Detective Bennet [Comprehensive novel]

Lestrade felt a shudder down his spine.

In the scene where the mannequin stands strangely, Sherlock still asks questions in such a strange tone.

"What is the finishing touch?"

Lestrade tried not to show fear, and he understood the literal meaning of the phrase, "Draw a dragon and put eyes on it at the end, what can go wrong?"

"Of course it's fine. But after painting the eyes on the dragon, it turns into a real dragon and flies away."

Sherlock pointed to the three human head models, "Please make an analogy, if you put eyeballs on the human head models, they will..."

"Live, come alive?!"

After Lestrade finished speaking casually, he wished he could slap himself for giving him such a terrifying answer.

Lestrade subconsciously took a step back towards the door.

He looked uncertainly at Sherlock and Kelsey.Very good, both of them have shadows, and the shadows have not been deformed, which means that both of them should still be human beings.

Not for the faint of heart.

Lestrade had a good reason to be afraid. If someone mentioned that the model would come back to life, he would definitely send that person to the hospital to treat his brain.

But, it is the devil who speaks, and the devil means that anything is possible.

Suppose the devil tells him one day that most of the murders in Europe are committed by one person, and as long as the mysterious person is caught, the world will be peaceful.

Lestrade would have believed that story too.

"Don't worry. It's just a legend, and the legend can't be trusted."

Kelsey accepts as soon as he sees it, but Lestrade can't let Lestrade escape. "I didn't install eyeballs, just because of insufficient materials. Time is tight, and I can't get artificial eyeballs."

Kelsey brought a sketchbook, "The model is not complete, but there are complete portraits in the album. According to the three most likely facial structures, I will give the changes in the victim's face over the past ten years."

That is, it is the change from the age of the deceased in his 20s to nearly 30 years old after the demolition more than 50 years ago to when he was killed four years ago.

"The victim's local features are similar to the widow Megan described by Mrs. Hudson."

Kelsey said so, saw Sherlock nodded slightly, and immediately understood that he must have found evidence. "Is it a Chinese medicine hall?"

"Yes, there are some clues in the Lin's Medical Center."

Sherlock briefly described the current findings, "Only by finding Megan's daughter Nancy can we learn more about the details of Megan's disappearance."

Lestrade recovered from the weird atmosphere, "Carter has gone to check the police records, but don't expect too much."

"Inspector, you'd better hope that you can find the police records."

Kelsey pointed out, "Judging from the current situation, Nancy has been taking good care of her mother, and the mother and daughter have a deep relationship. After Megan disappeared, she is likely to find someone through various channels. According to the common sense of casting a wide net , even if she doesn’t trust the police at ordinary times, she will definitely call the police.”

What if there is no alarm record?

The biggest possibility is that Nancy also encountered an accident.

Thinking of this possibility, Lestrade shook his head first.In the past half a month, although he did not find out the identity of the deceased, he was not fooling around.

"Before, you said that the nature of the dismemberment case is different from ordinary murders. I investigated the known but unsolved dismemberment case files, and found no cases similar to Megan's method of dismemberment, and did not find a second similar one. deceased."

In other words, so far this is not a serial murder case.

"That's good news."

Sherlock packed the head models one by one, "I don't want to add such a sculpture head."

after one day.

Carter worked overtime to find the police records from four and a half years ago.

Nancy Owen went to Scotland Yard to report the crime. After returning home from the night shift, she found that her paralyzed mother was missing and the property in the house had been looted.

The police investigation concluded that Nancy's home had been burglarized.The burglar broke the lock and entered the house to find someone inside.

Since Megan was unable to speak and was paralyzed from the lower body, the two robbers successfully robbed a sum of money and then quietly robbed her away.

The reason for robbing people is simple. First, it can avoid the possibility of them being identified and arrested. Second, selling Megan to the black market can also be exchanged for a sum of money.

"At the time, Nancy was living in north-west London in a house rented by her deceased husband."

Lestrade learned through transcripts that Nancy, who was 26 and seven years old at the time, had been married for two years, and her husband Owen died of a work-related injury more than five months before Megan disappeared.

"It was a mine accident. After Owen died, the rented house where the three of them lived was still half a year away. Less than a month before moving, robbery and disappearance occurred."

Lestrade looked at Sherlock, "Mr. Holmes, I have sent someone to the contact address recorded in the file, but Nancy moved away three years ago, and no one knows her whereabouts now."

Sherlock was flipping through the file, and the police surveyed the scene of the disappearance and robbery. In addition to the written records, there were also a few photos.

The photos show that Nancy’s rented house has not been damaged by excessive smashing, etc. The drawers, wardrobes, desks and other places where property may be hidden are relatively messy, with obvious signs of being turned over.

The most striking thing is that two kinds of men's shoe prints were left on the ground, and the door lock was also pried to a certain extent.

