Originally, I planned to stop writing about the glorious deeds of my great friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes after the publication of "The Strange Case of Grange Manor". It's not that I have nothing to write about. On the contrary, I still have hundreds of stories to write about.

This case is not covered, nor is it because readers are tired of this fine and unique man, but in fact because Holmes himself does not want me to continue publishing his stories. Although I think it is in his own interest to record some of his cases.

Detective work and even the detective industry are very beneficial, but he stubbornly wants to leave London and go to the hilly areas of Sussex to study his chemical research and beekeeping, so he does not agree with me to continue publishing, and also

He repeatedly asked me to respect his wishes. I told him that I had already said hello to the readers. Once "Beyond the First Bloodstain" is published, my story will come to an end, and I also feel that using such a

It is really appropriate to end this book with an important or even international case, so I finally got his consent and carefully told you about the following incident. Maybe some details will be lost when reminiscing.

It seems not clear enough, so please forgive me for my reservations.

It was an autumn day, the year cannot be specified, and I am sorry for that. It was a Tuesday morning, and two guests who were quite famous in Europe came to see Sherlock Holmes and I at the humble home in Baker Street. One of them was a very famous person.

Lord Belenger, who served as two British Prime Ministers. This man has a high nose, bright eyes, and full of majesty. The other guest has dark skin, delicate features, and elegant style. Although he is still young, he is not yet mature.

He is middle-aged, but obviously has a lot of experience. He is Trelawney Hope, the minister responsible for European affairs. The two of them sat side by side on our couch filled with documents. They looked worried and anxious, and you could tell

The reason why I came here must be to ask for something. Mr. Prime Minister had bulging veins in his hands and was holding the ivory handle of the umbrella tightly. He looked at me and then at Holmes. His stoic and haggard face was full of sorrow, and the man

The elegant minister also looked very uneasy, twirling his beard from time to time, and touching the pendant of his watch chain from time to time.

The minister said: "Mr. Holmes, at 8 o'clock this morning, I lost a very important document. After urgently notifying the Prime Minister, and on his advice, we immediately came to visit you."

"Have you notified the police?"

At this time the Prime Minister spoke. As everyone knows, he always speaks quickly and decisively: "No, you can't do this. Notifying the police is equivalent to telling the public that we do not want to see this result."

"Sir, can you tell us why?" Holmes asked with concern and curiosity.

"First of all, this is a very important document. Once it is released, it is likely to complicate the situation in Europe. It can be said to be related to war and peace. Therefore, the recovery of the document must be top secret, otherwise it will be unnecessary, because

The purpose of the person who stole the document was to publish the contents of the document."

"I understand the situation. Mr. Minister, can you explain in detail the situation of the missing documents?"

"Okay, Mr. Holmes, it's actually very simple. Just 6 days ago we received a letter, which was a letter from a foreign monarch. The content was of great importance, so I didn't even dare to put it in the safe, but

I carry it with me to my home in Whitehall Residential Street every day, and then lock it in the file box in my bedroom. The file was indeed still there last night. I changed clothes and had dinner, opened the box and checked it once, but it disappeared inexplicably this morning.

My wife and I were very alert when we slept, and we were both sure that no one came in during the night, but the documents just disappeared.”

"Excuse me, what is your dinner time?"

"7:30."

"Did you do anything else before going to bed?"

"My wife went out to watch a show, and I waited for her outside. It wasn't until 11:30 that we went back to the room to sleep."

"Then you can say that the file box was left unattended for almost four hours."

Only my servant and my wife's maid can enter the house in the morning, and no one is allowed in at other times. These two servants are very considerate and reliable, and have been working in our house for a long time. But neither of them can

I know that there are so important things in the file box that go beyond ordinary official documents.

"Then who else knows about this secret letter?"

"There is no one but me."

"Your wife should know!"

"No, sir, I told her after the letter was lost."

The Prime Minister obviously appreciated the minister's approach. He nodded and said: "Sir, I believe you have a strong sense of responsibility, and I am also convinced that you will put the confidentiality of such an important document above the feelings of your family.

.”

The minister nodded. "Thank you for your compliment. Before this morning, I never mentioned a word about this letter to my wife."

"So is it possible that she could guess?"

"Absolutely impossible, no one can guess it."

"Have you ever experienced losing files before?"

"That didn't happen, sir."

"Does anyone else in the whole of Britain know of such a letter?"

"Every cabinet minister was informed about this letter at yesterday's cabinet meeting, and the prime minister repeatedly emphasized that it should be kept secret. Unexpectedly, just a few hours later! It was lost in my hands!" The minister grabbed himself hard.

His hair was very depressed, and even his delicate face was distorted. Judging from this performance, we suddenly found that he was actually a passionate and impulsive person, and very sensitive. After that, his face calmed down a little and regained his noble look.

His temperament and tone became calmer, and he then explained to us:

"Only two or three officials know about this letter. I mean except the cabinet ministers. Apart from these people, Mr. Holmes, I guarantee that no one in Britain knows about it."

"So what's the situation like abroad?"

"I am sure that no one abroad has seen this letter except the monarch who wrote it himself. What can be believed is that the writer has not passed through anyone's hands. It is completely private."

Holmes thought for a moment and asked:

"Two gentlemen, let me take the liberty of asking, what is this letter mainly about, and why does it have such serious consequences?"

The two political figures looked at each other, and the Prime Minister frowned and said: "The envelope is thin and long, light blue, and stamped with red paint, which is the mark of a squatting lion. The signature of the letter writer is very eye-catching.

, because the font is very large.”

Holmes responded: "Thank you for providing these important information, but you still haven't told me what the letter actually said?"

