"Mr. Trappett, I need an explanation."
Inside the office at the Saint Denis Police Station, Davey's expression was grim.
Trappett was visibly flustered. "Sir, the mayor called me personally. I had no way to refuse."
"Pinkerton hadn't even delivered the man before he was taken away—transferred straight to Sisika Prison."
"If he had made it to the station, then no matter what—even if it was the mayor himself—I would have waited for you, sir."
Davey hadn't expected things to go wrong here.
Milton had already agreed to send Hosea to the police station. Yet at the last minute, Mayor Lemieux had intervened and transferred him to Sisika Prison instead.
"Do you know why the mayor stepped in?"
After hearing the explanation, Davey no longer blamed Trappett. His tone eased.
Saint Denis operated under a strong-mayor system. The mayor held broad authority over city administration and, in specific matters, could even stand toe-to-toe with the city council—though few mayors actually pushed that far.
As the administrative core, the mayor coordinated the police, sanitation, public works, and other departments.
Because of that structure, if Trappett defied the mayor's order, Lemieux could issue formal documents through city hall and dismiss him from his post on the spot.
Trappett let out a quiet breath of relief before lowering his voice.
"Sir, I heard it was Cornwall who called the mayor."
Security at the mayor's mansion fell under police responsibility, so Trappett had access to certain confidential information.
Davey wasn't surprised to hear Cornwall's name.
The Van der Linde Gang's repeated robberies had enraged Cornwall. Once he learned that Pinkerton had captured key members of the gang, stepping in was only natural.
This move was clearly aimed at guarding against Davey.
Cornwall knew full well about Davey's ties to the Van der Linde Gang. As a former member with enormous influence in Saint Denis, Davey would almost certainly attempt to post bail—or even stage a rescue.
But Sisika Prison was different.
Though located near Saint Denis, it did not fall under the city's jurisdiction. It answered directly to the federal Department of Justice and operated with its own authority.
No matter how influential Davey was within Saint Denis, he had no reach inside Sisika.
The situation left him deeply displeased.
It seemed he would have to push Jean Marc's bid for mayor ahead of schedule.
In the game's storyline, Arthur spares Jean Marc, Lemieux resigns in disgrace, and Jean Marc ultimately becomes mayor.
In reality, it wouldn't be that simple. Politics was always a negotiation of interests. In the original trajectory, Jean Marc's backers obtained evidence of Lemieux's crimes and leveraged it in a broader exchange of benefits. Only then did Lemieux step down.
"Looks like Saint Denis needs a new mayor."
Davey said it plainly.
Trappett's heart skipped. "Sir, killing a mayor would cause enormous repercussions."
Davey smiled faintly.
"When did I say I was going to kill the mayor, Officer Trappett?"
Trappett didn't dare respond. But he understood—if Davey truly chose that path, he would have no way back.
"Relax," Davey said calmly. "I wouldn't do something that foolish. It won't be long before our Mayor Lemieux resigns in disgrace."
"Jean Marc is a capable man. Make sure he's well protected. He might just be the next mayor."
Davey wasn't bluffing. Though it might look like he was relying on connections, he had already decided to speak with Catherine.
Lemieux's chief backer was Catherine's father.
Since Lemieux was destined to be discarded in the original course of events, using Catherine to accelerate that process was entirely feasible.
Trappett's attitude grew even more respectful.
He had thought he already held Davey in high regard. Now he realized he had still underestimated him.
Replacing a mayor was one thing. Quietly influencing who would take the seat next was another entirely.
Davey didn't bother explaining further. He could tell what Trappett was thinking.
In truth, he didn't yet wield that level of power. He simply understood the broader trend and intended to give it a push.
"Tell me about Sisika Prison," Davey said. "If Cornwall is sending people there, it won't be without reason."
Trappett began outlining the situation.
After the passage of the Three Penitentiary Act in 1891, the federal government established its first three federal penitentiaries, and Sisika Prison was one of them.
Federal prisons fell under the Department of Justice. However, oversight was largely nominal, handled by a single official, and there was no dedicated federal prison administration at this stage.
The warden managed prison operations but held no formal federal rank. He was not part of the senior federal hierarchy, and his appointment and evaluation were not integrated into the core bureaucracy. Officially, he answered to the Department of Justice's nominal supervisor, but in federal politics he carried almost no weight.
Within the prison itself, however, the warden's authority was nearly absolute. Everything inside was his decision.
"Sir," Trappett continued, "I've heard Cornwall and the warden have a rather good relationship."
Then he suddenly remembered something and added quickly:
"Besides Mr. Matthews, who was taken earlier, an Irishman and an African American were also arrested and transferred to Sisika."
Davey immediately knew who he meant—Sean and Lenny.
Originally, Lenny was supposed to die and John to be captured. Now things had shifted. Neither had died, but both had been arrested.
"Do you know their condition?" Davey asked casually.
Trappett had anticipated the question and had already made inquiries.
Even if Davey could obtain the information from Pinkerton later, hearing it from him carried a different meaning.
"The Irishman wasn't seriously injured. But the African American was shot in the leg while trying to escape. That's why he couldn't get away."
It seemed Davey's earlier warning had taken effect. Many Pinkerton detectives were eyeing a move to Land Security for better pay and benefits.
Lenny, who should have been shot dead on the rooftop, had only been hit in the leg.
Of course, Davey likely wouldn't be seeing the two detectives responsible. They had probably already fallen to Arthur's gun.
A shame.
Even without witnessing it, the scene was easy to picture. With Pinkerton closing in and his leg wounded, Lenny would have been unable to keep running across rooftops and had no choice but to be left behind.
Though Davey hadn't sent anyone to investigate directly, he knew Dutch and the others were hiding somewhere in Saint Denis, waiting to move under cover of night.
Milton had already secured a major achievement—three robbers captured.
That was enough.
At this point, he had no intention of capturing Dutch and the rest and bringing them all to justice.
The higher-ups at Pinkerton wouldn't allow that to happen anyway.
...
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