Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 94 The Return (5)
"But she was as silent as a log. She put McFarlane in the house at 09:30 and she now regrets letting him in. She went to sleep about 10:30. She lived The room was at the other end, and what was going on here could not be heard at all. Mr. Macfarlane left his hat and a cane there when he entered the hall, and she was awakened by the fire alarm afterwards, as her unfortunate good master must have Murdered. I don't know if he has any enemies. Everyone has enemies, but Mr. Oldecker hardly associates with people, only some people who ask him to do business. After looking at the buttons, she is sure it was him last night. On the dress she was wearing. It hadn't rained for a month and the wood pile was so dry it must have burned fast. When she got to the lumberyard she couldn't see anything but the fire. She It smelled of burnt meat. She never knew about written records, let alone any private affairs of her master.

"Well, my dear Watson, that's all it took for me to fail, but... but..." He clenched his fists suddenly, and seemed to regain his confidence. "I don't think that's the case, that everything is not right. I think the housekeeper must know something very important, but I can't ask. Her angry, dissatisfied eyes can only show that she has something in her heart. Now say Nothing works, unless there is a good delivery, I am afraid that the disappearance of Lower Norwood will not appear in our case records, I think everyone will forgive us for a while."

"The young man's appearance must have impressed the jury?" I asked.

"That's a dangerous argument, my dear Watson. Do you remember Bert Stephens, the mass murderer in 1887? He wanted us to exonerate him. You've seen him before educated youth?"

"That's true."

"Unless we can find a hypothesis to justify him, he's finished. This case is going to court soon, and if there's no more clues, yes, there are some very strange things in those papers that can Let's put this together as a primer for an investigation. When I checked my bank deposits, there was nothing left, mainly due to several large checks made to Mr. Cornelias in the past year. I'd love to know about this Who is this Mr. Cornelius, who may be involved in this case. Mr. Cornelius may also be a broker, but I have not found any bills that match those amounts. I have not found any other bills so far. Evidence, it is necessary for me to ask the bank for some information about the gentleman. But I am afraid that Les Reid has hanged the poor young man before we can find out the truth. This is also for the Scotland Police Make it a victory."

I knew that Holmes must have had a restless sleep that night.Just when I went downstairs to have breakfast, I found his face was pale and full of worry, and his bright eyes were surrounded by dark circles.There were cigarette butts all over the carpet near him, and today's morning paper and a telegram.

"Do you see what this is all about, Watson?" He handed me the telegram.

The telegram came from Lower Norwood and read as follows:
New important evidence has been obtained, and McFarlane has been convicted of a crime. I advise you to abandon the case.

Les Reid
"Sounds like the real thing," I said.

"It is a little trick of his own," replied Holmes, with a wry smile. "However, now is not the time to stop it. In any case, any new evidence is like a sharp double-edged sword. It may not develop in the way Lethridge thinks. Let's eat first, Watson! Let's go and see what we can do, I really need your company and moral support today."

My friend didn't eat breakfast herself.He never eats when he is nervous, and today is no exception, this is his usual characteristic.I have seen him pass out from malnutrition and exhaustion. "I don't have the energy to digest that food right now." He keeps fighting me with this line.So he didn't have breakfast, and we went together to Lower Norwood, not surprisingly, there was a lot of people around Glen Hall.The villa was exactly as I had imagined it to be, and Lethred came out of it refreshed and elated with victory. "Ah! Mr. Holmes, is your guess wrong? Have you found the tramp so far?" he asked loudly.

"I have not yet drawn any conclusions," said Holmes.

"But I can certify that yesterday's conclusion was correct. You should know that we are ahead of you now, Mr. Holmes."

"Your manner tells us something extraordinary must have happened here."

Lesred laughed.

"You don't want to be left behind as much as we do," he said. "Everyone can't do everything well, can't they, Dr. Watson? Come this way, everyone. I can quite prove that the culprit is John." McFarlane."

He led us down the hall and into the dimly lit foyer.

"The criminal MacFarlane is bound to come here and take his hat," he said. "Look here." Suddenly he lit a match, and we saw blood on the whitewashed walls.He brought the match closer, and there were not only bloodstains but also a thumbprint.

"You can tell by looking with a magnifying glass, Mr. Holmes."

"I'm watching it now."

"You must understand that there are no two identical fingerprints in the world."

"I know."

"Well then, compare the print on the wall with the print taken from McFarlane's right thumb." He held the print close to the bloodstain, and even with the naked eye he could tell it was the same thumb. India, apparently the young man was hopeless.

"This is very important," Lethred said.

"Yes, very important." I also echoed.

"Very important!" said Holmes.

I could hear something wrong in his tone.Looking back at him, his expression changed a lot, his face was trembling with surprise, his eyes were shining like stars, as if he was trying his best to hold back the burst of laughter.

