The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 165 The Last Greeting (8)
"Unless you break in, I don't know how to arrange it. Every time I leave the plate and go downstairs, I hear him unlock the door."

"He's going to take the dishes into the house. We can hide somewhere and watch him take the dishes."

The landlady thought for a while.

"Okay, sir, there's a box room across from him. I'll get a mirror, if you hide behind the door maybe you can..."

"Excellent!" said Holmes. "When will he have his lunch?"

"Around one o'clock in the afternoon, sir."

"Watson and I will be there in time. Good-bye, Mrs. Warren."

At 12:30 noon we were on the steps of Mrs. Warren's house.This is a house that sits on Houme Street northeast of the British Museum.Although it was near the corner of the street, it was only a tall, narrow building of yellow brick, from which one looked down on Hoy Street and its more luxurious dwellings.Holmes smiled and pointed to a house in a row of flats.He was always sensitive about the design and appearance of the house.

"Look, Watson!" said he, "'the tall red house with the white stone facade.' The place of the signal is also right. We know the place and the code, so the next task is much easier. On the window there is A 'For Rent' sign. The vacant dwelling is evidently the place where the group went in and out. Oh, Mrs Warren, how are you getting ready?"

"It's ready for you all. If you both come, leave your shoes on the landing downstairs. I'll take you there now."

The hiding place she arranged for us was fine.The mirror is also placed just right, even if you are sitting in the dark, you can clearly see the movement of the opposite door.Mrs. Warren had just left, and before we had time to settle down, we heard the ringing of the bell from the mysterious neighbor on the opposite side.After a while, the landlady came over with a plate.She put down the saucer on a chair by the door, and stomped away.We squatted in the corner of the door, staring at the mirror.After the landlady's footsteps disappeared, the sound of turning the key sounded from the opposite side, the doorknob was turned open, and two slender hands quickly reached out the door and took the plate from the chair.After a while, he quickly put the dish back in place.I saw a melancholy, beautiful, and panicked face staring at a crack in the door of the room where the boxes were kept.Then the door closed quickly, and the key turned again.Everything was calm again.Holmes tugged at my sleeve, and we quietly descended the stairs.

"I shall come again tonight," said Holmes to the landlady. "I think, Watson, we shall have to go back and discuss the matter."

"You see, as I surmise," said he, seated in his easy chair, "someone has taken the place of the lodger, but what I did not expect was that we found a woman, a very extraordinary woman, Watson. "

"She saw us."

"Well, she must have found something that alarmed her. The whole story is clear, isn't it? A couple have taken refuge in London from dire and urgent danger. Judging by their scrupulous precautions, It means that the degree of danger is very deep. The man has urgent business to do. During his urgent business, he wanted to put the woman in a safe place. But this matter is more difficult, but he solved the problem with a special method , worked so well that even the landlady who brought her food didn't know she existed. It's clear now that the note was written in print so that no one could recognize her as a woman from the handwriting. The man He can't get close to his wife, or he will attract enemies. He can't contact her directly, but can only use the missing person advertisements in the newspaper. Now, everything is clear."

"But, what's the root cause?"

"Oh, yes, Watson, it is still a serious practical matter! What is the cause?
"Mrs. Warren's question magnifies the matter, and, in the course of our investigation, a more insidious side emerges. We can safely say: This is no ordinary emotional entanglement. The expression on the woman's face when she found danger we We've seen it all. We've also heard about Mr. Landlord's assault, and it's clear that the tenant was the target. The horror and secrecy show that it's a matter of life and death. Mr. Warren's attack further shows that , those enemies, whoever they may be, do not themselves know that the male lodger has been replaced by a female lodger. It is a very curious and complicated matter, Watson."

"Why do you continue to investigate? What do you want to get out of it?"

"Yes, for what? Art for art's sake, Watson. When you see a patient, I suppose you think of the study of the disease, not the fee?"

"It is for learning, and for gaining knowledge, Holmes."

"Learning is endless, Watson. Course after course, knowledge goes deeper and deeper. It is a very illuminating case, and there is neither money nor profit in it, but I would like to make it Find out. By the time it gets dark, we'll find that our investigation has gone a step further."

By the time we got back to Mrs. Warren's the London winter night had grown hazy, into a gray curtain, save for the dull monotony of the bright yellow panes of the windows and the dim circles of the gas lamps.As we peered out of one of the darkened living rooms of the apartment, we could vaguely see a dim light on high.

