Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Entrusted Investigation

Carl.Dragos could not think of a time in his entire police career when he had taken on a case like the Danube Gang, so full of surprises and mysteries.The gang, so far elusive, is incredibly mobile.They seem to know the avatar technique, they are everywhere, and every time they strike, they are lightning fast.These are already out of the ordinary, but now, the bandit leader was spotted by the police, and suddenly disappeared, as if deliberately mocking the summons issued all over the place to arrest him. First, the police had every reason to believe he had been vaporized.Neither upstream nor downstream did he leave the slightest trace.Especially the Budapest police station, although they kept a close watch on the river, they didn't find anyone who resembled him.But he must have passed through Budapest, because on August 31 someone had seen him in a small town beside the Danube, about 90 kilometers downstream from the Hungarian capital.Dragos didn't know that the fisherman's role had been replaced by Ivan.Striga came to play, and a barge covered him.Therefore, Dragos could not help falling into a cloud of fog.

During the next few days he was seen in Syksat, Ukva, Cherevich, and finally in Karlovitz.Elijah.Brush did not hide, on the contrary, he never concealed his identity from others, and sometimes he even sold a few catties of fish.However, someone actually saw him buying fish in the market, which is very strange. In short, the man who called himself a fisherman was surprisingly agile.As soon as the police got word of his appearance, they rushed there, but they were always too late.Then, the police force went back and forth on the river to search and arrest, but the fishing boat was nowhere to be seen, as if it really turned into water vapor and drifted away.

Dragosh was deeply disappointed to learn that his subordinates had failed miserably one after another.Is the prey doomed to slip away from him? However, two things are certain.First, the so-called fishing champion continued to swim downstream; second, he seemed to avoid big cities on purpose, probably because he was guilty of a crime and was afraid of encountering the police. Therefore, Dragos ordered that all towns downstream of Budapest, such as Mohacs, Apatin, and Neusatz, be under surveillance to be strengthened.He even established his headquarters in Semling, so that these cities formed a series of roadblocks on the way of the wanted man's escape.

Unfortunately, it seems the criminal is shrugging off the obstacles in front of him.Even though the police knew in advance that he would pass downstream from Budapest, that he would show up in Mohacs, Apatin, and Neusatz, it was always too late when they actually found him.Dragosh was furious, so he assembled a huge fleet, and more than thirty ships were ordered by him to patrol the lower reaches of Semlin day and night.He knew that he was playing the last card, if this opponent could really pass through this iron wall, then his ability was really incredible. Despite such security, if Radko remained imprisoned on Striga's barge, the police would still be in the dark.Fortunately, Dragos can rest assured that this is not the case.

On September 6th nothing changed, nothing new happened.In the early morning of the 7th, Dragos was about to inspect his fleet, when suddenly a policeman came to report to him that his prisoner had finally been arrested and had just been imprisoned in Semlin's prison. Dragos hurried to the prosecutor's office.The police were telling the truth, and the famous Radko had indeed been thrown behind bars. The news spread throughout the city at lightning speed, creating a commotion.No one talks about anything else.All day long the quay was bustling with crowds of people gathering around the boat left behind by the notorious bandit.

A few minutes before three o'clock in the afternoon a barge passed Semlin, heading proudly downstream.The group of people gathered on the dock inevitably attracted the attention of the people on the barge, which was Striga's boat. What happened to Semlin?Striga noticed the commotion on the pier, and asked his faithful clerk, Ticha, if there had been a riot? He picked up the binoculars and glanced at them, then put them down hastily. What the hell, Ticha!He shouted, isn't this the small fishing boat we captured? Did you see clearly?Ticha grabbed the binoculars. I've got to find out, said Striga, very excited, and I went ashore to see.

so they can catch you?It sucks!If this boat belongs to Dragosh, it means that Dragosh is at Semlin now, wouldn't you throw yourself into a trap by going ashore? What you said is also reasonable, Striga agreed, and then slipped into the deck cabin, I just need to be careful. After a quarter of an hour, he walked out of the cabin again, completely changed.He shaved off his beard, put on a clipped beard, wore a wig on his head, and covered one eye with a wide strip of cloth, like a man recovering from a serious illness, leaning weakly on a stick crutch. How about now?he asked, smug at his masterpiece.

