[Sherlock Holmes] The Legend of the Nightingale

(Manuscript by Dr. Watson)

I am not sure that Holmes' plan at the time was all right, but I had to follow it.Things went fairly well, and we found the tavern that Holmes spoke of, and as McMurdo might be recognized by that McGinty, we were disgraceful, but relatively wisely let Iris Adler hit first. head start.She deftly walked through the smoke and noise of the bar, pushed away three scoundrels who had climbed up to harass her, and with two fingers grabbed the cigarette dangling from one man's mouth and stuffed it into another's mouth. Wearing a coat, he poked the ribs of a person in front of the bar with the muzzle of a gun to let him make room for himself, then leaned forward and whispered in a voice that only the boss could hear:

"The gallows in the valley isn't down. You might need to know how to take it down instead of swinging on it."

So the boss temporarily handed over the store to the foreman, and followed her out with a livid face.Sometimes it seems to me that he is not at all persuaded to confess the professor's only way out, but rather terrified that we should have found him, and especially that McMurdo should have found him all the way from America.We found a hotel that was being advertised for sale and hadn't been used for a long time, in a shabby corner of East London.But when we and Scotland Yard arrived, Moriarty and his men had already evacuated, and Holmes and Nightingale were gone.Scotland Yard was forced to carry out a last-ditch carpet search, the most time-consuming and painstaking but also the most foolproof, frantically turning all the surrounding buildings upside down with the hotel as the center.I have to admit that I can't help much at this time. In a sense, it is not easier to fight with local snakes in the slums than to go to the battlefield.It might be easier if I were a junior officer instead of a doctor.Fortunately, McMurdo remained calm at this time.He wandered around where he thought Holmes or Nightingale might have left clues, and finally found a package in the name of Jack McMurdo (yes, his own name) at a family inn. For the record, the boss said that it was a very decent gentleman who came to deposit it, and he told him in advance that he would not hand it in unless a gentleman with an extremely hoarse American accent came to pick it up. Of course, it would be a different matter if there was a police search.We really can't think of anyone other than McMurdo who fits that standard.When Pinkerton's detective took back the package left by Holmes, his face was gloomy, as if he would give Holmes a good look if he saw Holmes.

"You shouldn't be like this." Iris smiled and narrowed his cat's eyes. "I can't deny Mr. Holmes's Queen's English. This is a beautiful hand. It's a pity that Mr. Holmes is too old-fashioned. If I am ten years older, I must Don't let him go."

Iris said this with such seriousness that McMurdo stared at her for a long time, not knowing how to respond, and it was not until she suddenly bent down and laughed that he was sure she was joking.

"No, Jack, I promise I won't compete with Angela. This girl can control men I can't manipulate. British gentlemen who have been measured with a ruler are not to my taste, and people who are not gentlemen are not worthy of my painstaking efforts. "

Seeing that the atmosphere was not right again, I interrupted the two embarrassingly.

"We should give it to Lestrade for appraisal."

Everyone was shocked when the package was opened.Holmes packed almost all of Moriarty's confidential documents here, which can basically be made into a well-documented and detailed professor of criminal history.We concluded that Moriarty must have escaped under the circumstances, and if he had not done the most serious harm to Holmes as planned, he would not be able to do so now.We followed Scotland Yard gradually to the outer circle, and finally found Holmes and Nightingale in a side street in the early morning of the 10th.

Nightingale's life was not in danger, but she slept a little longer.The doctor believed that the bewildered appearance she showed afterwards was a mental blow, and she needed a period of complete rest and recuperation.Holmes was stabbed, but no internal organs were injured. He was discovered in time and was sent to the hospital immediately.One of Moriarty's two core members died and the other was captured on the spot.There was also a man named Erol, who followed the professor for a while, and was later abandoned by Moriarty at the train station as a pretense of getting rid of the police, and was also arrested by Scotland Yard.Although everyone present didn't say it directly, they could tell from everyone's excited expressions that this was a great victory.So far, except for Moriarty himself and Colonel Moran, the Professor's entire criminal network in London has been completely destroyed.

McMurdo tossed and caught his hat in the air, and had to give me a high-five to finish.Iris Adler, who has not been allowed to enter the scene, must take a look at Nightingale's situation.Seeing the gentlemen of Scotland Yard, she smiled a scene.

"If it was five years ago and I saw a group of people from Scotland Yard surrounding me, I would have thought that I had murdered and set fire while dreaming."

