Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 128 Uncanny Valley (6)
"The deceased was shot. There is no doubt about it. However, the time of the shooting is different. The time of the shooting they said must be much later than the real time of the shooting. That's the thing, I'm sure , They must be deceiving us, the two of them came together to fabricate lies, and the blood on the windowsill was printed on purpose to create confusion, and now he is in big trouble.

"The timing of the murder is more critical. The time is about 45:[-]. The servants should have already rested. Only Ames is in the dining room, and the door of the restaurant is closed. As for what happened in the study, Ames is Impossible to know, we have done experiments this afternoon.

"We also did this kind of experiment in the bedroom of the housekeeper Allen, where we could only faintly hear it. Judging from the scene, the muzzle of the gun was very close to the deceased, which would greatly reduce the noise of the gunfire." Intensity. It was late at night and very quiet, and Mrs. Allen could hear it anyway. When we asked her, she said she heard something like a door closing, a 'bang', half an hour before the alarm went off. , I believe it was a gunshot, but she didn't pay attention. And 45:45 was half an hour before the alarm sounded, so [-]:[-] was the time when the victim was killed.

"If everything goes our way, assuming that Mrs. Douglas and Barker were not the murderers but someone else, they heard the gunshot at ten-forty-five. Why did he ring the bell at eleven-fifteen? What have they been doing during this time? Just prove that and maybe other problems will be solved."

I said: "Mr. Holmes, you have a very reasonable point. It seems that they are indeed in collusion. Why else can they laugh so happily only a few hours after Douglas' death? And Mrs. Douglas is a little sad." It doesn't look like anything."

"I don't take women lightly. You know that, Watson, and you are quite right. When we questioned her, she did not feel sad at all. After what happened to her husband, she I went upstairs again without looking at it. Just out of curiosity. Is it possible? If it was me and my wife was like Mrs. Douglas, it wouldn't make me angry again Come here. Do they think they're cheating the big fool? Now it's time to find out why they both combined to cheat?"

"You mean it was both of them or one of them?"

"Your question is quite straightforward. If you think that Mrs. Douglas and Barker knew the truth about the murder, and conspired to conceal it, then I wholeheartedly agree. They are indeed conspiring now. However, your conclusion is still We need some evidence! Watson, let us first examine the difficult problem which hinders us."

We first made an assumption, that is, Barker and Mrs. Douglas were consensual, so Douglas became a big obstacle to them, so they wanted to get rid of this thorn in their side.

But through detailed investigation, we found that this assumption does not hold.The servants said that the Douglases had a very good relationship.

"Is this true?" I said, remembering their chatter and laughter again.

"Well, at least they give the appearance of that. Let's assume, however, that they were a scheming couple who deceived everyone on this point, and conspired together to kill Douglas. It so happened that Douglas was in some sort of danger... "

"We just heard their side of the story."

Holmes thought for a while, and then said:

"You don't have to believe it. I know what you mean. You mean that we have been deceived by them all the time. Everything they said is to deceive us on purpose. And the purpose of them deceiving us is to draw our attention To make us believe that the murderer was someone outside the estate. It seems that all your speculations are in line with the facts, but if you think about it slowly, I am afraid that something is going to go wrong. Why did they use such a musket? If If Mrs. Allen were replaced by someone else, wouldn't that be exposed? In this way, they would not have enough confidence. Watson, he can't even think of this!"

"Yes, these questions are indeed difficult to understand."

"If they murdered Douglas, why did they take off the wedding ring? Isn't that a deliberate exposure? Think about it."

"I don't think it makes any sense at all!"

"The muddy car in the garden doesn't help your deduction. After the murderer commits the crime, the most important thing is to escape. Who doesn't know that riding a car is much faster than walking? Then why did the murderer Why leave the car? Who would be foolish enough to create such an illusion? Unless he is mentally retarded."

"I'm speechless about that, too."

"When you are faced with a complex problem, as long as you think carefully, you can slowly think clearly about the problem. Listen to my idea first, although it has conjecture, let's try it!
"First of all, Douglas has done dishonorable acts, so dishonorable that he can't look back. He was shot, probably because of his previous actions. As for the hatred, we have no way of knowing now. The enemy killed him , and to take away together with his wedding ring, which may be related to his first marriage.

"After committing the crime, when the enemy tried his best to escape, Buck and Mrs. Douglas rushed over. They knew very well that if the murderer was caught, Douglas's scandal would be exposed, and he would be cast aside by people, so they did They let the murderer slip away from them. Perhaps in order to make the murderer escape, they also lowered the drawbridge, allowing the murderer to cross the bridge smoothly, and then they lifted the drawbridge. The murderer dropped his bicycle because he felt that walking Safer. That's my opinion, what do you think?"

"There is no doubt that it is possible," I said with some reservations.

