But it’s not something you should go to right away.
At this point, there was nothing to be gained from going to Pinkerton.
‘At least I should have some power.’
A comrade who will fight on the battlefield together like a mercenary from a previous life.
What comes to mind so far is.
‘The little boy and the black slaves’ secret friend, and the blood with a peculiar personality···.’
Creak, creak.
Peach came into the office.
“Mr. Emery is looking for you.”
Emery is the village carpenter.
There have been frequent meetings recently regarding the construction of a village shelter.
Emery checked a few things with Max and then brought up another topic.
It was a story about a recent murder that occurred in two Kansas towns.
“Why, of all towns, are they both so pro-slavery? Even the sheriff looks like an abolitionist?”
“well.”
In fact, Max had not taken it seriously when he first saw the article. There were many cases of settlers killing each other over land issues.
The problem was that similar incidents were happening in two towns, one of which was Delaware, close to Lawrence.
Delaware, a major transportation route from Leavenworth to Lawrence, was home to many pro-slavery advocates. The townspeople there accused the murderer of being an abolitionist simply because he was a pro-slavery advocate. The result was to block the route from Leavenworth to Lawrence.
As this situation unfolded, Max was able to deduce the culprits by going through the notes he had written down of his memories from his past life.
Some believe that this was a complex plot, but the real perpetrators were people who had no interest in slavery.
If it was a woman, he would just rape her and kill her, and if she had a lot of money, he would just extort it and then kill her.
That doesn’t mean he’s an outlaw, though.
Max remembers these guys,
This was because they were the ones who created the opportunity to lump together all the big and small incidents in the future and blame them on the abolitionists.
Moreover, the fact is that they were actually pro-slavery people from Missouri.
Since the identity was revealed only much later, abolitionists had no choice but to unilaterally blame him.
‘That’s it, this is it.’
Max was waiting for them to show up in Lawrence.
*
When I got back to the office,
Peach was sitting on the chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.
“What are you doing?”
“I was thinking. Your thoughts.”
“……”
What should I say in this situation? As Max’s eyes wavered, Peach continued.
“Looking at the newspapers, it seems like there are murder cases in Delaware and it’s hard to catch the culprit.
“Really, could the culprits be abolitionists like us?”
‘No, they’re just thoughtless guys.’
Peach said after thinking it over carefully.
“This kind of thing will be resolved quickly when Pinkerton comes.”
“Pinkerton?”
Max asked with wide eyes.
“This is where all the talented detectives gather. They’ll definitely catch the criminals there quickly.”
Peach enjoys reading mystery novels and is obsessed with the main character, the detective.
It’s no wonder she admires Pinkerton. No, it’s quite fitting, considering her past behavior.
“You were very interested in Pinkerton.”
“Then it’s my dream. I don’t know if you’ll accept it.”
‘Huh? Pinkerton’s female detective…?’
At that moment, a woman’s name popped into Max’s head.
Pinkerton’s first, no, the world’s first female detective.
But what mattered to her wasn’t the title. It was the achievements.
The female detective who prevented the first assassination attempt on Abraham Lincoln.
If she hadn’t been there, it’s hard to say how the Civil War would have played out.
‘But that woman is a widow and her name isn’t even Peach.’
If they have anything in common, it’s brown hair and age.
Suddenly, it occurred to me that Peach would be able to hide her identity more than enough.
“Excuse me.”
Max asked with trembling lips.
“Are you a widow?”
Peach’s eyes also trembled.
It’s more anger than surprise.
It seems like the wandering is looking for a gun.
Max quickly asked a second question.
“Then is your real name?”
“What’s wrong? Did Mr. Emery hit you with a hammer?”
‘I guess not.’
A car that makes you wonder if it’s a long one. I also have this thought.
You can also enter Pinkerton under an alias rather than your real name.
“By any chance, do you have a favorite name? Or a name you wish to have?”
“Max Joe. Max Joe Jr.”
“!”
“Other than that, my name is the best.”
‘As expected, that’s not it.’
I feel a bit regretful, but at the same time, I also feel fortunate. Honestly, if you have the skills to pitch, isn’t that something anyone would want?
‘I could have been the next detective, not the first.’
The grass is greener on the other side,
I wanted to have a pitch that interested me in Pinkerton.
Of course, as a colleague, not a woman.
“Pinkerton is nothing special. You’d better learn from me.”
“Honestly, our sheriff is pretty great. He’s a good shooter, a good swordsman, and he’s also good at assessing situations. But.”
“Just that. There’s no way something like that could happen…”
“You lack detail. A detective needs to be meticulous and analytical, not missing even the smallest details. I haven’t seen that in you yet.”
Max’s pride was damaged.
That Pinkerton, what is it that you lack?
“And. You’re a good fit for the sheriff. You’re happy here, too.”
“Do you see it?”
“I told you, a man without land in the West is not a man at all. But why are you talking so much today? When a man talks too much, he loses his charm.”
Peach shook her head and left the office. Max, who had been standing there blankly, sat down with a snort.
“My colleagues are my asshole.”
With that kind of personality, you wouldn’t even follow instructions.
They’re going to nitpick and nitpick.
Anyway, as a colleague, he is a breadwinner.
Pushing the pitch into a tiny hole in his head, Max turned his eyes to the newspaper spread out on the desk.
And once again, Peach took up most of my mind.
The Pinkerton advertisement was torn down.
Max stared at the perforated newspaper and drummed his fingers on the desk.
Then he glanced at the Delaware murder story Peach had mentioned.
‘I need to show them what a detective is.’
*
A few days later, Holiday came to the office.