"This matter is of great importance and is an extremely important national secret. I think the content has little to do with the case, so I don't think it is necessary to tell you. If you do your best to find this letter for us, the country will reward you.

You, we will do our best to give you the greatest reward!"

Sherlock Holmes smiled, stood up and said: "You two are very busy with official duties, and you can say that you have important responsibilities. Although I am only a little detective, I am also very busy, and there are many people visiting me! I am very

Sorry, I may not be able to help you much in this matter. It is a complete waste of time to talk like this."

The Prime Minister stood up abruptly, with an angry look in his deep-set eyes, which once intimidated all the cabinet ministers. He shouted: "How dare you talk to me like this..." Suddenly he suppressed his anger and forced himself to sit down.

We went down. We were silent for a minute or two, and no one spoke. The old man shrugged and said helplessly: "Mr. Holmes, just do as you say! You are right, only with complete trust can you

Judge."

The young minister also said: "I agree with the Prime Minister's statement."

"I trust you and your friend Dr. Watson, and I will tell you the whole truth now. At the same time, I also firmly believe that you love your country, and you know what will happen if this matter is leaked.

Terrible things are happening in our country."

"You may trust me!" Holmes replied seriously and seriously.

This foreign monarch wrote this letter because he was indignant about the rapid development of our country's colonies. This letter was written in a hurry, and it was all his personal thoughts. We investigated and found that none of his ministers actually understood this.

At the same time, this letter was written in a very impolite manner, and some of the sentences were fierce and provocative. If this letter were to be known to the British, it would definitely make the whole country angry and difficult to calm down. It can be said that once this letter is

If it becomes known to the public, it will lead to war within a week.

At this time Holmes wrote a name on a piece of paper and handed it to the Prime Minister.

"Yes, it's this person. This letter disappeared mysteriously. Such hasty loss of the letter will definitely cause our country to suffer huge losses and sacrifices."

"Then have you notified this monarch?"

"Yes, sir, we sent him a coded telegram immediately."

"Maybe he still wants this letter to be published!"

"No, we think that the monarch who wrote the letter actually felt that doing so was too impulsive and not very prudent. If a war really breaks out, his own country will be hit even more seriously."

"So, who will benefit from the publication of this letter? Who wants to steal the secret letter for what purpose?"

"Sir, this is more complicated to say, involving various relations in international politics. If you think about the entire political situation in Europe now, you may see the mystery of this letter. If the European continent is an armed fortress, composed of two

Military alliances check and balance each other, and our British Empire carefully maintains their balance in the middle. Now if Britain has to go to war with one of the alliances out of desperation, then it will not be a loss for the other alliance.

Is it an advantage? Regardless of whether it will be involved in this war or not, it will be beneficial. Do you understand?"

"You explained it very clearly. So it seems that the enemy of this foreign monarch wants to publish this letter to provoke a war between the country that sent the letter and our country."

"Yes, that's it."

"So, this letter is already in someone's hands, who will he give it to next?"

"Any minister from any country in Europe can do it. The person who stole the letter now may be on the train rushing to the agreed place."

After speaking, Mr. Trelawney Hope, the minister, lowered his head and groaned, appearing annoyed and painful. The Prime Minister patted him on the shoulder and said: "Dear Hope, poor man, you did nothing wrong. The loss of the letter is not yours."

It was caused by carelessness. Mr. Holmes, now that we have told you everything, what do you think should be done?"

Holmes shook his head helplessly.

"Gentlemen, if we can't find this letter, war will break out."

"Probably."

"Then, the next step is to prepare for the war."

"Mr. Holmes! You mean to say that the letter will never be recovered, is that right?"

"Think about those circumstances carefully and imagine that the document must have been stolen before 11:30 in the middle of the night, because the Pus have been in the house since then. So the letter should have been stolen at 7 last night

Sometime between 13:30 and 11:30, maybe just after 7:30. The person who stole the letter obviously knew that the letter was in that file box, and tried his best to get it. In this case, who has the letter now?

No one will hold on to the letter, and the letter must be quickly delivered to the people who need it. We have no chance and have no time to find out where the letter is, so I am sorry that there is no way to find the letter."

The Prime Minister stood up and stood in front of the couch.

"Mr. Holmes, what you say makes sense. There is really nothing we can do."

"If you want to investigate, let's first assume that maybe one of the maid or the male servant took it away..."

"This is impossible. They have been tested for a long time and are all experienced servants."

"Just now I remember the minister said that the bedroom is on the second floor. There is no door that can go out directly, so if someone is outside the building, he will definitely be seen. There is no doubt that he must be taken away by someone at home. So the thief took

Who was the letter forwarded to? Maybe it was an international spy, maybe it was an international spy. I know them. I know the three leaders and need to check them one by one. If any of them are missing, especially if no one saw them last night, then

We can probably guess where the file went."

The minister asked: "Why is he missing? Wouldn't it be enough to send him directly to the embassies of various countries in London?"

"This is unlikely. These agents operate on a single line and usually do not have a good relationship with the embassy."

The Prime Minister nodded, obviously understanding the situation.

"Mr. Holmes, we believe what you said is correct. This person must personally deliver such an important thing to the headquarters. The plan you mentioned is feasible. Hope, let's not delay on this matter. There are other things.

Things need to be done. If there is any new information, we will tell you, and please also let us know the progress of your investigation in a timely manner."

After the two important people said goodbye to us, they left calmly.

As soon as they left, Holmes immediately lit his pipe and sat down in silence to think for a long time. While I was reading the morning newspaper, concentrating on reading a tragic murder case last night. At this time, my friend Holmes sighed.

