[Comprehensive Classics] Detective Mary

In the early morning of the next day, in order to contact the trade union to explain what happened to Colonel Sebastian Moran, Mary brought Mr. Holmes, who had concealed his identity as a detective and was walking on the street like a foreign worker, to the worker's classroom, and was going to wait until after class. Speak privately with union representative Nicholas Higgins.

She and the other ladies have been in charge of the children's education, and Dr. Watson and Mr. Hale have been in charge of the working class.This is not only Mr. Holmes' first visit, but also Mary's first visit.

I have to admit that Dr. Watson is tough and extremely responsible.In just half a month, he managed to make the worker's classroom look good.

Previously, Mr. Hale only talked about literature and religion in class, but the workers didn't care to listen to that, so the workers' class was almost useless.

And now, when Mary sneaks in, the lobby is so crowded that Mr. Hale has to advise the workers to remove their stools and to stand and listen like a union meeting.

But even so, everyone's enthusiasm is very high.

Today's lesson is about epidemics and plagues.As soon as Mary heard Mr. Hale speak, she knew that Dr. Watson had really thought about it.

He did not cite some intractable diseases, but took into account the living habits of the workers, and singled out several common epidemics and plagues for special explanations.

It not only talked about their source of infection, but also how to prevent it, especially paying attention to living hygiene.

And Mary also found that... Dr. Watson's writing is really good.

As expected, Holmes himself stamped and praised it. Even if Mr. Hale converted the content written by Watson into oral language, with professional instinct, Mary could still hear some of the unique taste and artistic sense of literature.

Catchy and fascinating, this teaching plan is placed in the 21st century. Even if Watson does not become a doctor or a writer, he must be a very good educator.

As a colleague, Mary was a little jealous.

And Sherlock Holmes stood with Mary in the last corner of the classroom, and he also heard a little bit of the door.

He raised his eyebrows: "Will Mr. Hale prepare the teaching plans for the current courses?"

Mary withdrew Watson's name maliciously: "It was a lesson plan that a doctor assisted Mr. Hale."

Holmes: "The one who helped you track down the clues in London."

Mary: "..."

You already know what to ask!

Originally, Mary wanted to maintain the classic first meeting scene in the original book.As a result, Mr. Holmes knew of the doctor's existence in advance.

But he didn't question Watson. He didn't know if he knew it already, or he thought he was Mary's friend—and an informant. He gave up curiosity out of respect for Mary's original intention.

Sherlock Holmes just nodded and said affirmatively, "This doctor is very attentive."

Of course, Mary already knew this, please Watson must be right.

After saying this, the two fell into an unembarrassing silence for the time being.Mr. Holmes listened to the workers' knowledge with great interest, while Mary was still hesitant to speak.

There is no other reason. Sherlock Holmes came to Milton from London in disguise, and brought the sample issue and the official issue of the magazine that published the third issue of "Serial Killer Chess Game" along the way.

This also means that he has finished reading the follow-up story on the train.

Before the release of the new "Seashore Series", Mary was either busy setting factory operating standards or worried about the safety of Sherlock Holmes.

She lived a full life, and the case and crisis were so close that she even forgot that the new issue of the magazine was about to be published.

And Sherlock Holmes came to Milton like a heaven, not only brought "The Seashore Magazine", but also, and, and...

Noticing Mary's expression, Holmes raised his eyebrows: "Why?"

Under his clear and sharp eyes, Mary suddenly had the illusion that the detective had already noticed what she was thinking.

Mr. Holmes who came to Milton also gave her a rose.

Back at Hale's residence yesterday, Mary carefully put the roses into the vase, which caused Margaret to look surprised. She asked who sent it, and Mary just vaguely said that it was thanks from others.

Thank you from others—strictly speaking, it’s not wrong.

Mary did not forget the dialogue that Mr. Holmes said when he sent flowers.After he uttered the same words in the original "Navy Agreement", the plot that followed was that the client's fiancée, Miss Harris, helped the detectives solve the case.

Later generations have analyzed and discussed this remark in various ways, and there is no conclusion.So Mary tentatively understands that Mr. Holmes' words are praising Miss Harris' wit and bravery* (see note).

At this moment, Mary also helped him track down the clues. Under similar circumstances, she didn't think there was any charm in this rose.

"Thank you for the rose," said Mary, with great grace, "I like it very much."

Mr. Holmes was not surprised, he lowered his head: "My honor, Miss Mary."

Without being glamorous, Mary was still very happy.

As a new detective in the eyes of others, it is an honor to be affirmed and praised by a senior who is Sherlock Holmes himself.

Realizing this, Mary smiled: "Also, sir, you read the third serial, can I get your feedback?"

Holmes looked away.

He looked at Mr. Hale standing on the podium: "You have a unique perspective on the case, miss."

really.

