Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 176: Investigating Strange Cases (18)
"We just found out about this secret. Sir Robert went out yesterday, and the housekeeper and I took the opportunity to look into the crypt, trying to find out the truth further. In the corner, we saw a pile of human bones."

"Then why didn't you call the police?"

Mr. Masson was particularly indifferent.

"What's the use of it? The dead body has dried up long ago. If it was murdered, it's been a long time ago, and the police don't care about it. But I'm sure the bones weren't there before, it must be It's in a coffin in another corner."

"How did you deal with it afterwards?"

"We didn't move at all."

"Very well. Is Sir Robert back now?"

"Come back without special circumstances."

"When was the puppy given away?"

"Last week. Sir Robert was in a particularly bad mood that day. He just lost his temper, but the puppy kept barking unreasonably. Robert couldn't bear it anymore, so he grabbed the dog and gave it to old Barnes, saying: Don't ever want that dog again."

Holmes began to smoke again, and surrounded himself with smoke.

"Mr. Mason, after talking so much, how do you want to deal with this matter? What can I do for you?"

"Look, Mr. Holmes, there is one more thing here." Mason took out a paper bag.Inside was a charred bone.Holmes immediately began to look.

"Where did you find it?"

"In the boiler. There is a heating boiler in the basement of Mrs. Triss's room. It has not been used for many years. Recently, Sir Robert said it was cold, so he started to use it again. My companion, Leif, burns the boiler. When digging out the ashes, He saw the bag and gave it to me."

Holmes handed me the bone and said, "Identify it, Watson."

Although the bones were charred, they were still recognizable.

I said, "This bone is from a human leg."

"Very well," said Holmes. "When does Laffer usually go to fire the boiler?"

"He is not very responsible, he left when the stove was burning."

"Does that mean anyone can go there at night without being noticed?"

"You can say the same."

"How to get in?"

"Only by the outside door, of course there is also a door leading to Mrs. Triss' room inside."

"That's strange, Mr. Masson. Sir Robert was not at home last night. It must not be him who burned the bones, but someone else."

Mr. Masson nodded.Evidently he agreed with Mr. Holmes.

"Where did Robert send the dog?"

"Qingyu Hotel."

Holmes said immediately, "Watson, it is said that there is a famous fishing spot. There are trout in the river and pike in the lake. I have wanted to go for a long time, but I just don't have time."

Mr. Mason really didn't understand what Holmes said, and he didn't know what he was going to do.Probably confused by the weirdness of these days and not sure what the hell we're up to.

I said, "I'm sure I'd like to go with you."

"Excellent. We'll be there tonight to enjoy the night view. Don't bother us, Mr. Masson. If it's urgent, just send a note. We'll go over there to find out, and we'll get in touch if we need you." When I get back, I will give you a clear answer."

After a little preparation, we found a car that was very suitable for night view and went to Shoscomb.We were carrying bait, rods, baskets and all that kind of fishing stuff, and obviously we were going to have a blast here.When we came to the old inn, the owner, Old Barnes, welcomed us warmly.He was very honest, thought we were really fishing enthusiasts, and told us how to catch satisfactory fish, which is what we wanted.

Holmes said: "Boss, I would like to ask, how can I catch pike?"

The boss said: "Don't think about anything good. You still want to catch that kind of fish? Sir Robert will catch you before you reach the lake."

"Is it that serious?"

"Of course. Sir Robert should be said to be an unrecognizable tyrant. If you touch his beloved pike in his training ground, will he let you go? You probably haven't seen him. Everyone here is afraid of him." .”

"Oh? I knew he was a famous jockey. It is said that he has a good horse to participate in the marathon recently. Is it true?"

"Of course. Robert put all his money, and we put our own. That horse is really good, and we all count on him. What are you going to do?" The boss suddenly became alarmed, worried that we were horse spies.

"Please take it easy, we're just asking casually. We're not interested in horse racing, we just want to get some fresh air and catch more fish."

