[Comprehensive Classics] Detective Mary

The female victim named Nancy, who may have been a thief, died largely from homicide.

Adding up the three elements, Mary almost immediately thought of the plot in the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, a great writer of British realism.

In Oliver Twist, there is such a girl named Nancy, who was born in a gang of thieves and lived a miserable life.After the little protagonist Oliver escaped from the poor workhouse, he also fell into the hands of the leader of a gang of thieves, but was saved by kind people.And Oliver is not a child of a poor family, he is an illegitimate child of a rich family.

Oliver's half-brother tried to join forces with gangs of thieves and other villains to frame him in order to seize the family property. At a critical juncture, it was Miss Nancy, who still had a little kindness in her heart and felt pity for what happened to Oliver, who risked her life to inform him , saved Oliver.

And her life was lost because of it.

Given that "Pride and Prejudice" took place more than a hundred years after the original work, it is not uncommon for "Oliver Twist" to be a generation after Dickens's time.

only……

"The murderer is a gangster named Sykes," Inspector Lestrade explained. "He has a close relationship with the victim, Nancy, and has known him for many years. He still doesn't understand why he suddenly committed the murder."

The Inspector doesn't know now, but Mary does.Sykes killed Nancy because he was furious after learning of Nancy's betrayal, and directly gave her the "punishment" she deserved.

Mary's heart was heavy.

It's just, if she must experience the plots of other famous novels, why can't it be earlier, even a little bit, a few weeks?In this case, maybe Mary can do something for Nancy.

Even if she can't, Mr. Sherlock Holmes can, it's a living life.

"Where is the murderer now, Inspector?"

"He fled the scene overnight." Inspector Lestrade looked very upset. "Damn beast, he treated a lady like this. Don't worry, Miss Mary, we won't let him go."

Of course, Mary may not trust other detectives, but she is willing to choose to trust Inspector Lestrade.However, she hesitated for a moment, and then said carefully: "He may come back, Inspector."

"Will be back?"

It's not that Inspector Lestrade doesn't believe in Miss Mary Bennet's ability, but that she has never even seen the scene, so she directly asserts the murderer's behavior, isn't it a bit too mysterious?

But out of respect, Lestrade still asked Mary to continue talking: "Tell me, miss, you may not come up with new ideas."

Mary naturally saw the Inspector's suspicion.

She is indeed not out of reasoning, but because of her understanding of the original work of "Oliver Twist".

Knowing the motive of Sykes' murder and the whole ins and outs, especially the future direction of the plot, Mary dared not say these words to Mr. Holmes—for fear that he would rely on his own keenness and wisdom to sniff out the problem, but Facing the inspector, Mary felt that she could use the plot of the original book to help.

She thought about her words, and then replied: "Mr. Holmes deduces that the murderer's motive is to kill people, so I think that Nancy either leaked some secrets, or she just heard something she shouldn't hear. But for a fellow gangster The gang of thieves who were in the same boat proved Sikes in every way to be up to no good.

"so?"

"So," Mary said earnestly, "I am worried that Nancy will spoil her 'good deed' and prove that what Sykes wants to do is a big business. He can't do it alone. He has accomplices."

Mary didn't need to say much about the rest of the train of thought, the experienced detective also understood what she meant.

"He may well have gone to join other associates," said Lestrade.

"It could be Nancy's associates, too," added Mary. "Have you found out what gang Nancy belonged to, Inspector?"

"It doesn't need to be checked at all."

Lestrade spat.

"Fagan, the old Jew, is the most cunning and famous thief leader in the Whitechapel district. He has raised a lot of children who steal chickens and dogs. As for Sykes, his cronies have even been involved in crimes, and they are not strangers."

"Well."

Mary nodded: "You are going to send two teams, Inspector, can I go with you?"

"you?"

Detective Inspector Lestrade agreed almost out of habit—after all, when working with Sherlock Holmes, if clues were found, the police would often run behind the detective, and he didn't even bother to explain.

And now...

The middle-aged detective quickly looked at Miss Mary Bennet's clean dress and petite figure: "I'm afraid something will happen to you, miss."

"I won't follow you into the scene!"

Mary hurriedly added: "I'll just watch from a distance, in case something happens, you send the police over to find me, isn't that a waste of effort?"

Also.

Although it sounded like the entire Scotland Yard police were useless, Lestrade could feel Miss Mary's eagerness and enthusiasm, so he didn't pursue it.

And it was also Mary's luck. After working with Holmes for so long, Inspector Lestrade didn't feel that Mary's request was out of the ordinary.

