North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 33 Do you sleep alone?
"Dear Mr. Edgar Allan Poe, believe me, even in the far East, you have many loyal readers!"

A-Zu flattered without blushing or getting nervous.

Anyway, this great poet, novelist and detective in front of me will not live long.

In Poe's extremely limited life, there was no time to verify the truth of these words.

"It's really...pleasant to hear such news!"

Edgar Allan Poe's mood was obviously a little excited by A-Zu.

"But...!" Poe changed the subject: "I'm sorry, Mr. Li, the following conversation may not be so pleasant!"

A-Zu and Poe sat down face to face. "Dear Mr. Poe, I heard that you have come to talk to me several times during my absence."

"But I really can't imagine how a Chinese person like me, who has just set foot on American soil, could have any connection with a great poet and novelist like you."

"Cough, cough, cough!" Poe covered his mouth with a handkerchief. After coughing violently, he put the handkerchief away and said, "Mr. Li, you may not know that in addition to writing poetry and novels, I am also a private detective!"

"Commissioned by Colonel Cameron, I am investigating the truth behind Mayor Cameron's poisoning!"

Ah Zu seemed to understand something: "No wonder you can write those great detective novels. It turns out that you are also a private detective in real life!"

Is this the point?
Poe frowned slightly. "Mr. Li, you should have heard about the poisoning of Mayor Cameron, right?"

"Of course! I'm very sorry about Mayor Cameron's death! Because of the city cleanup plan he promoted, our Eden Cottage sales were extremely hot during that time."

A-Zu lamented, "What a shame! After the mayor's death, no one pushed for the city cleanup plan anymore. Our Eden Cottage sales plummeted, and we suffered huge losses!"

"But...!" A-Zu asked in confusion, "Hasn't the murderer who poisoned Mayor Cameron been sentenced to death by hanging and executed? Could it be... that the mayor's family believes the person hanged wasn't the real murderer?"

"Yes!" Poe nodded with certainty. "The man hanged was not the real murderer! The black servant was just a scapegoat pushed forward by the incompetent San Francisco Police Department."

"For various reasons, Cameron Sr. did not publicly oppose the police department's findings, but instead entrusted me to investigate the truth again."

"That black servant is really not the real murderer?" A Zu couldn't help but exclaimed in a low voice when he heard this shocking news.

"Of course not!" Poe answered patiently, "I've exhumed the body, Mayor Cameron. It wasn't arsenic poisoning, nor was it someone poisoning the food. It was...!"

Edgar Allan Poe stared into A-Zu's eyes, trying to see what was going on.

"And what?" A-Zu asked puzzledly.

"But...inhaled toxins!"

"Excuse me, Mr. Poe, but what is an inhalant toxin?"

"The poison entered the respiratory tract through breathing, causing poisoning and suffocation!"

"Oh My God! Poor Mr. Mayor!"

A-Zu expressed his surprise very accurately.

Poe didn't explain much, but took out a small notebook and wrote as he asked, "Mr. Li, it is said that you had a private conversation with Mayor Cameron a few days before his death?"

"Yes!"

"What did you talk about?"

"Regarding the city cleanup plan, the mayor expressed his great interest in the Eden Huts we had just launched at the time and expressed his willingness to support the use of our Eden Huts to replace the temporary tents that were hindering urban development."

A-Zu did not hide anything and told the truth.

"Is that all?" Poe asked, looking up from his seat.

A Zu replied hesitantly, "Well...we also talked about something related to this!"

"What's it about?" A-Zu looked at Poe's face and said, "Are you sure you want to hear it? If I tell you, it might damage the reputation of the mayor and the Cameron family!"

"Haha!" Poe sneered, "The Cameron family's reputation? That's the funniest joke I've heard recently!"

A Zu looked at him with a little surprise and said nothing.

"Cough cough cough...!"

Edgar Allan Poe coughed violently again, and traces of blood appeared on the white handkerchief.

Seeing this scene, A Zu frowned slightly.

After finally stopping his cough, Poe continued, "Mr. Li, tell me straight, how much did Mayor Cameron ask you for?"

After a brief pause, A-Zu answered truthfully, "Eighty, eighty for each Eden hut!"

"Hahaha! As expected, the last name is Cameron. Greedy as expected!"

Poe changed the subject: "Well, do you agree?"

A Zu shook his head: "Huamei Company is not mine alone. Such a major matter must of course be discussed with other shareholders."

"During your shareholders' meeting, Mayor Cameron was poisoned to death. Is that correct?"

"Yes...!" A-Zu's eyes and mouth gradually widened, and he said in astonishment, "Mr. Poe, you don't think that our Huamei Company has anything to do with the mayor's death, do you?"

"Bold assumptions and careful verification are the fundamental principles of every detective!"

Poe said calmly, "Everyone Mayor Cameron came into contact with before his death is a reasonable suspect!"

"including me?"

Poe nodded. "Including you! I've already spoken to everyone Mayor Cameron came into contact with before his death."

"Mr. Li, you are the last one!"

"But...!" A Zu argued, "Although Mr. Mayor's asking price is high, the city cleanup plan he personally promoted is indeed beneficial to our company. We are still profitable! We have no motivation at all!"

"Motive? It seems you have read my detective novels!"

Poe continued, "Motives are relative, not absolute! Often a word, an action, or even a look, is sufficient to motive a murder!"

A Zu had to admit that what he said made sense!
Didn't I decide to kill him just because of Cameron's few words?
Poe observed A-Zu's expression and eyes, and asked again: "Mr. Li, I have one last question!"

"of course can!"

"Where were you the night before and the morning after Mayor Cameron's death?"

A Zu was stunned again: "Of course I sleep in my room in the shipyard!"

"Sleep alone?"

A Zu spread his hands and said, "Mr. Poe, I am still young and not married!"

"Very well!" Poe put away his notebook and prepared to leave. "Thank you, I have finished my questions!"

"and many more!"

Azu reached out to stop him.

"Mr. Poe, you have finished asking your questions, but I haven't asked mine yet!"

(End of this chapter)