Wonderful!Ticha exclaimed.Listen well, said Striga, while I go to Semling, you go on and drop anchor two or three miles past Belgrade, and wait for me to go back. How did you come to us? You don't have to worry about that.You go and tell Ogul to take me ashore in a gondola. By this time the barge had sailed out of Semling.After Striga landed quite far from the city, he strode towards the densely populated urban area.When he arrived in the urban area, he slowed down and sneaked into the crowd by the river, greedily learning about the situation from the conversations of the people around him.

The news he heard was far beyond his expectations.In all these chirping conversations, no one mentioned Dragos, and no one mentioned Ilya.Brush, it's all about Radko.Which Radko?Not Radko, the navigator of Ruse, whose name has been shamelessly stolen by Striga, and the reader knows the details.At this moment, it was precisely the fake Radko that Striga had concocted, the rascal Radko, the robber Radko, in other words, himself Striga, who had been arrested, This is what is being talked about here and now. Striga was completely bewildered.It is not surprising that the police will catch the wrong man and take an innocent man for a criminal, the problem is that the criminal (a mistake Striga knows better than anyone) and the boat What does it matter?Only last night the boats were still in tow behind the barge.

Presumably the police may estimate that he is somewhat involved in this case.The main problem, though, is that now someone else has suffered in his place.When the police suspected the man, they ignored him.This is the crux of the matter, and nothing else matters. It was only natural that Striga had his own particular reasons for wanting to get to the bottom of the matter.Judging from various phenomena, it is absolutely certain that the person who was captured by him is the owner of this boat.But who is this stranger?After a week on a flat-bottomed barge, he was so willing to take the captain's place in the police cell.Indeed, Striga will not leave Semlin until he understands this problem.

