"How can it be Turkish?" asked Sherlock Holmes to himself, his eyes always staring at the big boots on my feet. At this time, I was leaning back on a wicker chair, my feet dazed.

He stretched it out lazily, attracting a lot of attention from him.

"They are British!" I answered him with surprise in my tone: "I bought these shoes at Latimer's Shoe Shop on Oxford Street."

Holmes looked a little impatient and looked at me with a smile.

"It's a bathhouse!" he said, "a bathhouse! Why not choose a national-style bath to refresh yourself instead of spending more money than usual to take a Turkish bath?"

"Well, that's because I've been suffering from rheumatism recently and I feel older day by day. Turkish bath is preferable in terms of delaying aging. It's a new starting point for me and can thoroughly cleanse my body."

"Well, it's like this, Holmes." I continued what I had just said: "I have no doubt that a clever and thoughtful mind may be very clear about the relationship between boots and Turkish baths. But you

If you could explain it to me clearly, I would be very grateful!"

"This is not a particularly profound truth, Watson." Holmes blinked, looked at me mischievously and said, "I still use the same old reasoning. So let me ask you, who is with you this morning?

Came back by car."

"I don't think you can explain it with a new example." I joked sarcastically.

"Okay, Watson! You really made a serious and reasonable protest! Where do I think the problem lies? Let's change the order - let's talk about the carriage first! Did you notice that the clothes on your left

There is mud splashed on the sleeves and shoulders. If you sit in the middle of the carriage, you will not be splashed with mud. Even if it is splashed, it will be splashed on both sides. Therefore, I infer that if you sit on the left side of the carriage, there is no doubt that

Yes, you have company."

"Very obvious."

"Not much fun, is it?"

"But, boots and a Turkish bath..."

"It's also a simple question. You have your own customary way of wearing boots, but now I see that you tie your shoelaces with a double knot very carefully. You don't usually tie your shoelaces this way, which means it's someone else's.

Tying it for you also means that you have taken off your boots. Who tied it for you? The shoemaker? Otherwise, it was the valet in the bathhouse. But in my opinion, it is unlikely that the shoemaker is, your boots are almost new

.Oh, what else can there be? Bathing. Isn’t it ridiculous? But no matter what, you have a purpose in taking a Turkish bath."

"Then what's my purpose?"

"Because you said you wanted to change the way you bathe, and you also said you have tried the Turkish bath. How about I suggest you go to Lausanne and take a bath? Dear Mr. Watson, you can enjoy a first-class ticket, as well as any stylish bath.

expenses.”

"Sounds good! But why do you want me to do this?"

Holmes took his notebook out of his pocket, leaned back in his easy chair, and spoke.

"There is the most dangerous type of people in the world." He said: "This kind of people are lonely women wandering around. They are useless to themselves and harmless to others. And some people are particularly talented, but they are

They can let others commit crimes because of them. Although they live everywhere and have nothing to rely on, the important thing is that they always have a lot of money that can take them from this country to that country and from this hotel to that hotel.

.They are like poor chicks lost among a group of cunning foxes, lost in the maze of remote apartments or inns. Once they encounter some kind of misfortune, few people think of them. Ms. Frances Carfax is extremely famous.

She may be such a woman, and I'm worried that she may have encountered some kind of accident."

I was relieved that he suddenly turned from the abstract description of things to the concrete person just now. Holmes opened the notebook and began to read it.

"Ms. Frances," he continued. "As the only living member of the immediate family of the deceased Earl of Loughton, you may still have the impression that the Earl left all his property to his son, and left her some

Ancient and rare Spanish silver jewelry and some very delicate diamonds. She loved these things so much that she carried them with her all day rather than deposit them in the bank. Ms. Frances was very beautiful and a very sentimental woman. She was actually

I am middle-aged, but due to an unexpected encounter, I became the last boat in the still very large family fleet 20 years ago."

"Did something happen to her?"

"Oh, did something happen to Ms. Frances? Is she dead or alive now? This is a problem we need to solve. Because she has been writing a letter to her governess, Miss Dubny, every other week for four years,

This habit has never been changed by anything. It was Miss Dubny, now retired from Camberwell, who came to me to tell me that after Miss Frances sent her last letter from the Hotel National in Lausanne, there had been

There has been no news for five weeks. And she seems to have left here, but she did not leave an address for Miss Dubny, which makes her family very worried. They said money is not a problem, and if we can help them find Miss Frances,

You will be rewarded heavily!"

