[Sherlock Holmes] The Legend of the Nightingale

(Nightingale's Diary)

"Ah, that's right, it's Officer Grayson." The officer said with a little embarrassment.

"Since what happened last time, whenever Lestrade needs my help, he will come to Baker Street by himself." Holmes turned to us. The detectives who are working on the scene have been sent from the scene."

"Well, let's not talk about this, Officer Grayson asked me to tell Mr. Holmes," said the little officer with a bitter face, "This is a very bad case..."

"Cases involving poisons and medicines," Watson sighed, "alkaline—see the reagents on your sleeve."

"Ah, yes, Doctor."

"I'm afraid it's a bit miserable." I said, "Even if you're not proficient in the business, you must have been frightened to be so outrageous."

"It's very accurate, miss. It was at the Sakura Swamp Villa in Norwood. A Mr. Sholto was poisoned and killed." The poor policeman finally said the first complete sentence since he entered the door.

"Thaddeus Sholto!" cried Merry, standing up suddenly.

The police officer who came to report didn't understand why as soon as he entered 221B, he had the ability to foretell anyone he met.He just nodded blankly and said, "Yes, ma'am."

"Are you sure it's that name?" Meili's lips trembled, and she twisted her fingers subconsciously. "Short stature, red hair, a little bald, about 30 years old?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Just when the police officer was amazed by the precise description of the strange lady, she suddenly turned pale, her lips were blue, and she fell backwards on the chair.We hurried over to check on her situation.It was only after a little first aid by Watson that her face gradually returned to its normal colour.

"Her heart doesn't seem to be doing well," Watson said in a low voice, standing beside me. "The color of her lips is a sign of lack of oxygen. It's best not to irritate her as much as possible."

Only then did Holmes turn sternly to the bewildered little policeman.

"Excuse me, Mr. Holmes, what did I say wrong?"

"Nothing, sir. We're leaving right now. But in view of Miss Meili's physical condition, it's better for her not to go with us."

"I'd rather see my brother's situation with my own eyes." Mei Li said weakly.

"I'm afraid it's not a good thing for you."

"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Holmes, but I must persist."

"Then there is nothing more to say," said Holmes. "With our doctor at hand, I am sure nothing serious will happen. We may trust you, old friend?"

"No problem, you can go through fire and water."

"No one will let you go through fire and water. Usually it's me, no, at present, it's Nightingale."

After confirming that the deceased was Thaddeus Sholto, Holmes did not allow Merry to see her brother's body in the room where the accident happened.Although she was visibly frail, the previous episode really scared us all.Mei Li didn't insist anymore.At Sakuranuma Villa, Gregson greeted us in the living room.

"I'm glad you're interested in this case, Mr. Holmes." Grayson said with reluctance on his face, "Good afternoon, Miss Nightingale, Dr. Watson. This is...?"

"Mr. Sholto's sister, Miss Merry Sholto."

Holmes' understatement startled Gregson, and he looked us back and forth for more than ten seconds.

"I don't understand that, Mr. Holmes, how do you..."

"Don't worry too much about it, Grayson. I admit that sometimes there is an element of luck, but it has nothing to do with this case. Miss Merry knew nothing about her brother's death, and she just learned it with us. There was a scene. ?"

"The body was moved during the examination of the cause of death, but it didn't change much, because—you know, he was completely frozen, and he couldn't change it. The problem we have now is that we don't know the method of poisoning. We It was checked and there were no wounds on his body."

"I'm in charge of his diet," the landlord of Yingnuma Villa said aside, "Mr. Sholto hasn't been out for a week since he moved in. I can guarantee that there is nothing fatal here. Besides, he He was fine last night, and I didn't send him any food this night."

"He's telling the truth," said Grayson, who had followed us in. "We've searched the house and found nothing poisonous or anything that could have been poisonous."

Meili, who had been sitting by the side since entering the door, rested her forehead with her hand weakly.Dr. Watson observed her expression and nodded to us, which means nothing happened.

"Watson, I suggest you stay here with Miss Meili, and Nightingale and I will go up to check the situation." Holmes said, watching the two of them.

"No, Dr. Watson, please don't hinder my normal work because of me." Mei Li said softly, "I'm fine. Finding out the cause of my brother's death is what is needed most now."

Holmes smiled imperceptibly, and gestured to Watson: "Then we are still together. Gentlemen downstairs, please take care of Miss Meili, thank you very much."

The landlady took us upstairs to Mr. Sholto's room in a frenzy.As the first person to find the body, this poor guy is a bit fragile and can't bear the tragedy of the scene. He nervously narrates to us the terrible scene at that time while walking, and often forgets to move forward because he is too focused on talking, which leads us to a flight of stairs. Stopped at least three times.

"Mr. Sholto is very alert and requires knocking at all times, sometimes even locking the door, but he responds quickly every time someone knocks. I didn't when I knocked for the first time this morning to deliver breakfast. Reaction, I thought he hadn’t gotten up yet, so I went there again after half an hour, and there was no movement after knocking for a long time. Thinking of his uneasy appearance during this time, I was worried that something happened..."

"What do you think he has been worrying about?" Watson asked.

