Detective Bennet [Comprehensive novel]

October afternoon, sunny and sunny.

In the magnificent living room, there is black tea curling up in the mist.

Kelsey and Sherlock had been waiting for half an hour.

Because they suspected that Franklin's death was suspicious, the two did not procrastinate, and visited Viscount Peterson the day after replying to the invitation letter.

Obviously it was an appointment at a fixed time, but when I arrived at the Viscount's mansion, I was told to wait patiently for a while.The attendant didn't say what urgent emergency Peterson had to deal with.

Neither of them touched the tea on the table, which had been changed round.

Maybe not letting the guests drink cold tea is one of the few good ways of hospitality preserved by the Viscount Mansion.

"Oh! You are so early."

Peterson was finally overdue.At about 52 years old, he is in good shape.Not only is there no sign of getting fat, but it also looks like he is only in his early forties.

He wore the latest lapel-collared shirt, and a delicately embroidered silk waistcoat.

In the era when stand-up collar shirts were in power, only playboys and wealthy idlers would have new lapels.And the embroidered silk vest highlights the aesthetics of wealth and magnificence to the extreme.

Peterson casually took a seat at the main seat, snapped his fingers to the maid in the corner, and said to the two who had been waiting for a long time, "Next time, the appointment will be later. It is not a pleasant thing to interrupt your dream time."

I really don't want to have a next time.

Kelsey looked at Peterson nonchalantly, describing objectively that this is a rich and handsome old man, whose background gave him a kind of arrogance that he could do whatever he wanted.

This was quickly confirmed.

The maid brought afternoon tea, and Peterson touched the maid's hand inadvertently.This kind of frivolous action does not shy away from the presence of two other guests.That is not only disrespecting the maid, but disrespecting the behavior of the guests.

Sherlock's eyes narrowed slightly, and he noticed fresh red marks on Peterson's neck by the collar.

The viscount's so-called sweet dream was interrupted, probably because he had just finished exercising on the double bed in the afternoon.

No, maybe not just a couple.

Regardless of how many people there are, if Franklin hadn't died enough to violate the peace, who would come here to waste time.

Sherlock looked directly at the topic, "Viscount Peterson, can you talk about your problem now?"

"Problem?" Peterson didn't answer, but picked up his teacup and blew, "I don't have a problem, it's just a small problem. Before I say anything, are you sure it can be cured?

Mr. Holmes had been promoted for less than a year, and it was his duty to find the most suitable solution to every trouble.I'm not questioning that his work is not skilled enough, it's just that you guys recommended by him look too young. "

Poor Mycroft.

Kelsey doesn't feel offended, people just get offended.She only sympathized with Mycroft, what kind of creatures did she usually come into contact with when she had no choice?

Sherlock sneered, "Viscount Peterson, if your mind doesn't stay on the bed, you should know that we are not witch doctors. The appearance of nightmares is related to real-life experiences. If you don't find out the key points of your troubles, don't you want to just read a few words?" The spell is cured?"

"It's a pity that the spell healing is too late."

Kelsey spoke softly, seeming to feel sorry for Peterson. "It's 1874 now, 200 years after the witch hunt. I'm sorry we can't do anything, but I will find you another wizard with super skills. They have long since disappeared in the long river of history."

One hard one and one soft one answered Peterson's question.

Peterson put down his teacup heavily, "You guys!"

"We are here to deal with the problem." Sherlock said sternly, "If you don't have this need, there is no need to waste each other's time."

After that, Sherlock stood up.

He didn't take Peterson's anger seriously at all, and pretended to leave.

"It's a pity today." Kelsey also stood up and nodded to Peterson, "I can no longer discuss the source of the nightmare with you. Oh, by the way, the decoration on your wall is really good, I wish you eternal youth and health .”

Seeing that the two were about to leave without looking back, Peterson recalled the nightmares that had tormented him for several years in a row, so he took a deep breath and called them to stop. "Wait a minute. Young people, you have to be more patient. Whether a minor ailment can be cured or not, we have to talk about it."

Sherlock and Kelsey looked at each other, and the plan of paralleling hard and soft knives was successful.

Since we wanted to talk, we didn't chat leisurely while drinking tea in the living room.

Instead, he went to Peterson's bedroom, the room where he had his nightmares.

As soon as you enter the bedroom, the decoration on the wall is more exaggerated than in the living room, not to mention the undispelled smell in the room.

Pompous, again, is the neutral description Kelsey uses.

The three walls of Peterson's bedroom are covered with serpentine wallpaper, with bright colors and exaggerated composition, as well as corresponding four-corner and cylindrical reliefs.

In the gorgeous Baroque style, mysterious elements are incorporated.

