[Sherlock Holmes] The Legend of the Nightingale

(Nightingale's Diary)

My journey from the Port of London to Baker Street with Meryl Morstan was not easy, mainly because she was like a bird.I have every reason to believe that she was quite calm and determined on her own until she met the Baker Street Rescue, but there is an ironic pattern here.Some people are at a loss when they are alone, as long as they have a companion, even if it is a waste who can't do anything, he will immediately find the courage and self-confidence he lacks, as if he has a backing, invincible.Some people, such as Miss Morstan, are unusually calm when they are alone and helpless. Once someone lends a helping hand, the backlog of grievances immediately explodes and degenerates into a "loved person" who needs a knight to rescue him in a classic storybook. linear decrease.The Meryl Morstein I just saw was obviously an extraordinary woman who single-handedly rushed out of the clutches of her pursuer, overcame fear and exhaustion, and settled in this chaotic city of London.She has been a different person since we started our journey back to Baker Street.When calling for a taxi, she looked around, frightened like a little rabbit. I was really afraid that her panic would be too obvious and it would cause accidents.In the carriage she pressed a crumpled handkerchief to her eyes, and cried all the way, until I had to give her mine too.

"Miss Morstan, you don't need to worry too much." I glanced out the window, "Since Holmes has taken over this matter, he will definitely guarantee your safety, even if it is from the perspective of reputation..."

"Shh!"

Before I understood what it meant, Meili rushed up suddenly, grabbed my hand, closed the curtain and pressed it tightly but did not let go. It took me a lot of effort to break free. When I pulled it out, the back of my hand There are five blood marks, all made by fingernails.I couldn't laugh or cry watching this for a long time.

"Nothing happened, what's the matter with you?"

"I'm sorry," Mei Li reacted, immediately withdrew her hand, and lowered her head to fiddle with her - no, it's mine - handkerchief. "I'm afraid that if I open the curtains, people will see me."

"Even if someone comes to grab you, with this claw, everything will be settled."

Although depressed, Mei Li couldn't help but smile.

"You're too nervous." I put my hand on hers, "It's weird if you cover it too tightly. Calm down, calm down and you'll be fine."

She was at a loss when she saw the blood on my hand, and wanted to bandage it with a handkerchief, but she was afraid that it would not be clean, so she held up the handkerchief and hesitated for a long time.

"Okay, it's nothing." I also took my hand back, "Let's go back to Baker Street and talk about it."

It is generally useless to warn about this kind of thing once.Already in Baker Street, we were again safe and sound.Just after turning the corner, I told her that 221B was ahead. Mei Li suddenly grabbed my arm and ran forward without thinking. Before I could react, I was dragged out.

"What's wrong?! What happened again?!"

"That person! It's that person!"

"What did you say?!"

She didn't answer again.The two of us ran from Baker Street 1A for more than 200 days to the gate of 221B, without slowing down a step. I never dreamed that a weak-looking Meryl Morstan could run down the street without breathing. faster than me.It wasn't until the number plate of 221B almost touched that I thought of opening the door with a key, and I couldn't find the chain hole in my panic.

"That's the man, he's been following me..."

"You...it must be you...read wrong..."

When we walked into 221B, Holmes was fully dressed, came down from the stairs, and stood in the living room smiling at the two of us who were in a panic.Watson stood behind him.

"Holmes...I brought...Miss Morstan...Actually, I don't think I need to pick her up. She doesn't even need a carriage...she can just run back..."

Holmes made a "pause" sign.

"Congratulations on getting to safety, Miss Morstan, although I don't think this is your real name. I am Sherlock Holmes, and this is my colleague, Dr. John Watson. Miss Nightingale, you have seen After that, you can call her Nightingale, we mean ornithology."

They shook hands with Merry.She ran a little too hard just now, her complexion was very bad, as if she couldn't breathe, it took a long time to recover.

"Merry—isn't that your real name?" I said in surprise.

"Yes and no," she said awkwardly, "but it's a long story."

"I know it's hard to come by cargo ship, and I have to be on guard against someone hurting you at any time. No, let's not rush to talk about that, it's not easy for you to come by yourself, drink something first, and then we can talk about business."

Holmes' nonchalant and out-of-the-ordinary way of speaking is very effective for lonely women in trouble.She was so moved that she couldn't speak, she lowered her head and continued to wipe her tears with a handkerchief.Holmes returned her a friendly look, then turned to me. "Have you frightened the lady on purpose?"

"Why didn't she scare me?"

"Look at your hand," said Holmes. "She must have done it. Watson, show Nightingale the wound. Watson?"

"Oh." Watson, who was inexplicably slow to respond, pulled me aside with apology.