After a breath, he stood up and placed the pipe on the mantelpiece.

He said: It seems that this is the only way to do it. There is no other way. The situation is so urgent, but it does not mean that there is no turning point. At present, we need to find out who stole the letter. Maybe this letter can still be saved.

In his hands. For this kind of person, there is no problem that money cannot solve. Our British Treasury is very wealthy and this little money is not a problem. Maybe this thief is holding this letter to see who can pay.

More, I only know three brave guys like this - Oberstein, La-Rotech and Eduardo Lucas. I will go and ask them one by one now.

I glanced at the newspaper in my hand.

"Are you talking about Eduardo Lucas from the Rue Godolphin?"

"Yes, that's him."

"Then there's no need to look for it."

"What's wrong?"

"He was killed in his home last night."

In the process of our investigating cases together, he usually surprises me, but this time it was me who surprised him, and he felt a little proud. He looked at the newspaper in surprise and grabbed it. The following paragraph

That was the news I was reading when he stood up.

murder in westminster abbey

Last night a mysterious murder occurred on Godolphin Street. This street is located between the Thames and Westminster Abbey. It is covered by the shadow of the roof of the House of Representatives. The street is quiet and lined with ancient buildings from the 18th century. 16

No. 1 is a small and exquisite building, where Mr. Eduardo Lucas, a celebrity in London society, lives. He has lived here for many years and is approachable. He was once the best amateur tenor in the country. He is 34 years old and single.

.There is also a housekeeper named Mrs. Bollinger and a manservant named Milton. The housekeeper's bedroom is in the attic and goes to bed very early. The manservant goes out to visit his friends in Hammersmith. So.

After 10 o'clock at night, Mr. Lucas was alone at home, and what happened during that period is still under investigation. At 11:45, Patrolman Barrett passed by the street and saw the door of No. 16 open, and no one answered the knock on the door. At this time, the patrolman saw

There was a light coming out of the house in front of me, so I walked into the hallway and knocked on the door again, but there was still no response. Then the patrol officer pushed the door open directly and walked in. He saw that the home was in a mess, all the furniture was overturned on the floor, and there was an overturned object in the center of the house.

The chair was under the chair, and the owner of the house who suffered the sudden disaster fell beside him, holding on to the chair leg with one hand. He stabbed a knife into the heart and killed him on the spot. The murder weapon was a curved-edged Indian dagger, which was an original decoration on the wall. There was nothing in the room.

There were no traces of robbery, and no valuables were lost. The victim was not only a celebrity, but also well-received. His passing made his friends who loved him very sad!

Holmes looked at it for a while and asked me: "Watson, what do you think this is?"

"Maybe it's just a coincidence."

"How could it be a coincidence? He is the most likely guy to do this deal among the three spy chiefs I just mentioned. Just when we opened the scene, he died! It can't be a coincidence, of course.

It’s not absolute. Watson, it’s very possible that the letter theft case and the murder case are somehow related. It’s not possible, it’s absolutely certain! We must find out the inevitable connection here!”

"In this case, wouldn't the police all know?"

"No. They only know about the murder in Godolphin Street. They certainly don't know about the disappearance of the letter in Whitehall Street, and they will never know about it. The only people who know about these two things at present are the two of us.

, we can figure out what the relationship is. In any case, one thing I highly doubt about Lucas is that it only takes a few minutes to walk from Godolphin Street to Whitehall Residential Street, and the other two spies live in

Far away on the edge of London's West End. Therefore, Lucas is the easiest person among the three to get in touch with the minister's family. Although this is not important, considering that the time for committing the crime was so short, this point is also crucial.

"Yes." Just as he was talking, footsteps were heard on the stairs, and he immediately asked: "Hey! Who is it?"

The landlady, Mrs. Hudson, came in carrying a tray with a lady's business card on it. When Holmes saw the business card, he seemed to see a glimmer of hope again, and showed the business card to me. He said to the landlady: "Please do this

Come up Hilda Trelawney Hope!"

In our shabby little room, we have received two influential figures in England, and then one of the most charming ladies in London. I have heard people mention this little daughter of the Duke of Bellminster before.

She is very charming and beautiful, but no matter how others praise her or even if I have seen photos, I have never seen her in real life so slender, gentle, elegant and beautiful, and her appearance is even more charming. Such a lady, on such an autumn morning

, the first impression she gave us was not that of beauty. Her lovely cheeks had turned white with excitement, her bright eyes were full of eagerness, and her thin red lips were tightly closed. She tried her best to restrain herself, and she stood upright.

At the door, fear replaced beauty.

"Mr. Holmes, has my husband been here?"

"Yes, ma'am, he has been here."

"Then Mr. Holmes, please don't tell him that I have been here."

Holmes nodded expressionlessly, pointed to a chair, and said politely to her: "Madam, this request is quite embarrassing for me. But please sit down and talk about it first. Tell me your request. Of course I

It’s also conditional.”

The lady walked to the other side of the room and sat down with her back to the window. Her elegant demeanor was like that of a graceful queen, slender and elegant, with noble posture and charming charm.

Her two beautiful white-gloved hands sometimes clasped and sometimes unclenched. She said: "Mr. Holmes, I am willing to tell you anything, and I hope you will be as frank as I am. My husband and I are almost here

We trust each other in all aspects, but there is one thing that is off-limits, and that is politics. He never talks about this aspect with me. It is only now that I know that something so important happened in my family last night. I only know that I lost one

file, but didn't know it was a major political issue and my husband said nothing to me. I should find out once and for all what's going on. Mr. Holmes, you are the only one who knows the ins and outs besides those few politicians. Please

Please tell me what consequences this will have. Please don't take my husband's interests into consideration, because only I can guarantee his interests. Sooner or later, he will understand this. Please tell me, what documents were lost?

