[Comprehensive Classics] Detective Mary

"Take it, Miss Mary."

Sherlock Holmes handed the rose in front of Mary: "Tomorrow it will definitely not accompany me into the streets."

Mary was stunned.

She didn't realize the current situation at all, but when Holmes handed over the roses, Mary foolishly took the bright red flowers, completely unaware of what the detective sent over.

It wasn't until the tiny thorns on the stems of the roses brushed against her thumbs that the slight pricks brought Mary back to reality.

It also made her realize: the person in front of her is by no means an illusion caused by her worrying too much, it is real.

God!

Holmes actually came to Milton?That's how he came to Milton? !

The living detective appeared in front of her, and Mary didn't pay attention to what he handed over at all.

"I……"

Mary blinked blankly, and couldn't help pinching her cheeks: "I'm not dreaming, am I? Or is there something wrong with too much pressure?"

Holmes: "..."

The detective raised his eyebrows: "Although France is separated from the coast of England, we didn't live 200 years ago. Miss, I think nearly a month is enough for me to return."

Yes, it has been more than 20 days since she sent that telegram!

Mary snapped back to herself.

In view of the fact that Sherlock Holmes in the original book is also haunted by ghosts from time to time, he even suspended his death in "The Last Case" and returned in an empty house, which frightened Dr. John Watson, who had been mourning for a long time.

Right now, he just appeared in Milton in a low-key disguise, which is not a fantasy event.

"So you got the telegram!"

Mary's eyes lit up, and her train of thought quickly followed after the shock: "You left and came back as soon as you received the telegram, didn't you? How is the situation in Paris? Is it okay for you to leave directly? And why? Mr. Thornton and I are worried about coming here in disguise without notifying us in advance, does anyone in London know the situation?"

Her series of questions earned Holmes a smile.

The detective with a cold expression hooked his lips, and there was a bit of imperceptible warmth in his knife-sharpened face.

Sherlock Holmes picked up the flower baskets and costumes on the ground: "That's why I'm here, miss, but the streets are really not the place to talk."

"You can go to Mr. Hale's house," Mary suggested, "and have a cup of hot tea. Have you had dinner yet?"

"No."

Holmes shook his head: "I cannot reveal my identity."

Also.

Taking advantage of the fact that there were no people on the street after get off work in the factory, it was okay for him to just remove the disguise like this.But Milton is not only Thornton's site, but also Hamp's site.

Holmes came here in a low-key manner, precisely for the purpose of not letting others know.Mary trusts Margaret and Hale, but Sherlock Holmes does not know them.

"It's better to go back to the Marlborough factory," said Mary, "where he lives with his family."

This time Holmes had no objection, after all Thornton was one of his clients: "Please lead the way."

Fortunately, Mr. Thornton, the conscientious factory owner, did not leave the office after the workers had all left.

The overseer at the Marlborough factory knew Mary and didn't say much when she saw that she had brought a very sloppy man into the factory.Mary and Holmes walked through the factory area and came to the lighted office.

Mr. Thornton was sorting out the materials, when he saw Mary, who had just left, come back suddenly, the solemn man immediately frowned.

"As I said, Miss Mary," he said directly, "I will send a telegram to Editor-in-Chief Hall first, and then we will continue to discuss whether you are going to London."

"No need to go to London."

Mary: "Mr. Holmes has come to Milton."

Thornton: "What?"

Mary gave way to the office door with a bright smile, and let Sherlock Holmes enter.

Even though the makeup of cross-dressing remains on his face, no one can mistake his tall and thin figure.John Thornton started from nothing and struggled to become a factory owner on one side. What big storms have he not seen?But even he, when he saw Holmes saying hello to him, was choked for a long time before he recovered his voice.

"My God," Thornton said in astonishment, "when did you come here, detective?"

"This morning."

Holmes put the flower basket aside and replied: "Forgive me for coming uninvited, sir, but now Professor James Moriarty's people still think that I am in Paris, so they have to return in disguise."

Mary's heart that had just been let go picked up again: "So the professor knows that you went to Paris to investigate, and you are not in danger, sir?"

Holmes: "He is very cunning, but please trust my ability. Besides, after returning to China, his people are not so well-informed. The clues exposed by Captain Carter in London and his own death are enough for our government to find Moriarty. With the existence of the professor, he will not act rashly in England."

That's good.

Mary was relieved.As early as Holmes mentioned that a "government person" had noticed the professor, she had a vague idea in her mind.

It is impossible for Sherlock Holmes to be the only one who noticed things like disrupting the market—the world is so big, and although there are few people as smart as detectives, it is not all there.

"Then why did you come to Milton, sir," asked Mary, "the person responsible for making connections in the country is in London."

"It's your credit, Miss," he replied happily, "Moriarty's people discovered my existence in the middle of my investigation in London. The progress of the subsequent investigation was extremely slow. , I spend more time avoiding tracking.”

Sure enough, someone attacked him!

