Detective Bennet [Comprehensive novel]

The Moon Bay Circus is on its fourth day.

After lunch, if you observe carefully, it is not difficult to find that the status of several actors has changed slightly.

Eight people will go on vacation after today's performance, and the original program time will be taken over by the later freak show actors.

Dick the Clown was not one of them, and he envied those who left early.

These people's train tickets are all set for tomorrow morning, so they can get out of the circus spell - the last three days of each tour are the most likely to encounter undead.

Once being targeted by the undead...

Dick rubbed the distorting mirror, inevitably thinking of the clown David he used to work with.

A few days after the spring performance last year, the circus reappeared with undead. The ghostly green eyes are quite scary, and they especially like to wander in the camp woods.David couldn't help his appetite, and went to the woods to pick mushrooms at night in spite of taboos. Unfortunately, he ran into an undead and became crazy.

Dick didn't know where David ended up going. He heard that he was hit by a car after going crazy, but these things had nothing to do with him, because they were not problems he could help solve.

I don't know how the head of the circus, Andre, chooses members. Anyway, all the people who stay in the circus are indifferent people.

Like David who is helpful, or like Anna who is gentle and kind, and a werewolf who looks stupid, but they all failed in the end.

Unhappy happened again this year.

A few days before the performance, the group leader told everyone that Anna had a serious ear injury and was sent to the city hospital by Steve.The werewolf Yuer also disappeared, and it is said that she seriously interfered with the flying knife rehearsal.

What exactly did Yule the werewolf do?

Andre didn't elaborate on this, but said that Yule fled to the camp's throwing knife rehearsal ground after meeting the undead wandering in the woods, triggering another bloody incident caused by the undead.After the accident, Yule ran away with a guilty conscience.

Dick is also considering whether to jump ship.Although Moon Bay paid a high salary, he was afraid that one day he would die from the taboo of the undead.

Shouldn't it?

Dick shook his head violently and put the distorting mirror on display.

The actor who can still stay in Moon Bay has long learned to restrain his curiosity. For example, he never runs around in peace and order, and he doesn't meddle in other people's business, so he can't encounter any bad luck.

Everything is normal during the day.

The actors continued to perform according to the program, and the freak show actors who arrived later also began to set up tents.

As dusk fell, the camp was very peaceful.

"Something's not right."

Sherlock has been paying attention to the dynamics of the magician Merton, "Merton didn't perform in the afternoon, and Andre didn't say anything, obviously knowing what Merton did. The eight people on the patrol were missing together. "

Why did Merton leave in the afternoon?

Only to receive 'cargo' that arrived with the Freak Show cast.At this time, the show is going on, and no one will pay attention to the movement in the woods.

Sherlock also noted that "Merton had mentioned that there would be a mermaid this time around, but it didn't appear in the Freak Show cast."

Watson's comrades are investigating the disappearance of a missing little sister Peter, a victim who reeks of fish from time to time.

In connection with words such as freak show and mermaid, people can't help but suspect that after little sister Peter was abducted, she suffered cruel body transformation.

Such deformed people cannot participate in the performances in a fair manner, but there are always curious people who treat them as goods through the black market to make huge profits.

However, no solid evidence has yet been obtained.

Kelsey just looked through the secret letter, and Edwards sent three pieces of news.

First, the werewolf cannot be found for the time being, and that person will not easily appear in front of others.

In the second, the Count of Monte Cristo is looking for Anna's dentist friend in New York, and the situation is good and bad.

The good thing is that it was confirmed which clinic Anna visited, but the bad thing is that Dr. Albert closed the clinic seven days ago, and it is still unknown where he is.

In the end, after inquiring from the side, it was confirmed that Goodman's and Moran's hotel leases were four days and seven days away, respectively.

"Four days later, the circus performance ended, and Goodman's departure time can be considered normal."

Kelsey suspected Moran, "But Moran paid for seven days of accommodation, which has to make people think."

Moran came to Chicago to act for the "Magic Mirror". He will not leave after four days. Does he have other tasks?Or paying the seven-day accommodation fee is a cover-up method he has always used to prevent others from easily grasping his dynamics.

"It is difficult to follow Moran for a long time. He has been in the army for many years and has strong anti-reconnaissance capabilities. He may even leave Chicago tonight."

However, Sherlock can't guarantee that he can successfully use Moran as a bait in a short period of time to wipe out the entire criminal group.

The choice is at hand.

It is perfect to catch big fish with a long line, but it is difficult for the police forces of various states in the United States to cooperate with each other, not to mention that the laws and sentencing of states are different from state to state, and there is no authoritative investigative agency throughout the United States.

The FBI that Kelsey knew in his previous life was established in 1935, but it is only 1879 now.

In the United States in the nineteenth century, it was impossible to complete joint pursuits across state lines.The police force is seriously insufficient. Even the state government usually hires private detective agencies to assist in investigating cases.

If Andre, Goodman, Moran and others are allowed to leave Chicago, how can there be enough people to track down their tracks separately?