But he has to be a little patient.The judge in charge of hearing the case, Izar.Mr. Rohner appears to have no intention of proceeding quickly to pre-trial work.Three days passed and there was still no sound.This intentional delay is also one of the methods of the judge.According to his experience, it is very beneficial to let the accused suffer in solitude for a few days first.Isolating a prisoner can greatly dampen his spirits, and a few days in a cell makes the opponents the judge will face demoralized and easy to deal with. Forty-eight hours after the prisoner was arrested, Izar.Mr. Rohner approached Karl.Dragos made the above observations.Detectives can only submit to their boss's high opinion. So, Mr. Judge, he ventured to ask, when do you intend to arraign the suspect for the first time? tomorrow. Then I'll come back tomorrow night to hear the results of the interrogation.I don't think it's necessary to repeat to you the grounds on which I wanted Radko? Of course not, Mr. Roner said, I have firmly remembered what the two of us talked about before, not to mention that my notes are very complete. But, Mr. Judge, allow me to repeat my request, which I took the liberty of making to you last time. what request? It's just that I don't want to show up at this trial, at least not until there's a new breakthrough in the case.Didn't I explain to you that the defendant only knows me as Jaeger.This may be beneficial for us to handle the case.If I were to be confronted in court, I would have to reveal my true identity.However, the investigation of the case has not progressed to this point. In order to continue to arrest the accomplices, I think it is best not to pierce this layer of paper prematurely Oh well.The judge agreed. Serge.Radko was imprisoned in a single cell, only looking forward to the court hearing his case as soon as possible.This ensuing encounter was just as puzzling to him as the previous accident, but he didn't become dejected and listless because of it.When he was arrested, he didn't try to resist at all. He just asked them why they arrested him, but he didn't get any answer, so he could only let the police escort him to prison.What had he to be afraid of?They must have caught the wrong man, and as soon as the courts start, the truth will come out. Unfortunately, the initial trial has been strangely delayed.Radko was under the strictest surveillance and spent night after night alone in his cell.From time to time a prison guard would come and peek at him through a peep hole in the door.Did this guard serve Yizar?Mr. Rona's order, want to observe how effective the isolation measures are?If so, it was impossible for him to walk away contented.Hour after hour, day after day passed by, but the prisoner remained so calm, and he could not see any change in his inner thoughts.He was sitting on a chair, holding his knees with his hands, his eyes were lowered, his face was stern, as if he was thinking about something.He sat there almost motionless, not at all agitated.From the first minute Radko was determined to keep his composure, and nothing could force him out of his peace of mind.However, seeing that the time was lost, he even began to miss the prison on the water. Although he was imprisoned that time, he was slowly approaching the city of Lusay after all. On the third day after his arrest, on September 10, the cell door finally opened and the guards told him to leave the cell.Four heavily armed soldiers escorted him back and forth, left and right, through a long corridor, up countless steps, and then across a road into the courthouse opposite the prison. The streets were packed with people, crowding each other behind a wall of police officers.As soon as the prisoner appeared, there was an angry uproar from the crowd, eager to express their deep hatred for this vile villain, who had been at large for a long time.Radko felt extremely uncomfortable seeing himself being so wrongly targeted, but he didn't show any signs of it.He walked into the court hall with calm and firm steps.There, he waited for a while, and was finally brought before the judge. Izar.Monsieur Rohner was of slight stature, with blond hair, a sparse beard, and a sallow complexion, probably due to his irascibility.He is a tough judge, either bluntly affirming it, or rudely and arbitrarily denying it, attacking his opponent repeatedly.This is not only to show his confidence, but also to make people frightened. The judge made a gesture and told the guards to step back.Radko stood in the middle of the room, waiting for the big man to interrogate himself.The clerk sat in a corner of the room, preparing to take a statement. you sit down.Mr. Rona said abruptly. Radko sat down as ordered.The judge continued: Your Name? Elijah.brush. Home address? Sarka. Profession? fishermen. You lied!The judge shouted loudly, his eyes fixed on the defendant. Radko blushed, and his eyes flashed.However, he managed to control his emotions and remained calm without saying a word. You are lying, Monsieur Rohner repeated, your name is Radko and you live in Ruse. The navigator shuddered.Doesn't this mean that his true identity has been exposed?How did that happen?The defendant's terrified appearance could not escape the judge's sharp eyes, and Mr. Roner continued to speak sternly: You are charged with three counts of theft, nineteen counts of aggravated burglary over a wall or breaking and entering, three counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder.Any of the above misdemeanors or felonies were premeditated crimes committed within a recent period of less than three years.What can you say? The navigator was astonished to hear this incredible series of charges.look!When