In the astonished eyes of all, McMurdo rushed forward, grabbed her shoulders and kissed her hard.Iris flexibly broke free from between his arms, and punched him in the face with a backhand, mercilessly, causing the American detective to stagger.The police officers of Scotland Yard all showed a look of helplessness.The scene looked a little too familiar.

"It seems that you still haven't remembered my words. The lady didn't say anything. Boys, don't pretend to be smart."

said Iris loudly, and suddenly grabbed the detective by the arm again and pulled him back.McMurdo had squinted his eyes for the other cheek, but it was a long kiss.

The lady has said it.

A man like cigarettes and a woman like wine.Sophisticated and unpredictable, it is a disaster for anyone.But when the two of them meet, it looks like they were designed for each other.

But don't forget the awkward Scotland Yard crew.

"What's going on?" Lestrade glared at me. "Is this the case in the United States? It's really a bad world."

"According to my personal experience, the British police are almost becoming professional witnesses." I could only answer with a smile.

"It's a familiar scene," Lestrade said.

I know which two he's talking about.

Holmes refused to be quiet. At the beginning of April 1891, when the trauma was almost healed, Holmes decided not to stay at home to rest, but went to the mainland to track down Moriarty-there were already signs that Moriarty and Moran had fled to the mainland.At first Nightingale recuperated in Baker Street, but her doctor felt that the smog and atmosphere of London, and even acquaintances, were not conducive to recovery.The reaction of her family to her sudden reappearance was surprisingly indifferent, and only Mr. Nightingale stayed in London for two days after receiving the news, and then hurried back to Sussex.It proved once again that she may have long been a redundant person in the family.Two years of stress and hurt may take multiple times to unwind, and it's best if she doesn't see anyone or anything that reminds her of that, including -- a bit sadly -- all of us.After some discussion we decided to let her travel away from London for a while.With her were McMurdo and Iris, two God-sent darlings married in haste after the January affair.Nightingale's state scares us a little.She's not the type to immerse herself in a horrific past, and it's clear she's trying to regain her composure, but we're afraid it's hard to imagine what she's been through in two years.They left London in February and set out for Yorkshire.Holmes was still in the hospital at that time, and they hadn't met several times due to their respective health problems after escaping from danger.

It was not until the tragedy in May that Nightingale was urgently recalled to London.But that's all for later.

(interlude)

McMurdo leaned against the window of the tavern, with one hand in his coat pocket, and stared sullenly through the glass at the black-bearded proprietor who was talking to Iris.Seeing her turn around and walking towards the door, and the tavern owner followed, he left the window to meet her.

"Can you stand alone?" whispered Dr. Watson behind him.

"Don't look at his size, doctor," McMurdo replied in a low voice, unable to hold back his contempt, "you should look at him 20 years ago, a burly man who is now like a drunken drunk on the street with only a handful of bones left , looking at his face, I simply feel that this person won't survive tomorrow."

"Then I'll leave it all to you. I believe the 'Master' wants to know as few people as possible."

"His life is mine now." McMurdo twitched the corners of his mouth and smiled bitterly, and a slightly ferocious expression flashed across.At this time, they heard an unusually hoarse voice due to long-term alcoholism:

"Where is he? Where is that American you speak of?"

The boss has already come out and asked Iris anxiously.McMurdo pressed the brim of his hat, and with one hand still in his coat pocket, walked quickly to the boss, pulled Iris behind him, pushed his top hat slightly, and revealed half of his face under the light of the tavern.

"I can't even hear your voice, Mr. McGinty," said the detective in a playful light-hearted tone, his raucous accent exposed by the elongated vowels.McGinty was dumbfounded, and McMurdo's smile grew brighter.

"Edward? You...how could you find this place?"

"Call me McMurdo for now, Mr. McGinty, since I don't bother to call you 'Master.'"

"What do you want?" McGinty asked lowly.

"Can't it be to arrest you?"

"Then you won't come to me privately, but call Scotland Yard directly."

McMurdo whistled once.

"It's the same, Mr. McGinty. Mind if we go to a secluded place and talk alone?"

The meeting after so many years was somewhat embarrassing.McGinty found out that his right-hand man was Pinkerton's undercover, and this undercover led to the destruction of the organization. This is a sworn enemy.It's just that the lord of the life back then has fallen so far, and seeing McMurdo appearing in front of him, there is nothing he can do.

"I know you're working for Moriarty," said McMurdo flatly. "He's got one last stronghold he's not told anyone but you. You're his last line of communication because the last one in the organization cares." It’s a stray dog ​​that ran outside.”

"I don't know," McGinty said. "Only the core knows about the stronghold."

