[Sherlock Holmes] The Legend of the Nightingale

"Facts have proved that it is impossible not to see you for twelve hours." Holmes said flatly, putting his hands in his coat pockets, his gray eyes swept over me, as if he were sizing up a stranger. "Lannoll, please let them loose her. It's just a flying nightingale, not some murderer. If all the criminals in London were like her, we could get six months' vacation every year."

"Let her go, this is Miss Angela Nightingale, a student of Mr. Holmes." Rannore said with some embarrassment.I fell so hard just now that I didn't get up for a long time.Holmes had already walked up to me, but it was Watson who stretched out his hand without saying a word and pulled me up.

This distance is long enough for me to see Holmes' face clearly.When I stood up blushing and thinking about why I had come, he kept lowering his eyes sullenly.It was the first time since I had been in Baker Street that I had seen him look at me with such indifference.His indifference is not malicious, not contemptuous, but completely indifferent.When you see him looking at you like that, you don't feel wary or disgusted, you just feel that you, like hundreds of other people of all kinds in London, are just passing by his eyes.I tidied up my clothes and swallowed my shame. Now is not the time for self-criticism.

"The murderer is in Baker Street," I said curtly, trying to avoid looking into Holmes's emotionless eyes.

"My God! Are you all right?" Watson exclaimed.Holmes stretched out his hand and cut it in front of him, which meant "stop".

"What happened?"

"Mrs. Hudson let him in while I was out. She was going to entertain and he disappeared, just like at the Blessingtons."

"Is Mrs. Hudson home?"

"Call the police, come out with me.

"Then the police should be here first, so don't worry. Although they can't catch him."

"Can't catch it?" I immediately felt that I could save a little face, but I still tried my best not to show my complacency, "I locked the door when I came out."

Holmes sighed lowly.

"Dear Nightingale, whether it's on the first floor or the second floor, you can even escape through the window. He won't be so stupid as to find out that his family has suddenly left and he is still waiting for them to come back at 221B. Whether you lock it or not, The result is the same."

Everyone, including the Scotland Yard police, looked at me with sympathy.Lannuoer pretended to read the records, flipping back and forth with the notebook.Perhaps the only one who didn't think much of it was Watson, who was still anxious to go back to Baker Street.Fortunately, this is the case, because I know that I can no longer control my gloomy face.Holmes turned his eyes from me to the detective:

"Go on."

He walked away from me, and I almost felt the cold air around him.I can't say a word.

"Aren't we going back?" Watson's doubtful voice sounded so warm that it made people want to cry.

"Go back? What are you going back for?" Holmes glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

"My God, Holmes, are you kidding? A murderer has just sneaked into our house, and there are only Mrs. Hudson and Angela in the house!"

"what about now?"

"Now?"

"Now the murderer has long since fled. When the police arrived, there was no one at home. Why did we go back?"

Watson was dumb for a while, then looked at me.I don't know why I couldn't face his concerned look and lowered my head.

"Then I'll take her back." The doctor's tone was flat but firm.

"Do you still think she's a child? Rannore, where did you just say that?"

"It's okay, I'll take you back." Watson said to me.

If Holmes did not return, nothing else mattered.But I cannot say that to Watson.

"You'd better get down to business. Holmes is right. There is nothing to see at home."

"It's basically not my business. At least go see Mrs. Hudson, you're so brave, she must be terrified."

This answer was so ingenious that not even Holmes could refute it.At this time, I suddenly remembered an important thing.

"What about the murder?"

"The Blessington boy has been shot," said Watson. "You saw him last time."

"Where is the scene?"

"Didn't you see it?" Watson said in surprise. "Just now... oh, sorry, the scene is already being cleaned up. It's there—"

He stretched out his finger.There is a fenced street tree not far from the police.I didn't notice it before.

"One shot kills. They found the bullet while you were away. Now, let's go, let them do the rest."

Watson greeted Holmes, and dragged me to the side of the road to find a taxi without knowing whether he heard or not.I can't thank him enough for this relief.

As I got into the carriage, I looked back again.Holmes' slender and straight back was very conspicuous among the police.The carriage moved on.He quickly became a blurry black shadow in my field of vision.

I think this feeling of being blocked must have something to do with my secret.

A Scotland Yard constable was waiting at 221B Baker Street when we returned.Watson shook hands with him.

"Mrs. Hudson is in her room," the officer said. "She's calmed down now. It's not easy. She nearly deafened the officer who answered the phone when she called the police."

"Have you found anything?"

