Detective Bennet [Comprehensive novel]

Franklin dead?

Kelsey remembered this man. When she was helping Sherlock move his luggage back to the rented house last week, the two met Franklin downstairs in a cast.

Franklin was haggling with the landlord, arguing bitterly about rebuilding after the fire.

The cause of the fire was Franklin throwing cigarette butts unconsciously, but he lost a large amount of goods, and obviously could not afford compensation for the time being.

"Five days ago, I saw that Franklin was still full of energy. A broken leg didn't affect his use of the corridor as an opera house."

Kelsey was referring, of course, to Franklin's yelling, in an attempt to use the volume of his voice to secure a landslide victory. "He actually died? What's the cause of death?"

This question Lestrade said he would answer.

"Franklin was found dead this morning in his new rented house."

Lestrade did not think it necessary to check Franklin again.

"An accidental fire did not make him quit his old habit of drinking. And his luck points were used up, and he failed to escape the call of death last night. It was confirmed that he died of an overdose. Oh, this is the result of Mr. Holmes' examination."

Just because Sherlock checked the body, Lestrade didn't understand why he wanted to hold on to Franklin and had to come to Kelsey.

Lestrade couldn't hold back when he opened his mouth, "The serial arsonist is Gotha. He has confessed in full, why did he leave bloody palm prints, and why did he choose six different arson sites.

None of this has anything to do with Franklin for a penny, why investigate someone who died unexpectedly? "

Speaking of this, Lestrade suddenly remembered who had found out the connection between the serial arson.

He slowed down his tone, "I am very grateful to Mr. Holmes for discovering the law of arson in Gotha, which is a sequence of changes in the selected location. Therefore, this time the case can be closed so quickly."

Now that the case has been closed, why did he wake up abruptly from his sleep four or ten minutes ago!

God knows how rare it is for him to go to bed early.And he can't complain yet, he has to thank Sherlock for at least obeying the regulations and not directly breaking into Franklin's rented house that was sealed off this morning.

After Lestrade had said a long list, he realized the silence in the room after a while, and two eyes fell on him quietly.

"Is the speech over?"

Sherlock, like an excellent audience, quietly waited for the orator to finish his performance, and applauded accordingly.

Then he changed the subject, "Then it's time for questions. May I ask when I said that I would investigate Franklin in order to deny the results of the previous serial arson investigation?"

Isn't it?

Lestrade recalled carefully, as if there was really no such thing.

Sherlock only said that Franklin's death was somewhat inconsistent, and did not say that the hapless man with a broken leg was related to the murderer Gotha.

After working on it for a long time, it didn't mean to overturn the conclusion of Lian's arson case!

Lestrade breathed a sigh of relief.It's not that he finds it troublesome, it's that he has a headache for news reports, and he's afraid that the next headline will be "Detective L's disregard for human life, wrong arrest of serial arsonist".

Soon, Lestrade took another breath.

Since he didn't deny the serial arson case, what he just said is irrelevant.Wasting Sherlock's time, won't you be stunned?

Kelsey didn't pierce Lestrade's little thoughts, and was willing to sympathize with the inspector for three seconds.

Who made Detective L's first publication in the newspaper, she was the one who made it happen.But this time it really doesn't matter half a word of English. Media professionals have eyes for spotting hot spots.

"Tom, what do you think is a violation?"

Kelsey said to ease the atmosphere, "Is there Franklin at the scene of the arson? Or did he know a victim?"

Sherlock glanced over Lestrade, and didn't say anything to him for a while, but answered Kelsey seriously: "The victim James in the third case, he and Franklin once appeared in the same bar. The time is August twenty."

That was fifty days ago.

On August [-], Franklin experienced a fire and had just been released from the hospital.

The serial arson case, the third crime was committed on September [-], and a cheap rented house was burned down.

According to reports, James was the most seriously injured victim in the six cases.While escaping, he was hit in the eye by a burning log and lost his sight.

Kelsey sorted out the timeline, "Just because the two met in the bar, it's not enough to suspect anything. You asked James, did he know Franklin?"

Lestrade also looked at Sherlock, who had no memory of this confession at all.

Sherlock gave a negative answer, "I went to James in the afternoon, and he was sure he didn't know Franklin."

Lestrade stared and only expressed one question: I don’t know each other, so what’s the problem!

However, Sherlock took out his pocket watch and looked at the time, "At [-]:[-] at night, there is still about one or two hours before Franklin's death last night. Now go to the scene in a carriage, just to reproduce the situation of last night."

Lestrade stared again, looked left and right, really no one answered his question?Why go to the scene?

But Kelsey understood that the violation that Sherlock noticed must be in Franklin's residence.Then go for a walk, "Is there anything else I need to bring?"