Without warning, McMurdo grabbed McGinty by the collar and punched him.McGinty was too startled to react to the blow, and stared at McMurdo blankly, bleeding from the corner of his mouth, before another blow from the other side knocked him down.The detective watched indifferently as the tavern owner got up from the ground, covering his face with his hands in embarrassment.

"It's ridiculous. I always knew it wasn't worth wasting bullets for you. Now I've begun to wonder whether you are worth hanging on the gallows."

McGinty stood up with difficulty.

"Again, what do you want to know?" He was a little unclear.McMurdo may have broken his tooth.

"Where is the professor?"

"I can give you news tomorrow."

"Tell me now, or hang yourself."

"An abandoned hotel in the eastern suburbs. That's all I know. Every time he sends someone to contact me, I haven't been there."

"Do you know that person's name?"

"We call him Vincent."

"Excellent." McMurdo smiled slyly, and drew his gun from his pocket.McGinty collected himself.

"You have to keep your promise. If you must call the police, give me at least one night and tell Scotland Yard tomorrow during the day."

"What's the use of a night?" McMurdo's expression became fierce again. "You can't escape. The blood that has been shed will not let you go."

"I know, but I answered your question, and now I'm only asking for one night."

McMurdo was silent for a moment.McGinty, face covered in dirt and blood, looked at him.The detective slowly put the gun back into his pocket.

"Until nine tomorrow morning," he said, "you're still free. No second chances."

"I know." McGinty smiled wryly. "I knew it when I was in the valley. You will never break your promise."

"Stop mocking me, Mr. McGinty."

"There's one more thing you need to know." McGinty wiped the blood off his face again, grinning a little because of the pain, "Baldwin is in England, and he's here to find a traitor to the organization. London is the territory of the professor, he dare not Come in, but once you've got the professor down, he's nothing to fear. He's not afraid of getting caught. Baldwin's gone mad. He'd rather be caught and hanged afterwards than let you go. Watch out, McMurdo, Baldwin It's because of you."

"I know. You go."

The figure of McGinty stumbling out of the side street quickly disappeared.McMurdo stared into the darkness in silence.Watson and Iris, who hadn't heard anything for a long time, came out of their hiding places at this moment.

"What happened? Is there any bad news?" Iris said carefully observing the detective's expression.

"No. I probably know where Moriarty is, but I may need to search the Eastern Suburbs again," McMurdo replied.

The author has something to say: The author decided to skip right to the last case in a frenzy and close the volume.This chapter will be a buffer, and the next chapter will be the last case.I have been waiting for a long time, hehehehe~

☆, 101

(God's perspective)

Reichenbach Falls on the night of the [-]th of May.

The professor put the lamp beside him and sat down lazily.Colonel Moran stood by, gun still in hand.The light did not illuminate his confused face.The water was so loud that they had to shout at each other to hear each other.

"Professor, we got rid of them."

Moriarty didn't answer.

"You can't expect the local police to come out in the middle of the night like two desperadoes in the mountains with rough roads. They will wait until dawn."

"It's not the Swiss police that worries me," Moriarty said flatly.

"Holmes will come, as long as he catches up with us. He doesn't know whether it's bravery or stupidity." The colonel frowned, the dim light only lightly illuminated half of his face, and his wolf-like eyes were shining brightly, " It's not a problem for me to deal with him alone."

"I've been thinking about this question since I got on the train in London." The professor seemed not to have heard Moran's enthusiastic suggestion, "Whether this trip is the right decision or not."

"I don't understand." The colonel sighed.As soon as the professor starts to say incomprehensible words, a jaw-dropping decision will follow.Usually this would be an unheard of genius idea, but now is obviously not a good time to take the lead.

"All the people who have supported me since we came to the mainland from the UK are not my people." Moriarty suddenly changed the subject lightly.Although the professor's eyes were looking away, Moran averted his eyes in a little embarrassment.

"It's mine," said the colonel. "I never told you about this..."

"About the power you cultivated yourself? I know."

"but I……"

"But you didn't mean to be against me, I know."

The colonel didn't know what else to say, he could only look around.

"Then it's easy for you. I don't seem to have mentioned that when I was on the mainland with Nightingale, I had a bank account in Switzerland under the name of Sebastian Morris, which should be enough..."

"Wait a minute?" the colonel interrupted Moriarty.The professor stopped unexpectedly. "You mean we should separate now?"

"Is there anything wrong."

"You know very well that I can't let them catch you."