"In that case."

He quickly considered the pros and cons, and reluctantly agreed to Mary's request: "I will send someone to Baker Street to ask Dr. Watson to accompany you. Don't be brave and don't barge into the scene."

The two stopped talking, and went straight to the Whitechapel area after Mary changed into ordinary clothes.

As soon as the carriage came out of Serpentine Street, Mary told the coachman to stop, stopped a boy in the street, and asked him to go to the Irish Workers' Quarter and find Miss Mary Morstan at the entrance of the slum.

When they arrived in the Whitechapel neighborhood, Mary saw the red-haired girl standing on the street at a glance.

"Miss Morstan!"

Watson's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but raise his voice to say hello, "Long time no see, how are you?"

Hearing the movement, Morstan suddenly raised his head.

After seeing a whole team of policemen, she showed an uneasy expression, so she just twitched the corners of her lips perfunctorily for Dr. Watson's warm greeting, and then looked directly at Mary: "What's going on? It's from that poor girl before." case?"

"Yes."

Mary nodded: "Inspector Lestrade has a clue. Today's purpose is to catch the old Jew Fagan and Sykes' gang."

"Sikes?!" Miss Morstan exclaimed in a low voice.

Sure enough, Mary knew she knew.

Also living in a slum, although Mary believes that the Irish girl with the same name as herself is innocent, she is indeed an intelligence expert who knows many people in the streets and alleys.

"It turned out to be Sykes," Morstan's surprise turned into anger after the accident, "Bastard bastard, where is he now?!"

"He has probably gone to his own company and friends," answered Dr. Watson. "Do you know where Toby Crickett and Chetlin live, Miss Morstan?"

"Of course I know."

Morstan didn't say a word, her eyes were burning: "Come with me."

Inspector Lestrade divided his men into two teams, one team went to catch the old Jew Fagan, and the other team followed the red-haired Irish girl all the way into the Whitechapel area.

She led the policemen through the workers' gathering area, all the way to the deeper and dirtier alleys, burrowed through the crowded and smelly streets, and finally stopped in front of a street.

"Here," Morstan pointed to the roof of the dilapidated house, "Toby Crickett and Chetlin live here."

As soon as Miss Morstan finished speaking, everyone standing outside the building heard a shrill scream in the house.

"Help! Kill someone here, arrest him*!!"

Everyone is shocked.

Without waiting for Mary to react, Inspector Lestrade drew out his gun first, and kicked his young subordinate lightly: "What are you still doing, hurry up!"

Several young police detectives rushed forward.

The houses in the slums are dirty and dilapidated, and the sound insulation effect is naturally not much better.Standing outside on the street, Mary could also clearly hear what happened indoors. It was a young boy's voice, which sounded angry and sad: "Murderer, executioner! You killed Nancy, but any beast with any humanity Will not hurt my friends and lovers, but you! A complete devil, murderer! You should pay for Nancy's life!"

Then there was the sound of the police knocking on the door.

Such a movement alarmed other residents, and countless people opened their windows and walked onto the street, seemingly trying to figure out what happened.After a few roars, a gangster showed his face through the window.

Mary had the quickest response: "That's him! I'll give five pounds to whoever can catch Sykes!"

This sentence immediately made everyone on the street a good helper for the police.

Monks and his accomplice escaped by jumping out of the top floor window and took a detour to another street.The police didn't catch it, but more people heard that there was a reward for catching the murderer, so they immediately joined the operation to catch the fugitive without saying a word.

Mary and her party followed the surging crowd after the mighty arresting army. She looked at the fleeing Sykes from a distance, saw him running all the way to the bridge, and immediately raised her voice and shouted: "Sykes! He ran to the bridge, whoever catches him, I will increase the price to ten pounds!"

The crowd became even more impassioned when they heard Mary's price increase.

Taking advantage of this time, Mary dragged Miss Morstan beside her to take a step forward.Behind them Dr. Watson dutifully held back the throng, lest they should run into the two ladies.

But John Watson, a gentleman with only two hands, tried his best, but he couldn't stop all the passers-by.

"Miss Mary, Miss Morstan, wait!"

The two girls were slender and much more flexible than Watson. They staggered away from Watson in three or two steps. Mary finally squeezed out a relatively spacious path. She picked up the skirt and just changed from walking to galloping. He bumped into a tall man head-on.

It hurts!

Mary felt as if she had slammed into a door, and she staggered a few steps. If Morstan hadn't supported her behind her, a stampede would have happened next.