Sherlock shook his head, "What you need to bring is brains, and you never need me to remind you of this."

Lestrade pursed his lips. If Kelsey didn't have to be reminded, who should he be reminded of?

He suddenly felt a pain in his chest, which seemed to be an invisible arrow. Didn't he think too much?Oh, I can't blame him for thinking too much, when getting along with the devil, it is inevitable to think more.

"Sit down and rest for a while, please give me 10 minutes, I don't need this time."

As Kelsey said, she went to the kitchen. Seven minutes later, she brought snacks of different sizes. "There are still 7 minutes, enough for a meal."

A large sandwich made of chicken breast, tomato, vegetables and cheese was placed in front of Sherlock.

Lestrade looked at his plate again, it was just bread and jam.It doesn't come close to a rich sandwich, either for quality or portion.

Is there really no favoritism?

Lestrade couldn't ask, having discovered that Kelsey's share was as simple as his.Well, why the hell is Sherlock so special?Because of the sympathy between the devils?

However, Lestrade realized that the 10 minutes Kelsey was referring to was the meal before leaving.

"Twelve minutes."

Kelsey counted down again before picking up the knife and fork, "I once said that if you fall into the pit, don't expect me to be able to pull people up. Let's guess today, if someone faints from hunger during the survey, will I put the He abandoned it at the scene?"

Who would faint from hunger?

Lestrade suddenly looked at Sherlock, how could he have forgotten that this man was obsessed with handling cases and ignored human needs, and it was normal not to eat a meal.

"My God! Mr. Holmes! Please don't tell me you haven't had your lunch and supper since we parted in the morning."

Sherlock Pin ignored Lestrade's tone of voice, and looked at Kelsey as if there were only two people left at the table. "Jerry, I told you you wouldn't."

"I won't, because I have a basic spirit of cooperation."

Kelsey smirked unabashedly, and settled the food on the plate quickly but not gracefully.If you don’t eat some now, your stomach will suffer later.

Sherlock didn't say much after thanking him, and quickly started eating.I took a sip of milk tea first, and I had to admit that after eating warm food, I felt a little more comfortable.

Huh?really ate.

Lestrade looked around and remembered something.

One day half a month ago, he proposed to have lunch to relax before continuing to solve the case.

Devil No. [-] refused, giving the reason that hunger makes the mind clearer, but why didn't he continue to stick to his diet tonight?

Sure enough, they were treated differently.

Lestrade bowed his head, he was really not lost.This is not good to prove that he is still a human being, so he has not received preferential treatment from the devils.

After a silent fast meal, a carriage drove to the east of London.

Franklin suffered extensive property damage after his rented house was burned with goods in the walkway.

Not only was the goods unable to be delivered in time, but also the landlord had to face claims, so he had to move to an area with cheap rent.

"This Hammer Bar is where Franklin and James once intersected. The place where the two live is not close. It is one south and one north of the bar, and the three points are almost in a straight line."

Sherlock deliberately made a detour, driving the carriage past James' previous rented house, the Hammer Bar, and then heading for Franklin's rented house.

Along the way, Sherlock also pointed out which places James would patronize.

From the bar to Franklin's rented house, there are no similar places, and the possibility of the two meeting by chance is not high.

Since there are so few intersections, why do you still think Franklin's death is suspicious?

Kelsey stepped into the rented house and walked around with a kerosene lamp, feeling uncomfortable.

The scene inside the house remained intact, except that the body was transported away, everything else remained in the state of Franklin's death.

The curtains were closed tightly, and the blood dried on the corner of the table and the carpet.

"It's all black."

Kelsey lifted the tablecloth with gloves on, a rare black tablecloth.And curtains, mirror screens, carpets, bed sheets, etc., almost everything is shrouded in black.

"Is this strange? Franklin was caught in a fire, and his clothes caught fire and burned himself. He was like rolling in the fire before jumping out of the window to escape."

Lestrade remembered the follow-up interview, "When he was discharged from the hospital, he was wearing black clothes. People who have experienced fires don't want to see the light for a while, and many people will make their rooms darker. Isn't this in line with common sense?"

After Lestrade finished speaking, he nodded with certainty.

He is also good at summarizing observations and discovering the common aftereffects of fires.

Kelsey and Sherlock looked at each other, making sure that Lestrade was really well after entering the room.

Sherlock: He really doesn't notice how depressing it is here.

Kelsey: Slowness is a talent, not to be envied.

"Both, please express in words."

Seeing the eye contact between the two, Lestrade began to embarrass him again because he didn't have mind reading skills. Wouldn't it be better to speak directly?

Sherlock pointed to the door, "The house that Franklin is renting now has only one room without the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. This room is not very spacious. Do you think the aftermath of the fire made him blacken the door? He doesn't think so. Depressed?"