"Not much. Preliminary judgment is that he went up to the second floor, came down again, and finally jumped out of the window on the first floor. The desk in front of the window is a mess, and there are still marks on the window sill."

"Has the scene been moved?"

"No. Perhaps Mr. Holmes would like to take another look for himself."

I suddenly made a decision. "May I have a look, sir?"

"No problem, Miss Nightingale."

I stood at the door with an unprecedented sense of mission, and then stood there for a long time without going in.When I really want to practice, I dare not take a step, lest I destroy something.I don't want to be reprimanded by Sherlock Holmes who came back and found that the scene had been completely destroyed.No footprints were seen.I knelt down to put on my glasses and looked again, but there was nothing there.After hesitating for a long time, I raised my foot like I was swimming for the first time to test the water, and then I squatted down to have a look, stood up, and danced like this for a long time.Watson must have been standing behind me snickering, but he was too kind to let me hear him.

The desk is in front of the window.Holmes's desk was already in such a mess that a hundred people running away by stepping on his desk looked about the same as usual.I feel like my brain is going to explode.

"I said I didn't see anything, you won't think it's strange." I hesitated whether to start flipping through it, "It's ridiculous for me to be like this."

"It's ridiculous, but the spirit is precious." The person behind replied.I froze for a moment, as if electrocuted, then turned to face the door.

"Please pretend you didn't see anything, Holmes," I said.

The detective standing at the door laughed, but he controlled himself immediately.When he walked towards me, his expression was always in a state of wanting to laugh, but he couldn't laugh when he thought of some serious things.

"I beg you, Nightingale, stop taking that so-called murderer behind the curtain seriously."

"Why not?" I was a little annoyed. "Isn't that what you said?"

"First, he doesn't exist at all. Second, what I teach you is useless. I just didn't expect you to be like Watson, everything is so real. But in the future, I need you to cooperate with me in acting I'm afraid there is still more time."

When he looked into my eyes, I thought, the last thing I want to do in this world right now is to let him down.

"But it can't all be your fault." His tone softened somewhat, I guess it still has a lot to do with my performance art just now, "I didn't let you in when I was surveying the scene that day, and I didn't say anything again. Listen clearly now , I found two clear footprints behind the curtain, some hair, and a little soot."

"Imported cigarettes from Holland?"

"That's right. Now that there is enough information, think about it." Holmes sat down in his chair.The soothing smile returned to his face, as if the person who was cold to the bone before was not him.

"If a person hides in that small space, he will not leave two clear footprints, because he will try his best to move within the limited range, so it should be footprints that are superimposed. Besides, in this case he Not so lenient as to smoke a cigarette while no one else is there. Also, what does 'some' hair mean?"

"Feels good. Losing those hairs is a bit of a stretch for a few hours. Not sure how people who make this evidence can be so confused. Probably about the same level as you."

"Holmes."

"Sorry. There is also the so-called smell of smoke. If you went in with me, you would find that the smell of smoke is still on the curtains. So it's not because of people at all, but because it was smoked beforehand."

"Soot ash is the best evidence. It will never be completely cleaned. This is the first lesson you taught me." I leaned on the desk and looked at his smile that seemed to have cleared up the suspicion. I was not happy at all. stand up. "If you had said it sooner, it would have saved me from being a fool..."

"No, please don't whine like a housewife. I didn't mean to, I'm so sorry."

"So you already know who it is?" I decided to ignore his expression again.

"Not quite. There is still a lack of evidence."

"Wait, but is everything over at Scotland Yard finished? Why are you back?" I didn't really realize the problem until the words were out of my mouth.Holmes straightened his hair and smiled at me, as if he could answer with eyes instead of words.Before he could speak, his soothing temperament began to take effect, and warmth emerged spontaneously.

"It's not finished, but today there will be no progress. I can't think until I get your affairs settled beforehand. Mrs. Hudson will blame me for the rest of my life. Is there nothing wrong now?"

"Do you need me to do anything?" I said casually, "But it seems that you don't need me to make trouble for you."

"You'd better not be so fragile. This is just the first time to make a joke. There will be more opportunities like this in the future."

"Did I disappoint you?"

Holmes expressed no doubts about the sudden seriousness of the subject.He stood up and patted my shoulder.

"You have something on your mind." He said, "Although I don't know what it is, I hope that if something really happens, you don't have to keep it from us."

I looked at him and smiled.It's a pity that my secret, I have to hide it now.

The author has something to say: It's a pity that I have to keep Nightingale's secret from me now... Of course, I wish you all a happy weekend!