he heard from Mr. Jaeger that there was a villainous guy with the same name and surname as him, he was afraid that there would be a misunderstanding one day, and now the misunderstanding really happened.At this time, he admitted that his name was Serge.What's good about Radko?Previously, he had thought of admitting his true identity, and then asked the judge to keep it secret.Now he understands that frankly admitting is more beneficial than harmful.It was Serge of his own city of Rousse.Radko was accused of this series of heinous crimes, and no one else.Perhaps, when the police finally investigate his true identity, he will be proved innocent, but how long will it take to do all this!No, it's better to insist that you are Ilya the fisherman.Brush up on it, because Elijah.Brush is an innocent name. What I want to say is that you are mistaken, he retorted firmly, my name is Ilya.Brush, who lives in Sarka.Moreover, it is not difficult for you to investigate this matter clearly. We'll look into it, the judge said, making a note, and before I do, I'll tell you a few things about the crimes you're accused of committing. Radko was more focused, now getting to the heart of the matter. Now that the judge has begun, we leave aside for the time being most of the crimes against you, and talk about only a few recent cases, which are new crimes committed during this trip to the Danube that you took before you were arrested and imprisoned. . Mr. Rona took a breath and continued: The police first spotted you in Ulm.Therefore, we make Ulm the starting point of your trip. I'm sorry, sir, Serge.Radko quickly interrupted the judge and said that my trip started long before Ulm, because after I won two prizes at the Zigmaringen Fishing Competition, I went upriver as far as Donauerschengen , and from there my journey begins. That's right, the judge retorted, and there was indeed a certain Ilya S.Brush won the championship, and that Elijah.Brush made an appearance at Donauerschengen.However, either you have already assumed the identity of a fisherman in Zigmaringen, or you were in that Ilya.You impersonated Brush during his journey from Donauerschengen to Ulm.We will clarify this point in time, please stay calm. Serge.Radko rolled his eyes.Listening to the judge's absurd reasoning, it seemed like a big dream.A little further, and they're going to take that fictional Ilya.Brush is also regarded as Radko's ghost!He didn't bother to answer, he just shrugged his shoulders disdainfully.The judge fixed his eyes on him, and suddenly asked: When you were in Vienna on August 26, you met the Jew Simon.What is Klein doing at home? Radko shuddered again involuntarily.Now it seems that they even know his whereabouts clearly!Of course, that incident itself is beyond reproach, but if you admit it, it is tantamount to admitting that you are Serge.Radko.Now that he was determined to deny his identity, he had to persevere on this path. Simon.Klein?He pretended not to know what to do, and repeated with a puzzled face. Do you deny it?Mr. Rohner said, I expected you to be like this.So, let me tell you: you went to the Jew Simon.Going to Klein's house. At this point, the judge suddenly got up from his seat and leaned over to the defendant, making his words have an aggressive and deterrent force. He was going to connect with your gang boss. my gang!The navigator was dumbfounded. Don't you, the judge changed his tone sarcastically, you don't understand what I mean at all, you don't belong to any gang, you are not Radko, but a clean fisherman named Ilya ．brush.But I want to ask you, if you really are Ilya.Why are you so secretive, Brush? Am I secretive?Serge.Radko argued. isn't it?I think you are trying to cover up, Mr. Rona replied, unless you think that deliberately covering your eyes with excellent eyesight with a pair of dark glasses is not a cover-up.Well, please take it off, those sunglasses!Also, do you think there is no reason to dye your blonde hair to black? Radko was completely devastated. The police have a clear grasp of the situation, and the French Open is getting tighter and tighter around him.Mr. Rona pretended not to notice his panic, and continued to pursue the victory: ha!ha!You are not so relaxed now, my friend.You didn't expect us to move so fast but I'm going to go on.In Ulm, you accepted a passenger to travel with you. Yes, Radko replied. What's his name? Mr Jager. Exactly.Can you tell me how he is now, Mr. Jagger? I have no idea.Near the fork of the Ipoli, he left me in the field.I was surprised to find him absent when I got back to the boat. When you said you were going back to the ship, did you disembark?where did you go Go to a nearby village and get some strong potions for my passengers. So he's sick? Very ill.He almost drowned. So you rescued him? I'm the only one on board, who else do you think will rescue him? Well, the judge was a little shaken, but he immediately regained his composure and said: You probably want to influence me with this life-saving story? me?Radko protested, you ask, I answer.that is it. Well, Izar.Monsieur Rona changed the subject, but tell me you never left the boat before the accident, did you? Only left once, to Sarka, and back home. Can you tell me the exact date of this trip? Why not?let me think about it. Let me help you think, is it on the night of August 28-29? Maybe. You don't deny it, do you? Do not deny. You admit it? Just do what you said. We agreed, I think, Sarka is on the left bank of the Danube, right?asked Monsieur Rohner pleasantly. That's right. On this night of August 28th-29th, it was pretty dark, I suppose? The night was very dark and the weather was terrible. This probably explains why you got it wrong.It