Chapter 239
“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 bloody 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 relationships 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 relationships with women, and he never visited the brothel either . How did he manage to maintain his chastity 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 relationship… no, more like a very, very intimate relationship . 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 relationship 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 .
He opened the door of the carriage for Carina as she picked up her dress and entered it .
Once Zhang Heng was inside, he told the driver, “Go to Hyman Mansion . ”
“What about your friend?” Carina asked when she noticed that the third person wasn’t in the carriage with them .
“We’ve arranged a time to meet . He will be there when he’s needed . Let’s just hope that it won’t get to that point . ”
Only until the carriage door was shut did Carina finally relax as if stripping off a masquerade . Gone was her stern, unrelenting stance . She leaned back against the seat, rubbing her temples in exasperation . Then, she suddenly remembered that she wasn’t alone and was immediately embarrassed . She did not know what to say to Zhang Heng .
“It looks like you’ve been having a tough time . ”
“Not really . Thanks to the money you provided, I was able to pay off all our debts . The rest are just small problems . Speaking of which, whatever you’re doing now… isn’t that even more dangerous? I heard that you came across the navy this time! Six pirate ships went out, but only you made it home . Not only that, you even brought back most of the gold . I don’t think I’ve even congratulated you . It must have been an interesting story,” Carina straightened herself .
“There was also a lot of luck at play . ”
“It may be blind luck the first time, but after the second and third, it’s not luck anymore . Now that Black Sam is gone, you and your men are the most powerful pirates on this island . I knew that this day would come when I first met you, but I didn’t expect it to come so soon . ”
“You did pretty well yourself . Even though you have Malcolm and the black-market alliance breathing on your neck, you are still able to grow your business into what it is today . When you first came to the island, I’m sure no one believed that you could get to where you are now, not to mention that you were a newcomer . ”
Carina smiled thinly . “But I’ve never even won once against Malcolm . If it weren’t for you, my bags would’ve probably been packed, and I would’ve and left Nassau a long time ago . ”
“Malcolm has been operating on this island for so long, and now, he even has the black-market alliance under his grasp . You wouldn’t have stood a chance . Now that we’ve identified his weak point, it’s our turn to forge the path ahead . ”
At Zhang Heng’s calming suggestions, Carina rested for the remainder of the journey . When she closed her eyes, her mind drifted to the first time she boarded Jackdaw . That night, after having one glass too many of whiskey in the captain’s cabin, she began rambling about her childhood and turbulent past .
That night alone, she revealed her entire life’s story, but ironically, whatever she really wanted to say simply couldn’t leave her lips . After that, when she found out about Zhang Heng and Anne, a woman whose bravery she admired, she had to admit that she must have hesitated at some point .
Concerned that she was merely attracted to his air of mystery, and troubled by Zhang Heng’s pirate identity, she didn’t despise Anne for getting him first . The truth was, what caused people to lose out had nothing to do with timing, but rather, their own hesitation, hesitating at the point of a crucial decision .
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