Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 134 Uncanny Valley (12)
"I didn't even think about it when I joined in Philadelphia, thinking it was just a fun place to hang out with friends. Then I heard it mentioned, and I hated the moment the name first came to my ears .I thought I could live a better life here! My God! Live a better life! My wife and three children came with me. We originally opened a silk shop in the market, and the business was good. Since I joined Freedmen's Society, and soon it became known, and then just like you did last night, joined the local chapter. I still have the mark of shame on my arm, and the ugly mark on my heart is even more indelible. I found I'm under the control of a villainous villain and caught in a criminal network. What can I do? I try to do something good in my power, but if I talk, they say I'm like last night Rebellious. All my belongings are in the silk shop, so I can't just walk away. But if I were to quit, the result is clear, it will be a dead end. God knows what will happen to my wife and children. Oh, My friend, this is terrible, terrible!" He covered his face with his hands, trembling uncontrollably, and sobbed loudly.

McMurdo shrugged his shoulders, and said: "You are not fit for such a thing, you are too soft-hearted."

"Because I still have a rudimentary conscience and faith, but they make me do evil things. They put me on an errand, and if I back down, the result will be obvious. Maybe I'm a coward, maybe my poor wife and children They made it impossible for me to back down. Anyway, I went anyway. I think it will make me miserable for the rest of my life.

"It's a lonely house on the other side of the hill, twenty miles from here. Like you did yesterday, and they kept me at the door. They don't believe me for such a thing. Everyone but me They went in. When they came out, their hands were covered with blood. Just as we were about to leave, a child ran out of the room and followed us crying. He was about five years old and saw the process of his father being killed. I was so scared that I almost fainted, but I still had to put on a brave face and put on a smile, because I knew very well that if I didn't, the same thing would happen to my house, and next time they would get their hands dirty. Coming out of my house covered in blood, my little Fred was about to cry his father.

"I am already a sinner, an accomplice to a murder case. I will be abandoned forever in this world, and it will be difficult for me to be reborn in the next life. Although I am originally a Catholic, if the priest hears that I am such a person, I'm afraid I will not pray for me anymore. Because I have turned my back on religion. This is how I feel. Seeing that you are about to go on this road, I ask you, do you think about the end of the future? Are you going to be a addict What about blood murderers, or think of a way to stop them?"

"What do you want?" asked McMurdo suddenly, "won't you tell me?"

"Impossible!" exclaimed Morris. "Even if I think about it that way, I'm afraid my life is in danger."

"Well," said McMurdo, "I think you are too cowardly to take the matter too seriously."

"Too serious! Wait until you've lived here longer. Look at this valley! Look at this valley covered with smoke from a hundred chimneys! I tell you, murder, murder . . . All kinds of evil are more real and thicker than the clouds of smoke that hang over people's heads. This is a valley of terror, the valley of death. From morning to night, people are in constant fear. Just wait and see, young man, you will see clearly sooner or later .”

"Well, I'll tell you what I think when I feel more," said McMurdo casually. "It's clear that you're not fit to be here, and it will be to your advantage to sell the shop and leave. Don't worry about what I said, I will never say it out. But, by God, if I find out that you are an informer, then..."

"No, no!" cried Maurice pitifully.

"Well, here we go. I'll take your words to heart, and maybe I'll call you back in a few days. I'll believe everything you say is kind. Now I must go home."

"One last thing I want to say," said Morris, "it's inevitable that some people will see our togetherness today. They may want to know what we've said."

"Ah, you are very thoughtful."

"I just said I wanted to ask you to help me in my shop."

"I said I wouldn't. That's what we've come here to talk about. Well, bye, Brother Morris. Good luck."

At noon that day McMurdo was sitting by the fire in the living room, smoking and lost in thought.The door was knocked open suddenly, and the tall figure of the chief, McGinty, blocked the door frame.He greeted and sat down directly opposite McMurdo.For some time he stared at McMurdo indifferently, and McMurdo stared at him indifferently.

"I don't call very often, Brother McMurdo," said McGinty at last. "I'm always busy with those who call me. However, I've decided to come and see you myself."

"It's a great honor to be here, Mr. Councilor." McMurdo happily replied, taking out a bottle of whiskey from the pantry. "This is an honor beyond my imagination."

"How about the arm?" the body master asked.

McMurdo made a face, and replied: "Oh, I shall not forget it, but it was well worth it."

"Certainly. Absolutely. Especially for those who are faithful, who perform rituals, who do their best for the common good. What did you say to Brother Morris this morning near Miller's Hill?"

The question came very abruptly, but fortunately McMurdo had been prepared, and he laughed loudly: "Morris doesn't know that I can make money without going out, and he doesn't know at all. For people like me, he is really too big." You are kind. He thought I had no job, so he asked me to work as a clerk in a silk shop."

"Ah, is that all?"

"Yeah, that's all."

"You declined?"

"Of course. I can make ten times what he makes in four hours at home, can't I?"

"That is. But if I were you, I wouldn't have much to do with Morris."

