Lord William did not waste time in taking charge of the case. He met with the people who had been investigating it and, to his surprise, discovered that they had not been doing anything serious.
After examining the evidence before him, he could already tell that the case was a scheme. The man who had jumped down was of poor moral standing. Within his neighborhood, it was well known that he did no honest work and was constantly gambling.
His wife had fallen ill a few months earlier, but he had not cared. Her condition worsened due to neglect. The man also had enormous gambling debts that were mysteriously paid off, and his wife had mysteriously obtained a physician to care for her.
From the evidence and testimonies, it was exactly as Ernest had said: even if the man were alive, he was not a fit witness. The ironic part was that the king had already been aware of all this even before the first hearing.