There were no signs of fighting and resistance in Megan's bedroom, and the slippers by the bed were still there.There is also half a man's shoe footprint on the slippers, as if the robber accidentally stepped on it when he came to the bed.

According to the investigation at the time, none of Nancy's neighbors heard any abnormal sounds at night.

It rained heavily in the middle of the night after the incident, and the rain washed away the footprints left by the robbers on the street. They just disappeared into the rainy night with the stolen property and Megan.

The dossier shows Scotland Yard's investigation lasted two months.

In an era of police shortages, Scotland Yard has done its best to investigate families who are neither rich nor expensive.

Sherlock read the signature of the file, and the detectives in charge of the case were Allen and Abner.

Those two are over 55 and have retired, having left Scotland Yard last year.They have dealt with many burglary cases in the past, and the detection rate is neither high nor low, but they expressed their doubts at the end of the case file.

——Why did the robbers choose Nancy's house?Doesn't it seem threatening since there are no adult males in her family?

Megan is paralyzed in bed and unable to speak, Nancy will be on the night shift every once in a while, and Owen has passed away.

Indeed, choosing this nighttime burglary was a no-brainer.

However, the goal of burglary is to seek money.

Nancy rents a house in an ordinary neighborhood, and her husband Owen is a small boss who still needs to work in the mine, earning not much money.

The economic level of households in this area is about the same.

If the robbers stepped on the spot beforehand, it would be even more wrong to rob Nancy's house, because most of her family's income is used for the care of Megan.

It can also be seen from the list of lost items that Nancy's family was robbed of a small amount of property, with a total estimated value of only forty or fifty pounds.

Allen and Abner, who were in charge of the investigation, also made a guess based on this.

This robbery not only robbed money but also robbed people. Only by selling Megan to the black market for a sum of money can the nighttime burglary be worth the fare.

Sherlock put down the file first and asked, "On the file, Nancy was working in nursing home A in the suburbs of London. She resigned?"

Lestrade nodded, "I sent someone there. A week after Megan disappeared, Nancy resigned. It's a pity for the nursing home. Nancy is a responsible nurse, but she has to devote more energy to find her mother, so there is no way to continue. Work in nursing homes."

After checking here, the case has a rough outline.

More than 20 years ago, Megan moved out of the abandoned house with her daughter Nancy.

Fifteen years ago, Megan was paralyzed due to an accidental fall down the stairs, and the drug made her dumb with the wrong drug.

In the same year, 16-year-old Nancy took her mother Megan to Lin's Medical Center for medical treatment.Megan suffered repeated bone injuries, and Nancy repeatedly sought medical treatment for her mother.

The treatment at Lin's Medical Center lasted for a year.

Nancy and Megan move out to find a new rental.

Seven years have passed since then, and the dynamics between the mother and daughter are not known for the time being.

Seven years ago, Nancy married Owen.The couple shared care for the paralyzed Megan, and the three lived under one roof.

Owen died five years ago from a work-related injury.

Five months later, that is, four and a half years ago, there was a burglary in the rented house, property was stolen, and Megan disappeared.Nancy resigned shortly after and began an all-out search for her mother.

Four years ago, Megan died of arsenic poisoning and was dismembered after death.

Until early October this year, the buried body of Meghan was found in the abandoned house in Velic.

Sherlock draws out a concise timeline.

Lestrade couldn't help sighing, "This mother and daughter are quite unlucky. Megan lost her husband in the early years, but it seems that the place where she lives with her daughter is the safe and secure Baker Street area. Who would have thought that she would be paralyzed later, and the nursing Fei became a hole that couldn't be filled, and all the money Nancy earned was filled in."

The more he talked, the more Lestrade felt that the person with the strange halo on his head was not him, but the mother and daughter.

"Nancy worked alone for several years and found a husband who was willing to take care of her mother together. Seeing that the pressure of life could be less, but her husband died again. After her husband died, she only had her mother as a relative. She encountered a break-in on the eve of moving. Robbery not only robs money, but also robs people. It's really bad luck!"

Sherlock did not sigh, but found a question:

"Nancy is very concerned about her mother, even quitting her job. Why is there no follow-up record? As long as she doesn't find anyone for a day, she should come to Scotland Yard to ask about the situation. Are you guys not registered?"

"of course not!"

Lestrade said solemnly, "Mr. Holmes, please don't think too badly of Scotland Yard. I have confirmed with my colleagues at the reception desk that they have no impression of Nancy. And checking the records of the old case shows that Nancy And I will come to the police station to review and inquire about the disappearance case.”

"Don't you find it strange?"

Sherlock pointed to the case file, "Nancy signed the acknowledgment of the investigation results. That was the last time she appeared at the police station, two months after the disappearance. Could it be that Nancy just accepted that her mother was missing?" Can't see a dead body?"