The decorative painting in the living room is about a strange and strange snake, and it is even worse in the bedroom.

Like the Oroboro biting tail snake, the snake's body meets end to end to form a perfect circle.There is also a double-headed snake, which is not a real two-headed snake with a forked neck, but a snake head at each end of its body.

Almost all the wall and ceiling hangings are in the shape of snakes.

Sherlock scanned the medicine on the bedside table, it was the popular and expensive 'miracle medicine' on the market - mummy powder.

It is ground into powder with genuine mummy dug out from Egypt. It is said that this substance can cure all diseases, from headache and brain fever to strengthening yang and tonifying kidney.

According to Earl Peterson's indoor layout, it is not surprising that he took such a so-called magic medicine.

"Mr. Bennet, just now you said that the decoration is good."

Peterson pointed to the snake pattern in the room, and found a step for himself to start talking, "It seems that you know something about the blessing power of the snake, then we can have a pleasant conversation."

No, I don't know much.

Kelsey secretly thought that she didn't have much research on alchemy and the occult.But only in terms of home decoration, living in such a strange environment, without having some strange dreams, I am sorry for the decoration expenses spent.

Sherlock got straight to the point, "Since the snake god has not been able to resist the nightmare, Viscount Peterson, please tell me more about the nightmare."

"It's actually very simple. I dreamed that I was lying on a bed. I closed my eyes at the time, and the fire suddenly started, which made me wake up in a panic. I wanted to escape from the room, but I couldn't find an exit."

Peterson spoke briefly, but his complexion visibly deteriorated to the naked eye, and he sat down on the soft chair instead of maintaining a standing posture.

"Viscount, that's not specific enough."

Sherlock was not satisfied with this description, "When did you first dream? How long and how often did you dream? Where is the house in the dream? Is it a familiar place? Does anyone else appear in the dream? Do you fall asleep alone, or do you have someone to accompany you?"

To describe these problems clearly is to be specific.

Peterson's complexion was not good, and he didn't want to face Sherlock with a tough tone, so he slightly adjusted his sitting posture to face Kelsey.

"In the past three years, I have started to dream about fires. It used to be rare, maybe a few times a year. In the past one or two months, it has become more frequent, and it will appear two or three times a week.

I was the only one in the dream, unable to break free from the burning flames, watching myself being burned to death.As for the situation when falling asleep, sometimes someone is with me, sometimes not. "

Peterson raised his chin again at this point, "Oh, I know what you are going to ask, did the person next to my pillow do something to cause my nightmare?

not at all.I have checked the fragrances, tonics, alcohol, etc. in the house, and none of them have been poisoned.As for the woman I slept with, I kept changing faces and didn't give anyone a chance.Oh, and I'll ask the butler to make a list for you. "

You are also proud of promiscuity.

Kelsey tried her best to keep a calm face. Most of the rich and powerful in this era have chaotic private lives. It is common for couples to have mistresses and lovers outside. "And what about your wife?"

"Her?" Peterson didn't miss her, "I moved to the suburbs seven years ago to recuperate. It's nothing special, everyone lives like this."

Sherlock had done an investigation beforehand, and Peterson and his wife had only one daughter, Alice.

Alice had been in poor health since she was a child, and died of illness nine years ago, and then there were rumors that the Viscountess was ill.

At the moment, Sherlock listened to Peterson's indifferent tone, and it was no wonder that he worshiped the snake god.

The serpent tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, which Peterson understood thoroughly enough.The power given to him by the snake god is indifferent lust.

"About the toxicology test you said, we need to conduct a review."

Sherlock didn't let Peterson show off his history of promiscuity, "You left out a question and didn't answer it. Is the venue in the dream a familiar place? What does the specific layout look like?"

"Yes, you asked about the room arrangement in the dream. It's not here."

Peterson changed his sitting posture, put down his crossed legs, and put his feet in a front and back posture. "I don't know where it is, it's not gorgeous, it should be pretty simple."

At this moment, Sherlock and Kelsey returned a look.

Then, the two asked some more questions.At the same time, he proposed to stay vigil at the Viscount's mansion tonight, and take a closer look at the bedroom situation at night.

However, the two of them inspected the entire mansion that night, and sat quietly in the master bedroom until dawn, and did not encounter any unusual circumstances.

If I had to say that there was something abnormal, the faint movement in the next room made me speechless.

The aftermath of Peterson's nightmares is to toss Scotland Yard, and his solution is to never stop exercising in bed.

The next day, the sun rose.

They didn't reserve breakfast, and didn't wait for Peterson to wake up before leaving. The two left this uncomfortable mansion at a steady and fast pace.

A carriage has stopped at the gate.

Lestrade was yawning, and before he woke up early, he saw the two hurrying over.

