Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 131 Uncanny Valley (9)
"Idie, if I come first, will I have a chance?"

The girl buried her face in her hands, "How I wish you were the one who came first!" She couldn't help covering her face and weeping.

McMurdo knelt before her without hesitation. "Etty, for God's sake, let this wish come true!" he cried. "Would you like to ruin our lives for a promise to someone else? Go with your heart, my dear. You should know what you need, more than any promise."

He held Itdie's little white hands tightly in his maroon ones.

"Tell me you are mine, let's face tomorrow together!"

"right here?"

"right here."

"No, no, Jack!" His arms were close to her now. "It's impossible here, can you take me away?"

McMurdo struggled, but quickly regained his firmness. "No, it's right here," he said, "Etty, I'll hold you against the world, right here!"

"Why can't we leave together?"

"No, Itdie, I can't leave."

"why?"

"If I was forced to leave, I would never be able to hold my head up again. Also, what are we afraid of? Aren't we in a free country? Don't we have this freedom? As long as you love me, I love you , what else can stop us?"

"You don't understand, Jack, you're new here and you don't know this Baldwin at all, and you don't know McGinty and his vampires."

"No, I don't know, but I'm not afraid of them, and I don't believe they can!" said McMurdo. "My dear, I've lived with violent and unreasonable people, and it turned out that instead of being afraid of them, it was them at last. Afraid of me—Etty, it always ends up like this. It looks terrible on the surface! If these people do one bad thing after another in the valley, as your father said, and everyone knows their names, so why hasn't anyone brought them to justice? You tell me, Itdie!"

"Because no one dared to testify, otherwise he would only be alive for a month. And, they always have someone who swears that the suspect was not there. Jack, you must have seen these reports, as far as I know, every newspaper in the United States These things have been posted."

"Well, yes, I've seen some, but I think it's just a story. Maybe these people have a last resort, maybe they were wronged and couldn't justify themselves."

"Oh, Jack, don't make me hear you say that! That's what he used to say--the other man!"

"Baldwin—did he say so?"

"That's why I hate him. Oh, Jack, now I can tell you the truth, I hate him from the bottom of my heart, but I'm afraid of him. Not only am I afraid of him, but my father is afraid of him. If I tell the truth If you say it, it's going to be a catastrophe, which is why I'm giving him half-heartedness. It's the only way to survive. But, Jack, if you can take me away, we can take my father with us, forever and ever. Stay away from the sphere of influence of these vicious people."

McMurdo's face was struggling again, and he was determined again. "Etty, you will not be hurt--nor your father. As for the villains, you will find that I am the worst of them all." A vicious person is even more vicious."

"No, no, Jack! Although I trust you completely."

McMurdo smiled wryly, "God, you still don't understand me! My dear, your mind is too pure to guess my thoughts anyway, but... Hey, who is it?"

The door opened suddenly, and a young man strode in, looking arrogant, as if he was the owner of the place.He was a handsome, brisk young man, about McMurdo's stature and age.Under the wide-brimmed black velvet hat was a handsome but fierce face, with domineering eyes and a hooked nose.He didn't even bother to take off his hat, and glared at the two sitting by the fire.

Edie was a little nervous, and immediately stood up vigilantly. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Baldwin," she said. "You came earlier than I expected. Please sit here."

Baldwin looked at McMurdo with his hands on his waist. "Who is this man?" he asked roughly.

"My friend, Mr. Baldwin, the new lodger. Mr. McMurdo, will you allow me to introduce Mr. Baldwin?"

The two young men nodded to each other defiantly.

"Perhaps Miss Etty has told you about our relationship?" said Baldwin.

"what relationship?"

"Don't you know? Well, you will know now, I tell you personally, this lady is already mine. The weather is fine tonight, it is very suitable for you to go out for a walk."

"Thank you, I don't want to take a walk."

"Don't you want to?" The visitor's fierce eyes sparked with anger, "Then maybe you want to fight? Mr. Boarding!"

"Exactly!" cried McMurdo, jumping to his feet. "Nothing could be more true."