was a purely natural error that you disembarked on the right bank when you intended to go to the left bank. The boat on the right bank? Izar.Mr. Rohner was now fully on his feet, fixed his eyes on the defendant, and said clearly: Yes, on the right bank, just in front of Earl Haguenot's villa. Radko searched honestly in his memory.Haguenor?He doesn't know this person. You are very clever, said the judge, and his attempts to overwhelm his opponent have failed.It seems that this is the first time you have heard the name of Earl Hagnor?On the night of August 28th and 29th, his villa was robbed, and the gatekeeper Christian.You didn't even know that Joel was seriously injured?Where did I go.How do you know about these crimes committed by a certain Radko?Radko?hell!This is not your name! My name is Elijah.Brush, the navigator continued to insist, but his tone was not as firm as last time. great!great!Even if you are right, let me ask you, if your name is not Radko, why did you disappear immediately after this crime, in order not to reveal your identity?Later, you reappeared in a place quite far from the crime scene.In the past, you used to show up everywhere without any scruples, but then, why are you no longer seen in Budapest, Neussaz and other slightly larger cities?Why don't you go fishing anymore, and even sometimes buy some fish in the little village you want to stop at? All these questions utterly bewildered the unfortunate navigator.If he ever disappeared, it was entirely involuntary.Hasn't he been imprisoned since the night of August 28th and 29th?In this case, it is not surprising that he disappeared.On the contrary, it is strange that anyone should claim to have seen him after that. At least this misunderstanding is not difficult to clarify, he just needs to tell the whole story about his inexplicable experience.Maybe the courts can shine a light on him and help him sort out the mess.Radko made up his mind to tell the whole story, and he waited anxiously for Monsieur Rona to allow him to interject.But Mr. Judge was already on the full offensive, leaving his seat, and pacing up and down the room, throwing at the prisoner a mass of what he thought was irrefutable arguments. If you are not Radko, he went on, with increasing fervor, how do you explain that Count Haguenot's villa was robbed just as you were disembarking from the ship?And then, on the night of September 5th and 6th, there was some theft in Sussex. Oh, it was a common theft!However, you must have passed through this village that night, right?Finally, if you're not Radko, why, you have a Nadya .Radko's portrait of her husband? ! Mr. Rona finally hit the nail on the head, especially the last evidence, which is indeed irrefutable.Exhausted, the navigator hung his head, and large beads of sweat dripped down his cheeks. The judge, however, raised his voice even more, and continued his discourse: If you are not Radko, why did this portrait disappear from the day you thought it was in danger?And it was in your box, I'll be more specific, in the box on the starboard side, but I can't find it now.The existence of this portrait is an indictment against you, its disappearance is your sentence.What else do you have to say? Nothing, Radko replied feebly, what happened to me is so inexplicable! You will understand everything if you will.At this moment, let's suspend this interesting conversation for a while. Someone will take you back to the cell immediately, and you will have plenty of time to think about it.Now let's summarize today's interrogation.You claim: 1. Your name is Ilya.Brush; 2. You won the Zigmaringen Fishing Contest; 3. Your family lives in Sarka; 4. You spent the night of August 28th to 29th at Sarka’s house .We will verify these points clearly.From my side, I think: 1. Your name is Radko; 2. Your family lives in Ruse; Haguenau count's villa, and attempted to kill the caretaker Christian.Hoel; 4. On the night of September 5th and 6th, the Kellermann's house in the village of Sussex was burglarized. This theft should also be charged to your account; 5. Many other incidents in the Danube valley Cases of theft and murder should also be borne by you.Proceedings for these crimes have begun, witnesses have been called, and you will confront them in court. Would you like to sign the transcript of the interrogation?Not willing to do as you please!Guards, bring the accused back! To return to the prison, Radko had to go through the crowd again, and was once again angrily abused by everyone.During the interrogation, the anger of the crowd seemed to grow stronger, and the police had to spend a lot of energy protecting the prisoner. Standing in the front row of this group of noisy onlookers was a man named Ivan.Striga.He greedily looked at the man who was so willing to suffer for him.When the navigator passed him, the distance was only two meters away, and he could clearly see every outline of the prisoner.But he couldn't recognize this man with brown hair and no beard, not to mention that he had such a big pair of sunglasses on his face.So Striga's confusion and misgivings are no less. The gates of the prison closed again, Striga mused, and left the crowd of onlookers.Apparently, he didn't know the prisoner who was being held.In short, this man was neither Dragos nor Radko.Well, he is Elijah.Doesn't Brush or anyone else have anything to do with me?No matter who the defendant was, the key point was that he had diverted the attention of the judiciary, and there was no need for Striga to linger in Semlin.So he decided to set off early the next morning and return to his barge. However, when he woke up and read the newspaper, he changed his mind again.Although the police