"Yes, I'm sorry, sir," Mary rubbed her forehead and looked up, "I didn't mean to—"

The following words came to an abrupt end after Mary saw the face of the visitor.

The tall gentleman turned his head and took off the hat that covered most of his face, revealing his handsome eyebrows.

"Sir Blackwood?" Mary could hardly believe her eyes.

"Miss Mary."

Sir Blackwood, who had met once at Pemberley Manor, also showed a shocked expression. He frowned: "You are not injured, are you? Why are you dressed like this? What are you doing?"

What to do, naturally...

Mary reacted suddenly.

"I'm chasing fugitives!"

She didn't care about explaining, and pointed directly at Sykes who was running towards the bridge: "It's too late, Sir, that's a murderer, we must catch him."

"Catch him?"

Sir Blackwood suddenly realized: "I said how noisy the streets are."

As he spoke, his right hand stretched toward his waist.

Seeing this movement, Mary's expression shivered instinctively—she had seen this movement twice before when she confronted Colonel Sebastian Moran and his men many times before!

As expected, Sir Blackwood took out a gun from his waist.

He aimed at Sykes who was running wildly, loaded and aimed skillfully, and pulled the trigger.

——A loud gunshot rang through the sky, bringing the originally noisy street into a moment of silence.

But in the blink of an eye, the crowd became agitated, screaming and yelling one after another, appearing more chaotic than before.Sir Blackwood protected the two ladies behind him, and at the same time Dr. Watson followed, and the two men who had never met before coincidentally blocked the crowd for the girls.

Jazz's bullet hit Sykes' shoulder with perfect precision.

He staggered, fell directly to the ground, and dragged bloodstains to the end of the bridge after rolling and crawling.Mary was twenty feet away from him, and she saw Sikes turn his head, his whole face contorted with fear or pain or anger or something else.

The murderer saw Sir Blackwood with his gun raised, and he uttered a mournful cry.

"Eyes!! So many eyes, don't look at me, don't look at me!!"

Sykes rolled around on the bridge head like crazy, tried to stand up repeatedly but failed, just kept yelling words like "don't come over" and "lots of eyes" until the police pushed through the crowd and arrived on site.

When the police detective bent down and tried to hold Sykes down, his fingertips just touched the murderer's back, and his whole body pulled out as if touching a flame.

"Don't touch me, don't look at me!!"

He roared frantically, and kept scratching his face, dripping with blood as if he couldn't feel the pain.

Such a terrifying scene stunned the police, let alone other passers-by.

Sikes got to his feet at last, his face covered with blood, and still screaming, "A lot of eyes, a lot of eyes, a lot of eyes, don't look at me—"

The murderer barely ran a few steps, tripped over his left foot, staggered again, and fell straight off the bridge.

His head hit the stone pillar with a muffled sound, and Sikes' body fell to the road beside the river, blood spattered all over the ground, he twitched a few times, and never moved again.

Even Mary was petrified by the horrific sight.

She wasn't afraid of bloodstains, corpses, or even the pistol Sir Blackwood pulled out, but such a scene...

Mary clearly remembers that Sykes in the original book was also frightened by her hallucinations, and thus committed suicide and died in full view.He did yell something similar to eyes, but it was because the guilt and fear after the murder overwhelmed him, resulting in a lingering visual illusion.

But the scene just now, the madness and roar before Sykes died, was it really caused by guilt?

She couldn't help shivering.

Sir Blackwood saw Mary's trembling in his eyes. He recovered from the shock, sighed out of sympathy or pity, then took off his coat and put it on Mary.

The heavy clothes weighed on her shoulders, Mary was startled, and then came back to her senses.

"I just wanted to subdue him," Jazz whispered, "but I didn't expect that the bullet seemed to be the last straw that crushed his sanity."

With that said, Sir Blackwood turned his head to look at Mary beside him.

"Now, Miss Mary," he said, "can you tell me what happened and why you dressed like someone else's maid?"

Mary hooked her lips reluctantly.

She couldn't help laughing. Even if Sikes had deserved his death, he shouldn't have died in such a horrible state.So after several efforts, Mary simply gave up trying.

"Let's talk it over at the police station, ser," she replied.

Although Sykes' grim death was unusual, the party in the Whitechapel area was really rewarding.

"It's terrible," Inspector Lestrade sighed with lingering fear after also witnessing the scene. "I've been working in Scotland Yard for so long, and I haven't seen a few cases more horrific than this."