Before Mr. Holmes opened his mouth, based on the detective's past concerns, Mary had probably guessed what the detective was most concerned about.

In the last serial, Edmund provoked Philip Luther on the spot, throwing out the concept of serial killers—and using "serial killers" instead of explanations.

Therefore, Luther, who took up the challenge in this issue, went to investigate the case. The biggest suspense of the plot was to unravel the true meaning of "serial killer".

Mary did not let Luther cut into the investigation in the way of Victorian detectives.

After Philip Luther learned that there were more victims, his first reaction was not to cooperate with the police to carry out a carpet search. The first thing he did was to examine Edmond.

First of all, he voluntarily surrendered himself——he showed off his crimes and proved that he did not kill with passion. Edmond didn't even have any fear or repentance for killing people, and he was a complete demon.

And his first victim was his own mother.

Years of harsh abuse by his mother has turned all his flesh and blood love into hatred.Edmond undoubtedly hated his mother deeply, and the concept of "sequence" he mentioned made Luther's thinking follow his thinking to start an analysis.

If Edmund was motivated by killing his mother to kill other people-killing his mother was not enough to solve his hatred, then he probably transferred his hatred of his mother to other victims.

So... His targets must all be women.

At this time, Mary's narrative changed, making Philip Luther's mood "directly back to the night when he first met Edmond in the bar."

Luther's first impression of Edmund was "a sense of oppression that cannot be ignored because of his extremely tall stature and indifferent expression"—you must know that Mary named the two famous tough guy detectives as "determinate and fearless" Philip Luther himself, the challenger, is enough to prove that Luther is also a tall and straight man.

It can make him feel oppressed, which is enough to prove that Edmond's figure has exceeded the normal range.

Such a person must not be very popular with women.And Luther clearly remembered what he said when he comforted himself to mourn his dead wife.

"Woman," he said, "either she has your destiny by the throat or you have her. Such is the nature of married life."

—It sounded like a joke at the time, but when Philip Luther stood outside the prison and recalled Edmund's words, he just felt chills all over his body.

Being denied by his mother all the year round, he is full of hatred for women; because of his body shape and appearance, he cannot communicate with women normally, and he has always lacked normal communication with the opposite sex in his growing years.

Such characteristics allowed Philip Luther to limit the range of victims to young unmarried girls.

It wasn't until this time that Luther asked the police to launch an investigation.

The real investigation process is cumbersome and tortuous, but it is not too difficult.Luther first retrieved the records of Edmond's work from the factory, found out the dates of his absence from work this year, and then investigated again, and quickly delineated two suspicious times.

In the past two days, he went to other towns on the grounds of visiting relatives and traveling.

Based on the records of women killed in other towns over the past year, Philip Luther finally found two victims who were killed in the same way and in two small towns.

This is already a fairly simplified and simplified version of the application of criminal psychology.

True criminal psychology is a rather complex subject, and it plays more of an auxiliary and profiling role in criminal investigation techniques than directly adjudicating cases.Edmund Campbell's case is derived from his own narrative backwards, so it has a somewhat simplistic meaning in itself.

And Mary simplifies again, cutting off most of the professional knowledge and the specific psychological state of the 21st century crowd, but makes Edmond's motivation within the range acceptable to readers in the [-]th century.

After all, in the Victorian era, people could use the word "devil" to summarize almost all motives for killing.

Mary thought that Sherlock Holmes would once again point out that she wrote "tricks", but she did not expect him to give affirmative feedback on this.

"Current detective novels, even police detectives," commented Holmes, "start with physical evidence, but you start with the murderer's psychological motives. This way of thinking is very unique, Miss Mary, presumably. You must love Dostoevsky very much."

Holmes is not the first reviewer to refer to Dostoyevsky for Mary's work.

But Mary still showed a look of surprise: "You have read his works."

Holmes raised his eyebrows: "From your tone, this seems to be a very strange thing."

Mary: "I'm just surprised that you agree with him, sir. You once expressed your attitude towards literature. You prefer words based on reality to outright fantasy."

"I don't think that Dostoevsky's work is a complete fantasy," Holmes said. "His exile in Siberia is enough to support his psychological analysis of morbidity and crime."

Sure enough, compared to romanticism, Mr. Holmes still prefers realistic literature.

Mary thought for a while: "What about Tolstoy?"

Holmes: "In the same way, his spiritual dialectics also come from his own inner struggle, and I think it is true and reliable."

Mary: "Where's Stendhal?"

Holmes: "...it doesn't seem to have anything to do with your novel."

Mary raised a bright smile: "According to the last feedback, after the compliment, you will start to criticize me mercilessly, sir."