"God! Jack, for God's sake!" screamed terrified and pitiful Edie. "Oh, Jack, Jack, he'll hurt you!"

"Well, it's Jack already?" Baldwin said bitterly. "That's pretty sweet, huh?"

"Oh, Ted, please be reasonable--have mercy! For my sake, Ted, if you ever loved me, please be kind and sensible!"

"I think, Etty, if you don't interfere, we'll work things out," said McMurdo calmly, "or, Mr. Baldwin, you and I can go round the corner. It's fine to-night, and There's a nice vacant lot nearby."

"You don't have to get my hands dirty," said his rival, "you'll wish with all your heart you'd never set foot in this house!"

"Then what are you waiting for?" cried McMurdo.

"Boy, I choose the time, and there is no room for you to talk, look here!" He suddenly rolled up his sleeves, revealing a strange mark branded on his forearm, which is a circle pattern with a triangle in the middle, "Do you know what this is?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to know!"

"Well, I promise you'll know, and besides, you won't live long, and maybe Miss Etty will tell you something. As for you, Etty, you'll beg me on your knees—you hear me, Missy, Come here on your knees—I’ll tell you then what your punishment is. You brought it on yourself—God knows—and I want your retribution!” He gave them a savage glance, and turned away.In an instant, the door slammed shut behind him.

McMurdo and the girl stood silently for a moment, then she wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh, Jack, you're brave! But it's no use, you must go! It's tonight—Jack—tonight! This is your only chance. He's going to kill you. You can see it in the book. Against this group, and McGinty and his whole club, how can you be their opponent?"

McMurdo took her hands away, kissed her, and gently helped her sit down in a chair. "There, my dear, there! Don't worry about me. I am a member of the Freedmen myself. I have Told your father. Maybe I'm no better than those people, so don't think of me as a saint. Maybe you'll hate me too when I tell you these things."

"Hate you? Jack, I would never do that! I've heard that free men are not harmful anywhere else but here, so how could I think of you as a bad guy? But, Jack, if you Member, why don't you go and befriend McGinty? Come on, Jack, come on! Go and make things clear first, or the hounds will come after you in no time."

"I think so, too," said McMurdo. "I will go now, and make things clear. Please tell your father that I will sleep here to-night, and find another lodging in the morning."

The bar in the McGinty Hotel was crowded as usual, a favorite hangout for the tough guys in town.McGinty is sought after because of his rough and straightforward character, but it is only a mask that hides many things that lie behind it.In addition to some people who love him, more people are afraid of him.Not only in this town, but also in the valley area with a radius of thirty miles, no one dared to disobey his scheming friendship, and no one dared to neglect him.

In addition to controlling a large and powerful secret organization, McGinty is also a senior government official, a member of Parliament, and a member of the Road Committee. These titles are chosen by those gangsters who want to get some benefits from him. from.Excessive and miscellaneous taxes are getting heavier, public facilities are left unattended, auditors are vague about the accounts, and bribery is prevalent. Law-abiding citizens are frightened and have to pay the extorted money obediently, swallowing their anger, or worse bad luck will befall them. superior.

Year after year, McGinty made his diamond brooches more and more dazzling, his clothes better and better, and the gold watch chains that came and went on his waistcoats heavier and heavier, Of course, his bar also expanded and expanded until it almost occupied the entire downtown square.

McMurdo pushed open the door of the hotel, and made his way through the boisterous throng within.The hotel was brightly lit, smoky, and full of alcohol, and the large gold-plated mirrors on the surrounding walls reflected bright and dazzling brilliance.A few bartenders with their sleeves rolled up are busy mixing drinks for customers leaning against the wide copper-panelled bar.

At the other end of the bar, leaning sideways against the counter, a tall, well-built man with a cigar slanted from the corner of his mouth was McGinty himself.He was tall and dark, with a beard, unkempt black hair that fell down to his collar, and a complexion that looked more like an Italian.What is impressive is that the eyes of this person are astonishingly black, and they are always squinting at everything with contempt, giving people a more hideous feeling.