"Is it true that only Miss Dubny can provide us with clues? Isn't this Ms. Frances the only one who wrote to her?" I couldn't help but ask.

"In addition to Ms. Dubney, there is another correspondent that Ms. Frances must contact, Watson, and that is the bank. A single woman also has to use money to live, so the expenditures in her passbook are a microcosm of her itinerary.

She deposited the money in Sylvester Bank. I once saw the last check she withdrew. This check was just to pay off her expenses in Lausanne, but the amount was not small, and she should still have it on hand.

There was some cash, but other than that, she only wrote one check."

"Who is it for? Where?" I couldn't help but curiously asked.

"It was made out to a lady named Marie Devon. I don't know where it was made out specifically. About two weeks ago, this check for 50 pounds was cashed at the Bank of Rina in Montpellier."

"And who is this Miss Mary Devine?"

"As for this question, I have learned that Miss Mary Devon used to be Miss Frances Carfax's maid. We have no way of knowing why this check was sent to her. But there is no doubt that,

This question will soon be clarified through your research work."

"Through my research?"

"That's why you're going to Lausanne to recover! You know, I can't leave London because old Abrahams is afraid of dying, and unless there are special circumstances, I'd better not go abroad. If I

Wouldn't it be lonely to be away from Scotland Yard? It would also give rise to some unnecessary and unhealthy excitement among criminals. Go ahead, dear Watson, if I could weigh twopence in my humble opinion on every word I say.

If so, then let it accept your orders day and night at the other end of the Continental Telegraph Office!"

I arrived at the Hotel National in Lausanne two days later, and was hospitably entertained by the legendary and famous manager Mr. Moser. According to his recollection, Ms. Frances had stayed here for several weeks. She looked less than 40 years old.

Even though she is 6 years old, she still has an elegant charm. Everyone who sees her likes her very much, and it can be imagined from her current beauty that she was also very beautiful when she was young. Moser himself did not know that Ms. Frances had some very beautiful qualities.

It was a precious jewel, but he heard the waiter once tell him that the heavy-looking suitcase she placed in the bedroom was always carefully locked by Ms. Frances. The character of her maid Mary Devon

Like her, she is very gentle and very popular. In addition, she is engaged to a waiter in the hotel, so it is not difficult to find out where she lives, at No. 11, rue Trayan, in Montpellier.

I took note of his words carefully. I was thinking that even if Holmes came here to inquire in person, he would only collect these!

The only doubt that I am still confused about is why this lady left suddenly? I can’t find the answer now. It can be seen that she had a pleasant experience in Lausanne. So I am sure that she originally planned to stay in Lausanne.

She spends this season comfortably in this luxurious room on the lakeside. However, after she paid for the room for a week in advance, she left the place one day after booking. This is a bit strange. No one can do this.

Giving explanations, except Jules Verba, the maid's lover. He thought of a dark, tall, bearded man who had visited Madame Frances a day or two ago. "He was simply a savage man -

"Hmm! A true barbarian!" Jules Verba shouted loudly and told me. This man seems to live somewhere in the city, and someone has seen this man with Ms. Frances.

They had a serious conversation on the veranda by the lake. Then he came to see the lady, but she rejected him. He was an Englishman, and no one knew his name. Since he came here, the lady left Lausanne.

The maid Jules Verba and her lover both felt that the visit of the hateful English man was the main reason for the lady's departure. However, there was one thing that Jules could not tell me, which was why Marie wanted to leave.

Leaving her mistress? She was unable and unwilling to discuss the matter in detail. If I wanted to understand the reasons for this, I must go to Montpellier to meet Marie in person.

Thus ended the first part of my investigation. The second part was to find out where Madame Frances Carfax ended up after leaving Lausanne. At this point, I always felt that there was some secret that convinced me that she was for

You have to leave a certain person behind to get to that place. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain that her luggage was not labeled to go to Baden. She and her luggage took a detour before reaching the Rhine River.

I learned about these facts from the local Cook office manager and telegraphed them to Holmes. Not long after, I received a call back from him, and he half-jokingly praised me.

Then I set off on my way to Baden.

It is not difficult to find clues about Ms. Frances in Baden. She stayed in the British Hotel for half a month, and it was there that she became good friends with the missionary Dr. Schlesinger and his wife from South America. At the same time,

The mental condition of most single women is the same. Ms. Frances chose to gain spiritual comfort through religious belief. Dr. Schlesinger’s good temperament and wholehearted spirit included the fact that he became seriously ill during his missionary work.

