The King and the Cauliflower Ear

A boxing match takes place at Earl's Court in London for the British Empire Cruiserweight title, featuring champion Ned Riley and challenger Sammy Bart. During the event, Cannon, part of a cleaning crew, discovers a suspicious parcel under the ring, later identified as a severed human ear. He initially plans to report it but ultimately brings it to Bart. The story unfolds with Cannon's encounters at the venue and his surprising conversation with Bart, who thanks him for the delivery. However, the plot thickens when it’s revealed that Sammy Bart's identical twin brother, Nigel, was the one who actually fought in the match, disguising himself with a fake cauliflower ear to cover for Sammy, who was unstable and trapped in a spiral of poor choices. Sammy's tragic suicide follows his brother's attempt to rise through the boxing ranks, ultimately tying back to the severed ear being Sammy's last act of defiance. The narrative concludes with the revelation of the twins' troubled relationship and the lengths Nigel went to protect his brother.