"Someone is moving about in the room," murmured Holmes, leaning his eager, thin face against the window. "Yes, I see him. There he is again! With a candle in his hand, he Looking across to make sure she was looking at the signal. Now he is shaking the light to signal. Watson, you also make a note, and we will check the signal later. Just a moment, this must be A. Now, oh, you remember How many times is it? Twenty. Same as mine. Twenty is a T. AT—already clear! Another T. This must be the first letter of the second word. Now it is—TENTA. Stop Is it over? Watson, is this the end? AT-TENTA is meaningless. The three words—AT, TEN, TA, also have no meaning. Otherwise, T and A are the abbreviations of a person's name. It's started again! What is it? ATTE - Why is the same thing repeated. Strange, Watson, really strange! He stopped again! AT - Repeated three times. ATTENTA, three times! How many times is he going to repeat No, it seems he has finished. He left the window. What do you think, Watson?"

"It is a coded connection, Holmes."

My companion laughed suddenly. "It's not a very obscure code, Watson," he said. "Yes, it's in Italian! It means: Signal A is addressed to a woman. 'Be careful! Be careful! Be careful!' How about it, Watson?" "

"I think you're right."

"There is no doubt that this is an emergency signal. It was repeated three times to show it. What are you looking out for? Wait a minute, he's at the window again!"

Again we see the blurred silhouette of a crouching figure.When the signal resumed, a small flame flickered back and forth in front of the window, very quickly.Signals are hitting faster than last time, and we can barely remember.

"Pericolo--Pericolo--well, what does that mean, Watson? 'Dangerous', isn't it? Yes, a red flag indeed. Here he is again! Peri... ah, what is this? ..."

The lights went out suddenly, the light from the square windows disappeared, and the fourth floor became a dark band of the building against the brightly lit windows of the other floors.The last emergency call was cut off suddenly, what happened?Who interrupted it?This thought popped into our minds at the same time.Holmes sprang up from his crouching position by the window.

"Watson, the matter is serious," he cried. "Accident is about to happen! Why is the signal interrupted like this? I must get in touch with the police in this matter. But the matter is too urgent, and I cannot get away for a while."

"Can I go?"

"We must make the matter clearer. It may have a clearer explanation. Come, Watson, let us do it ourselves, and see how it turns out."

As we walked up Hoy Street, I looked back at the building we had just left.From the window on the top floor, I vaguely saw the head of a person, a woman. She was nervously and somewhat dull looking at the night sky outside, holding her breath and waiting for the interrupted signal to resume.At the door of the Hoy Street apartment, a man in a scarf and overcoat leans against the railing.The man was taken aback when the foyer lights shone in our faces.

"Holmes!" he cried.

"Hi, Gleeson!" said my companion, shaking hands with the Scotland Yard detective. "It's not as if friends don't see each other. What brings you here?"

"I suppose, like you," said Grayson, "I can't imagine how you know about it."

"All clues point to the same source. I'm deciphering the signal."

"Signal?"

"Yes, from that window, but it was interrupted. We're investigating. Since you're working on the case, it's nothing to worry about, and I don't think we need to interfere."

"Wait!" cried Grayson eagerly. "I want to tell you something from the bottom of my heart, Mr. Holmes, that I would feel much more secure with your help in my case. There is but one exit from this house." , so he can't run away."

"Who?"

"Ah, Mr. Holmes, this time we are one step ahead. This time, you have to learn from us." He rapped the ground with his stick, and a coachman with a riding whip came from the other side of the street. A four-wheeled carriage walked slowly by. "May I introduce you to Mr. Holmes?" he said to the coachman. "This is Mr. Leverton of the Pinkerton American Detective Agency."

"Is that the hero who solved the mysterious case in the caves of Long Island?" said Holmes. "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir."

The American was a quiet, shrewd youth, with a sharp, clean-shaven face.He blushed brightly at these compliments from Holmes. "I'm running for a living, Mr. Holmes," said he, "and if I can catch Giorgiano . . . "

"What? Giorgiano of the Red Circle?"

"Well, he's a famous man in Europe, isn't he? We've heard about him in America too. We know he's connected to fifty murders, but we can't get him. I've been following him since New York. I was around him all week in London, waiting for a chance to catch him. Mr. Grayson and I chased him to this flat, which had only one door from which he could not escape. After he entered, three men came from Come out from inside, but I dare to conclude that none of these three people is him."

"Mr. Holmes speaks of signals," said Grayson. "I think, as usual, that he understands a great deal that we do not."

Holmes gave them a brief account of our situation.The American clapped his hands together, very annoyed.

"Then he has found us!" he cried.

"Why do you think so?"

"Well, isn't that what it is? He's signaling his gang here, and he's got a bunch of gangs in London. As you say, he interrupts the signal by telling them there's a danger here. It might be He suddenly found us in the street at the window, or else he was aware of the danger approaching, and he would have to act immediately if he was to avoid it. What else could it mean? What do you think, Holmes? gentlemen?"

"We're going to go up immediately and check it out for ourselves."

"But we don't have a warrant."

"He's in suspicious circumstances, in an unoccupied house," Grayson said. "That's enough. While we're still tracking him, we can see if New York can assist us in apprehending him." .And now, I'm in charge of arresting him."