"Ah! ah!" he said at last, "nobody would have guessed! Appearances are not reliable at all. What a fine man he looks! This failure tells us not to trust our eyes, does it? Rhys Rhett."

"Yes, aren't some of us quite confident, Mr. Holmes?" said Lethreid.The arrogance of this man is very infuriating, but it is difficult for the two of us to express it.

"That man would press his right thumb on the wall when he took his hat. It is God's will! If you think about it, what a natural action it is!" Holmes looked calm, but when he was speaking , but couldn't hide his happy expression, "I want to ask, Lethred, who saw this situation?"

"Mrs. Luxington, the housekeeper, told the night police."

"Where was the night police then?"

"He was left at the scene of the accident, which is the bedroom of the deceased, in order not to allow others to touch the contents."

"But why didn't you find this blood spot yesterday?"

"Oh, because at the time I didn't think it was necessary to examine that hall very carefully at all. Besides, it's not very obvious here, and who would pay attention to it?"

"Yeah, it's not obvious. Maybe this thing was on the wall yesterday?"

Lethreid looked at Holmes as if to say that he was downright mad.I was surprised by Holmes' cheerful expression and capriciousness in expressing his opinions.

"I don't know if you think McFarlane ran out of jail in the middle of the night to add to his case," Lesred said. "I could ask any expert in the world to identify his fingerprints."

"There's nothing wrong with it, it's his."

"That will suffice," said Lethreid. "I am a man of facts, Mr. Holmes. A conclusion is correct only when the evidence is found. If you have anything else to tell me, do so at the The living room came to me. I'm going to finish this work report there."

Holmes was calm now, but he could still see from his expression that he was smiling.

"Well, it's going to get worse this way, isn't it, Watson? But there's something queer about it, and the young man may be saved."

"I'm so glad you can say that," I said from the bottom of my heart, "I was really freaked out just now."

"I don't want to say that, my dear Watson. There is, in fact, a particularly serious hole in the evidence which Lethred so much cares about."

"Really? What's that?"

"That's the point: I checked the hall yesterday, and there was no blood on the walls at all. Now, Watson, we can breathe a sigh of relief."

We walked in the garden together.My mind was in turmoil, but my heart felt warm with hope.Holmes inspected every side of the villa, then entered the house, and carefully examined the whole building from the basement to the attic.Many of the rooms were unfurnished, but he looked at each carefully, until he came to the corridor of the top room, where there were three empty bedrooms.He was excited again.

"The case is indeed quite characteristic, Watson," said he, "and I think it is time to be honest with our friend. He always laughed at us, and perhaps we may do the same to him, if I judge the case That's right. Yes, I know what we're going to do."

The Scotland Yard Inspector was in the room writing his report when Holmes went to disturb him.

"I suppose you are writing a report on the case now!" he said.

"Yes."

"Don't you think it's been rushed? I think some of the evidence isn't strong enough."

Lethreid, who knew my friend too well to ignore his every word, put down his pen and looked at Holmes in amazement.

"What do you want, Mr. Holmes?"

"I just want to tell you that there is one very special witness that you have overlooked."

"Can you tell me?"

"I can!"

"Then say it."

"I'll do my best. By the way, how many subordinates do you have?"

"There are only three that can be summoned immediately."

"Excellent!" said Holmes. "They are all in good shape, and have a loud voice, don't they?"

"Of course, but I don't know if their voices have anything to do with it?"

"Perhaps I can help you to understand this and one or two other points," said Holmes. "Please call them here, and I will try."

Five minutes later, all three gathered in the hall.

"There is a great deal of straw in the little shed out there," said Holmes. "Bring two sheaves, please, and I shall be able to find the witnesses I need from here. Thank you. Watson, I suppose you have matches in your pocket." .Now, Mr. Ruthred, I invite all of you to come with us to the top terrace."

I said there was a wide corridor beyond the three empty bedrooms.Holmes called us to meet at the other end of the corridor.The three cops were grinning, and Lethred looked at my buddy with alternate expressions of surprise, anticipation, and sarcasm.

Holmes stands in front of us like a magician.

"Would you please order a policeman to fetch two buckets of water? Put the straw there out of the way of the wall, and now everything is ready."

Lethred was flushed with anger.

"I don't understand what you're doing. My dear Mr. Holmes," said he, "if you discover something new, you may speak of it first, and don't make any senseless moves."

"I assure you that everything I do has a lot to do with this case, Mr. Lesred. You remember laughing at me when you had the upper hand a few hours ago, and now you can't please me." Will you, Watson, open the window and strike a match to light the straw?"

I followed his instructions, and the bundle of straw was crackling, sparks came out, and white smoke lingered in the hallway.

