Emily Thompson handed the case file to Mayor Carter and said, “Mr. Sullivan, there are many characters here I don’t recognize. Could you please read it for me…”

Mayor Carter sneered inwardly. Can’t even recognize the big characters, yet wants to try judging a case like others. Just acting on a whim, not knowing his own limits. After grumbling to himself, he finally smiled and said, “No trouble at all, no trouble at all. This case is actually quite simple. Bennett of Chang’an Street lost several dozen taels of silver and suspects that one of her two neighbors stole it…”

After a short while, Emily Thompson looked down below.

This was just an ordinary theft case. Both of Bennett’s neighbors were suspects, but there wasn’t enough evidence to convict either of them.

Emily Thompson pondered for a moment, then looked at a thin man with a goatee and asked, “Starting from when you got up yesterday, what did you do? List everything, one by one, truthfully, without leaving anything out.”

The thin man coughed twice and said, “Sir, I got up around the hour of Si that morning. First, I ate three buns and had a bowl of porridge at the bun shop by the road, then strolled around the street. At noon, I went to the gambling house for a couple of rounds. Around the hour of Wei, I ate at Xiangmanlou, then went home for a nap. At the hour of Shen, I went out, greeted Bennett, then went to Fengqilou for some fun… After that, I went to the brothel to listen to music, watched a monkey show and some dancing girls, then drank with friends. I got home before the hour of Hai and went straight to bed. I really didn’t have time to steal anything.”

Emily Thompson then looked at the other, a chubby man.

Before he could speak, the man immediately said, “Sir, I’ve been wronged! I got up at the hour of Mao to make pancakes, went out to sell them before the hour of Chen, finished selling and went home at the hour of Si. First I fetched water, then chopped wood. After finishing these chores, it was about two quarters past noon. I greeted Bennett, went home to cook… Around the hour of You, I went out to buy rice, had a bowl of noodles at Liu’s Noodle Shop at the east end of the alley. After buying rice, I went home, did the laundry, took a bath, had some fun with my wife—first missionary, then side, then lower, and finally doggy style…”

Mayor Carter discreetly scratched his crotch and interrupted, “Alright, there’s no need to be quite so detailed about those things…”

Bennett’s house was burgled, losing several dozen taels of silver. She suspected one of her two neighbors, so he summoned them both to court. But both denied the theft and each had an alibi.

Several dozen taels of silver was no small sum for ordinary folks. As the local official, he naturally had to take it seriously, but he was too lazy to verify everything himself. Since this rich kid wanted to investigate, he let him have at it.

He wanted to see if this rich kid had his father’s abilities.

After hearing the two men’s testimonies, Emily Thompson didn’t say much, and casually started chatting with Mayor Carter, smiling as he asked, “Mr. Sullivan, where is your hometown?”

Mayor Carter was taken aback, then replied, “Longnan.”

“What a coincidence…”

“You’re from Longnan too? Aren’t you a native of Chang’an?”

“I have a friend whose ancestral home is Longnan… By the way, how many people are in your family, Mr. Sullivan?”

“There’s my elderly mother, and my wife and I have a son.”

“Mr. Sullivan, you’re so handsome and elegant, yet you have no concubines at home?”

“Ah, I’d like to, but my wife won’t allow it…”

…

The two of them chatted idly, as if they’d forgotten about the case. Not only the bailiffs on both sides, but even the two suspects below the hall were listening to the gossip with great interest.

Just as Mayor Carter was wondering what this rich kid was up to, Emily Thompson suddenly looked down at the hall, changed the subject, and said to the chubby man, “You, tell me again what you did that day, but this time in reverse order.”

The chubby man, though puzzled, still recalled and honestly said, “I had some fun with my wife, doggy style, lower, side, missionary, before that took a bath, did the laundry, bought rice, had noodles at Liu’s Noodle Shop… cooked, chopped wood, fetched water, sold pancakes, made pancakes, got up…”

Emily Thompson nodded slightly.

Although he spoke a bit slower than before, each event still matched up.

Then he looked at the goateed thin man and said, “Your turn.”

The thin man stammered, “I got up at the hour of Si…”

Emily Thompson waved his hand to interrupt, “I didn’t ask you to go forward. Start from when you went to bed and go backward…”

Sweat began to bead on the thin man’s forehead. “Slept, before sleeping drank with friends, watched the monkey show, dancing girls, listened to music at the brothel…”

Emily Thompson waved his hand again, “Wait, didn’t you just say you listened to music first, then watched the monkey show, and finally the dancing girls? Why is it mixed up now…”

The goateed thin man shuddered, now drenched in sweat, and stammered, “I—I remembered wrong…”

“Continue.”

“Yes, listened to music, listened to music, before that took a nap at home…”

“Didn’t you go to Fengqilou for fun?”

“Oh, oh, I forgot, I forgot, took a nap first then went to Fengqilou…”

“What about before the nap?”

“Ate at Xiangmanlou, went gambling, before that strolled around, before strolling ate three buns and a bowl of porridge…”

“Didn’t you just say two buns?”

“Two, two.”

“Sorry, I remember now, you did say three just now.”

Pa!