Next to him was a rich Indian man, dressed in Western attire.
They were the Indians who first pointed out the site of Topeka and guided us through the area.
“This is Joe Jim. This is my son, Junior.”
“Nice to meet you, Joe Jim. This is Max Joe.”
It’s strange to pronounce the letters Joe in succession.
Max, who was about to shake hands, had to change hands.
Joe Jim was a one-armed man without a right hand.
“I lost an arm to poisoning.”
“I see. But what day is it today?”
Max asked, looking at the holiday.
“I have something to discuss with Chairman Charles. There must be one or two headaches as we rush the construction.”
Topeka is currently undergoing a major restructuring to create a city framework, dividing the city into blocks like a checkerboard, and working to become the state capital of Kansas.
Moreover, Holiday even brought in steamboats that regularly traveled the Kansas River to facilitate construction.
Landings were established at Topeka and Lawrence, and meat, lumber, and flour were shipped from the east. Then, the potatoes, corn, and wheat produced here were shipped east again.
In fact, the first condition for Topeka to become the state capital of Kansas was that it had to be a free state. And that road was long and arduous.
“We’re going to meet Chairman Charles, so see you later.”
Shortly after Holiday and the Indian rich man left.
Peach came to the office like deja vu.
“Strangers are coming?”
“is it so?”
Peach naturally approached the desk.
“Let’s go together today.”
“Or so.”
Peach, who had no questions, went out of the office first.
“Today, we will teach a detective class. I will quench your thirst for what it means to be a detective.”
“Oh, that’s out of the blue.”
“No. Before saying something like that, you should try to guess why he’s saying something like that today.”
“Hmm. Is it past time to take your medicine?”
“Oh, that’s why I’m an amateur.”
Peach made a dumbfounded expression, then started to think seriously.
There was no word for a while.
After a while,
The two could see three young men in their twenties entering the village.
Max spoke to Peach in a suggestive tone.
“Stay away from me. And from now on, you will analyze strangers.”
Peach kept her distance.
And the two of them looked at the men with their own eyes.
He looked ordinary despite his neat attire.
I was also surprised to see Max.
“What, what is this Asian?”
Max responded indifferently, as the responses were tiresome.
“I am the town sheriff. What brings you here?”
“Huh? What the heck, does this make sense?”
“Excuse me. Are you really the sheriff?”
They even ask people.
“That guy? Max Joe is our sheriff, isn’t he?!”
“You came all of a sudden, what a rude thing to do.”
The townspeople instead got excited and blamed the men.
They exchanged glances, frowning, and then suddenly smiled.
“There seems to have been a slight misunderstanding. Okay, everyone, take one of these.”
The men took out leaflets from their bags and handed them out to people.
Max, curious, reached out his hand.
“Give it to me.”
“No more Asians. It’s a waste of paper.”
“Oh my. I can give it to you! What is this?”
A villager who couldn’t stand it any longer handed the paper they had received to Max.
[The American Party knows nothing but this country.]
‘Wow. The American Party.’
It was a leaflet for political party promotion that Max didn’t need.
After the fall of the Whig Party, to which the famous Abraham Lincoln belonged.
New political parties are emerging, and among them, the one that is growing rapidly despite being a small party is the American Party.
And their true identities were well known to Max and the townspeople.
They were a group that was quirky from the beginning, known as ‘Know Nothing’.
A nativist who treats Irish and German immigrants as trash rather than black people.
Although it was an organization that only allowed white, English, Protestant male members, it was now expanding its influence as a full-fledged political party.
“Our American Party has come to Lawrence, Kansas, the land of the free, to greet you. We will be giving a speech in the square shortly, so please join us!”
The men who had retrieved the leaflets headed toward the center of town, ignoring the townspeople’s cold reaction.
He couldn’t stop the party’s publicity activities. Max silently watched them pass by.
And then he approached Peach.
“Look at them and tell me what you analyzed.”
“Hmm. First of all, I felt some pretense in their faces. I guess that’s a characteristic of people who do this kind of work. And it seems like they put a lot of thought into their attire. Also···”
Peach was serious. She went into great detail about the men’s appearance.
“And what else?”
“Like any American party member, I ignored you. What unlucky me.”
Max nodded.
“That’s a sharp analysis.”
“Anyway, isn’t this good enough?”
“Do you know what’s wrong here?”
“What is it?”
Max opened his mouth, staring intently at Peach.
“The point is, I am assuming that they are members of the American Party.”
“If you’re not a party member, then what are you?”
‘They are criminals.’
A bunch of smart-aleck guys who don’t care about the American party or slavery. The culprit of two robberies and murders in Kansas towns has finally crawled into Lawrence.
Detectives and Murderers
“You guys, we don’t know anything! We only know this country, and you guys!”
“The mission of the American Party is to protect this land, which we Protestants worked hard to build, and to protect your happiness!”
A dusty square.
It is at best an open space larger than the surrounding area, so it is embarrassing to call it a plaza.
And here, only two people are listening to the empty speeches of the American Party.
It was just Max and Peach.
“Anyway… Please show a lot of interest!”
Clap clap.
As Max applauded, the guys ended their speeches with tired expressions.
– That Asian kid is fucking annoying.
– What do you know? Just the neck and the axe.
– But isn’t the village too backward? It’s lucky that she’s here at least. Oh my.
The group glanced at Peach at the man’s words.
Age and appearance are passable.
– Let’s start by finding out information about the town. Let’s drink to our hearts’ content there tonight.
As the three men whispered, Max and Peach also kept their voices low and had a secret conversation.