"

"I'm so sorry, ma'am, the answer to your question is top secret."

She sighed and covered her face.

"Madam, I hope to gain your understanding, I must do this. If even your husband doesn't let you know about this, then I also have my own professionalism. After swearing to keep it secret, even if I know everything,

I can't say it casually, or you should ask your husband."

"I've asked, but it's useless, otherwise I wouldn't come to you. Mr. Holmes, if you can't tell me everything, can you at least give me a little hint? Even then, I think it is very important."

"Madam, what kind of reminder do you want?"

"Will my husband be greatly implicated in this incident?"

"Yes, unless he makes amends, he may not be able to protect himself."

"Ah!" She took a deep breath, as if all the doubts in her heart were gone.

"Mr. Holmes, I have another question. As soon as I saw my husband's shocked look after losing the document, I actually understood that the consequences of this document may affect the whole country, which is very scary."

"If your husband said so, I have nothing else to say."

"Please tell me what is the nature of this terrible consequence?"

"Madam, I cannot answer."

"Excuse me, Mr. Holmes, I don't blame you for not revealing anything, and I trust you won't blame me for my problem, because I'm too worried about my husband and want to take his worries away, even if he doesn't want to. Please

You must also keep the information about my visit absolutely confidential!"

She approached the door and looked back at us. Her beautiful face mixed with anxiety once again impressed me deeply, including her panicked eyes and nervously closed lips. After that, she walked out with a heavy heart.

The sound of skirts rubbing against each other gradually disappeared, and as soon as the front door opened, there was no more sound. Holmes smiled and asked me at this time: "Watson, you have studied women more, what do you think this beauty is doing? What is she?

What do you want to do?"

"Obviously, she made it very clear that it was normal to be so anxious."

"Oh, Watson, that's not the case. Through her expression and attitude, trying to suppress her uneasiness and repeated questions, you have to know that her class does not allow too much emotion to be shown."

"That's true, she seems quite excited." I replied.

"One more thing, you have to remember that she repeatedly told us that only if she understands the whole truth will it be helpful to her husband. What does this mean? And you should have noticed that she sat with her back to the light and refused to let us

See her subtle expression."

"Yes, she deliberately chose that chair to sit in."

"A woman's heart is like a needle in the sea. Because of this, I once doubted the lady from Marget. You should still remember that because I saw that she didn't apply powder on her nose, I got the inspiration and solved the problem. So you can

Don't trust women easily. Small movements have extraordinary significance. A hair pin or a curling shear can reveal whether she is abnormal. Good morning, Watson!"

"What, do you want to go out?"

"That's right, now I'm going to Godolphin Street to meet my friends from Scotland Yard and spend the morning together. Now our problem is directed at Lucas. How to solve it? I still have no idea.

.Things have not progressed to that point yet, and anything you do is wrong. My good friend, please help me receive the guests at home. I will come back as soon as possible, and maybe we can have lunch together."

About three days have passed since the accident. Holmes did not say anything. People who are familiar with him know that he is deep in thought, while those who do not know him will think that he is just depressed. He goes in and out.

, smoked constantly, sometimes played the violin and then put it away, immersed in his own meditation, did not eat well, and did not respond to my questions. It seemed that the logical reasoning in his mind was not going smoothly. And for this case

, he still didn’t mention a word. I could only receive some news from newspapers, such as the arrest and then release of Lucas’ servant John; for example, the coroner said that this was a deliberate murder, the details of the case and the parties involved

They couldn't figure it out, and the motive for the murder was unknown. The valuables were all there, and even the deceased's documents were not touched. The police checked the victim's correspondence and manuscripts in detail, and they only knew that he was passionate about politics, liked to talk, and had a poor language.

He is extremely charming and has a lot of letters, showing that he is familiar with senior leaders of many countries. As for his private life, it is too confusing, and they are all casual acquaintances. He has met many women, but only a few have established formal relationships.

He was young and had no love in his heart. He did not have any unusual living habits and behaved well. It would be difficult to figure out such a sudden and bizarre death.

As for the arrest of his servant, it was just a hasty measure taken after nothing was found, so as to prevent the public from saying that the police had done something bad. The servant went to Hammersmith that night to visit friends, and he had a very sufficient alibi. Calculate the time

, when he left to return to Westminster Abbey, no one knew that a murder had occurred. According to his explanation, the night was charming and he took a walk to admire it for a while, so it was already 12 o'clock in the night when he got home

, faced with such a tragedy all of a sudden, he was really scared out of his mind. He had a close relationship with his master, and there were the deceased's belongings in the servant's private box. Among them, a box of razors was said to be a gift from the deceased. The housekeeper also walked by.

This is confirmed. Lucas has had a master-servant relationship with Milton for three years, but Lucas never took him with him when he went to Europe. If the master traveled, the servant would guard the house in Godolphin Street.

The housekeeper didn't know anything. If someone came to visit that night, the owner would open the door in person.

For three mornings I saw no news of the solution of the case, and if Holmes knew more than I did, he evidently did not tell it. But he told me that Detective Lestrade had given him the

All the information has been informed to him, and I believe that in this way, Holmes will understand the process of solving the case much faster. On the morning of the fourth day, a long telegram was published in the newspaper from Paris, and the problem seemed to be solved. The following is

Message:

The Paris police already have evidence (reported by the "Daily Telegraph") that can solve the tragic murder of Mr. Eduardo Lucas. Readers vaguely remember that Mr. Lucas was murdered at his home in Godolphin Street on Monday night.

