Eventually, William was taken to the police station to give his statement.
William was straightforward: “Walker and I both work at Cozy Book Haven. After dinner tonight, he said he wanted to show me the underworld of New York’s gangs. He even suggested I become one of his underlings. Then he brought me to Moonlit Harbor Pub…”
The officer taking the statement chuckled, “People are still demanding protection money these days? Impressive! Does your colleague watch a lot of gangster movies?”
“I’m not sure,” William replied, “I’ve only known him for two or three days, so we’re not that close.”
“Do you have contact information for your boss?”
“Yes, our boss is Alice. Here’s her number.” William, being the model citizen he was, answered all the police’s questions truthfully and even left Alice’s phone number.
“Just sign here, and you’re free to go.” The police had reviewed the pub’s surveillance footage. While William did arrive at the pub with Walker, he never got involved in the fight. Seeing how cooperative William was, there was no reason to hold him any longer.
“Thank you,” William said as he got up to leave. “By the way, officer, will my colleague go to jail?”
“That’s hard to say,” the officer replied. “Your friend seems to be trained in martial arts and caused some serious injuries. If he provides reasonable compensation and the victims don’t press charges, he might be okay. But if they do, considering the extent of the injuries, he might get at least three years in prison. Also, does he have any mental health issues?”
“I’m not sure,” William pondered. Given the way he had restrained Walker using his psychic abilities earlier, William suspected Walker wouldn’t be able to use his full strength for about a month. If Walker indeed ended up in jail, he’d likely find a way to escape given his skills.
Just after William left the police station, Alice’s call came through.
“Master, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, but Walker got arrested,” William said. Being the law-abiding citizen he was, it was unlikely anything would happen to him.
“Arrested? What happened?” Alice was speechless. Given Walker and William’s abilities, even if Walker had gotten into trouble, she doubted he’d be arrested.
“He went to a bar demanding protection money and injured several people. I heard from the police that he might go to jail.”
“Master, where are you now?” Alice wasn’t sure how to describe her feelings at that moment. If Walker needed money, he could’ve just asked her. Why on earth would he demand protection fees?
Did he really think just because he was a Soulmancer he could do whatever he pleased?
This is a society governed by law!
“I’m outside the 6th Precinct.”
“Wait there. I’m on my way.”
William stayed put outside the 6th Precinct. A society governed by law is truly great! 𝑜𝑣𝘭.𝘯𝑡
World peace!
Joshua quickly emerged from the 6th Precinct. Handing a cigarette to William, he remarked, “William, you said you wouldn’t get involved in this.”
“I didn’t,” William replied, taking the cigarette. Noticing William lacked a lighter, Joshua lit the cigarette for him.
“Where are you headed? I can give you a ride.” Joshua realized it would be wiser to make peace rather than enemies. Maybe by being friendly with William, he could establish a connection with the influential Carter family.
Taking a drag, William responded, “I’m not leaving yet. My boss is coming to deal with Walker’s situation.”
“Your boss?” Joshua’s pupils dilated with curiosity. He had an idea of William’s capabilities; for someone to be William’s boss, they must be incredibly influential. Could it be someone from the Carter family?
William nodded, inquiring, “So, will you pursue this matter further?”
“Is Walker your colleague?” Joshua reiterated.
“Sort of.” William wasn’t actually intent on letting Walker serve time. If he truly wanted to punish Walker, he didn’t need the legal system; he could deal with him directly.
Joshua proposed, “Let’s wait for your boss. This isn’t a huge deal. We can discuss it over drinks.”
Considering William’s likely influential boss, Joshua wasn’t keen on escalating the situation. The two chatted leisurely in front of the 6th Precinct, almost as if the earlier conflict hadn’t happened.
Shortly after, Alice arrived at the precinct’s entrance in her BMW, accompanied by a lawyer from her family.
“This is my boss,” William introduced Alice to Joshua.
Seeing William, Alice asked, “Are you alright?”
Shaking his head, William explained, “Why wouldn’t I be? He’s the bar owner. Walker damaged some tables, injured a few people, and even hurt two policemen.”
Holding her head in exasperation, Alice responded, “I usually focus on my medical studies at home and haven’t dealt with such complications. Hence, I brought our family lawyer.”
Extending an olive branch, Joshua introduced himself, “Hi, I’m the bar owner. Let’s handle this privately. I’ll ensure those injured won’t press charges.” Judging by Alice’s license plate and the lawyer’s attire, he realized she was no ordinary individual.
Alice replied, “I’m Walker’s employer, Alice. This was our mistake. Please discuss the compensation with my lawyer. If you don’t pursue charges, it would be appreciated.” Alice didn’t have a business card, but the influence of the Turner family was evident. As Walker’s employer, the responsibility for his actions naturally fell on her.
Joshua agreed, “Okay, I’ll cooperate.”
Afterward, Alice entered the precinct with her lawyer to see Walker, leaving the rest to the legal expert.
After much negotiation, the lawyer had to align with the police’s perspective, explaining that Walker was mentally disturbed from watching too many gangster films. The lawyer also apologized to the injured officers. As a result, Walker would be detained for fifteen days. This was the best-case scenario to minimize the incident.
“I’ll drop you off,” offered Alice, not particularly concerned about Walker’s situation. A Soulmancer’s temperament is notoriously unpredictable, and she believed Walker would be more cautious after this incident.
Not wanting to impose, William accepted Alice’s offer, heading straight to East 62nd Street.
Outside the 6th Precinct, Joshua discussed further details with the lawyer and inquired about Alice. Upon discovering her identity, he was taken aback.
The heiress of the Turner family!
He silently thanked his stars he hadn’t been confrontational with William.
The Carter family’s heiress, the Bell family’s heiress, and now the Turner family’s heiress.
Three heiresses of New York City’s most prestigious families are all associated with William. This guy has truly taken elite social networking to an unprecedented level.