"why?"

"Just because I told you not to. For most people here, that's enough."

"Perhaps most people understand, but I still don't, Mr. Councilor," said McMurdo boldly. "If you are a fair man, you should know that he is not a bad man."

The dark-faced man opposite was obviously very unhappy. He glared at McMurdo angrily, and grabbed the wine glass with his big hairy hand, as if he was about to throw it at the opponent's head.Soon, however, he was laughing happily again.

"I say, you're a queer man," said McGinty. "Well, if you must know why, I'll tell you. Didn't Morris say anything against the Council to you?"

"No."

"Didn't you say anything against me?"

"No."

"Ah, that's because he still can't believe you. In fact, he has not been a faithful brother for a long time. We know this very well, so we have been paying attention to him, and are waiting for the time to give him a good warning. I want to leave The time is not far off. For there is no room for low sheep in our sheepfolds. But if you associate with such an unfaithful man, we can only think you are unfaithful either. Understand?"

"I don't like this man, so I have no chance to make friends with him." McMurdo replied, "As for saying that I am unfaithful, it is from your mouth, otherwise, he will not have the opportunity to say similar things a second time. .”

"Okay, let's not talk about it." McGinty drank the wine and said, "I'm here to advise you, you should understand."

"I wonder, how do you know I talked to Morris?"

McGinty laughed.

"I know what's going on here," said McGinty. "You'd better believe I've got all the rumors. Well, it's getting late, and I'll say—"

At this moment, a very unexpected circumstance interrupted his farewell.With a sudden thump, the door swung open, and three stern faces glared at them from under the brims of police caps.McMurdo sprang to his feet, and had only half drawn his pistol when his arm stopped in mid-air, for he found two Winchesters aimed at his head.A man in a police uniform with a gun in his hand walked in. It was Marvin who had been in Chicago before and is now the captain of the Coal and Iron Mine Police.He shook his head, looking at McMurdo with a half-smile.

"Mr. McMurdo of Chicago, I think you're under arrest," said Marvin. "You can't run away. Put on your hat and come with us!"

"I think you're going to pay for it sooner or later, Captain Marvin," said McGinty. "I would like to ask, who are you, how dare you trespass on a private house and harass a law-abiding person like this!"

"This has nothing to do with you, Mr. Councilor," said the captain of the police. "We have come after this Mr. McMurdo, not against you. It is your duty to help us, and not to interfere."

"He's a friend of mine and I can vouch for his actions," McGinty said.

"Anyway, Mr. McGinty, you seem to be trying to figure out how to vouch for yourself these days," replied the police captain. "McMurdo was a scoundrel up to this point, and he's still restless. Sergeant." , point the gun at him, and I will disarm him."

"It's my gun," said McMurdo sharply. "Captain Marvin, if you and I were alone, you wouldn't have caught me so easily."

"Where's your arrest warrant?" cried McGinty. "God! A man living in Vermissa is like living in Russia, and a man like you comes to lead the police department! It's the brutality of the capitalists, I guarantee you." I will still receive my complaint."

"Do your duty as you please, Mr. Congressman, and we shall do as we please."

"What crime have I committed?" asked McMurdo.

"You were suspected of beating the old editor Stanger at the Herald. You are lucky that no one has charged you with murder. But that doesn't mean you didn't kill."

"Well, if it's just for that," McGinty said, smiling, "stop it, you'll save yourself a lot of trouble. This guy was playing poker with me in my bar until midnight, and I can Find a dozen people to testify."

"That's your business, and I think you can go to court tomorrow. Come on, McMurdo, and if you don't want bullets in your body, you just go. Stay away, Mr. McGinty, I warn you. You, when I perform my duties, will never allow any obstruction."

Marvin was so determined that McMurdo and his chief had to accept the fait accompli.Before parting, McGinty took the opportunity to whisper a few words to him: "What about that thing..." He held out his thumb, suggesting the minting machine.

"No problem," murmured McMurdo, who had secured it in a safe recess under the floorboards.

"Good-bye then," said the Chief, shaking hands with McMurdo. "I'm going to get Riley's lawyer, and I'll appear in court myself. Believe me, they can't detain you."

"I don't want to bet on it. You two, keep your eyes on the guy, and if he tries to play tricks, shoot him. I'm going to search the house before I go."

After searching carefully, Marvin obviously found no trace of the hidden minting machine, so he escorted McMurdo back to the police station.By this time it was dark and there was a strong snowstorm.There were few people on the street, and only a few wanderers followed them, boldly cursing the prisoner loudly.

"Kill the damned vampire!" they yelled. "Kill him!" They were still taunting McMurdo as he was wheeled into the police station.After a brief questioning by the officer in charge, McMurdo was thrown into the ordinary cell.He found that Baldwin and the other three criminals who participated in the operation the night before were also there, and they were all arrested that afternoon and were awaiting interrogation tomorrow.