Although Holmes' words were simple, Mary still keenly detected the existence of danger from his calm words.

"Just when I was at a loss, your telegram came."

Holmes said "ha" to himself.

He turned around and walked around the room for a few steps. It was obvious that the detective was in a good mood, and there was a lingering pride in his speech.

"Professor Moriarty never imagined that I was not alone in the pursuit of clues," he said. "This gave me an opportunity, Miss Mary. After discussing it with another client, both of whom were in London, we decided to set up a Simple and ingenious trap."

"trap?"

"That was to let James Moriarty know that his men in London had been exposed."

what……

Mary understood most of it immediately.

"And this really alarmed them," Holmes said with a smile on his face. "Before Professor Moriarty himself could respond, the local people in charge of the factory owner's network in London lost their minds and approached the professor's team." Another confidant."

"Another one?"

Upon hearing this, Thornton immediately became serious: "Does he still have a confidant?"

Holmes nodded: "Of course."

Mary: "Is it the murderer who killed Captain Carter? Or his instigator."

Holmes turned his head.

He looked Mary up and down—and Mary had long been used to Holmes' scrutiny, and she was no longer as uneasy as she was when she first met the detective.

In the end Holmes affirmed her guess.

"Yes, you are as perceptive as ever, Miss Mary," the detective said, "Colonel Sebastian Moran, this man is as dangerous as James Moriarty himself. After Buckle learned that he was exposed , Notified him immediately."

it is as expected.

Mary had long speculated that there should be two of Moriarty's henchmen in London.Who would want to kill in front of Sherlock Holmes unless it was an emergency?The one who can shoot and kill key people in a critical moment must be the confidant of James Moriarty's confidant.

What Mary didn't expect was that Colonel Moran, whom Professor Moriarty trusted most in the original book, was stationed in London.

This is a big fish caught.

He understood Holmes' plan without mentioning Mary.

"In order to shirk responsibility," Mary continued Holmes's words, "Buckle will definitely confess Hamp. Then... I think Mr. Hamp is now facing the same danger of being murdered and silenced as Captain Carter was then."

As she said that, Mary's expression also became serious: "You are here for this, aren't you, sir?"

"Yes."

Holmes admitted his reason for coming: "Colonel Moran must not be allowed to continue killing people this time."

And after saving Hamp, it would be too unreasonable for him not to tell about the concealed contact network.Connecting the cause, effect, and future plans, Mary's nervous heart finally returned to her stomach.

"It's not difficult to stop him."

Mary said firmly: "Milton is not as mixed as London. Everyone knows each other in a small town. It is impossible to do what you want to do without anyone noticing."

Holmes: "It's like Chess Game, isn't it?"

Mary: "..."

It seems that the detective is in a really good mood today, and even made fun of Mary.

But his metaphor does hit the mark.

Coincidentally, the first story of Philip Luther was set in an industrial town very similar to Milton.And Mary felt that the situation they were about to face in reality was much easier than in the novel.

After all, Colonel Sebastian Moran is not a serial murderer, and his motives and actions are much simpler than those of the murderer from the future.

"He won't succeed," Mary said. "The workers are desperately looking forward to the reduction of cotton raw materials. Just let them pay more attention. Unless Colonel Moran is an invisible man, he will definitely be exposed. Thornton Sir can introduce you to Higgins, the union representative."

"Why are you introducing me?"

"Ok?"

Mary was stunned by the detective's question.

Holmes sat down instead, and it was rare for him to relax when he leaned back in his chair after a long day's work.The detective's first reaction when he sat down was to feel his waist, as if he wanted to feel his pipe or cigarette.

"The workers in London know me well, so they are my informants." However, the detective fumbled for nothing before remembering to change his clothes. "But in Milton, the workers are your informants, so why bother?" ? Tracking down Moriarty is my case, but equally, it is your case in Milton, Miss Mary."

Holmes had no choice but to withdraw his hand angrily, stood up and looked at Thornton again: "Do you have cigarettes in your residence, sir? I need to think."

Thornton nodded: "You also need to rest, detective. I will first ask someone to send Miss Mary back."

"and many more."

Holmes stood up suddenly again, strode over to the flower basket used for dressing up, and took out a magazine from under the scattered flowers.

"When I came from London." Holmes took the magazine and walked up to Mary. "Editor Fred Hall asked me to bring you a sample of the new issue."

"Ah, thanks."

Recently, she has been worrying about Holmes' safety, and Mary almost forgot about the publication of the periodical.

She reached out to take the magazine, and it was only then that Mary suddenly realized that she was holding something in her hand.She lowered her head and saw the delicate flower in her hand that she didn't know when.

The scene outside the Marlborough factory not long ago crawled back to Mary's mind at the speed of light. After the shock faded, her brain was finally able to process the scene at that time.

Roses... roses.

Realizing what happened, her cheeks exploded hot.

Mr. Holmes sent her roses? !

The author has something to say: Mary: Holding a small cross at a loss.jpg