Although our official police detectives are still somewhat lacking in talent, they are quite commendable in courage.Grayson went upstairs to catch the murderer.He still had that absolutely composed demeanor.It is this spirit that has seen him rise through the ranks at Scotland Yard.The Pinkerton Detective guy had tried to get ahead of him, but Gregson had left him long ago.Police in London have priority over cases in London.

The door to the left room on the fourth floor was ajar.Gregson pushed open the door, and it was pitch black and very quiet inside.I struck a match and lit the detective's lamp.Just then, after the lights were turned on, we all gasped in shock.There was a pool of fresh blood on the uncarpeted floor.The red footprints lead to an inner room, the door of which is closed.Grayson slammed the door open, holding the lamp aloft, and we all looked eagerly over his shoulder.

On the floor of the empty room lay a massive man, with a dark, clean-shaven, distorted face, and a hideous ring of bright red blood around his head.The body lay in a huge soggy ring on a plank of white wood.His knees were bent and his hands were outstretched in pain.A white-handled knife pierced him completely through the middle of his thick, black throat.The man was of great stature, and must have fallen like an ox felled by the axe, having received the fatal blow.Beside his right hand lay a formidable double-edged horn-handled dagger on the floor, next to which was a black suede glove.

"My God! It's Giorgiano himself!" exclaimed the American detective. "Somebody's ahead of us this time."

"That's the candle on the window-sill, Mr. Holmes," said Grayson. "Well, what are you doing?"

Holmes had gone and lit a candle, which was dangling at the window.Then he peered into the darkness, blew out the candle, and threw it on the floor.

"I thought it would help," he said.He came and stood there thinking.At this time, two full-time personnel were examining the body. "You say that while you were waiting downstairs, three people came out of the house," he said at last. "Did you see them well?"

"See clearly."

"Is there a young man in his thirties with a black beard, very dark skin, and a medium build?"

"Yes. He was the last one to walk past me."

"He's the man you're looking for, I think. I can tell you what he looks like, and we have a pretty clear track of him. That should be enough for you."

"Mr. Holmes, these alone are not enough to find him among the millions in London."

"Perhaps not quite enough. I therefore think it best to call on this lady to assist you."

Hearing this sentence, we all turned around.There stood a tall and beautiful woman in the doorway—the mysterious lodger of Bloomsbury.She walked forward slowly, with a pale face and a very melancholy expression, staring at the black body on the ground in horror.

"You killed him!" she murmured, "oh, my God, you killed him!" Then I heard her suddenly take a deep breath, followed by a wild cry of excitement. , she danced.She danced round and round the room, clapping her hands, a look of surprise and joy in her dark eyes, and a hundred beautiful Italian exclamations pouring from her mouth.How terrible and admirable it was that such a woman should be so ecstatic at such a sight.She stopped suddenly and looked at us suspiciously.

"And you! You are the police, aren't you? You killed Quiceppe Giorgiano, didn't you?"

"Ma'am, we are indeed the police."

She glanced around the dark part of the room.

"And what about the Gennaro?" she asked. "He's my husband. Gennaro Luca. I'm Emilia Luca. We're both from New York. Gennaro Where did Luo go? He called me at this window just now, and I ran right over."

"I have sent you," said Holmes.

"You?! How is it possible?"

"Your code is not difficult to understand, ma'am. You are welcome. I know that if I give the signal 'come,' you will come."

The beautiful Italian woman looked at my companion in amazement.

"I don't understand, how do you know this," she said, "Quesepe Giorgiano...how did he..." She paused, and then a look of pride and joy suddenly appeared on her face, "I Now I understand! My Gennaro! My wonderful Gennaro, he who protected me from harm, he who killed the devil with his mighty hand! O Gennaro, You are great! What kind of woman is worthy of such a heroic man as you."

"Well, Mrs. Luca," said Grayson, deeply bored, taking the lady's sleeve with one hand indifferently, and treating her as if he were a Notting Hill rascal, "are you Who, what do you do, I don't know very well. But according to what you said, the situation is already very clear, please come with us to the police station. "

"Wait a moment, Grayson," said Holmes, "I think this lady might give us useful information. You should be aware, madam, that the man lying before us was killed by your husband, and you Husband will be arrested. Everything you say can be used as evidence in court. If you think he is not motivated by crime, but wants to find out the situation, then the best way you can help him is to put Tell us all about it."

"Now that Giorgiano is dead, we have nothing to fear," said the lady. "He is a devil. No judge in the world will punish my husband for killing such a devil."

"In that case," said Holmes, "I propose to lock the door and leave the scene as it is. We shall go with the lady to her room. We shall make another decision after we have heard her account."

Half an hour later, the four of us were sitting in Frau Luca's small sitting room, listening to her recount the strange and sinister events.The end of events we happen to have witnessed.Her English is fluent, but not pure.The expression is clear, I made some grammatical changes.

(End of this chapter)