"It seems that I'm going to say something old again." Moriarty said, this time his calm was a little helpless, "Moland, I spent 20 years building an empire like the one before in London. It will take at least 20 years to rebuild it." [-] years, even if you give me enough time, there are not enough conditions. If we escape safely, we will have to hide our names abroad and quietly disappear from this world for the rest of our lives. If you ask me, this is already quite Yu died."

"It's not the same as dying."

"I haven't been on the battlefield, Moran, and maybe we can't agree on this. But I need you to try to make sense of it now. I can't live like that."

"All mine are yours," said the colonel.

"You know that won't work."

Moran sighed deeply.Moriarty, who was sitting on the rock, looked up at him, calm as ever.This look suddenly made the colonel decide to abandon all rebuttals and efforts, although they had come to his lips, although he once felt that they were convincing enough.He put the gun back in his pocket.

"If the Swiss police catch you there is still some time to spare. If Holmes finds you alone, he will resort to violence."

"He doesn't bother to throw stones at an opponent who is at a disadvantage. You can take the lamp away, I don't need a lamp sitting here. They only want to arrest me, and you still have a chance to get away with it."

The colonel didn't want to take the lamp, but the professor picked it up and handed it to him.

"Then I suppose it's farewell."

"Yes. I've never regretted trusting you, Sebastian."

"Good luck, James."

"Goodbye."

Moran turned and walked into the forest.His light flickered a few times among the leaves and was never seen again.The overwhelming darkness sank.

Moriarty sat still, and before him the Reichenbach Falls roared like thunder.

Moriarty, who had almost fallen asleep amid the monotonous sound of water, sat up straight again when he saw a light rising unsteadily from the bottom of the mountain.

"Only you would insist on coming to the falls at night just to catch a criminal."

Holmes' light drew near.The detective stopped five paces from the professor and put the lamp on the ground.

"Thank you for still getting to know me so well, Professor."

"Nothing, Sherlock. I have been asking myself a question for nearly twenty years. How would you answer me if Mycroft hadn't stopped me?"

Both were silent for a while.

"Is there anything else you haven't figured out?"

"I doubt the identities of those who hinder us in London and the mainland." Holmes said calmly. "Your power network in London has been scattered, and it is difficult to gather it together in a short time. The police arrested you in Switzerland The few people in China have stylized the letter 'M' sewn on their clothes, some on the cuffs, some on the collar. You never do this kind of superficial stuff full of emotions."

"You already know who it is from the sound of it." Moriarty looked down at his surroundings, as if regretting that there was no tea set for the occasion.

"Colonel Moran, aren't you?"

"You never doubted your own judgment."

Holmes gazed at the professor.

"It would be a lot easier to root them out without you."

"You don't really care. You don't care about everything else as long as you beat me. You don't even care about the safety of London from now on."

"I need you to explain further."

"I want you to face reality. You arrested me not for others, but to prove that you are intellectually superior to me."

"We all know that our little tricks won't work on each other."

Moriarty stood up.Holmes took a cautious step back, but the Professor ignored him. He took a few steps towards the waterfall, stopped, and turned to face him.

"I admit that I lost this round. If you know me well enough, you should know that in this case, I have no will to resist."

"There is no next round," replied Holmes.

"Maybe it's not over for me. It's not over for you."

"what."

Maybe the professor answered something in a low voice, but was drowned out by the sound of the waterfall, maybe not.He lowered his head slightly for a moment, and Holmes failed to catch his mouth.

"You don't seem surprised that Moran isn't here."

"You let him go."

"Yes. He was going to fight you to the death by force, and I stopped him. Dying is pointless. If I said I wanted him to avenge me, he wouldn't go anyway, and die with you. I don't appreciate that. But I know He will also return to London against my wishes and settle with you against my wishes."

"A man like you can still have someone he can trust unconditionally." Holmes didn't finish his sentence.

"That person could have been you."

The detective smiled derisively.

"My death will be in the papers tomorrow. Moran will know you killed me."

"I have no intention of having a private affair with you. You will be brought back to London, tried, and hanged in a fair manner."

"I didn't intend to let you do that. Look, Sherlock, tomorrow the papers will say that I died accidentally in the pursuit. But Moran won't believe it. He's a queer man. If I get caught by Scotland Yard, he really Will disappear from now on, miss us with the rest of the time. But if you kill me, he will take revenge on you with the rest of the time."

Holmes looked at Moriarty in bewilderment.The professor also looked in his direction, but it wasn't Sherlock Holmes he saw.