At first glance, everything about the man—the shapely figure, the striking face, the frank demeanor—befitted his deliberate image of breezy masculinity.People would say that he was a frank and honest fellow who, no matter how rough his words, always had a good heart.Only when his gloomy and cruel eyes are aimed at someone, will the other person tremble involuntarily, and then realize that he is facing a potential infinite disaster, and the strength, courage and cunning behind the disaster are comparable. The scourge itself is a thousand times more terrible.

After taking a good look at the man, McMurdo, as usual, had the audacity of nonchalant elbows to push away the small crowd of obsequious people who were laughing exaggeratedly at every little joke the Boss made. more than.The gray eyes of the young visitor met fearlessly through the glasses, which cast a sharp look upon him.

"Hey, young man, you have a very raw face."

"I'm new here, Mr. McGinty."

"Are you so new that you don't know the title of this gentleman?"

"Boy, this is Senator McGinty." A voice reminded from the crowd.

"Sorry, Mr. Congressman, I'm new here and I don't know the rules yet, but I've been told I have to see you."

"Well, then you see, I'm just like this, are you satisfied?"

"Oh, it's too early to tell. If your heart is as broad as your body, and your soul as gentle as your face, I think it could not be better," said McMurdo.

"It's amazing! You just have a sweet Irish mouth." The bar owner said loudly, as if he didn't know whether to accommodate this presumptuous visitor or to maintain his dignity.

"Then do you see me passing the test like this?"

"Of course," said McMurdo.

"Someone called you to see me?"

"Yes."

"Who told you to come?"

"Brother Scanlon, a member of the Vermisa [-] Branch. Mr. Congressman, I wish you health and a toast to our chance to meet." He raised the glass to his lips, raised his little finger high, and drink up.

McGinty had been watching him carefully, and suddenly raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh, is that so? I have to check carefully, your name is..."

"McMurdo."

"It must be examined carefully, Mr. McMurdo. We do not trust people or what people say lightly here. Please come with me behind the bar."

The two walked into a small room with some large wooden barrels lined up inside.McGinty closed the door carefully, sat on a wooden barrel, chewed his cigar thoughtfully, and watched the newcomer warily.McMurdo accepted the scrutiny calmly, twirling his brown mustache with one hand in his coat pocket.Suddenly McGinty leaned over and drew a formidable revolver.

"Look, lad," he said. "If I think you're a trickster, it's bound to come to you."

"It is an eye-opener that the leader of the Freedmen's Chapter welcomes his new brother in such a manner," said McMurdo with pride.

"Well, you've got to prove your identity," said McGinty. "God will help you if we catch you up. Where did you get your membership?"

"Chicago 29."

"time?"

"June 24, [-]."

"President of the branch?"

"James H. Scott."

"Who is the District Speaker?"

"Bartholomew Wilson."

"Well! You're not confused. What are you doing here?"

"Work, like you—though of course a much less drudgery than yours."

"You answered quickly."

"Yes, I have always spoken bluntly."

"Is it easy to act?"

"At least that's what people who know me think."

"Very well, we'll try it out soon. Do you know the club here?"

"I heard that only brave men can join the club."

"Mr. McMurdo, you are quite right. Why did you leave Chicago?"

"I'll tell you if you're crazy!"

McGinty opened his eyes wide.He was amused that no one had ever answered his question so rudely, "Why won't you tell me?"

"Because brethren cannot tell lies."

"That must be an ulterior motive?"

"If you want to say that again, I have no objection."

"Listen, boy, don't expect me to admit a person who refuses to tell his past into the club after a while."

McMurdo showed some hesitation, and after a while he took out a clipped old newspaper from his underwear pocket.

"You're not going to snitch, are you?" he said.

"I'll slap you a few times if you say that!" McGinty growled angrily.

"Yes, Mr. Councilor," said McMurdo docilely, "I should apologize, but I did not mean to say it. I know I am safest in your trust. Please read this clipping."

