Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 140 The Last Greeting (2)
"Now, how to explain these two situations? Let's talk about the strange note first, how do we assume? If what we hear is consistent with the assumption, it must be a conspiracy, then our assumption is correct. "

I hurriedly asked: "Then what is our hypothesis?"

"Do you remember that the person involved once said that it was a prank. We cannot believe this statement. It is simply a conspiracy." Holmes sat on the chair with his eyes slightly closed.

"This matter is not as simple as we think it is. It is complicated and serious. Let us settle this matter first, Watson. What is the meaning of deceiving Eccles into living in Westeria?"

I asked, "What are they trying to do?"

"Watson, don't worry, study carefully step by step. I wonder how could Eccles and the victim establish such a good friendship in such a short period of time? And the Spaniards are more active?"

"There must be a reason for him to do it. It's strange that he traveled from one side of London to the other to see the client on the first day they met, and he became very close to him afterwards."

"For what purpose did he know Eccles? What could Eccles do for him and invite him home?"

"Did you find Eccles special charisma? He was quick? Smart? Witty? None! So why?"

Holmes said with a twinkle in his eyes: "Is there something in our client that we can trust? Oh! Something?"

I asked, "What?!"

"You see, Eccles is a very orthodox Englishman who can impress other Englishmen, and he is a personal proof!

"It is clear to us that the two detectives believed him, however incoherently he said it."

I asked, "As a witness, what did he witness?"

"Supposing last night's events were not like that, but something else, our client would be a good witness to everything. Watson, do you have any other ideas?"

"Can he be an alibi for the Spaniard?"

Holmes smiled and said: "Yes, you are absolutely right. He asked our client to prove that he was talking with him at home. May we suppose this: Suppose the Spaniard and the servants planned this conspiracy together. If in If they wanted to get there before one o'clock, there was only one way for them—"

I asked: "What way?"

"Watch, tampered with the watch. Do you think it is possible? They set the watch forward an hour. It was not yet eleven o'clock when Eccles went to bed. When Eccles and Garcia talked, the watch Pointing to one point, it's actually less than twelve o'clock.

"If Garcia has successfully completed these matters and returned at a certain time, then any charges in court will be useless. Our orthodox English client will testify for him and guarantee that he has been talking to him in the house."

I said, "Yes, yes, but why are the servants gone?"

"We can only guess these things. If we only use this material and assumptions to think about the problem, I am afraid it is not comprehensive. After hard work, any difficulty can be solved."

"Let's not talk about that first, how to explain this letter?"

"Letter! It says: 'Our own colors: green, white.' Does it have anything to do with horse racing? Next: 'Green is on, white is off.' It's on, maybe it's a signal." Main staircase, right Seven, first aisle. Green baize.' This must be the appointed place.

"Would it be like a woman writing to her lover. Very jealous husband maybe waiting at the date. It's a risky activity, you see, and it says 'Good luck'. 'D' - that's probably how to get started. "

"The owner is Spanish. The 'D' is for Dolores, a very common Spanish female name."

"Watson, your guess is very good, but it is difficult to establish. The Spaniards have a rule that if two Spaniards communicate, they should use Spanish instead of English. Therefore, the letter was written by an Englishman.

"Watson, let us rest and wait for the careful sheriff.

"We should be very glad that this strange incident has filled our boring days and filled us with passion."

We got a call back but Sergeant Surrey still hasn't come.Holmes read the reply quickly, and was just about to insert it into his notebook.He saw my longing eyes at once, so he smiled and handed it to me.

He said: "We have fallen into the circle of nobles this time."

I hastily opened the telegram and wrote:

Sir Harringby of Dingle;
Sir George Friot of Oxshott Tower;

Mr. Haynes Haynes, Sheriff of Patty Place;
Mr. James Barker Williams, Falton Hull;
Mr Henderson of High Gables;
Reverend Joshua Stone of Nate Walslin.

"The telegram narrows the field to our disadvantage," said Holmes. "Sergeant Baynes has certainly begun his operations."

