"The very same." This is a man who does not have to dress to a budget, and knows enough to still get his money's worth out of every pound. Jing Yi would normally not be intimidated, but there are higher stakes here when it comes to presenting himself as reasonable and trustworthy, and-- this is important-- not a hired bohemian.

He invites Jing Yi into a well-appointed parlor.

"Dr. Aarons told me you might be by."

"I'm glad he's keeping clear lines of communication with you. And I'm terribly sorry to bother you with this. I imagine you'd much rather never think about it again."

"It's certainly a dreadful business. I don't understand why they can't just lock him up and throw away the key."

"Unfortunately, we cannot treat the insane as we do hardened criminals. Though I can certainly understand the desire."

"I assume this whole business of a hearing is just going to be a formality and my brother will be locked up in an asylum where he belongs."

"--Probably not. Dr Aarons is very convinced that he is recovered enough. He's-- I wouldn't say he's harmless, no man is completely harmless, but he's dangerous anymore. He's not very likely to do anything other than write a lot of poetry, really."

"He killed my family."

Right now Jing Yi is Very Sympathetic and Believes Everything He Says, regardless of what he actually thinks. "It's very unfortunate that he has diminished responsibility. Makes it much harder to get actual justice-- but he's not dangerously insane any more, and that's who Dr Aaron's asylum is for."

"Because he can't murder anyone in the asylum. Presumably he's in a straightjacket. I think it is very irresponsible for Dr. Aarons to suggest releasing him. What are these medical men up to these days?"

...on the one hand, 'there were actually some murders done by other people, your brother did not exactly lack opportunity' is exonerating. On the other hand, now is not the time to mention it. "Dr. Aarons has noticed improvement with treatment for him. He's-- not let loose, of course, but he is not as confined as other patients, and has caused more or less no trouble."

"Well, then I say he should stay in the asylum, where he's not causing any trouble."

"Unfortunately, that's not really practical. We have found an old friend of his who's winning to support his continued treatment. You would not have to deal with him at all."

"Until he decides to stab me in my sleep. You didn't see the bodies, Mr. Jing. You don't know what my brother is capable of."

He has seen plenty of disassembled people in his time, sir. He is quite capable of imagining it. "We have no reason to think he'd go after you, but if there's something we can do to make you feel safe, we can try to arrange it."

"Well, you could leave him in the asylum. --Tell me, Mr. Jing, do you know Mr. Nigel Smith?"

"I am acquainted with him."

"I don't want to speak of such scandalous things, but he and my brother-- were lovers."

"--Oh." Look at this very shocked and surprised man, who is currently recontextualising so many things. "Do you have any evidence of this?"

"They were not exactly discreet."

"--I see."

"He got my brother involved in the occult and God knows what else. I think he pushed him to commit the killings. If you ask me, they both belong in an asylum."

"Mr. Smith has, to my knowledge, committed no murders."

"His brother could have covered it up."

"That seems out of character from what I know of Mr. Michael Smith. I wouldn't expect you to cover for your brother either."