After finishing speaking, he handed two cups of vanilla tea to Mary and Morstan respectively: "Try this, my colleague said that vanilla tea has a calming effect."

"Thank you, Inspector." Mary took the teacup gratefully.

"The other party has captured the old Jew Fagan," Lestrade said to Mary, "and Sikes is confirmed dead, and the rest of the gang have caught up. We must find out what evil they are planning."

"That's great," Hua Changchang breathed a sigh of relief, "Scotland Yard's hard work of dispatching the police is not in vain."

"Tough 'one time'?"

Inspector Lestrade jokingly said: "Thanks to Miss Mary, we caught the murderer as soon as we dispatched the police, and wiped out the criminal gang - if we cooperate for a long time, it is estimated that the detectives of the entire Scotland Yard will have to invite Miss Mary to sit in charge." , the case will be closed soon.”

His deliberate witticism finally got Mary half a smile.

"By the way," she relaxed, and said suddenly, "Where's that boy calling for help?"

"It's in the interrogation room."

Lestrade seemed very helpless: "He seems to be from the old Jew Fagan, but his mouth is very strict, and he can't find out anything."

Mary and Miss Morstan exchanged glances.

"Miss Mary and I will go and have a look."

The red-haired Irish girl took the initiative to speak: "If it's Fagan's person, maybe I still know him."

For an Irish workingman, Miss Mary Morstan was naturally reluctant to visit Scotland Yard.But as a lady with a sense of justice, Miss Morstan was angry at Nancy's death.Hearing that Inspector Lestrade had a problem, she asked for help without saying a word.

Knowing that these poor people on the streets have their own social circle and communication methods, Inspector Lestrade is naturally grateful for Morstan's voluntary help.

When the two girls came to the interrogation room, Mary finally saw the boy who had abused Sykes.

He was young, his clothes were shabby, and his face was full of anger and vigilance that could not be traced.The boy held his head in his hands, and faced the police who kept asking questions with a casual attitude.

"You said you had nothing to do with them," the policeman asked bluntly, "then why did you appear at the scene?"

"You asked that, sir."

The boy sneered: "Maybe I am also the poor man who was kidnapped by Sykes."

Police: "Just you, do you have evidence?"

Boy: "Then what do you think I look like, sir?"

Police: "I think you look like a thief!"

Boy: "Just you, do you have evidence?"

Police: "You—"

Lestrade couldn't bear to look directly at the door and walked in: "Okay!"

Probably because he couldn't stand his subordinates being played around by a young boy, the inspector drove away his own people in a few words.And Morstan waited until the chair across the table was empty, and sat on it without waiting for Inspector Lestrade's permission.

"Inspector," said Mary, lowering her voice, "can we speak to this child alone?"

"……All right."

Lestrade hesitated for a moment, but agreed to her.

As soon as the detective left, Morstan said directly: "Charlie Berry, why did you run to fight Sykes, don't you want to live?!"

It turned out he was Charlie Berry!

Mary remembered the name. He was a character in Oliver Twist, a teenager in the old Jew Fagan's gang of thieves.

"Whether I want to live or not is none of your business," Charlie replied bluntly, and he glanced at Mary, "And who is this? Why don't I remember that you know such a noble lady?"

"Miss Noble?" Mary was a little surprised.She's wearing a maid's dress.

"Where is a maid like you, miss," Charlie sneered, "with clean hands and face, free from frostbite and dirt?"

Also.

In other words, this attire can only play the role of not attracting attention on the road, and anyone with a little savvy can see the clues.

"This is Miss Mary Bennet."

Morstan introduced unhurriedly: "She led the police to find Sykes."

Charlie Berry's expression changed subtly.

But there was still a hint of vigilance in his eyes: "Then why don't you arrest Sykes, what are you arresting me for?"

Mary: "Sikes is dead. He fell under the bridge while escaping."

As for encountering Sir Blackwood among them, Sykes had a complete mental breakdown after he fired a gun, and died extremely tragically, Mary felt that it was unnecessary to tell a teenager.

But she didn't expect that after hearing the news of Sykes' death, the ragged boy slapped the table hard: "Okay!"

He laughed out loud, and seemed to feel that this was not enough to express his happiness, and even clapped his hands: "Okay! Good death, the murderer should die, go to hell! Let him know that murder pays for life What exactly do you mean, let him risk his life for his life, and go to hell to meet Nancy!"

However, as he spoke, mottled tears appeared in the boy's eyes.

"You should, you should let him die, let him go to hell..."

Charlie gave a sob and could say no more.