"I do not understand what you said."

"Oh, Watson. We have just assumed that the note received by the deceased at supper was a rendezvous of a lover or a rendezvous of a friend. This reply confirms the original supposition."

"The reason?"

"Because he wanted to keep the appointment, he got the 'main staircase'. In the first passage, look for the seventh 'door' on the right. With so many doors, the house must be quite big. Similarly, the house in this code is in Oxshaw very near."

"The reason?"

"Garcia was clearly headed there. If our previous speculations were to go by, he must have wanted to be back at the Westeria residence by one o'clock and have our client prove that he was not there.

"There's only a few big houses around Oxshott, so I sent that telegram to the real estate steward Eccles was talking about. You saw just a few addresses and names here, too, but we're looking for that too. "

Baynes and we came to this quiet place on a beautiful evening, and the three of us ate some cake in the Surrey village of Usher, and then went to look for accommodation for the evening.

It began to rain lightly.It was a moonless day in late March, and it was pitch black.It was uninhabited, weeds were everywhere, and it was horrible, so we went to Westeria Residence.The surroundings were quiet, only the sound of our footsteps, and we walked like this. In the dark, we walked for about 12 miles. At the end of the road was a wooden gate.There is a winding and eerie tree-lined path inside the door, and a small house that is not high can be vaguely seen.In such an environment, the hut was also very scary, with only a light as big as a mung bean peeking out from the window.

Baynes told us there was a policeman on duty.We wanted to knock on the window, so we walked slowly out onto the front lawn, and Baynes tapped lightly on the glass, and we were all startled by what we saw inside.

Because of the water vapor on the glass, we couldn't see clearly. In the blur, we saw a person jumping up from the chair, and then there was a scream. We couldn't help but look in.

It was a long time before the policeman on duty stood at the door with a candle.His face was pale, his hands were shaking all the time, and he was panting heavily, obviously shocked.

Baynes asked with concern: "Walters, what's wrong?"

The policeman was relieved to see us, wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, and then said to us: "You are finally here, Sheriff, I am very happy to see you. Tonight was very bad! It seems that my mind is deranged. "

"Walters, what are you talking about? Do you have nerves in your body?"

"Yes, Sheriff. I am alone in this cold and scary house. I was almost frightened by the strange thing in the kitchen just now. When you knocked on the glass, I thought that thing came again!"

"What exactly did you see?"

"Ghost! It's at this window!"

"What's in the window? When did this happen?"

"Maybe two hours ago. It was just dark and I was reading the paper in my chair by the fire when I looked up and saw a face under that window and it was so scary. It's hard to forget! I'll definitely do one tonight nightmare!"

"As a police officer, Walters, you don't say such things!"

"Yes, sir, I know! But he is very frightening. I must admit that I have never been so frightened before."

"What kind of face is that?"

"I don't know what color it is. It's not black, and it's not white. The strange color is like milk falling in the mud. Your face is not half as big as it. His protruding His eyeballs were staring at me viciously, and he had a mouthful of white teeth. He looked like a hungry wolf. It was hard to forget that ferocity. At that time, I was so scared that I didn’t dare to move, and I didn’t even dare to breathe. He was going to jump on me. Suddenly he disappeared again, and I ran out of the room in a hurry, thank God, there was nothing outside."

"Walters, if I didn't know you, I'd take this as a disgrace to you. Even a ghost, as a police officer, you shouldn't be so frightened. As for thanking God for not seeing him, that's a shame." It's really a sin. Is there something wrong with your nerves? Is it a mistake?"

"No, he read it right." As Holmes said, he quickly lit his pocket lamp and walked back and forth on the grass, "I think he is a big man now, and he wears No. 12 shoes. "

"Where did that person go?"

"Looks like it's crossing the meadow to the road."

"Well, now that he's gone, there's no need to worry about who he is or what he wants to do. We've come here to do more important things. Mr. Holmes, let me show you the old house first!"

So we checked out the house.

