when Milverton has exposed himself without having a chance to retaliate. We'll have a hard time finding someone else who can control Milverton's actions so smoothly."
Albert felt William's confirming gaze and knew that his mission was of great importance.
"I will not let the mission fail."
Twenty-five minutes later, he saw Milverton take a capsule from a small glass vial and put it in his mouth without hesitation, all through the window. Milverton's words, "May you get what you want," were also clearly transmitted to Albert's ears through Jeff Hope's communicator.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
In that instant, Milvolton's calm voice sounded like a challenge to death.
It was only at this moment that Albert realized he had never truly understood him.
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Author's Note: Goodnight!!! Thank you for waiting [pity][pity][pity]
20 random small red envelopes!! See you tomorrow!!
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