McGinty glanced quickly at the report: In January, [-], on the first week of the new year, a man named Jonas Pinto had been killed at the Lake Hotel on Market Street in Chicago.

"What did you do?" He handed back the clipping and asked.

McMurdo nodded.

"Why kill him?"

"I minted gold coins privately for Uncle Sam (Note: the nickname of the U.S. government). Maybe my fineness is not as good as theirs, but they look good, and the cost is very low. This person named Pinto is responsible for selling these things for me. ..."

"How do you do it?"

"Uh, just to get the money into the market. He said he was willing to share the profits with me, but then he was greedy and said he wanted to inform. I didn't bother to wait for him to share the profits, so I killed him and fled to this mining area .”

"Why did you choose this place?"

"Because I read in the newspaper that people like me don't stand out in this kind of place."

McGinty laughed. "You were first a counterfeiter, then a murderer, and now you come to us and want to be welcome, don't you?"

"Yes, that's what it is," McMurdo replied.

"Well, you're going to have a bright future. Hey, can you still make that kind of money now?"

McMurdo drew six gold coins from his pocket, and replied, "These are not from the Philadelphia Mint."

"Really?" McGinty held out his big, hairy gorilla hand and held the coin up to the light. "I really don't see the difference. Boy, you'd be a very useful brother. You know, we need a core or two here, Brother McMurdo, after all we have to protect ourselves sometimes. If others If we don’t fight back when they come to us, it’s tantamount to being trapped in a cocoon.”

"Okay, I think I'll do a little bit more with the other brothers."

"You are quite courageous. I pointed a gun at you, but you acted like nothing happened."

"Actually, it's not me who is in danger."

"Who is that?"

"It's you, Mr MP." McMurdo drew a loaded pistol from the pocket of his jacket. "I keep my gun pointed at you, and I don't think I can shoot any slower than you."

"Good fellow!" McGinty blushed with anger, but immediately laughed again. "Ha ha, haven't seen someone as scary as you in ages, I bet the brethren in the club would be proud of you... Hey, what are you doing in here? Can't I talk to someone alone for 5 minutes? Do you really want to bother us?"

The bartender stood there awkwardly. "Excuse me, Mr. Congressman, but Ted Baldwin is here, and he says he must see you right away."

In fact, there was no need to report, the man had already put his ferocious and ferocious face on the waiter's shoulder.He pushed it out and closed the door again.

"Well," said Baldwin, casting a bitter glance at McMurdo, "you came first, didn't you? Senator, I must speak to you about this fellow."

"Then talk to me now," cried McMurdo.

"I can talk whenever I like, and how I talk about it is up to me."

"Bah! Bah!" McGinty jumped off the barrel and said, "Stop rambling, Baldwin, we have a new brother. This is not how you welcome a new brother. Hold out your hand and apologize."

"Don't think about it!" Baldwin exclaimed angrily.

"If he thinks I have charged him, I will fight him," said McMurdo, "with bare hands, or as he chooses. Now, Mr. Senator, I ask you to arbitrate our affairs as Chairman. "

"What's the matter?"

"A young girl who is free to choose whom she loves."

"Really?" Baldwin asked aloud.

"Among the brothers in the congregation, I say she has such freedom," said the leader.

"Hmph, this is your judgment, isn't it?"

"Yes, Ted Baldwin," McGinty said, glare angrily. "Are you going to defy?"

"Do you want to abandon a brother who has been with you for five full years, and take care of a stranger you have never met before? Jack McGinty, you will not be the president all your life, huh , the next election..."

The congressman pounced on him like a tiger, strangled his neck with one hand, and pushed him onto a wine barrel. If McMurdo hadn't stopped him, he might have strangled Baldwin to death in his rage.

"Don't be rash, Mr Councilman! For God's sake, don't be rash!" he cried, drawing McGinty back.

McGinty let go, and Baldwin gasped and trembled like a man who has just returned from the brink of death.At this moment, he was terrified and fell down on the wine barrel just now.

(End of this chapter)