The boy covered his eyes with his dirty sleeve.

"Nancy, she just died, it's all Sykes' fault, why, why..."

For a long time, only Charlie kept crying and questioning in the interrogation room.

His "why" weighed on Mary's heart like a heavy stone, and she could hardly breathe: After hearing the news of Nancy's death, this child knew that the murderer was cruel, but he wanted to fight with his life, and wanted to fight for Nan Xi's death. Hope for revenge.

If the old Jew Fagan who raised these boys and girls as thieves deserved to be hanged, then in Mary's view, even if these children committed the crime of stealing, they were by no means unforgivable sinners—they were watched by Fagan. After being adopted, if they don't steal, they will be beaten, starved, or even killed without sympathy. It's not that they want to, but they have no way to go.

And judging from Charlie's reaction, he also has heart and feelings, just like all children.

"okay."

Seeing him crying into tears made Morstan feel uncomfortable.

She didn't know Nancy, and she barely knew Charlie Berry.But Morstan understands the situation of these children better than Mary. The Irish girl pulled out her veil: "Wipe your tears, no matter how much you cry, people will never come back from death. Why don't you think about the way ahead, there is no evidence for the police I won't do anything to you, but Feigen has been arrested, what do you want to do next?"

"Won't Fagan tell me?" Charlie asked, sobbing.

"So what if you confess," Morstan sneered a few times, "Do you think the police will listen to him? Besides, although the old Jew has no good heart, he knows that his death is imminent, so he won't drag anyone into the water."

Charlie thought for a while, showing a confused expression.

"I...I don't know."

He stopped crying: "It's better to confess, send me to hard labor, at least I have something to do. If I don't do it, I don't know what I will do next."

"Don't steal it."

"Steal what," said Charlie, wiping away tears, "like Nancy, and get into big trouble and lose your life?"

It seemed that he was aware of the consequences of the theft.

Speaking of theft... Mary suddenly recalled the first case she encountered.A year ago she was at home, at Netherfield Park, and little Geoffrey of Meryton was forced by life to commit the same crime of stealing.

And Charlie Berry was younger than Jeffrey Jr.

Mary pondered for a long time, and said solemnly: "Charlie, I can recommend a job for you, but there is a price for it, and you have to swear that you will never do anything sneaky again."

"You recommend it for me?"

The boy's eyes suddenly lit up.

He wiped away his tears and snot, straightened his thin spine, and stretched out his hand: "I can swear, if there is a real business to make a living, who will become a thief—no, no, even if I have nowhere to go, even if I starve to death , dying of thirst, and I won’t steal anymore, Nancy is watching me from the sky!”

After hearing his sincere words, Mary smiled faintly.

"I will write a letter for you. You can take the letter to my hometown, or Meriton, a small town near my hometown, to find an errand in the fields, but as a price, you will need to take care of a woman with bad eyesight. His mother——her son also committed the crime of theft, and was punished to do hard labor. If you replace him, you also redeem yourself, and take care of her as your own mother. If you can’t do it, let others know. They'll write me right away and make you lose your job."

"So you not only found me a job, but a mother?"

In Mary's eyes, little Geoffrey's mother had poor eyesight, a weak body, and was barely able to work.But in Charlie Berry's eyes, no matter how poor and sick a woman is, if she has a place to live and a job to do, that's her home.

"You've got the heart of an angel," said Charlie excitedly. "Thank you, thank you, Miss Mary, and I'll take care of that lady, along with Nancy's!"

"Agreed?"

"It's a deal, if I break my promise, I will be struck by lightning!"

The hope and gratitude in the young man's eyes melted Mary's frost-cold heart because of the murder like hot water.She finally let go of the rock in her heart and nodded: "Well, I'm looking forward to your good news."

As for now...

There was a Sir Blackwood outside waiting for him to explain the situation.

Thinking of Jazz, Mary's smile froze slightly.

She also didn't want to doubt Sir Blackwood, but what was he, a man of title, doing in the slums?

The author has something to say: This chapter is seven thousand and five!Ginger Flower is awesome 0v0!

The two characters in this chapter are from "Orphan Twist", and the plot setting has also been changed.Is the hallucination that Sykes saw before he died familiar? It happened to Mary when she entered the slums for the first time (crazy hint.jpg).

And today, Jiang Hua was drinking outside, and I saved the manuscript and sent it on behalf of you, so there are typos and bugs, and I will correct them tomorrow!Thank you for the nutrient solution and Overlord tickets tomorrow, okay?

Happy first day of 2019 everyone!