Unable to paint the door, Franklin hung a black cloth behind it.

Except for the blank space on the three walls and the ceiling, almost all other places tried to get in the dark.

"Also, you overlooked one point."

Sherlock looked Lestrade up and down, and asked a seemingly irrelevant question, "Inspector, how long has it been since you bought new clothes?"

Lestrade: Please don't suddenly become concerned about my personal problems.

Kelsey shook her head helplessly. This has nothing to do with personal issues. "Workers wear white clothes, because white clothes are relatively cheaper. Even though the printing and dyeing technology has improved in the past two years, compared with other colors of cloth, the price of black cloth is generally lower." high."

"Franklin's funds have tightened, and it can no longer afford to rent a house with a better living environment."

Sherlock threw a doubtful point to Lestrade that could not be ignored:

"You saved on the rent, and you negotiated with the previous landlord about compensation, and you still have a lot of money in arrears. At this time, you spend a lot of money, just to turn the whole room into a small black room, like living in a coffin Is it not a breach of peace?"

Not just money spent on black cloth.

Kelsey walked to the corner near the door, which was Franklin's wine storage corner.

There are some empty wine bottles lying here and there, including two rectangular glass bottles, the labels on which are [-]% new.

"Mariani."

"The Queen and the Pope love it too, and the celebrities are big fans of it," Kelsey said with a slight sarcasm.

Lestrade: Is there anything wrong with this wine?

"It's a high-end drink."

Lestrade was sure that he had discovered the crucial point. "Oh! It's not cheap. Like the black cloth, it's not an option for Franklin, who is short on cash."

Not only that, history is sometimes surprisingly similar.

After one month of enrollment, Kelsey made full use of the library and reference room to understand and compare the differences between the two worlds in this life and the previous life.

The historical process is roughly similar, and there are discrepancies.For example, in France next door, Napoleon was born and came to power decades later.

The Mariani appeared as expected.It was made by a French chemist, and now it is popular in Europe, known as 'strengthening the body and benefiting the brain'.

In this day and age, no one cares about the addition of coca leaf extract to wine.It is about to blend //ka//in with wine and advertise that it is an intoxicating fitness wine.

Today, celebrities love Mariani wine, it must be said that it is all the rage.It's effective, pain-relieving and exciting.

However, the thin line between medicine and poison depends on the dosage.

With the current level of medical physics and chemistry, it will take at least several decades of development to scientifically demonstrate the harmfulness of long-term drinking of this wine.

Food and drinks that are similar to Mariani, I will appear on the stage after you sing.The market is in a state of chaos, and all parties are chasing profits, so it is very lively.

What Kelsey can do to swim against the current is to ensure that she does not eat by mistake, and to remind those around her.

As for more?One step ahead is genius, two steps ahead is madman.A large amount of theoretical knowledge ahead, without empirical support, can't splash a splash of water.

This is the chaotic nineteenth century.

Having said that, Franklin's drinking of Mariani is about the same as taking/poisoning on a regular basis.

"This wine is addictive."

Kelsey puts it succinctly, "Flying, hallucinating."

Lestrade was puzzled, "Yes. It can make people feel ecstatic, and sometimes they can go to heaven. This is the same as the effect of the advertisement."

Listen, this natural tone.

Kelsey said in a pastor's sermon: "Indeed, it's going to heaven. Drink a few bottles a week, and there is a light in your head, and seven or eight little winged figures surround you and sing hymns.

After persisting for a period of time, I become less and less energetic during the day, and I can only feel comfortable when I drink a few sips.

After drinking, you can dance with the villain in your dream, dance and dance, and drink more and more until you die of alcohol like Mr. Franklin. "

Kelsey paused, and asked with a smile: "Will the angel waiting at the gate of heaven say, congratulations, you have achieved the achievement of going to heaven?"

Lestrade's spine trembled when he was asked back, and he suddenly realized that he didn't have any spare money to buy such high-end wine.

"Addiction, hallucination."

Sherlock brought back the topic of wandering, "In connection with the weird all-black room layout, there seems to be an invisible hand behind Franklin's death."

"hiss!"

Lestrade took a deep breath, turned his head and savored it carefully, the way he looked at the rented house changed again.

The kerosene lamp flickered.

Alone in a room shrouded in darkness, holding a bottle of wine, pouring it into his stomach.The singing of the choir appeared in my mind, as if floating with the music, I went to the sky.

——'Bang! 'The whole person suddenly fell down, knocking his head to the corner of the table, but he couldn't feel the pain, and he died lying on the carpet.

Lestrade shook his head violently, clearing away the simulated scene of Franklin's death last night, but what couldn't be shaken off was the chill on his spine.