"We must be aware, Watson, that we have encountered something very special. Thinking further - this pair is not necessarily criminals, but after the murderer fled, they realized that they were in a position of suspicion. , as it was difficult to prove that they did not do it, and that they did not condone it. So they did something hastily and clumsily, and that was how it happened. Buck did it on the window-sill with his bloodstained slippers. Footprints, pretending to be traces of the murderer's escape. They were obviously the first to hear the gunshots, so they rang the bell to call the police after they made arrangements. But it was already half an hour after the incident."

"How are you going to prove all this?"

"Okay, if it's an outsider, then he may be hunted down. Of course, this kind of proof is the most effective. But if it's not like this... Well, the means of science are endless. I'm going to be in that study Spend the night alone here. Maybe I'll find out."

"is this necessary?"

"Of course I have. I'll be on my way soon. Ames is an honest and simple man. I have observed that he has no old friendship with Buck, so I have told him our thoughts. The study It's a better environment for me, please don't laugh at me, it makes sense to me. Watson, have you brought your umbrella?"

"Umbrella? Here."

"Here, I'll use it."

I said, "Okay, but what a lousy weapon it is!"

"It's all right, Watson. If there's anything to do, I've made preparations. Now my partner has gone to Tombridge Wools to check the bicycle."

In the evening, Macdonald and White Mason returned happily.They must have come back with good news to report.

Macdonald said: "Gentlemen, it was a big mistake for us to deny that it was someone from outside the estate. After our investigation, everything became clear. This is indeed meaningful news."

"You mean to say that you have brought the case to its conclusion," said Holmes. "In that case I must congratulate you."

"You know, too, that Douglas has been to Tombridge Wools. Since he has been there he has been restless, aware of some danger. It is obvious that if a man comes by bicycle, It must have come from Tombridge Wools. We have inquired at various inns, and the manager of Eagle's Hotel recognized the car at once, and said it belonged to Hagley. Husband, this man stayed at their hotel for two or three days. He only brought a small suitcase, registered as coming from London, but did not write the address. The little suitcase was full of British goods, but Hargrave It's American."

"You guys have done a good job," said Holmes, "and I've sat here with my friends and made up all sorts of inferences. It's been a lesson indeed."

"Sometimes it's necessary to connect theory with practice," MacDonald said.

I said: "However, Mr. Holmes' reasoning is consistent with your findings. Mr. MacDonald, what are you going to do next?"

"On one point, it is clear that this man does not want anyone to know his details, so he is very cautious. Nothing has been found in his bedroom except a local map. It is understood that he has not left the hotel since the last time. Never appeared again."

White Mason said: "It's hard for people to understand. Generally speaking, if he commits a crime, he should pretend to be the same as usual, so as not to arouse others' suspicion. Doesn't he expose the target by doing this now?" What do you say, Mr. Holmes?"

"Haven't we found him yet? This is where he is smarter. Do you know what he looks like?"

MacDonald checked his notebook.

"As for his appearance, we have recorded it from several sources. He is about 50 years old, about six feet tall, with gray hair, a hooked nose, no facial expression, and rather fierce. .”

"Why does this person sound more and more like Mr. Douglas, keep talking."

"Also, he often wore a hat and a double-breasted coat," said MacDonald.

"What about the musket?"

"What's left is his box. Although it's relatively small, it's no problem to hold a small gun. He puts that box on his body and covers it with his coat, so no one else will find it."

"How connected is this to the homicide?"

MacDonald said: "Mr. Holmes, if we want to know more, I am afraid that this man must be caught. As far as we know, Hargrave came to Tombridge Wools two days ago. He only He carried a small box with a musket in it, and he rode a bicycle. The purpose of coming here was to commit murder. Yesterday morning, this man came here on a bicycle, with a coat on his body, and a A musket, and no one could see him, because there were plenty of bikers. When he got here, he hid in the bushes and waited for Douglas to show up, and that's probably what he meant to do."

"Remarkably well reasoned," said Holmes.

"The murderer waited for a long time, but he didn't see Douglas come out. As a last resort, he dropped his bicycle and entered through the suspension bridge. Then he entered the house and hid behind the curtain. After a while, the suspension bridge was lifted So he had to prepare to run away. Douglas came to the study after eleven o'clock, the murderer did the trick, and then fled. He thought that the bicycle was not good for him, because it had been seen , so he left the car, and went to London, or is still hiding somewhere. How is it, Mr. Holmes?"

"Mr. Macdonald, your analysis is very thorough, but the time of the crime, I think it is ten forty-five, this is because Mrs. Douglas and Barker combined to deceive us. The murderer slipped away from under their noses, they And some illusions were designed."

White Mason said: "Mrs. Douglas has never lived in America. How could she know the killer and let him go?"

"I have some circumstances to-night to investigate for that matter," said Holmes.