Mrs. Hudson brought Merry tea and dessert, and Watson gave me a brief treatment of the bruise, and Merry told us her long story.

Morstan was her biological father's name.Her parents died early, and her father's comrade-in-arms in India, Major John Sholto, adopted her and raised her with his twin sons, so she changed her name to Meili Sulto. ("So the name she told us can't be false," I said. "Quiet, Nightingale." Holmes snapped his fingers at me.) Major Sholto later died of spleen trouble, and left them a A note, saying that while serving in the Indian army, he and Morstan found a treasure, which is still hidden in a secret place.There are clues to find the treasure on this note, and the three brothers and sisters can get a large inheritance through this.What followed were some strange numbers. They briefly studied them, but they couldn't find any patterns.The bad luck also started from that time.After they buried their father, they received an anonymous letter threatening their lives to hand over the message left by Major Sholto.Although the Sholto brothers and sisters panicked, they were somewhat dubious and did not take any measures.Perhaps because of this, within a week after the funeral, the eldest brother Bartholomew died suddenly at home. His death was very tragic. The forensic diagnosis was poisoning, but the police did not find any results.Only then did the remaining Thaddeus Sholto and Meili understand the seriousness of the matter, so they left their residence in Edinburgh overnight, hoping to avoid the nightmare, but the danger followed them everywhere, and someone was always following them.

"Why isn't your brother with you?"

"We've been separated since Edinburgh. My brother said it's not easy for two people to move. If they are caught, neither can escape, so it's easier to separate."

"What about the note?"

"Burned."

"Burn?" I said in surprise.Holmes and Watson looked at each other, the detective was expressionless, and the doctor smiled knowingly.

"Very shrewd," said Holmes, with a little more appreciation in his tone. "If there is something real, they will devote themselves to killing all the insiders and then taking the clues. Now that there are no clues, they need insiders, and they have found them." You can't kill for a while, because once you die, you will never find the treasure. If Mr. Sholto is more cautious, or if you think more about it, he should memorize the things on the note by himself, and you Almost nothing is known about it.”

"It's almost like this." Mei Li couldn't help sitting up straight in the chair, her expression excited, "My brother hopes this way, so they won't pay attention to me, even if something happens to him, let the treasure be hidden forever in no one. Knowing where, at least my safety can be guaranteed. Yes, I know that we can actually give up this property to ensure our own safety, but my brother..."

"Won't give up, huh? But I don't think it's quite like that. It's kind of unseemly to get people to hand in their guns."

"I don't know where this desperate spirit comes from. It may be that you have worked too hard." Holmes pushed me back. "Miss Sholto, is your brother in London now?" ?”

"Very likely. We've made an appointment to meet in London, except maybe he doesn't trust private detectives very much..."

"It's the consulting detective, my dear."

"I'm sorry, but anyway, he is skeptical about such occupations. I hope you will not be offended, Mr. Holmes."

"It's nothing, Miss Sholto. Your brother's attitude is understandable, because it's not me who ruined his impression, but some uneducated charlatans who are as harmful as quack doctors. Anyway, We have two missions now. One, to keep you safe. Two, to find your brother. If need be, I think there will be a third, to find Major Sholto's legacy."

"Yes, Mr. Holmes."

At this moment, Dr. Watson standing by the window suddenly spoke:

"Holmes, I seem to be from Scotland Yard. A man in livery has just dismounted from the carriage and is coming towards us."

"It appears to be troubled times again," said Holmes, with a light-hearted air, which to him was a sign that life had meaning again. "But let's settle the matter of Miss Merry before we proceed to theirs."

The plan, as before, didn't quite work out.Mrs. Hudson ushered in the constable with a look of displeasure, for the young man had soiled the drawing-room floor and the stairs by insisting on going straight to Holmes.

"Mr. Holmes, this gentleman said that the matter is very important and he must see you immediately, but I did not stop him."

"It's okay, Mrs. Hudson. I'll give you a Wesley (pistol/gun) next time. I'm sure I can stop anyone coming. That's your standard equipment at Scotland Yard, sir? I won't remember it wrong."

Mrs. Hudson left indignantly.The little police officer seemed to be a novice dealing with Baker Street for the first time, and he was a little dazed for a moment, unable to understand Holmes' style.I looked him over carefully, and couldn't help laughing.He should have cleaned himself up very neatly, but after tossing and tossing on the road, he was already covered in dust.

"Well, Mr. Holmes, the case is..."

"Greyson's case," said Holmes flatly. "This fellow may be getting into a corner again."

The author has something to say: As soon as Miss Meili came into my hands, I became more happy. . .