We searched every living room and bedroom, but found nothing unusual.Therefore, we think that the tenants who come here may not have brought anything.

From the house to every small thing, everything is rented, without leaving any traces.However, they left some clothes made by the Max Company, and after checking them by telegram, they realized that they were of no use.Max only remembers that people who buy clothes are very happy to pay, and nothing else.

Besides, there were little things--a few novels, two or three in Spanish; some pipes; an old-fashioned revolver, an old guitar, what did that mean?

"We can't find anything here!" Baynes took a candle and led us in and out of each room. The kitchen was in front. He said: "Pay attention to the kitchen, dear Mr. Holmes."

The kitchen has a high ceiling and is very dark inside.The kitchen is located at the back of the house.

Apparently the straw bunk in the kitchen corner was where the cook spent the night.The dining table was piled with plates and dirty cutlery from last night, with leftovers from last night on the plates.

Baynes asked, "Look, what is this?"

He held up the candle, and we saw something very curious behind the cupboard.It is wrinkled and shriveled, and I don't know what it is. It looks like a small person, and it is the color of black leather.

At first I thought it was a black child who had been dried, but after a closer look, it looked like a monkey, but a little deformed, with two strings of white shells on his chest.Is this a human or an animal?
Looking at the strange thing, Holmes said, "This thing is very interesting. Is there anything else?"

Baynes said nothing, and led us to the sink again.He held the candle forward so that we could clearly see everything in front of us.Here is a great white bird, all ripped apart, its feathers in a basin in a trough, and here is a piece of flesh from its head.Holmes pointed to the piece of meat and said, "This is a rooster. It is very interesting. This case is too bizarre."

Baynes held on until the end.He took a lead bucket full of blood from under the sink, and he took a plate of charred bones from the table.

"We killed several and burned several. We put these bones away from the fire. I took these bones to the hospital for testing this morning, and the doctor said they were not human bones," Baynes said.

Holmes laughed as he listened: "Inspector, I really admire you. You inspected so meticulously and analyzed it in a very orderly way. It is really unusual for you to handle a complicated case like this. Let me tell you frankly, you have no chance." Your talent is good."

After hearing this, Sergeant Baynes' eyes lit up.

"Congratulations, Mr. Holmes. My position in the police station has not changed. I want to show my way through this case. I can seize this opportunity! What do you think of these bones?"

"I think it's a kid."

"So how do you explain the rooster?"

"Mr. Baynes, that's very strange. I've never seen it."

"I think the behavior of the people living in this house is very strange, and one of the tenants died, maybe they were killed by their own people in the back?"

"If so. Surely we can catch them. I have sent men to watch all the ports."

"But I have my own opinion, sir, and I don't think so."

"Do you think—" asked Holmes.

"I want to solve this case alone. I want to be famous. Mr. Holmes, you are already famous. If anyone knows that I have solved this case by myself, without your help, I should be very happy."

After hearing this, Holmes immediately agreed.

"Okay, okay, Sheriff, we don't interfere with each other. But if you want to know my opinion, I will tell you any time. I don't think there is anything of value in this room. Goodbye, Sheriff! Good day transport!"

I noticed the expression on Holmes's face at this moment, which would have seemed to him his usual indifference.But I think he's thinking what to do, because the constant twinkle in his searching eyes and the quickness of his demeanor suggest he's got a plan.

He kept his lips closed and didn't say a word, and I didn't ask him. I thought it was an honor to solve this case with him, and there was no need to ask him.When he wants to talk to me, he will know.

I am waiting.However, he didn't say a word to me for several days, and I was very disappointed.

Almost doing nothing, Holmes went to the British Museum one day.The rest of the time he chatted with others or went for walks alone, and he was especially willing to chat with the most talkative people in the village.

One day, he finally said happily to me: "Watson, I want to live in the country for a while. The scenery there is very beautiful. I can enjoy watching the small green shoots and flowers of the trees. I want to take this plant Books, a small iron basin, and a small hoe, and spend a meaningful time there."

He took these things and left, and when he came back, he only brought back a few small plants, which can be easily found by anyone.