"What shall we do, Mr. Holmes?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll just take Watson's umbrella. The housekeeper, Ames, is a loyal and kind man, and he can help me. There is one problem I can't figure out, and that is why there is only one dumbbell left. .”

In the middle of the night, Holmes returned from his investigation alone.I was asleep by then, and he woke me up from my sleep when he entered the door.

I asked in a daze, "Holmes, is there any new progress?"

He took a candle and stood beside me without speaking for a long time, then his tall and thin figure suddenly bent down to me and said:
"Watson, don't you find it frightening to sleep in the same room with a man insane, an idiot out of control?"

"Not at all, what are you talking about?" I couldn't understand his words.

"Ah, good luck." After he said this, he didn't say anything else that night.the truth came out

The next morning we went to the police station, where Macdonald and Sergeants White Mason were sorting out the telegrams and letters.

Holmes asked happily: "Have you found any clues about the cyclist? Any good news?"

MacDonald said: "Look! It's all about him, look, it's all over the place, this guy is clearly being targeted."

Holmes said: "Mr. MacDonald, Mr. White Mason, can you accept our opinion? I have told you that I will not express my inferences without sufficient certainty, but I really don't want you to Your efforts are in vain. So I want to stop you, or give up what you are doing now."

The two constables looked at each other, wondering what Holmes was talking about.

MacDonald said aloud, "Did we do something wrong?"

"Your method is wrong, and it is futile to do so."

"The cyclist, it's always real! He's in hiding, so why isn't he caught?"

"That's true. As long as we do our best, we will definitely catch him. However, it is inevitable to be a bit blind when we go to so many places to investigate. I believe we can find a shortcut to solve the case."

"Mr. Holmes," said Macdonald, "are you concealing something?"

"Mr. MacDonald. You should know what I am, and I will tell you when things are done. After I go to London, you are here to clean up the mess. All I can say is that this case is very special."

"Mr. Holmes, you are so unpredictable. Yesterday you let us go on, and today you have become like this. What happened to make you look at the case so differently?"

"Well, since you ask, I might as well tell you. I was at the estate for a few hours last night."

"So have you discovered anything new?"

Holmes took out a pamphlet and said: "Mr. MacDonald, after reading this pamphlet, you will be able to feel the unique atmosphere of the old manor. Look at this passage: Five years after James I ascended the throne, he died in the ruins. Birlstone Manor was built in the center, which is the most representative building of James I in existence. The moat is more representative..."

"What do these mean?"

"I'd better not read it well, otherwise, you should be angry. But I'll tell you about some important situations." In 1664, a Colonel of the Conference Party got this place. During the war in England, Charles I once hid here , George II was here too.'”

"What does that mean? It's just a thing of the past."

"These things are in the past, but we should still take a long view. Things are interconnected. The application of some knowledge is not immediately effective. I have more experience than you. Please believe that I am not bragging about himself."

"Maybe you have your reasons," MacDonald said, "but you're too oblique in what you do."

"Then, I'll put the matter aside and analyze the case. I've been to the manor, and I've seen Mrs. Douglas and Barker. The woman is very energetic and has a good appetite for food. I found Ames, he agreed with me to stay in the study for a while, but this matter must not be known to others."

"What! You with the dead body?" I cried out suddenly.

"That's not true, the room has been cleaned up. I stayed in the study for a while, and soon found the feeling."

"What did you do there?"

"Don't be so surprised, I finally found the missing dumbbell."

"Where did you find it?"

"The matter is about to be revealed, and it is only one step away. As long as I go further, I will be able to tell you all the truth."

Macdonald said, "Well, now do what you say, but why did you tell us to drop that lead?"

"It's very simple, you have taken a detour."

"But that person is very suspicious!"

"That's right. But it's no use chasing the cyclist, it's just a waste of time."

"Mr. Holmes, what are we to do?"

"If you wish, I will tell you in detail what to do."

"Well, I have to say your approach is a bit odd, but I always feel you're right, so we'll just listen to you."

"What do you think, Mr. White Mason?"

White Mason was simply dazed, he could no longer keep up with Holmes' train of thought.

It took him a long time to reply: "I have no objection."

"Very well," said Holmes. "Now you can go and relax. I've heard that the scenery around Birlstone is very beautiful, so you may--"

Macdonald said angrily, "Mr. Holmes, don't make fun of us, okay?"

"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore, you can go wherever you like! But be sure to come here to see me before dusk."

"It's still like a sentence."

"Just remember it. As for what you guys do, I don't care. Also, please write a note to Buck."

"Ok."

"I said, you write?"

"Row."

Dear Mr Barker, We think it necessary to drain the moat, that may . . .

"I've checked and it's impossible," MacDonald said.

"Just write it down."

"What else to write?"

That might reveal something or something related to the case, we're ready, some workers will divert the river tomorrow...

"Mr. Holmes, you are not joking, are you?"

"You've written it."

(End of this chapter)