"It's easy to satisfy. You can enjoy nature to your heart's content here. But you must remember my words, don't go to the park, don't offend Sir Robert. Otherwise, you will suffer."

"Boss, thank you for your advice. I didn't expect you to have a beautiful dog here." Holmes saw the dog at the door.The owner of the shop said proudly: "It is very precious, it is a pure Shoscombe breed, and it is a first-class dog in Britain."

"I'm interested in dogs. How much is the dog? Can you sell it to me?"

"The dog doesn't belong to me, and I have no right to sell it. Sir Robert sent it to me, and I don't know what he meant. Anyway, I'll take good care of it. If it goes back, Robert will scold me."

After finishing talking, the shop owner went to work on him.

Holmes said to me: "We have now at last a clue. Although I am still not certain of anything, I have at least a clue. I know that Robert has not returned yet. Let us go to him at this time. I don't think it is dangerous or necessary." I am worried that he will come to cause trouble. I have to prove two doubts myself."

"Do you see something different?"

"Watson, one thing must be certain. A great event must have taken place in this family a few days ago, so there has been a series of changes. What it is is not yet determined. That is what I want to know, so that everything can be solved. I believe that solves the problem. Cases that don't have a problem are the worst."

"The younger brother and the older sister turned against each other. The older sister treated the younger brother as a stranger, while the younger brother gave away the older sister's beloved dog. Watson, don't you find it strange?"

"I can't see anything."

"If they really quarreled, the madam has changed too much! Except for going out in a carriage and then staying at home, she never sees anyone except the personal maid."

"But what is Robert doing in the crypt?"

"These two things developed at the same time, don't mix them up. Let's just talk about Mrs. Triss now. Don't you think she has changed too much?"

"There's a reason for that."

"Let's now consider Robert's behavior. Robert has put all his bets on this horse race, and even used usury. Ideas. He can do whatever he wants, and he can do anything. His sister's maid may also cooperate with him."

"And the crypt."

"Yes, the mysterious crypt might work. Let's make a bold guess that his sister was killed by him. Of course, this guess is not groundless!"

I was taken aback when I heard this.Their relationship has always been very good, almost all of the elder sister's income is used by the younger brother, and they will not murder the elder sister because of a trivial matter.Holmes' assumption is too bold.

He saw that I didn't believe it, and then began to reason boldly.

"Although Robert has a good background, everyone knows how bad-tempered he is. He wants to make a fortune and live a luxurious life. He just hopes to win the horse race. When the siblings have conflicts, threaten He will use extreme means if it is not for his benefit. He killed his sister and found a substitute. The man Mason saw in the jungle may have something to do with finding a substitute. He also saw human bones in the stove. He is sure I want to completely destroy the stolen property, and I don’t want to leave any evidence. What’s my judgment?”

"According to your thinking, is there anything that can't happen? Your judgment is always accurate, and I hope it will be the same this time. However, that Mr. Robert is too cruel."

"We don't have to think about it, let's set a trap tomorrow to verify my plan. Let's enjoy the rural life in the suburbs today, talk to the boss, talk about fishing, dogs and horse racing, he is very good at these Interested, maybe we can find something useful."

We went off the next morning to finish our plan, and we wanted to catch some fish too, but we had no bait, so we had to forget about it.Our conversation with the owner yesterday paid off and he agreed to take the Shoscombe dog with us for a walk.

We soon arrived at the gate of the famous park. Holmes said, "Old Barnes told me a very important fact. Every day, my wife would go for a drive in the park in a carriage. When the carriage passed the gate of the park, it would definitely slow down. You go there. Stop the car and talk to the coachman for some reason, there must be some delay. I will observe the movement behind the bushes."

Although I don't quite know what Holmes meant at this moment, I know that this matter is very important.

After a while, two tall and strong horses came over with a yellow four-wheeled carriage, which was probably Mrs. Triss's carriage.I walked leisurely up and down the park gate, as Holmes had said, and waited for the carriage to approach.Holmes hides behind a tree with his dog.Seeing Mrs. Triss's carriage, the gatekeeper hurried to open the door.