Moriarty saw the boy again.By Holmes' side.The face was childish, hard, and beautiful.His gray eyes were full of fear and excitement, and despite trying to hide it, they couldn't help looking up, just like when he finally asked if he wanted to go to London.Moriarty opened his eyes wide, but the illusion became clearer before his eyes, even brighter than the real Holmes standing there.

"It's all for you," said the professor. "You should be mine."

Holmes frowned.But the professor didn't speak to him, but to the shadow next to him.

Moriarty took a slow step back.Then comes the second step.He saw the boy take a deep breath.

"No. It's impossible."

Moriarty saw Sherlock lip-syncing it.He didn't stop.The boy closed his resolute lips, left Holmes and rushed towards him, the expression of terror still on his face.Just when Moriarty almost believed that he was going to run in front of him to stop him, the boy stopped suddenly and staggered because he braked too fast.He stood motionless between Moriarty and Holmes, maintaining a restrained posture, staring at the professor.The excited light in his eyes faded little by little, and then turned cold, as if he had changed from a blood-boiling beast to an indifferent, calm, resolute one standing on a high place overlooking the creation——

eagle.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I can't."

The young voice sounded coldly in Moriarty's mind, as if it came from all directions.The phantom dimmed little by little, and finally those eyes merged with the real Sherlock Holmes, leaving only a pair of cold gazes.

The 20-year chase came to an end.James Moriarty failed.

The professor's eyes returned to calm.

"Goodbye, Sherlock."

Holmes said nothing.

Moriarty took a final step back with composure.

When Holmes stood on the edge of the cliff and looked down, there was only endless darkness and the thundering sound of the Reichenbach Falls.

That was Moriarty's final plot.The professor loathes low-level violence, and he wants to play it one last time.Moran and his forces were still in London.He will definitely believe that Holmes killed the professor, and he will not hesitate to find anyone around Holmes for revenge.Watson, Nightingale, Merry, Mrs. Hudson, Mycroft, Lestrade... What else can make this murderous devil give up?Is it still possible?

Holmes watched silently for a while, then took off his hunting cap and threw it at his feet.

possible.Holmes and Moriarty died together.The dead are not responsible.

It seems that the real rush has just begun.

(Manuscript by Dr. Watson)

Nightingale stood up from the table as Lestrade and I entered the office.

We looked at each other, and for a moment we didn't know what to say, but at the same time we knew clearly that the other couldn't.I felt that I might lose my composure if I opened my mouth, and Lestrade probably sensed it, and it was impossible for me to announce this news.

"Professor Moriarty fell off a cliff in Reichenbach, and we're sure he's dead. But Mr. Holmes..."

Nightingale slightly raised her chin intentionally or unintentionally, this action made her stare away from Lestrade's face, and cast her gaze towards a certain void above.This staring look obviously made the police officer find it very difficult to continue to utter any words.

"Mr. Holmes . . . I am sorry."

The echo of Lestrade's last words quickly dissipated in Scotland Yard's office. On the ceiling, on the surrounding walls, on the floor, and in the space around the nightingale, it seemed that something that had been condensed had dissipated at the same time. .Nightingale took a deep breath.A wave of moisture came to her frozen eyes, but there were no tears.She didn't cry.

In fact, since that day, I have never seen her shed a single tear for this.

(interlude)

"Let's not stay here for too long," said the doctor. "You all know that Holmes died in a suspended animation and will not return until three years later."

"And it scared the people around me." The young writer smiled slightly.

"Correct."

"How has Nightingale been during this time?"

"Oh... she went to Manchester."

"Didn't stay in London?"

"No. After the news of Holmes was confirmed, she was determined to go to Manchester to start her own affairs. McMurdo and Iris decided to go with her. They jointly opened a detective agency there. Apart from the financial cooperation, basically In the end, they took on the case separately. Because McMurdo is good at tracking and providing personal protection, Nightingale and Sherlock Holmes will take care of each other, and they can't get together at all, unless they think the case is more dangerous and need to protect each other. Sometimes two people, Sometimes all three. Her name in Manchester is 'The Nightingale of London' - yes, sometimes a little confused with Hilda Hopkins, but it's not too much of a bother that the field is different."

"When did she know that Holmes had returned?"

"That's interesting. After Holmes had seen us, he tried to repeat in her the way he frightened me."

"How about it?"

"It was a mess."

The author has something to say: After posting, I suddenly felt silently, why does she look a little like Shenxia... I have always planned this way, maybe I didn't pay attention to it, and I don't want to change it.Attention guys, after procrastinating for so long, it is finally going to be handsome from the second volume!