"Good morning. How's your night investigation going? You seem to be in good spirits. After staying up all night, you can still walk fast."

"Good morning. But, Inspector, you should revise your definition of what is good."

Sherlock got into the carriage, but the cold hard seat made him feel more comfortable, a thousand times better than the soft chair in Peterson's room.

"Good morning." Kelsey also sat on the hard seat of the carriage relaxedly, "Actually, it is not necessary to modify the definition, as long as the motive is discerned. Walking fast is not necessarily a subjective wish. There is a vicious dog chasing behind, Even if you are tired, you will run fast."

This time, Lestrade knew who the so-called vicious dog was without reminding him. "It sounds like the two of you had a very hard time yesterday."

Lestrade asked himself that he was not qualified to sympathize with the devil, no matter who made it difficult for him yesterday.

First, compare the fingerprints carefully, and then go to the Hammer Bar to find the suspect X who is not sure whether it exists—that is, someone Franklin and James may have met on August [-].

Given that James was blinded in the fire and Franklin died in an unusually weird rented house, there is a possibility that the reverse reason is that the two met X.

X committed a crime, and he was recognized by Franklin at the Hammer Bar, when James passed by without knowing it.

But James encountered a serial arsonist.The police will definitely trace back to the victim's activities during a thorough investigation. It is hard to say whether the Hammer Bar will be found.

Once the Hammer Bar is found, will other people who have experienced the fire be searched to find out that Franklin and James appeared on the same day?

X acted cautiously, James was blind and could no longer identify him, but he was afraid that Franklin would reveal something after being targeted, so he simply acted first.In his opinion, the dead cannot tell secrets.

Of course, the above is the inversion of guilt.

Since the cause of Franklin's death was drinking too much, not homicide, whether the suspect X exists is still a mystery.

"Before last night, I was skeptical, although Franklin's room was odd."

Lestrade was driving, and a major doubt emerged. "However, one thing changes my opinion. You are probably right. X really exists."

Lestrade compared the fingerprints collected. Franklin moved to the new home for more than a month, and the landlord said that he had not seen any visitors.

"There were several fingerprints of the landlord on the doorknob. He had been delivering meals to Franklin. He knocked on the door many times that day but did not receive a response. He unlocked the door and found the body inside.

Except for the landlord's fingerprints, most of the inside and outside of the house are Franklin's fingerprints, the only exception being on the wall mirror frame. "

Strange fingerprints on the frame!

This discovery shocked both Kelsey and Sherlock.

Lestrade said, "To be precise, it is half of the fingerprint extracted by Mr. Holmes. Unfortunately, there is no comparison object now, so there is no way to know who it came from."

Sherlock remembered the exact location of the half fingerprint.In the less spacious rental house, half-length mirrors were hung on the wall, and the mirror surface was covered by a black cloth.

"If you reach out and lift up the black cloth, your fingers will press against the frame."

Sherlock waved his hands, simulating that scene.In the dark rental house with the curtains closed, the mirror is the only thing that reflects the fire.

"This half of the fingerprints proves that there is indeed another person. He lifted the black cloth and looked in the mirror. But it is impossible to determine whether Franklin was present at the same time, and if he was present, whether he knew about it."

Franklin wasn't there, that man was just breaking through.

Franklin was present but didn't know that the man was either at the scene of the death, or entered the room while he was asleep or drunk.

Will the person with half a fingerprint be Suspect X?

This important doubt was recorded.

Lestrade turned to ask about Peterson's situation, "How is Viscount Peterson's situation? Could his nightmare of a fire really be related to Franklin's death?"

"Whether the nightmares are related is unknown, but there are certainly similarities between Peterson and Franklin."

Kelsey described the breathless furnishing of the Viscount's bedroom:

"Let go of your imagination as much as possible. When you open your eyes every day, there are snakes entwined on the walls around you. They are exaggerated and colorful. When you fall asleep every day, you are not only accompanied by the person next to your pillow, but also by the whole room. Serpentine."

Kelsey rubbed the space between her brows, "I can't say which one is more infiltrating, a house surrounded by snakes or a rented house in black."

Lestrade's eyes widened in surprise: Nobles really know how to play!Peterson was frightened out of the psychological shadow by the nightmare of the fire, how could he turn a blind eye to the intrusion of snakes dancing wildly.

"Because he benefits from the blessing of the snake god."

Sherlock took out a list and answered Lestrade's surprise, "Please trouble the Inspector to visit all the people on this list. I have made notes on all the questions that need to be asked. Thank you for your hard work."

How can you make Sherlock say that you have worked hard?

Lestrade opened the thin volume with one hand, and almost threw it out with a shake of his hand.