"Yes, it's very obvious, as if someone is looking for him to collect debts at any time. But the tenant can be anyone, and I don't care what happens to him. I opened the door and went in this time, and saw him lying motionless on the desk , I thought he fell asleep while reading a book last night, but there was no response to how I shouted. I shook his shoulders, feeling a little stiff, and helped him up without thinking too much. Without any preparation, I saw —God! I'm going to have nightmares all my life!"

Holmes frowned after listening to these words, and patted the landlord on the shoulder.

"You'd better wait for us outside the door, so as not to be afraid of seeing the dead body. There are still many questions to ask you."

"Yes, Mr. Holmes, at your service." The poor landlady opened the door tremblingly, and then stepped aside with extraordinary agility so as not to accidentally see the scene inside.Holmes stood silent for a second or two at the door, and glanced back at me.

"You're fine without blood, aren't you?"

"I think it should be."

"That would be great. Come and see this, it won't be the first time you've dealt with poisoned people."

As if afraid of my repentance, he pushed me into the room forcefully.I helplessly saw a row of books on the desk, pens and ink bottles, scattered papers, a small box with the lid on the side, and the stiff corpse sitting in front of the desk, facing us and leaning on the back of the chair On the table, I stretched out two hands towards the table. If it wasn't for the strange color of the skin, I might think that the person is not dead.Holmes grabbed my collar to change the angle of view. I almost screamed when I saw the dead man grinning with crooked eyes, but felt Holmes holding me and swallowed it back.

"You don't faint like a lady, do you?"

"I'm not a lady, Holmes." I felt something churning in my stomach, my mouth was sour, and I wanted to rush out to stay with the landlady, but under Holmes' meaningful gaze, I gritted my teeth and held back. .It's just a, uh, biochemical reaction, I said to myself.

"That would be all the better." Holmes let go of his hand slowly, as if fearing that I would collapse on the ground if I left.

"Muscle stiffness, or contraction. It's terrible." Watson walked around the corpse, feeling similar to observing a patient on an operating table in a hospital.

Holmes looked round the room thoughtfully, and stooping behind the dead man, helped the body back into its place.

"Watson, Nightingale, what do you say Mr. Sholto was doing when he was dying?"

"From this angle, it's reading a book." I said.

"Sure enough, you are more experienced." Holmes let go of the corpse, unaware of his habitual mocking tone.He walked to the front of the desk, reached out and stroked the spines of all the books neatly arranged on the desk, and the gentle touch left a mark on the dusty book cover.

"Mr. Landlord, how long have these books been untouched?"

"It's just a little decoration in the study room, for the tenants who read books—but generally there are no such tenants. It hasn't been touched for a long time."

"I don't think Mr. Sholto would be in the mood to read in that state of anxiety." Holmes lowered his eyes, looked casually at the dust on his fingertips, sneered, and twirled his fingers. "Mr. Sholto didn't touch the few books in the room, so what did he read before he died? Where did he go now? When you found the body, did he have nothing in his hands? "

"Nothing."

"The two books at the extreme ends also have dust on their front and back covers," Holmes's gesture reminded me. I leaned over the row of books and touched them. Walk."

"Not bad," said Holmes flatly. "Mr. Landlord, has anyone delivered anything to Mr. Sholto in the last few days?"

"No deliveries, but yesterday a young man came to sell books." said the landlady. "He lingered at the door. We had no choice but to let him in. He stayed in Mr. Sholto's room for a long time." , I don’t know what he said, but in the end Mr. Sholto bought two books from him, and he left.”

"Do you remember what the book seller was like?"

"Not very well, a brown-haired lad, little man, oh, and he has a short but deep scar on his face."

"Could you please come in and see if those two books are still in the house?"

"I've seen it. At least not on the table."

"I'm afraid it has something to do with the murder," said Watson. "They were taken away last night."

"Do you know what book it is?"

"Mr. Sholto said it was a book about deciphering codes."

Holmes took hold of the dead man's hands again for a closer look, then squatted down, and held his breath for a moment to examine the tabletop, his sneer becoming more pronounced.

"Mr. Grayson, I was lucky that I didn't shake off all the powder when I touched the corpse. In order to ensure that the victim has no chance of surviving, of course they have to give a large enough dose. Please examine Mr. Sholto's right finger The powder on the tip and the powder on the table are basically the same kind, the kind that killed this gentleman."

The policemen took action to collect evidence.Holmes lowered his head and stretched out his fingers to look at his hands.I understand the meaning of his action.

"Holmes, it is a very good habit to stick plaster on the wound in time. When there is a small wound on the hand, there is a possibility..."

"Isn't it a bit late for you to tell me this?" he interrupted absent-mindedly. "On the contrary, you should do the same in the future. You don't always know that you are dealing with poison. Let's see if there is any poison on the window now." What's left. That late-night visitor couldn't have swaggered in through the front door."

"You just said 'they'?"

I am really convinced.Holmes looked for clues from the scene, and Watson looked for clues between the lines of Holmes.

"Exactly, my dear Watson, 'they'."

The author has something to say: the update time has been completely confused. . .

I feel that if this style continues, Holmes will become a godly assist for doctors to chase girls.