I stood by the side of the road, looking for an opportunity to speak to him.Near the park, the carriage slowed down.I found two women sitting on it, one of them was very young, with a rosy face and big eyes that looked at people without any scruples;Mrs. Triss is so tightly wrapped, probably because she is not in good health.Naturally, I raised my arms to stop the carriage, and the driver stopped the carriage.I went up and asked if young Robert was home, and introduced myself and why I was looking for him.In any case, there must be a delay.

Holmes pulled the dog out.Seeing the carriage, the dog barked a few times excitedly.As soon as Holmes let go, it ran happily to the carriage, and jumped aboard.The dog's mood changed immediately, from being affectionate to furious, even barking and biting the people in the car, full of hostility.

The people in the carriage seemed to be very frightened, so they told the driver to leave quickly, and the driver obeyed and drove away the carriage.But Holmes and I both heard that shout was so loud that it didn't seem to be a woman's voice.

Holmes patted the puppy on the back excitedly, looking very affectionate, and said, "Okay, I understand. We have seen all the changes in the dog's emotions. Obviously, the dog thought it was the owner at first, but later realized it was a stranger. We You have to trust the dog's judgment."

I said, "There is a man sitting in the car as a stand-in?"

"Exactly. Another clue that victory is at hand."

Our plan was successfully completed, and we were in a good mood, so we went fishing together, and we actually caught two fish for our delicious meal.

We went to the park gate the next day to meet Mr. John Mason, the trainer.He was already waiting for us at the gate.Mason said: "Nice to meet you, I came as soon as I received your note. I don't know if your progress is going well. Now Robert has not come back. He will come back tonight. Do you need my help?"

"How far is the crypt from here?" said Holmes. "We shall take a look there."

"A quarter mile."

"Then we'll have time to go once before Robert comes back."

"Mr. Holmes, I am sorry that I cannot go with you. I will be the first thing he will look for when he comes home."

"It doesn't matter, as long as you lead us to that place, we will handle the rest by ourselves."

There was no moon that day and it was pitch black.We walked through the pastures together and saw a tall black porch that must have been the church.We simply took one step at a time.At the front was Masson, finding his way among the bricks.We finally came to a corner where there was a staircase leading to a mysterious crypt.Masson lit a stick of wax, and we saw layers of coffins stacked one upon another.Some of these coffins are made of stone and some of them are made of lead.The long-standing figures of this prominent family were the owners of these coffins.The bronze medallions adorning the coffin with the griffin, symbols of noble families, were intact.Many years later, it still shows its dignity and nobility.

"Mr. Masson, where are the bones you found?"

"It's here."

But when we looked, there was nothing.

"why is that?"

Holmes said: "Don't be surprised, the heating stove is not used for heating, but for destroying these bones."

Mason asked suspiciously, "Why did you burn these dead bones?"

"That is the object of our visit," said Holmes. "The time is running out, so go back. We can settle it."

Mason was gone, and Holmes began to investigate earnestly.I lit the wax, and he read carefully on the tombstone.We found tombstones from the Saxon period to the Norman period in turn.Seeing a lead coffin, Holmes said excitedly:
"I have found it, Watson."

We are going to open the lid by hand.He carefully inspected the surroundings of the coffin lid with a magnifying glass, then took out a delicate and strong iron rod and stuffed it into the seam, and pried off the lid effortlessly.When we were about to remove the heavy coffin lid excitedly, we heard an unexpected sound.We heard anxious footsteps coming straight for us from above.It must be Mr. Robert.There was a tall figure at the top of the stairs, and then a beam of light shot in.He carried a lantern, his bushy bearded face was full of anger, he looked around, and then stopped his eyes on us.

He asked ferociously, "Who are you? What are you doing here?" We didn't speak, and he asked more ferociously, waving his cane.There must be something wrong with him doing this, and we are not afraid of him.

Holmes walked towards him very deliberately.