He was stabbed to death with a dagger. His servant was once a suspect, but was later released because of his alibi. Yesterday, several servants reported to the Paris police station that their mistress, Madame Henri Fournay, was mentally ill.

Her address was a small house in Austria Street. It was verified that Mrs. Verneuil was indeed at risk of mania. After further investigation, Mrs. Verneuil returned from London on Tuesday of this week. Her travel time

and abnormal behavior indicate that they are related to the murder of Lucas. After many comparisons, the authorities believe that Mrs. Forneuil’s husband, M. Henry Forneuil, and Eduardo Lucas are actually the same person. I don’t know.

Why, the victim lived in Paris and London. Mrs. Fourneuil was originally from Creole, eccentric and irritable, and could easily go crazy due to jealousy. It is speculated that the mental patient stabbed her husband to death because of the illness, which led to this big turmoil.

Her whereabouts on the night of the incident have not yet been fully ascertained. However, some people said that at the Charing Cross train station the next morning, a woman who looked exactly like her was noticed by the servants because of her crazy behavior. Therefore, the relevant departments

It was determined that the murder was committed by a mentally ill person, or that the murder may have triggered her psychotic episode. The patient is currently emotionally unstable, unable to express clearly, and has no hope of regaining consciousness. Some people even testified that a woman had been here.

On Monday night, there was a woman who spent several hours staring at the scene of the incident. It can be speculated that she was Mrs. Verneuil.

As Holmes was about to finish his breakfast, I read this report to him and asked, "Holmes, what do you think?"

He got up and walked around the room, and then answered me: "Watson, you can really bear it. I haven't said anything to you for three days because I don't know much. What is called here in Paris now

This news is also of no use."

"That has something to do with Lucas' death, right?"

"It can be said that Lucas's death is nothing. This kind of small thing is nothing compared with what we are doing to find the envelope. And in the past three days, the only meaningful thing was that the wind was calm and there was nothing.

Happened. In the past few days, the government has sent me a report almost every hour. It is certain that the whole of Europe is peaceful and peaceful, and there are no signs of it. If this letter is lost... Although I think it is impossible,

If it is really lost, where will it be lost? In whose hands is it? Why is it withheld and not released? These questions really ask me every day. The murder and theft case on the same night, really

But is it just a coincidence? What if he has nothing to do with this matter? If he really took it, why is there nothing in his private documents? Could it have something to do with that crazy wife who showed up?

?Did she take it? In that case, the letter may have reached his home in Paris? How can I get the letter without alerting the police in Paris? Ah, Watson, this case is really a dilemma

, we have to deal with not only criminals, but also the law. There are many obstacles in the future, and the matter is not trivial. If it can be solved smoothly, it will definitely be the most glorious thing in my life! Wait, there is a new situation!" He looked over hastily.

After seeing the letter that had just been handed over, he said to me: "There seems to be a big gain over there at Lestrade. Watson, put on your hat and come with me to Westminster Abbey!"

This is the first time I have arrived at the scene. It is a tall house with an old appearance, but it is rigorous and generous. It looks beautiful and durable. It is in the style of the 18th century. Detective Lestrade is looking at it from the front window.

Looking outside, a tall policeman opened the door to let us in. Lestrade immediately opened his hands to welcome us warmly. When we walked in, we saw an ugly irregular blood stain on the carpet, but other than that, there was nothing else.

There is also a small square carpet placed in the center of the room, surrounded by an old-style floor made of small square logs. It is very smooth and clean. On the wall above the fireplace, there are a lot of captured weapons hanging on it, and the murder weapon is there.

The hanging dagger and a valuable-looking desk were placed next to the window. All the furnishings, such as oil paintings, carpets, and exquisite decorations, all looked very luxurious and high-end.

Detective Lestrade asked: "Have you seen the news from Paris?"

Holmes nodded.

"These people in France seemed to have grasped the key point, and they made it clear that the lady who knocked on the door at that time was an uninvited guest. Because Lucas did not often have contact with outsiders, he could not let his wife wait in the street, so he opened the door

The door was closed. Mrs. Fourneuil must have told her how hard she worked to find her husband and accuse him. Everything was related, and the dagger happened to be on the wall. It was very easy to use, but because there was no one shot to kill, and the chair or something

They all fell down, and Lukes was still holding a chair in his hand, obviously trying to resist. All the scenes seemed to emerge in front of him, and things were quite clear."

Holmes stared at Lestrade with wide eyes in disbelief.

"Since you said so, why did you come to me?"

"Oh, it's not about this, but another small detail. I think you will be interested in it, because it is very special, what you call abnormal. Although this detail may have nothing to do with the whole incident, at least it seems like this on the surface.

.”

"Okay, then please tell me!"

"You understand, once a murder like this occurs, we always have to carefully maintain the scene and have people stationed at all times. No evidence can be touched, moved or trampled on. In fact, no one has touched it. And the deceased this morning needs to be buried.

The investigation has ended, so we just want to clean up the room. The carpet was just placed on the floor, not fixed. We lifted it casually, and the result..."

"What was the result? What did you find?"

Holmes' expression became tense.

"I bet you would never guess it. Look at this carpet, it's soaked in blood, isn't it?"

"That's it."

"But there's no trace of the white floor underneath! Isn't that unusual?"

"No blood? But it should be..."

"Yes, you thought there must be one, right, but no, it just isn't."

The detective grabbed a corner of the carpet and lifted it to confirm what he said.

"It's impossible. There should be the same blood stains on the floor and carpet. It's impossible not to have any marks!"