"Mr. Holmes, do you mean that by the invisible hand?"

"Which one?"

asked Sherlock.

Lestrade took a deep breath, "Undead, vampires, or dragons that change human form?"

"As expected, it really is the inspector's idea."

Sherlock smiled and took out the magnifying glass, letting Lestrade continue to be puzzled.

Kelsey signaled Sherlock to wait a moment, and opened the suitcase, which contained a row of glass bottles of different colors.

"When encountering water-absorbing items such as paper, leather, and wood, spray Ninghai Delin reagent on the detection target. If it encounters body secretions, it will react, and purple fingerprints will appear where the finger touches.

When encountering non-absorbent items such as metal, plastic, and glass, sprinkle aluminum powder on the surface of the item, and gently sweep off the excess powder with a soft brush, leaving fingerprints.Finally, cover the transfer paper to extract fingerprints. "

Kelsey tried it on the wine bottle first, "I hope that the invisible hand can be found through fingerprints."

"Jerry, oh, Jerry! That was unexpected."

Sherlock's eyes lit up, and he couldn't hide his excitement, "These are more efficient and accurate than a magnifying glass! Made in a university laboratory, right?"

"Indeed, college is a magical place."

Half of Kelsey's reason for going to college is to be exposed to new things, some things are difficult to obtain or make outside of the laboratory.

It should be known that the current UK is similar to France next door. Criminal identification only regulates the portrait description system, and fingerprint identification has not yet been included in the necessary procedures.

The reason is not only the lack of police force, which is not enough to support too many detailed investigations; but also the lack of technology, which makes it very difficult to collect and compare fingerprints.

The latter deficiency does exist.

Compared with later generations of computer systems to identify fingerprints, today's fingerprints are identified only by human eyes, and the workload is so large that it is completely unaffordable.

It is feasible for only one or two cases, but the implementation of comprehensive standardization has obvious defects, and there are very high requirements for the technical identification ability of police officers.

Kelsey didn't think about improving Scotland Yard's technology system, at least she could update her own equipment first. "I asked a friend to help me do it, and I recorded the production flow sheet. Tom, I'll make a copy for you when I get back."

friend?

Jerry has only been in school for a month, and he can make friends like that.

Sherlock was silent, and he was not at all envious.He lived a very comfortable college life alone, and he could do experiments by himself.

"Hey! You two, did you forget something?"

Lestrade recovered from the supernatural speculation, and found that the scene was another scene.

Kelsey lifted her chin slightly, motioning for Lestrade to do the same.

"I haven't forgotten you. Inspector, please investigate carefully, and try not to miss a single suspicious point. Please don't say you can't do it after reading such a mechanical evidence collection process."

That's all said, can't you still!

Lestrade resigned to join the inspection team.

The three checked inside and out, not missing any details, and two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

A stack of fingerprints is collected in a book, and then it takes time to compare them one by one.

Lestrade straightened his sore waist, got under the bed for a while, and lay down on the table for a while. Even though he was only in one room, the amount of activity was really not small.

When the three of them got out of the rented house and left in two ways, Lestrade's stomach was rumbling.

It occurred to him suddenly, 'The devil's!Kelsey shouldn't have estimated the amount of food long ago, right?A supper before the trip, just enough to support people until now? '

In another carriage.

Sherlock didn't talk about Franklin's case for the time being, but instead mentioned another matter, "Before, I scanned the invitation letter on your desk. Mycroft, he has looked for you."

"Yes. For the case of Viscount Peterson."

Kelsey looked at Sherlock hesitantly, as if waiting for something, [-]% wanted to know her attitude towards it.

Kelsey chuckled, "Your brother is an interesting man."

"interesting."

It was the first time Sherlock heard someone describe him like this, "He is a respectable person with a higher reasoning ability than me. It's a pity that he doesn't like to walk around, so he doesn't bother to test whether the inference is correct or not. But, you Said he was funny?"

Kelsey also blinked and didn't say much, her admission process, the process of her accepting the invitation letter, aren't those interesting enough?

Sherlock didn't talk much about it, but instead mentioned Viscount Peterson.

"I probably knew something about Peterson when I was investigating the serial arson. Because of one of his nightmares, Scotland Yard immediately mobilized the police."

Sherlock had no interest in such a client, but Mycroft's mention made him decline.

However, things have changed now.

Franklin's death seemed accidental. Even if unusual fingerprints were found, the cause of his death was still excessive alcoholism, and there was still no evidence that the death must have been artificially arranged.

"Fire and odd scenes. Franklin met, Peterson dreamed."

Sherlock asked directly, "Add me, when are you going to visit Viscount Peterson?"

The author has something to say:

Stupid me, forgot to set an archive time.Fortunately, I took a look in time