Holmes said: "Mr. Robert, I also need you to answer a lot of questions. Can you see who this is?" Holmes opened the lid of the coffin, and through the bright light, he could see a female corpse wrapped all over.The entire face was distorted due to decay.

Robert was taken aback when he saw it, and stepped back quickly.

After a while, he was that fierce look again.He asked, "How did you find out about this? What are you going to do?"

"My name is Sherlock Holmes. Haven't you heard of it? All those who uphold the justice and dignity of the law are with us. I have come to investigate this matter for the sake of justice, and you should explain the process of the incident to me."

Maybe Robert was overwhelmed by Holmes' name, or realized that there was no way to hide things.

"Believe me, Mr. Holmes, I have done nothing wrong to my sister. It seems that I have done something unspeakable, but I was forced to do it. I am telling the truth."

"You don't have to explain, anyway, you have to go to the police station with me."

Robert said: "Okay. I'll show you to take a look, and you will know the truth."

Robert led us to a room filled with various weapons.He told us to wait here for a while.He brought back two persons, the young woman in the carriage we had seen at the park gate, and a very small, cautious man.The two men were on edge, not sure why they had been called.

"Bring them both because they alone can prove my innocence. The woman is my sister's valet, and the other is her husband. Just ask them."

The woman shouted, "Are you crazy, Mr. Robert?"

"I'm not responsible at all," the man said.

Robert said: "You don't need to be responsible, I will briefly explain what happened."

"Actually, I don't need to say much. You already know a lot of truth. I'm going to participate in a race meeting with the best horses in the whole of England. I bet all my money, and the outcome depends on this time. If I win, I It will make a lot of money. If it fails, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"I know all that," said Holmes.

"I'm used to doing nothing. My sister usually provides me with money, but she doesn't earn much. I have borrowed a lot of money because of horse racing. If they hear that my sister is dead, they will take everything from me. , my plan is all over. I am afraid that something will happen, my sister passed away last week.

"If it gets out, I will have nothing. If the news can be kept secret for a while, things may turn around after the race meeting. My sister's maid is very loyal, and I discussed with her to make her husband disguise as my sister. I think it's only the three of us who know about it, and her husband just needs to go by car every day, without seeing anyone. I think it will work, and from that day on, her husband has been pretending to be my sister, although it is very clever, but still It was discovered by someone else. My sister had been sick all the time, and she died of edema."

"I can't believe you all at once."

"Her doctor can testify. She has been ill for a long time and has recently worsened."

"Then what did you do with her body?"

"After she died, I took the body to the storeroom immediately. No one went there. But her dog kept barking there, which was very revealing, so I gave it away. I later put the body on the ground. hole. That’s all I do.”

"You are so sorry for her!"

Robert said helplessly: "I can't help it. Seeing that my plan is about to be completed, I am not reconciled to being shattered by this. I feel that I am worthy of her. I will place her in the solemn place of her husband's house, and I will not be reconciled to it." Preserve her dignity, and she will forgive me. I brought the remains back to be burned in the boiler room by the maid's husband."

Holmes thought for a while and said: "There is a problem with what you say. You are betting on the horse. If the usurer takes your property, it will not have much effect."

"Horses are property too. If they took them, you wouldn't be able to race, let alone win, and I'm at odds with my main creditor, Sam Shanler. He likes to get in trouble and there's no way he'll help me. "

"The matter is clear," said Holmes. "Let us go. Let the police deal with the rest. We do not care whether you have done the right thing in terms of social morals. Let us go, Watson."

The result of the case: Robert won the race, earned a lot of money, paid off his debts, and began to live a prosperous life.The police did not pursue the matter very much, and the turmoil finally subsided.The "elopement" case of the miser's wife
The weather was fine in the morning, and I was in a panic when I happened to have a letter from Holmes.After walking into the familiar living room, I saw Holmes thinking on the sofa with a serious expression on his face.I don't know what other case he took, it seems to be considering a tragic and serious problem.

"A new customer?"

(End of this chapter)