Detective Lestrade laughed happily because he confused Holmes: "Haha!" After that, he continued to explain to Holmes:

"Then let me show you the answer to the mystery again. Yes, there is indeed a second blood stain, but it is not at the same position as the first one. You can clearly see this."

As he spoke, he lifted up the other corner of the carpet. Suddenly, maroon blood stains were revealed on the white floor. "Mr. Holmes, what do you think?"

"Obviously, the two bloodstains on the carpet and floor were originally together, but someone moved the carpet. The square carpet was not fixed, so it was not difficult to move it."

"Mr. Holmes, you don't need to tell us the police this. We can see it ourselves because the shapes of the two blood stains are indeed very consistent. What I need you to tell me is who moved this carpet and why?

"

I could tell that even though Holmes' expression was blank and dull, he must be very excited inside. After a while, he asked: "Lestrade, the guard guarding the door should be here all the time, right?"

"Yes, that's it."

"Then you do as I say and question him carefully. There is no need to do it in front of us. Instead, take him to the small room at the back and talk to him alone. Maybe he will say something.

What? You ask him why he let someone else in and left that person alone in the house. Instead of asking him if he let someone in, you just tell him that you already know someone has come, press the question directly, and tell him at the same time that besides

Frankly, there is no other way, just do as I say!"

After Lestrade left, Holmes happily told me: "Look! Watson, what I said makes sense!" He looked excited and excited, which was completely opposite to the calmness just now.

He pulled back the carpet, lay down on the floor, carefully smoothed every inch of the floor, and even dug into the board with his nails. Suddenly, a board really moved, and a small black hole opened up. Holmes immediately put his hand in, but he immediately pulled it out.

When he came back, he let out a disappointed "hum", obviously the cave was empty.

"Watson, put the carpet back to its original state immediately!" After fastening the board and placing the carpet, Lestrade's voice came over. What he saw when he came in was Holmes leaning lazily on the mantelpiece.

, yawning idly.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Holmes, to keep you all waiting. I hope you won't be impatient. Well, this guy has admitted it. Macpherson, come here and tell these two gentlemen about the good deeds you have done.

!”

The tall policeman standing at the door slipped into the house with a face full of shame and regret.

"Sir, I believe I don't want to do anything bad at all. Last night, a young lady came over. It turned out that she had misread the house number. We talked for a while. It felt less lonely to have someone to talk to with me.

"

"Go on, how is it?" Holmes pressed.

"She was very curious and said she wanted to see the murder scene. She said she had read about it in the newspaper before. This lady was beautiful, smart, and very good at talking. I thought it would be okay to take her to see it. Who knew what she would look like when she saw it?

She fainted as soon as there was a blood stain, and lying on the ground was no different from death. I was so frightened that I hurried to the back to get water, but she never woke up, so I ran to the Ivy Store around the corner and bought some brandy.

When I got it back, she was already awake and had left. I think she didn't want to see me again because she was shy."

"Then why is the carpet moving?"

"When I came back, the carpet was a little wrinkled. It was caused by the fallen lady. The carpet was not fixed, was it? So I laid out the carpet."

Detective Lestrade said to him seriously: "McPherson, this is a lesson to you. You can't deceive me. You must think that no one will find out if you neglect your duties like this, but when I saw

You know there's something wrong with this carpet. Someone must have been here. Fortunately for you, nothing was lost, otherwise you would have been very unlucky. Mr. Holmes, I'm sorry to have called you here for such a trivial matter.

, I thought there was something special that could interest you!"

"It's okay, I do find it interesting. Mr. Police Officer, has that lady come here just once?"

"Yes, I only met her once."

"Who is she?"

"I don't know her name. She said she saw the job advertisement and wanted to apply for a typing job, but she got the wrong house number. She is a gentle and lovely lady."

"Is she a tall and beautiful woman?"

"That's right. She is young and beautiful, and she is indeed a beauty. At that time, she said: 'Just let me have a look, officer!' You really couldn't refuse. You spoke so sweetly with your mouth. Originally, I really only planned to let you

It doesn't matter if she just takes a look from the window."

"How is she dressed?"

"It's very simple, but also very elegant. It's a long robe from the shoulders to the soles of the feet."

"When was that?"

"It was just getting dark at that time. When I came back from buying wine, people turned on their lights."

Holmes said: "Okay. Watson, let's go. There are other places to go. This matter is very important."

As we walked away from the house, while Lestrade remained in the front room, and the mistaken policeman opened the door for us, Holmes reached the top of the steps, turned around, and had something in his hand. The officer had something in his hand.

Staring at this thing with a look of surprise on his face, he shouted: "Oh my God!" Holmes raised his index finger to his lips and said "Shhh", then he proudly put the thing into his breast pocket and walked up happily.

Main Street. At this time, he burst out laughing: "Great, Watson! Just wait and see! The curtain of the last drama has been opened! Don't worry, there will be no war. The young minister has a bright future.

There will be no impact at all, and the impulsive monarch will not be punished for this rash letter, and the Prime Minister will not have to worry about the deterioration of the situation in Europe. All it takes is a little trick on our part, and no one will be harmed."

My heart is filled with sincere admiration and envy for this great and unique man!

I couldn't help shouting: "What, have you solved all the problems?"

"We can't say that yet, Watson. There are still some minor issues that remain the same as before. But we already have a lot of information. If we still don't understand these issues, it will be our own mistake. We will soon

Go down to Whitehall Street and get it all sorted out."

In this way, we entered the house of the Minister of European Affairs. What Holmes was looking for was the Minister's wife, and we entered the sitting room we were going to use in the morning.