The implication is that she is not a masochist, the more others scold her, the happier she will be.Mary’s serialization was completed in one go, and the mistakes pointed out last time will inevitably still exist in the next article. One reminder is enough, and Mary doesn’t want to listen to the complaints again.

Her shameless behavior brought Holmes laughter. I don't know if he was laughing at her, or simply amused by Mary's behavior.

"It's a pity," the condescending detective deliberately elongated his tone, and put on the firm tone he would use when pronouncing the truth of the case, "There is no criticism this time. I have already said what I should say, and there is no need to repeat it." Talk too much."

He paused, and continued: "You are very good at raising suspense, using technique descriptions and alternative thinking to attract readers, Miss Mary. It is true that there is still a sense of hiding your skill in conducting investigations like this, but I don't think it is a powerful and unconstrained style. The psychological motivation of the murderer is indeed a profound and valuable knowledge. At present, we have no system, no theory, and cannot apply it in the criminal investigation process. But I believe that Philip Luther’s way of solving the case in your writing is a prophecy. rather than outright imagination."

Mary was completely speechless.

Holmes is Holmes, and Mary just throws out a concept—not even a concept when she simplifies it, at best slightly novel material.

But Sherlock Holmes, in this little clue, has a glimpse of the future.

At that moment, Mary really wanted to say, you are right, because I just came back from the era of criminal psychology.

But this idea just swirled around in Mary's heart, and she pressed it down.

"Thank you," she responded emotionally. "I am flattered to give you such a high evaluation, sir."

Holmes snorted: "There is nothing to be surprised or not to be surprised. I am not flattering you, Miss Mary, this is the affirmation you deserve, it's just..."

"only?"

"That editor of yours," said the detective, very unhappily, "is indeed a business genius."

"..." Mary immediately laughed out loud.

After finding the two victims, Philip Luther endured great anger and returned to the town to face Edmund again.

"You never had more than two victims," ​​he said, "have you?"

"Who did you find?"

Edmund's manner remained composed and calm.

"Lucy and Anne," Edmund said regretfully, "should have done better, but unfortunately they are two defective products. If you only found these two corpses, I would be too disappointed."

What he said was defective, referring to his imperfect method of committing crimes, which was easily found by Luther.

Luther's reaction, in Mary's writing, is "trying hard to resist the urge to knock the bridge of his nose, and maintain a cold expression."He looked at Edmund coldly, and said, "The word 'sequence' is too mathematical, Edmond. How about changing it to 'serial'? A serial killer who commits crimes continuously with the same motive and the same pattern. Yours The technique is maturing step by step, tell me, Edmond, how many more innocent girls died at the hands of serial killers?"

Until this moment, Edmond's calm expression broke instantly.

He laughed and responded.

"There are three more, Luther."

——The third serialization stopped here.

Now Mary thinks that the editor-in-chief Hall is more powerful.He was the man who cheated Sherlock Holmes twice in a row!Even Professor Moriarty himself didn't get this achievement in the original book!

No wonder the detective was in a hurry, Mary would probably have sent the blade to the magazine long ago.

"Next month will be the last issue," Mary couldn't help but said, "I will convey my dissatisfaction for you then, sir."

"Businessman," the detective said childishly, "disgusting businessman behavior."

"...I will also convey this." Mary didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Fortunately, today's trade union class is over.

Mr. Hale closed the lesson plan, and the hall suddenly became as noisy as a market.Mary didn't miss this opportunity to divert the detective's attention. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked towards the bustling lobby: "We can find Higgins now and discuss how to catch the big fish Colonel Moran."

The author has something to say: [So let’s take Mary as the words of Mr. Holmes, praising Miss Harris for her wit and bravery]: In the original book "Navy Agreement", Lao Fu suddenly pulled out a rose and said such a paragraph , I don’t know if it’s an outbreak of literary cells or there are other deep meanings.There are quite a lot of discussions about the content of this paragraph... I just write according to my understanding: after speaking, Ms. Harris raised doubts and provided help when catching the real murderer later, so I think Old Fu may have seen that this young lady is a key person, and she has been supporting the client, supporting him to take care of him. She is an independent and brave girl, so Lao Fu praised him—of course, this is just My personal understanding does not represent any authoritative interpretation.

As for why Mary is given flowers in the article, it can be understood as expressing praise for Mary’s independence and intelligence and thanks for helping to solve the case, just like the original book, but if you can’t wait to watch the emotional drama, I think the old man likes Mary, and your understanding will not affect it. The plot is out. In fact, the article is developed from the perspective of Mary after all. I haven't written about Lao Fu's psychological changes.The relationship between Lao Fu and Mary must have been gradual. After all, the detective is too decent a male god, and the fire with no brains and dry firewood is not realistic...Although I like to write about sick and petite girls, Mary's brain Is it normal? 233