Chapter 239 - Hesitation (1/2)

“Was Eugene married?”

“As far as I know, he’s got a wife in the colony, but they couldn’t have kids. If that’s true, then the illegitimate son is probably his only child,” Billy said.

“This child must be of great importance to him. Eugene must have felt very guilty, especially about that fire,” Carina reasoned.

“So, Malcolm used the child to make Eugene do his bidding?” Anne quizzed.

“No, that’s not Malcolm’s style,” Carina shook her head. “At times, he’d use the simplest and most straightforward way to solve a problem, much like the Skull issue. However, keeping someone captive like that is crossing the line – there’s no way he would imprison a living person for that long.”

“So, Malcolm’s hold over Eugene is not his son,” Billy said, stroking his chin. “Then we’re back to square one. Is there anything else that Eugene really cares about?”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t find anything other than his son. He leads a pretty simple life right now. Spending most of his time each day in the same tavern, he buys and sells news to the captains. Other than this, he rarely does anything else. He’s one man with a b.l.o.o.d.y rigid life. Apart from work purposes, he never interacts with people, and only does things that rarely put him in conflict with others,” said Carina.

“I still think that Malcolm is using Eugene’s son,” said Zhang Heng, who hadn’t spoken a word since the start. “But he didn’t resort to lowly means such as holding the child in custody. I believe Malcolm showed Eugene that he would always have a way to get to his son, which is why Eugene did as he was told automatically. I know someone we can ask.”

“Who is it?”

“I’ve been investigating Eugene’s interpersonal relations.h.i.+ps mainly because I was curious – he’s only in his early forties, meaning that his physique hasn’t suffered significant deterioration yet. Men of this age still have their basic physiological needs. But like you said, after the fire, he had no relations.h.i.+ps with women, and he never visited the brothel either. How did he manage to maintain his chast.i.ty for more than ten years?”

“Did you find the answer?”

“Mmhmm. Eugene suffers from severe backache. He’s tried various methods but hasn’t found a cure. Then someone recommended him to try the remedy of the Guanahatabey people. He would go to a small manor on the island every other week, where a woman named Carmen owns the place. I believe both of them share some kind of intimate relations.h.i.+p… no, more like a very, very intimate relations.h.i.+p. The treatment has continued for nearly ten years now. They are not simply ordinary friends or lovers. Carmen probably knows quite a bit of Eugene’s secrets, and it’s highly likely that she knows how Malcolm controls Eugene.”

“So, all we have to do is find this Carmen to tell us what Malcolm has on Eugene. Right! then what are we waiting for?” Anne raised her chin.

“We’re waiting for a friend. Carmen will be easier to handle than Eugene, but like I said, she and Eugene have been in a relations.h.i.+p for nearly a decade now. We need to be prepared. Carina and I will go. If there’s too many of us, she may feel uncomfortable.”

Just as Zhang Heng finished, the sound of a carriage coming to a halt could be heard downstairs.

Zhang Heng grabbed his coat and went downstairs with Carina. This was a relatively safe undertaking – Carmen was not much of a fighter – so, to minimize the chances of hostility, Zhang Heng left his knife behind. He only brought a short musket for self-defense.