"You're not kidding, these are all his mistresses? God! The fire nightmare tortures the undead, so this will make him die of exhaustion!"

"Not all of them are mistresses, the use of this title requires a period of interaction between the two parties. There are also one-night stands on the list, or only a few in-depth exchanges."

Kelsey sneered, "Petersen is quite proud of this, saying that he did not worship the wrong gods, allowing him to maintain his youthful strength as always."

Peterson said he began worshiping the snake god in his forties, and it was some books on alchemy that opened the door to the mystery for him.

For example, the Oroboro snake engraved on the wall has its head biting its tail, and a circle symbolizes immortality and eternal regeneration.

Another example is the existence of the two-headed snake. It is recorded in the book "Journey to Suriname" that if the dried meat of the two-headed snake is ground into powder, it can be made into a magic medicine, which can heal the fracture almost instantly.

"Driven by the worship of the snake god, after his wife moved out of the mansion, Peterson carried out interior renovations. Especially the bedroom, he wanted to maximize his strength."

Kelsey pointed out, "In fact, Peterson is very indifferent to the nature of women. Even for his deceased daughter, he did not show any emotions such as grief or pity. He only sought to fill his own desires."

"That's right! That's why Peterson, amidst the constant nightmare of the fire, insists he's fine, just a little ailment."

Sherlock's eyes showed sarcasm, "The resistance to this investigation comes not only from the unknown, but also from Peterson himself. To this day, he hasn't told all the truth."

The next moment, Sherlock and Kelsey exchanged a look, and both of them noticed Peterson's concealment.

"Cough cough!"

Lestrade's voice was about to feel uncomfortable again, and when she heard the key part, Sherlock stopped talking again.

Kelsey patiently added, "Petersen withheld important clues. When asked if he knew where the fire was in the nightmare, was he familiar with the house arrangement?

Peterson replied 'it's not here', then changed his sitting posture, and added, 'I don't know where it is, it's not gorgeous, it should be quite simple. '"

Lestrade is still a little confused?Is there anything special about this?

Sherlock explained, "If you really don't know, and you're suffering from nightmares, the answer is usually to blurt out where and then describe and guess.

Peterson immediately emphasized that it was not here. In fact, he already had a guess in his mind, but he didn't say where. "

Sherlock also imitated Peterson's movement during the pause between words, switching from crossing his legs to moving his feet forward and backward, while leaning forward slightly.

"Crossing his legs is not conducive to running, and changing his sitting posture can allow him to get up and leave immediately. This state change is a change from sitting still to escaping. Combined with words, Peterson must know and hide something about the fire. "

Lestrade nodded suddenly, but didn't understand, "It seems that Peterson believes that the nightmare is an omen. He was afraid that he would really die in the fire, so he tossed Scotland Yard to conduct a London-wide investigation some time ago. So why doesn't he tell the truth now?"

"If everyone could reason, Inspector, you'd be out of a job."

Kelsey closed her eyes and meditated.Franklin's violation and death in the all-black rented house, and the fire nightmare in Peterson's serpentine bedroom, what kind of connection do they have with suspect X?

The cases this time are all weird, and it seems that there really is an invisible force that traps people into a maze.

The vehicle pulls into Montague Street.

Other people can always ask about things that Peterson didn't say, and maybe Mrs. Peterson, who lives in the suburbs, can give the answer.

Saying goodbye to Lestrade, the two got out of the car first, and went home to catch up on sleep.

Kelsey didn't go upstairs directly, but went around the milk station on the east side, stayed up all night and had a stomach-warming breakfast before going to sleep.

After walking for ten minutes to the milk station, I found that its gate was closed.A notice was posted on it, "The owner has something to do at home, and the business is temporarily closed for ten days."

"Well, it's just not drinking milk for a while."

Kelsey still kept smiling, turned back home, and comforted herself that life would inevitably lead to small disappointments.

Then make some toast at will, and later serve it with lemonade, and it will be considered breakfast.

At this time, the door was knocked, it was the landlady's wife. "Mr. Bennet, here comes the milkman. Come and get your share."

"I didn't order milk."

Kelsey was a little puzzled, and when she opened the door, the milkman handed her three bottles of milk.

"The three bottles of milk that Mr. Holmes ordered are for today. Please sign for them." The milkman flipped through the roster, and there was a note on it, "Remarks: Return gift."

return gift?

Kelsey took the milk, and Sherlock returned the gift.

Is it a return gift for storing luggage before, or a return gift for supper before?And the return gift was just right and just in time.

Closing the door, Kelsey walked to the ledge.

Looking across the street, I saw Sherlock standing by the window.

Raising the coffee cup to Kelsey, facing the morning light, slowly evoked a smile.