The beautiful lady blushed angrily and said: "Mr. Holmes! You have gone too far! I have already said that I hope my husband will not know that I have been to your place, lest he think I am interfering with him.

But you came directly to me. Doesn’t this mean there is a connection between us? Doesn’t it destroy my reputation?”

"I'm so sorry, madam. Unfortunately, I really have no other choice. Since I accepted the commission and must find this dangerous letter, I can only ask you to return the letter to me!"

Mrs. Hope suddenly stood up, her round and beautiful cheeks turning gray. She stared blankly ahead and her body began to shake. When I thought she was going to faint, she cheered up and calmed down again.

The ever-changing expressions on his face were masked by anger and surprise.

"Mr. Holmes! Are you humiliating me?"

"Madam, it's not necessary. These tricks are of no use to me. You still have to hand over the letter."

The lady went straight to the bell-rope which summoned the servants.

"Let my butler take you out."

"Mrs. Hilda, don't ring the bell. Once you do, all my efforts to stop the rumors will be in vain. Hand over the letter and I assure you that everything will turn around. If you cooperate,

I can completely arrange everything, but if you want to go against me, then I'm sorry, I will only expose you."

The lady stood without fear, looking majestic. She stared fixedly at Holmes, as if she wanted to see right through him. Her hand was leaning on the bell, but she did not move yet.

"Do you want to threaten me? Mr. Holmes! You came to my house to threaten a lady. Is this what a grown man should do? You said you know a lot of things, so what do you know?"

"Madam, can you sit down first? It would be bad if you fall and hurt yourself. If you don't sit down, I won't speak."

"Okay, Mr. Holmes, five minutes, you only have five minutes to explain."

"Mrs. Hilda, you don't need that much, one minute is enough. Not only do I know that you gave Lucas a letter, I also know that you went back to his house last night and took it out from the secret hole under the carpet.

this letter."

The lady stared blankly at Holmes, her face fading. Twice she took a deep breath and was about to say something but stopped.

After a moment, she shouted: "You are simply crazy! Mr. Holmes! What nonsense are you talking about!"

Mr. Holmes took out a piece of paper from his breast pocket, which was a part of a face cut out from a photograph.

Holmes smiled and said: "I carry this with me, always thinking it will be useful. You see, the policeman has already recognized who this person is."

Mrs. Hilda let out a breath and leaned back in her chair softly.

"Mrs. Hilda, the letter is still in your hands, and it is still possible to save everything. I will not cause you any trouble, but I just want to return this letter to your husband, so that my work is over.

And I hope you can consider my opinion and confess everything, otherwise you will have no chance."

Her courage is really astonishing. Even at this point, she still wants to make a final struggle.

"Mr. Holmes, I think you are crazy. This is ridiculous!"

Holmes suddenly stood up, with a very unhappy and helpless expression on his face.

"What a shame, Mrs. Hilda. I've tried my best to help you, but it's all in vain!"

He rang the bell and the butler came over.

"When will Mr. Trelawney Hope come home?"

"Sir, he will arrive home at about 12:45."

Holmes glanced at his watch and said, "There are still 15 minutes, so I'll wait for him a little longer!"

As soon as the housekeeper left, Mrs. Hilda knelt down in front of Holmes and looked up at Holmes with tears in her eyes.

She begged: "Please forgive me, Mr. Holmes, forgive me! Please don't tell my husband! I love him so deeply and don't want him to be hurt in any way! But if he knows all this, he will

My heart will be broken!"

Holmes helped her up and said: "That's great, madam, you have finally woken up. Time is running out now. Tell me, where is the letter?"

The lady hurried to the desk, opened the drawer with the key, and took out a long envelope with a light blue cover.

"Mr. Holmes, I swear I have not laid a finger on it."

Then Holmes muttered in reply: "You have to put this thing back. Hurry up. You must find a way to put it back. The file box. Where is the file box?"

"Still in his bedroom!"

"Great! Madam, bring me his box quickly!"

The lady quickly brought a flat red leather box.

"What did you use to open it before? Of course, you must have a duplicate key! Open it!"

Hilda took out a small key, and when the box was opened, it was filled with various documents. Holmes inserted the letter between the two pages of the lower document. After locking the box, the lady put it back in its place.

Holmes said: "Everything is in place now. We are just waiting for Mr. Minister to come back. We have 10 minutes left. Mrs. Hilda, I have tried my best to help you cover up. You can use these 10 minutes to tell me the truth. Why do you want to

Did such a thing happen?"

Mrs. Hilda said firmly: "Okay, Mr. Holmes, I would rather cut off my right hand than let my husband have any trouble! There will be no woman in London who loves her husband as deeply as I do! But if he knows this,

Even if I am not voluntary, I will not be forgiven by him. Because fame is very important to him, he will never forgive me for my mistakes! Mr. Holmes, please help me! Our happiness and lives are being affected.

threaten!"

"Madam, please hurry up! There is no time!"

"Okay, sir, it happened to one of my own letters. Before I got married, I wrote a stupid and impulsive letter. I wrote it when my emotions blinded my reason. Although my letter was not malicious, my husband would

I thought it was a crime. If he read this letter, I would never have his trust again. I wanted to forget about it and pretend it never happened. However, that villain Lucas later wrote to

I said that he knew everything and had the letter. My husband had a spy, and he told Lucas about the monarch's letter. Lucas said that I could exchange the monarch's letter for him, and he also

Guarantee to me that it has nothing to do with my husband. Mr. Holmes, what do you think I should do?"

"Of course, confess everything to your husband."