adopted the strictest secrecy measures for the interrogation of Radko's case, this has further stimulated the press to do everything possible to spy on secrets and obtain news.They managed to get information from many sources, and the harvest was really not small. In fact, all the newspapers reported the whole situation of the preliminary trial truthfully, and attached comments unfavorable to the defendant after the report.On the whole, the newspapers expressed deep surprise at the intransigence of the accused.The defendant insisted that he was a man named Elijah.An honest fisherman in Brush, living alone in the small town of Sarka.What are the considerations of interest that make him insist on such an obviously untenable statement?According to reports, the examining judge Izar.Mr Rona has asked the Togrand Police Station to investigate the matter.In a few days, an official will visit Sarka, and the results of the investigation may completely expose the defendant's lies.They will go to find Elijah.Bush, if there is such a person, will be easy to find, but it is difficult to say whether such a person exists. The news changed Striga's original plans.While reading the newspaper, he came up with a brilliant idea.When he finished reading the newspaper, the idea basically took shape.Indeed, it was a great thing for him that the judiciary had detained an innocent person, but wouldn't it be even better if this person was not released?What should be done to achieve this goal?Provide the court with a living Ilya.Brush, so you can use a real Elijah.Bush came to convince the court that the Elijah they were detaining at SemlinBrush is a fake.Since the police arrested him, they must have a lot of evidence against him. If this is added, it may be enough to convict him and sentence him.But the real criminal can get away with it! Striga didn't stay long, and immediately left Semlin.Only, instead of returning to the barge, he went in the opposite direction.He got into a carriage, rushed to the railway station, and then took the train to the north of Budapest at full speed. At this time, Serge in prison.Radko still maintained his usual composure, silently counting the passage of time desolately.He returned from his first meeting with the judge, horrified at the gravity of the reasoning that was weighing upon him.Of course, as time goes by, he will be able to prove his innocence to people.But perhaps he had to be patient, because he had to admit that the facts were in front of him: everything was against him, and the court's set of assumptions was not without logic. However, skeptical speculation is not the same as true evidence after all.As for the evidence of his crime, they may never be able to collect it.His only concern, that is, the only witness who knew his incognito, was the Jew, Simon S.Klein.However, Simon.Klein has a very good professional integrity and it seems that he will never divulge secrets.What's more, do they still need to find his contact person in Vienna to confront him?Didn't the judge announce that he would entrust the Grand Police Department to investigate in Sarka?The result of the investigation will undoubtedly be in his favor, and the court will definitely decide to release the prisoner. Several days passed, and Radko's mood became more and more restless, and he pondered back and forth several times.Sarka is not far from Semlin, so it won't take so long to investigate!But it was not until the seventh day after the initial trial that he was brought to Mr. Rona's office again. The judge sat in front of the desk, looking busy with his official duties.For a full ten minutes he made the navigator stand there waiting as if he had never seen the prisoner coming. We have received a reply from Sarka, at last, he said in a tone of indifference, not even lifting his eyes to look at the prisoner, but his eyes watched every move of the prisoner through lowered eyelashes menacingly. ah!Radko let out a sigh of satisfaction. You are right, continued Monsieur Rona, that Sarka did have a man named Ilya.A man from Brush, he has a good reputation. ah!Radko breathed a sigh of relief again, as if he saw that the prison door had been opened for him. However, the judge's expression became more and more indifferent, more and more like an outsider.He grunted as if he didn't care about it. The chief of the Grand City Police Department, who was entrusted with the investigation, had the honor of speaking with him personally. and himself?Radko repeated, don't know. It was with himself.The judge affirmed. Radko almost thought he was in a dream.How did Sarka get another Ilya?Where is Bush coming? It can't be, sir, he stammered, they must be mistaken. Judge for yourself, retorted the judge, this is the handwritten report of Grand Police Commissioner.This shows that this official attaches great importance to the task I entrusted to him, and went to Sarka in person on September 14th.He visited the house at the intersection of the towpath and the Budapest highway. That's the address you gave me, I think?asked the judge after a pause. Yes, sir.Radko replied blankly. The house, Mr. Rona went on, Elijah.He was received in person by Mr. Brush, who said he had been away for a long time and had only recently returned. The Superintendent added that all the information he had gathered proved that Brush had a good Erka, there is no second person with the same name as him. Do you have anything to say?Don't worry, just say what you have to say. No, sir.Radko struggled to say a word, and he felt like he was going to be driven crazy. Well, the first doubt has been clarified.Mr. Rona concluded with satisfaction, and the cat stared at the prisoner under his paws like a mouse.