Lestrade put down the pen in his hand and looked at Sherlock helplessly.

"Mr. Holmes, please be considerate of ordinary people. Not everyone is like you for the truth at all costs. They either lack the wisdom to track down the murderer, or they need more time to maintain food and clothing.

Megan is missing, and Nancy is just a widow without any relatives to help her, how long can she last?More than a decade since Megan's paralysis, she's lasted long enough.We cannot blame her. "

Lestrade didn't think it was wrong for Nancy to give up looking for Megan, if not, the other possibility would be even more sad.

"If Nancy didn't give up, but she didn't come to the police station again. You should have thought of the worst situation, and Nancy also encountered an accident. Compared with the second possibility, I would rather Nancy give up the pursuit of the truth and start fleeing from London A new life. In this kind of ending, at least one person is still alive."

Sherlock was silent for a few seconds, and did not coldly pour ice water on Lestrade's head, telling him that there was actually a third possibility.

"Okay. Your idea is valid to a certain extent, but now that Megan's body is found, you must continue to look for Nancy."

Sherlock picked up the case file, "I'll take these back and study them. In addition, please continue to lead your staff to visit other nursing homes and other workplaces that need nursing care, such as hospitals. As you said, Nancy needs to maintain If she lives, she may return to her familiar job."

"no problem."

Lestrade didn't want to give up the investigation, no matter what his reasons were, even if it was just to prevent the newspapers from talking nonsense, he couldn't slack off.

Before leaving, Sherlock took out an envelope.

"Five days later, the premiere of the musical "The Dark Castle" at the Rose Theater. Mr. Bennet and I sincerely invite you and Agent Carter to watch the performance. If you two don't have time, you can transfer it to someone else. Goodbye then— —”

"Ah? Oh!"

Lestrade was very surprised, and before he could react, Sherlock had already left quickly.

The office door was closed, and the letter containing the tickets lay quietly on the table.

When Lestrade came back to look again, there was no one in the corridor.

He smiled and shook his head, whispered a thank you, and did not refuse duplicity.

Of course Lestrade wanted to go to the premiere, but he couldn't get a ticket.Even though he knew that the devils were related to the theater organizer, he didn't want to ask for convenience in personal matters.

This time I actually received a gift from the devils.

For the sake of tickets, Lestrade generously ignored the fact that he was frightened by the mannequin before.

Five days in a hurry.

The Halloween spirit in London is getting stronger and stronger.

Even if not every child is involved in trick-or-treating activities, and drag parties where ghosts are not popular at the moment, there are more Halloween lanterns on the streets.

Nancy's whereabouts are still unknown.

Sherlock visited nursing homes and some hospitals in London, but found no trace of Nancy. She had never worked in those places.

The investigation will be postponed for one day, and the investigation will continue after the premiere of "The Dark Castle" tomorrow night.

At dusk, Sherlock stood on the balcony, and a room across the street was lit up every few days.It appears Kelsey is also back in London for the premiere.

At this moment, the window diagonally opposite was opened.

Kelsey was looking out the window, waving to Sherlock on the balcony, and raised her voice, "Tom, I have something good for you. Can you come and get it?"

what good stuff?

Sherlock guessed many possibilities and came to the opposite Kelsey's house.

As soon as he entered the door, Sherlock's eyes met the grinning faces, which were engraved on balls that looked like human heads.

That is, the exaggerated pumpkin lantern.

"Don't be surprised, I get a little more done in the afternoon."

Kelsey said that he had just finished a visit to the orphanage, and accompanied the children to make pumpkin lanterns, a special product for the Holy Festival.

"The jack-o-lanterns take up space, so I didn't intend to bring them back in a carriage. But after thinking about it for a while, I think it's necessary to keep a few more for the two of us."

Why is it necessary to keep a few more for the two of them?

At this moment, Sherlock realized that the two of them were going to attend the premiere together tomorrow.

The point is 'two people together'.

I almost forgot about their weird aura, the death of the golden rose once occurred in the Rose Theater.God knows if the strange luck of the two will happen again.

Kelsey said: "Jack-o'-lantern exorcism, especially tomorrow's Halloween night, should be a good thing for us. What do you think? Are there any other safeguards that need to be done?"

"Jerry, you are very thoughtful."

Sherlock picked up a jack-o-lantern, and its weird smiling face became very cute. "Legends say that Halloween lanterns can confuse the god of death, and may also stifle strange luck. It is necessary to light up more."

"Actually, I am also prepared."

Sherlock lowered his voice slightly, "I sent tickets to Mycroft. In case of any situation, he can also help."

'Ah! '

Mycroft sneezed for no reason, looking at the premiere ticket of "The Dark Castle" in his hand.

In fact, he was too lazy to move, too lazy to go to the theater.But according to Sherlock, the VIPs each got a gift of cake after the show.So, should we go tomorrow night or not?