No, Mr. Holmes, how can this be! This will undoubtedly ruin the happiness of our family! But how terrible it is to ask me to get my husband's things! The problem is that I have no idea what the political consequences will be. I only care about it.

The trust and importance of love. So, Mr. Holmes, I went to get the file. I secretly got the key mold, and then Lucas gave me a duplicate key. I opened the box, took out the file, and then

Sent to Lucas' house.

"What happened after we got there?" Holmes listened carefully and asked.

As promised, I knocked on the door and walked in. I followed him into the house, but I didn't close the hall door because I didn't want to be alone with this person. I remember that when I entered, there was a lady outside.

The matter was quickly settled. I gave him the documents and he returned my letter to me. At this moment, I heard movement on the other side of the door and footsteps on the doorway. Luca

Si immediately opened the carpet, hid the documents, and then covered it again.

What happened next was like a nightmare. I saw a woman with a dark face, a crazy expression, and muttering in her mouth. What she said was: 'Okay, you made me wait! You are indeed with her.

Together!' The two of them started fighting. Lucas was holding a chair in his hand, and the lady took out a knife with a flash of cold light. Oh, the scene was so terrifying, I was so scared that I ran out immediately

, left there. Then in the newspaper the next day, I saw the news that he had been assassinated. I was very happy that night, thinking I got my letter back, but I didn't expect it would have such serious consequences.

It wasn't until the next morning that I realized the seriousness of the matter. It was one wave after another. My husband's anxiety after losing the file made me feel guilty. At that time, I almost wanted to kneel down and admit everything, but this meant that I had to

I even told my own past. I went to you that morning to find out what kind of big mistake I had made. From the moment I took the file and handed it to Lucas, I decided that I must get it

Get it back. Fortunately, I know where he hid the letter, but how do I get in? I went to check for two days in a row, but the door was always closed. Last night I finally took the plunge and tried it. You should already know

How did I get the letter? After I got the letter back, I wanted to destroy it because I couldn't give it back to my husband, so I wouldn't have to admit anything. Ah, listen, he seems to be back!

The young and handsome distressed man rushed in.

"Mr. Holmes, is there any progress?"

"There is hope now."

The minister's face was filled with surprise and joy: "Thank God! The Prime Minister is coming to have lunch with me. Can he know the news together? The Prime Minister is very strong, but I also know that he has not slept a wink since this happened! Jacob

, Invite the Prime Minister up. Dear Madam, I think you can avoid political matters for a while. We will go downstairs to have lunch with you soon!"

The Prime Minister is calm and calm, but his eyes show excitement and his hands are shaking. I know that old people are very excited as well as young people.

"Mr. Holmes, I heard that there has been a breakthrough?" the Prime Minister asked eagerly.

Holmes replied: "Although I haven't figured out everything yet, I have checked all the places where the documents may have been lost and found none. But I swear there is absolutely no danger."

"That's not a good answer, Mr. Holmes. It's like a time bomb. Just because it's safe now doesn't mean there's no need to find out." After hearing this, the minister was obviously unhappy.

"Of course there is hope of finding the documents. I thought about it again and again and decided to come back here because I speculated that the most likely possibility is that the documents are still here."

"What are you talking about!"

"You think, if someone really took it out, it would have been announced to the public by now!"

"So, did someone specially take the documents and hide them in his house?"

“But it’s not in the file box!”

"At least I'm sure the letter is definitely not somewhere else!"

"Oh my God! It's unbelievable!" The minister hurried to the door and said: "Where is my dear wife? I want to tell her that everything is over! Hilda! Where are you?" His

The sound has passed through the stairs.

The Prime Minister looked at Holmes suspiciously, his eyes rolling.

Then he looked at us and said: "It can't be that simple. There must be something I don't know. Why did the file suddenly come back?"

Holmes smiled and avoided the old fox's eyes.

"I'm sorry, we have our secrets too." Farewell, Mr. Prime Minister! Holmes said, turned around, picked up his hat, and walked out the door.

【Legal Commentary】

Hilda Trelawney Hope committed the crime of endangering national public security, Eduardo Lucas committed the crime of extortion and endangering national public security, and the woman with a dark face committed intentional homicide.

In order to protect her family, Hilda Trelawney Hope stole state secret documents and almost put the country in war. Although it did not cause serious consequences, it did put the country and the people of the motherland in disaster. Therefore, it is still

Should be punished by law. According to the meaning of the crime of endangering national security, the crime of endangering national security refers to the intentional conduct that endangers the national independence, current political system, social system, territorial integrity and security of the People's Republic of China! In this case, in

In real life, citizens of every country should be proud to safeguard the interests of their motherland.

For his own benefit, Eduardo Lucas used the letters in his hand to blackmail Hilda Trelawney Hope, almost causing war or other losses to the country. At the same time, Eduardo Lucas committed the crime of blackmail,

This crime refers to the act of threatening others and extorting a relatively large amount of public or private property for the purpose of illegal possession. In this case, although Eduardo Lucas is not asking for money, the confidential documents are the main form of the crime of extortion.

, so he violated relevant regulations and it is a criminal act. In real life, this kind of case is not easy for ordinary people to encounter, but it does not mean that you can relax your vigilance. In daily life, work and study, you should still pay attention to your words and deeds. Of course

, as long as you don’t do anything that goes against the law and morality, you won’t give criminals such an opportunity.

According to Article 232 of the "Criminal Law": Those who commit intentional homicide shall be sentenced to death, life imprisonment or fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 10 years. If the circumstances are relatively minor, they shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 3 years but not more than 10 years. The dark-faced woman mistakenly thought
Chapter completed!