"Now let's see if we can get you that witness, so please join me in yelling, 'Fire' okay? Come on, get ready! One, two, three—"

"Fire!" we all shouted together.

"Thank you very much, please shout again."

"It's on fire!"

"Gentlemen, it's great, let's do it again!"

"Fire!" I think everyone in Lower Norwood heard it this time.

After the shouting, a strange thing happened.A door suddenly opened in the seemingly unbroken wall at the end of the corridor, and out of it burst a small, wizened figure like a rabbit popping from its burrow.

"You are all done," said Holmes calmly. "Watson, pour buckets of water over the straw. Come! Let me introduce you, Lethred, that Jonas Old you so-called disappeared." Mister K."

Lethred looked in wonder at the stranger, who blinked incessantly in the light of the corridor.He kept staring at us, and then at the still smoking fire.It was a hideous face: sly, treacherous, wicked, fierce, with suspicious, pale gray eyes.

"What's going on here?" Lesred couldn't help asking, "What have you been doing all this time?"

Oldecke smiled uneasily, terrified by the detective's anger.

"I didn't hurt anyone."

"No? You tried every means to send an innocent person to the guillotine. If it weren't for this gentleman, maybe you would have succeeded."

The wretch burst into tears.

"Actually, sir, I just wanted to play a joke on him."

"Huh? Are you kidding? I'm sure you won't laugh. Take him down and wait for me in the living room."

After those three people took Oldek away, Lesred continued to ask: "Mr. Holmes, I was embarrassed to say that my subordinates were here just now, but in front of Dr. Watson, I dare to admit that you did it." Best thing, even though I don't know how you know. You saved an innocent life and my reputation with the police."

Holmes smiled and patted Lethreid on the shoulder.

"My dear sir, this incident will do you a great reputation. Just alter the report you have just written, and they will know that it is impossible to deceive the sharp eyes of Inspector Lethrider." !"

"Don't you want to put your name on the report?"

"No, the work is the reward. I'll talk about it when I need it. Well, now it's time to see where the mouse is hiding.

At a distance of about six feet from the passage there had been a small room once plastered and lathed, in which a secret door had been artfully placed, and the interior was lit entirely by the light which leaked through the outer chink.A few pieces of old furniture were put there, as well as food, water and some books and newspapers.

As we walked out together, Holmes said again: "This is very easy for the architect. He can design a secret room for himself without the help of anyone else. Of course, his housekeeper should also be counted as you." prey."

"I agree, but how did you know of the existence of this place, Mr. Holmes?"

"When I first came to this corridor, I saw that it was six feet shorter than the same corridor downstairs, so I concluded that he must be hiding in this house. I don't think he would have the nerve and still keep calm. Yes, we could of course rush in and catch him, but I think it would be more fun to let him out by himself. Besides, Lethred, you laughed at me for a long time this morning, and it is time I'm here to deal with you once."

"Yes, sir, you did take revenge on me. But how did you know he was hiding here?"

"It's the thumbprint, Lethred. You said it was important, but on the other hand, it's really important. The day before yesterday, there were no thumbprints at all. I noticed these details. That's it. You know me, I checked the lobby very carefully that day, and there was nothing. So, I think the fingerprints were put on last night."

"But how did he do it?"

"Very simple. On the night of the accident they sealed the packets of paper with wax, and Jonas Oldecke had Macfarlane press his thumb on one of the envelopes to stick it. The young man was very It's almost done, and I'm sure even he himself has probably forgotten about it. Maybe Oldek didn't even think he could take advantage of it, or maybe he figured it out in the back room, using fingerprints to Make evidence of McFarlane's guilt. All he needs to do is take his fingerprints from that wax seal and smear it with blood. In the middle of the night, either himself or his housekeeper can do it. If you check The documents he brought into the secret room, you will find that seal with fingerprints on it, I am very sure of that."

"Excellent!" said Lethreid. "Excellent! Excellent! After listening to you, all is clear. But, Mr. Holmes, what is the object of his deception?"

I saw the way the detective asked questions was so cute.

"Well, it's too simple. Because he's a cunning, vicious and vengeful man. Did you know that McFarlane's mother once refused his marriage proposal? I told you to go to Blackheath first, and then go to the next promise." Wood's. Later, this emotional wound turned his vicious heart into resentment, and he spent his life seeking revenge on her, but never found the opportunity. In the last year or so, things turned against him— —probably a secret speculative business failure. He found himself in a bad position, so he tried to deceive all his creditors. He pretended to write a lot of large checks to a Mr. Cornelius, who was actually himself. .I haven't traced the checks yet, but I think they must have been deposited in an out-of-town town. He plans to change his name later and start a new life elsewhere."

"Almost, entirely possible."

(End of this chapter)