Even trickier is that there is no other empirical evidence.Assuming that these people can be caught, it is the best proof that more or less information can be obtained from them.

"Actually, I think the best way is an organized cross-state cooperative investigation, but the actual action is always far from the ideal plan."

Although Kelsey is not sure how long it took Holmes to completely destroy the Napoleonic Kingdom of the criminal world in the novel, he probably knows that it took at least ten years.

Back to the present reality.

In an era when the criminal investigation system is not perfect, breaking down criminal gangs one by one is indeed not as perfect as sweeping them all together, but it is the most suitable method for the current situation.

The two made a choice, it would be better to have a lightning assault and catch those suspects on the spot.

Sherlock took the opportunity to fetch water and told Watson, who had ventured to join him, of this decision.

However, Sherlock and Kelsey were unable to directly participate in the arrest operation tonight.

The trading time is likely to be the performance time, and allowing the Tsarist Russian Flying Swordsman to maintain the performance as usual is the best cover for the encirclement and suppression team.

Letting the circus camp behave as usual would not arouse Andre's suspicions.

"One hit is sure to hit, try to stay alive."

Watson brought Edwards the words of the two detectives.

The specific arrest plan needs Edwards to contact the Chicago police to formulate.

"Catch it! Catch it tonight! If it's too late, things will change."

Detective George of the Homicide Department, after hearing about the possible dark deals, fully supports the need to fight crime even though there is still no key evidence in front of him.

"Inspector, I don't think it's right, what if I catch the wrong one?"

George's deputy disagreed, "Maybe the circus is putting on a secret show in the woods, what should we do if we send people to surround it but fail to find the crime scene? It might also offend the audience who went to watch the special show, no need to guess." Know those are going to be rich."

"Indeed, it's too risky to do so. The circus has performances every year, and there has never been a reported case of child trafficking or torture."

Another senior detective said, "It's just reasoning now, and there is no detailed bill for the transaction. If something goes wrong, maybe they are just buying and selling rare items. Who will bear the fault of rounding up mistakes?"

'Kang——' Detective George threw the document on the table and glared at his so-called colleagues.

"Whoever has an objection, please say something of value! Don't use it as an excuse that you can't offend the rich and can't afford the fault. I don't know why some of you are policemen. You don't dare to do this and you can't do that. For me, the police are there to do what they can to maintain social order."

George sneered, "I know you are cowardly. When you hear that gang forces are involved, you don't even dare to arrest them. Then why don't you resign as soon as possible and go home to grow grass and raise pigs, and wear police uniforms. Today, the courageous Come with me."

The homicide office was eerily quiet.

A group of people left with George to make quick preparations for the arrest tonight.

Out of the office, George said to Edwards and Watson who were watching, "You have also seen that this is the status quo. The team is not easy to lead, and not everyone is of the same mind.

Therefore, in the face of criminal gangs like this, once they disperse into various states, it is a return to the mountain.Unless you can ensure sufficient manpower and be sure to collect all the evidence, don't talk about fishing for big fish for a long time. "

The longer he was a police officer, the more George felt the importance of working together to solve crimes.

"I hope that in my lifetime I can see the federal government establish the General Bureau of Investigation, so that cross-state cooperation is no longer a dream. It will not be restrained in dealing with such large-scale crimes."

Some expectations seem out of reach.

It's better to focus back on the present moment, and it's one thing to take away a den.

The siege operation must find out the number of suspects.

According to surveillance, fourteen carriages entered the woods in the afternoon.

There are roughly 31 coachmen and escorts in total, and Merton, a familiar face, is in charge at the front. It should be that the circus is preparing goods.

"On the other hand, Goodman is suspected to have a gang background. He stayed in the hotel with thirteen accomplices."

Edwards found out that Goodman and his group came to Chicago in seven carriages. It was not clear what was loaded in them. The rut marks showed that the contents of the carriages were not light.

In this transaction, the party with the least number of people is Moran, only him and his assistant.

Watson subconsciously touched the gun on his side.

Moran had been known in the military as a sharpshooter.Sometimes a single man was as ferocious as dozens of mobs.

Tonight, Watson is in charge of capturing Moran alive.

It had to be said that he felt an invisible burden on his shoulders.

— This will be a daunting task.

The sun fades into the horizon.

Night fell.At seven o'clock, the Moon Bay Circus began to perform as usual.

In the big tent, drums and music blared together, various performances were staged one after another, and there were endless applause.

Andre is still monitoring the field in the background as before, not worried at all about the mistakes in the trade in the woods, and he is still in the mood to comment on the audience tonight.

His eyes swept over the children in the front row, and the corresponding 'transformation' images popped up in his mind, this one was suitable for having a broken leg, and the other one was suitable for scalding the skin and making it into a corresponding deformed person.

Pity.

Andre also deeply felt that he was quite principled. He never attacked the children of good families, so as not to cause entangled investigations.