However, even in prison, the influence of the Freedmen's Association still reached out.After dark one of the jailers brought in a bale of straw for their bedding, and surreptitiously brought out two bottles of whiskey, some glasses, and a deck of cards.As a result, several prisoners drank and gambled all night, reveling recklessly, without worrying about the next day's interrogation at all.

As it turns out, there's really nothing to worry about.The presiding judge waived the transfer of the case to the High Court on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to convict.On the one hand, those editors and printing workers also claimed that the lights were dim and the confusion was so great that they could not identify the specific assailants, although they also believed that the arrested people were among those people.Especially after being cross-examined by a skilled lawyer hired by McGinty, the testimony of the witnesses became even more ambiguous.

The victim himself testified that, owing to the suddenness of the attack, he could tell nothing, except that he remembered the mustache of the first striker.But he insisted that these people were vampires, because no one else in society would hate him.And he has long been intimidated by members of the party because of his frequent public criticism.

On the other hand, six citizens, including City Councilman McGinty, also attended and testified, insisting that the defendants played poker in the bar that night and did not leave until more than an hour after the incident.

Needless to say, the gang was released, and the judge made some apologies, while implicitly reprimanding Captain Marvin and the police for their meddling.

Such a judgment finally aroused applause in the courtroom, and McMurdo saw many familiar faces.The brethren in the congregation were all smiling and greeting each other, but there were others who sat with lips pursed and gloomy eyes as the gang of criminals filed from the dock.One of them, a short man with a dark beard and a determined face, gritted his teeth and said the same thoughts as the others as the ex-convicts passed by.

"You bloody murderers!" he shouted. "We'll have to deal with you sooner or later!"

If anything made Jack McMurdo more enjoyable among his companions, it was his arrest and release.For someone to do enough to be brought before a judge the night he joins the club is definitely an unprecedented record for the club.Although he was already known for being a cheerful, relaxed pleasure-seeker, having a strange temper (including to the most authoritative chiefs) and insulting the police, this time he gave people another impression, that is, Bloody and ruthless mind, and capable of completing any tricky task. "He's the best man to do a clean job," murmured some of the elders at the meeting who were waiting to send him on important missions.

McGinty already had enough men, but he realized that this man would be his strongest trump card, and he felt like the master of a fierce hound on a chain.Xiao Luo can only do some trivial things, but one day he will need the help of real talents to do a big job.There were several people in the chapter, including Baldwin, who were very opposed to him using the new guy so much. They hated him.But even so, they didn't dare to be too obvious, because he was really not easy to mess with.

Despite growing popularity in this circle, McMurdo had fallen completely out of favor on the more important side.Etty Schefter's father refused to associate with him and forbade him to set foot in his house again.Although Edie herself loved him deeply and insisted on refusing to give up completely with him, her conscience also warned her of the consequences of marrying such a person who was regarded as a thug.

The morning after another sleepless night, she decided to see him, perhaps for the last time.At the same time, she still had illusions, hoping to pull him back from the abyss of crime through another effort to persuade.She came to the place where he had often begged her to go, and went into the room.He was sitting at the table with his back to the door and a letter in front of him.Suddenly, the little girl likes to play tricks - she is only 19 years old.He didn't hear her when she pushed the door, so he tiptoed and walked gently behind him, and put his hands on his shoulders.

If her intention was to startle him, she did.However, she herself was scared to death.Because he suddenly pressed his right hand to her throat like a tiger pouncing on its food.At the same time, the other hand quickly crumpled the piece of paper in front of him.For a moment, he seemed stunned.Then surprise replaced the face twisted with ferocity—a ferocious look that made her shudder.In her gentle life, she had never seen such eyes.

"It's you!" he said, wiping his eyes in disbelief. "You don't know how much I wanted you to come, and I almost strangled you! I'm sorry, baby," he held out his hand, "let me hug you."

But she hadn't recovered from the shock of the look of horror on his face.The girl's intuition told her that it was not just the expression of a frightened person, but also - sin - guilt and fear!
"What's the matter with you, Jack?" she cried. "Why are you so afraid of me? Oh, Jack, if you were at peace, you wouldn't look at me that way!"

"Of course, I was thinking of something else when you tapped on your fairy toes..."

"No, no, Jack, it's not just that." Suddenly, a wave of doubt seized her. "Show me the letter you're writing."

"Oh, Etty, no."

Her doubts became certain. "It's for another woman," she cried. "I knew it! Otherwise why wouldn't you let me read it? Are you writing to your wife? How do I know if you're married? You stranger , does anyone know?"

"I'm never married, Edie. Look, I swear! You're the only one I love in the world. I swear to God!"

He turned pale with eagerness, and she had no choice but to believe him.

"Well, then," she cried, "why don't you show me that letter?"

"My dear, I tell you," he said, "I swore I couldn't show it to anyone, and just as I wouldn't break my oath to you, I can't do it to anyone else. It's about the club, and even if It's a secret to you too. I was taken aback when you laid your hands on me, which, you know, could also be the hands of a detective."

She believed his explanation.So, he hugged her tightly and kissed away all her doubts and fears.

(End of this chapter)