Baynes could sometimes be seen on our walks.When I greeted him, he was all smiles, his eyes were shining, and his nose was red and high.

Baynes never mentioned the case when he spoke, but it could also be seen that his work was not making much progress.A few days later, however, I was astonished to see the headline in the morning paper, which read: THE FACTS OF THE OXSHOT CASE, SUSPECTS APPEARED.

After hearing what I read, Holmes jumped up from his chair as if he had been shocked by electricity.He asked me: "Watson, has Baynes caught him?"

"I think it is."

I read again:

In the middle of the night yesterday, the police arrested the suspect who is believed to be related to the Oxshottge case, causing a great commotion at the scene of the crime.We all remember: in the clearing at Oxshott, Garcia's body was found in the Westeria house, having been terribly assaulted before his death.That same night, his servants disappeared without a trace.At first it was estimated that the servants ran away after killing their master.Because the tenant was rich, the servants murdered him for the money, but this was not confirmed at the time.

Sheriff Baynes was very perceptive, and he felt that the criminal must be lurking in the prepared lair.Sheriff Baynes felt certain they would be caught.Some said the cook was a tall, hideous mulatto, black and yellow, who had been seen by a police officer on the lawn of the Westeria house since the murder.So Sheriff Baynes thought he would come again, so he laid an ambush on the grass.

It turned out that that person really came again last night, and after a fierce struggle, he finally took down the criminal.Officer Downey was attacked.The police felt that capturing this person would go a long way in solving the case.

Holmes called to me: "Watson, let's go to the Inspector at once, and if we hurry, we may meet him there." So we hurried there, just in time to meet Inspector Baynes who was leaving.Seeing us, Baynes handed us the newspaper and asked, "Did you see that?"

"Yes, sir. But I would like to offer a little advice, may I?"

"What? Advice?"

"Yes. After a long time of careful research, I feel that the path you are taking is not right. It is best to change the path, otherwise you will be no good."

"Thank you, sir."

"I'm doing this for your own good."

After hearing this, Sergeant Baynes blinked his small eyes: "Do you remember what you said before, Mr. Holmes? Everyone went their own way."

"Remember, sir, please excuse my insolence."

"Sir, you're welcome. I know you're doing it for my own good. But, we said in advance that we should take care of ourselves, didn't we?"

"Sir, yes."

"Sir, I can tell you what I know. The man who was caught was a wild man, like a demon. During the fight with us, he bit Downey's thumb with his mouth. It was so cruel. There is no English at all." I don’t understand, they are simply primitive people.”

"Do you think he killed the master?"

"I didn't think so or say that, but we agreed a long time ago: no one interferes with anyone else. Goodbye."

Holmes said in a puzzled way: "I really don't know why he did this. I think he is a blind man riding a blind horse—running wildly. Just follow what he said, the Eight Immortals cross the sea, and each shows his abilities!"

After returning to the residence, Holmes said to me: "Watson, please sit down, and I will tell you what I know. The main part of the case is not very complicated, but it is still difficult to arrest the criminal. So we have to make up for it." Some gaps. Do you remember the letter Garcia received? It was picked up later, and I don't think it's the same problem as Baynes. I don't think it's the servants who hurt the master.

"Based on what we know, Garcia asked Eccles to come to him in order to let him be a witness. It can be seen that Garcia had already arranged this matter, but it was a little panicked.

"I think that only when a person has evil thoughts, will he try to create an alibi. He wants to harm others at this time, but who is he trying to harm? Who killed him later?
"Now let's try to explain why Garcia's servants disappeared. They certainly didn't kill the master, they planned the whole incident with the master.

"If Garcia comes back on time, then the proof of the orthodox British will rule out all doubts. But their plan is also very dangerous. If he still doesn't come back within a certain period of time, it means that he has been killed.

"In the end, Garcia really didn't come back, so the servants hid in the place they found beforehand, and continued working after the gust of wind. What do you think of my analysis? Watson!"

(End of this chapter)