The four-year practice of sticking to the principles made him foolproof, and those who ran into secrets were basically silenced.Anyone who isn't dead is also crazy, except Yule the werewolf who is still on the run.

On the stage, the performance of Tsarist Knife Throwing began again.

The Vasilisky group took the stage for four days and became a legend in Chicago. Many people came here tonight.

Andre felt a pity again that he couldn't keep the cash cow in the circus.

He agreed with Merton's words that Moon Bay does not need emotional people, and the actors here must be cold enough to avoid a lot of trouble.

' This is the last act. 'Andre shook his head regretfully at the stage.

The Tsarist-Russian group is not suitable for Moon Bay, nor can other circuses be allowed to bring outstanding actors into their pockets, which will hit Moon Bay's turnover.

Moon Bay is unable to maintain a sold-out performance, and over time, it will not be able to provide a good cover for the underground black market business.

What a perfect logical chain, then this couple can only be wronged by the Tsarist Russian couple.

They had already thought about who to blame for the death of the Flying Knife Group.

A couple elopes from Tsarist Russia, which arouses great anger from both families.The elders tracked it down to the United States, and finally forced the Vasilyskis to death.

'oh!I was kinder than Shakespeare in not making Romeo and Juliet. '

Andre thought, he mercifully arranged for a couple to die at the same time, without leaving one alive to bear the pain of the other's death.

After three hours, the circus performance ended.

The audience left one after another, and the camp returned to silence.

Andre waited for Merton to come back.

Tonight's transaction should also be over, and the trading team can cover their whereabouts incidentally by taking advantage of the circus audience to leave together.

Sure enough, Merton's familiar footsteps soon sounded outside the tent.

Andre opened the curtain directly without waiting for the door to be called.

The next moment, his eyes widened.It never occurred to Merton that his mouth was gagged and his hands were tied behind his back, but he had no time to take care of Merton right now.

——Because in front of Andre was a gun pointed at him.

The circus performers were preparing to fetch water, wash and rest as usual, but they heard a lot of hurried footsteps outside the tent.

"Listen everyone! Please stay where you are! The police have cordoned off the Moon Bay Circus."

Inspector George suppressed his anger, trying not to recall the tragedy he had just seen in the woods.

"Because Andre and his accomplices are involved in a large number of child abductions, abuses and murders, a full investigation of the circus is now required. All rebels will be regarded as fellow party members, and the police will immediately use force to suppress them. Please cooperate—"

Cooperate?How to cooperate?

The camp exploded, and everyone was afraid that they would never come out again if they were caught in the police station.

Dick the Clown was about to leave the tent where the distorting mirror was kept, and he couldn't believe what he heard.

"Why! I haven't encountered the undead, why am I still unlucky? I didn't do anything, why do you want to interrogate me?"

Rows of distorting mirrors cannot answer.

They reflect Dick's growing and shrinking figure, like magic mirrors reflecting the distorted forms of the silent spectators of the circus.

Tonight, there are only two people in the Moon Bay Circus looking forward to the arrival of the police.

Edwards told George that the flying swordsman from Tsarist Russia was an undercover agent sent by a detective agency, and did not reveal their identities.

Acting to the end, keeping the secret of the role of detective and flying swordsman, maybe it will be useful next time.Since it doesn't affect the investigation now, don't let one more person know the inside story.

So after a formal interrogation, the Tsarist Russian flying swordsmen were the first to be released from suspicion, and they left the Chicago Police Department.

Kelsey and Sherlock are finally able to go back to the hotel and drop their disguises.

The two of them couldn't rest, and had to return to the police station without stopping.It is necessary to understand the progress of the arrest operation tonight as soon as possible, especially to determine the situation of Moran.

As soon as he left the hotel, he saw a carriage approaching in a hurry.

Edwards stopped the carriage in front of the two of them, "Oh! I didn't come here specially to pick you up, I just came to deliver two messages."

"One of the gang was the most cowardly, and they all died in the interrogation room. Paul Goodman told him everything he knew. I hope the rest of the criminals are the same."

Edwards said, "The bad thing is, oh, not for me, but for Goodman, even if he confesses, there is no way to get a lenient sentence. Therefore, he strongly demands a good lawyer."

Speaking of this, Edward asked Kelsey in an uncertain tone, "Next, there is another news I want to say. Bennet, my good buddy, Goodman claims that he is your friend.

A good gentleman, if you knew his situation, would help him, so he urges to see you.how do you say?Is this person your insider who instigated rebellion? "

Beside the carriage, there was an eerie calm in the atmosphere.

Sherlock raised his eyebrows. He clearly remembered that Kelsey said that Goodman was not worth mentioning because he was a small person, and he was even more sure that there was no insider who instigated rebellion. So where does the current "friend" come from?

"Aha, dear Mr. Bennet."

Sherlock smiled at Kelsey, "You really know how to keep secrets. I didn't even reveal a thing or two. Now, what are you going to do?"

This how to do is not how to do Goodman, but how to explain the so-called friend.

Kelsey also smiled: It's time to come, but it's still here.