, has not recovered until now. These facts deeply moved her, so she helped Mrs. Schlesinger to take care of this saint who was recovering from health. I heard the manager of the British Hotel told me this

It is said that the doctor was lying on a deck chair on the verandah during the day, accompanied by an attendant. He was drawing a map of the Holy Land of the Midian Kingdom, and was also writing a paper on this aspect. Soon he fully recovered.

He and his wife left here for London, and it is said that Ms. Frances went with them. But this was three weeks ago. What happened after that was unknown to the manager. As for the maid Mary, I heard that

She said that she told others that she would never do this job again. A few days ago, she cried a lot and then left. I heard that Dr. Schlesinger paid the bills for each group of people before leaving.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you," the manager finally said: "After Ms. Frances Carfax left, you were not the only person who asked me about her. Someone came here about a week ago, too.

Ask about her."

"Did he leave his name?" I asked.

"No, but he looks British, even though he has a rather unique look."

"Is he a barbarian?" I connected these things I learned according to the usual way of thinking of that famous friend.

"That's right. Your description is very appropriate. He is big, has dark skin, and has a mustache. I think he is more suitable to live in a rural inn, rather than this kind of high-end hotel. This man

He seemed quite fierce, so I didn’t dare to ask him too many questions to avoid provoking him.”

The truth began to emerge bit by bit, and as the clouds were lifted bit by bit, the characters involved in this incident became clearer and clearer. There was a guy who at least looked more sinister, following this kind and pious lady, every time she walked

Wherever he goes, he will follow her. But she has been avoiding him, otherwise she would not leave Lausanne, but this does not make him give up tracking at all. At the same time, if it is inferred this way, he will catch up with her sooner or later. Huh?

Has she caught up? Is this the reason why she has not contacted the housekeeper? But what about the kind people with her? Couldn't they help her cover her and save her from some kind of violence or blackmail?

Is she in danger? Did he travel such a long distance just to chase her? What terrible and ulterior purpose does she have? What is the profound intention in this? These are a series of doubtful questions that I need to solve urgently.

I immediately wrote a letter to Holmes telling him about my situation. I told him that I had quickly and relatively definitely learned the root cause of the case. But to my disappointment, the letter he sent me

The call back asked me to tell him what Dr. Schlesinger's left ear looked like. Holmes's wild ideas sometimes confused me, and they were a little bit reckless. Besides, now was not the time to joke, so I decided

Ignore him for now. To be honest, in order to catch up with the maid Marie, I had already arrived in Montpellier before he sent me a telegram back.

It is not difficult to find the dismissed maid and learn from her what she knows. She is very loyal to her master. The reason why she left her mistress is that she is convinced that Ms. Frances already has someone else who is reliable.

She came to take care of her, because she was going to get married at that time, so she would have to leave sooner or later. She told me painfully that when she and Ms. Frances were still living in Baden, the hostess once lost her temper with her and even doubted her.

loyalty. So she thought that even though such a breakup was harder than breaking up, it seemed easier to handle. After she left, Frances gave her 50 pounds as a blessing for her marriage. In addition, she and I

Like her suspicions, Mary actually noticed the stranger's tracking. She also told me that she once witnessed the man blatantly grabbing the lady's wrist while talking to her on the veranda by the lake.

He looked very vicious. Mary told me that she felt that Ms. Frances was willing to go to London with the Schlesinger couple because she was afraid of being followed by this man. Ms. Frances never revealed her uneasiness to Mary, but

So many details would make the maid feel that her mistress has been very worried. Before she finished speaking, she suddenly jumped up from the chair. "Look!" she shouted to me: "This vicious person is actually following me.

Here he is! He is the man I just told you about."

Looking out through the window in the living room, I saw a dark-skinned and muscular man with a black beard, slowly walking towards the center of the street to check the house number. There was no doubt that he was also looking for the maid Mary. I was impulsive.

Go out of the house and run to the street to ask him.

"Are you British?" I asked.

"So what can I do?" he asked, glaring at me.

"Can I ask your last name?"

"No, you can't." He flatly rejected me.

What an awkward confrontation! But it usually seems that going straight to the point is often the best way.

"Where is Ms. Frances Carfax now?" I asked.

He looked at me very surprised.

"What did you do to her? Why are you chasing her so hard? Answer me!" I said to him.

This guy yelled at me and rushed towards me like a wild animal. I have experienced many fights so that I can still withstand him. But now he is like a crazy devil, his hands are like iron pincers. He

My neck was stuck and I couldn't breathe or cry for help. I almost lost consciousness. At this time, a bearded worker in blue overalls rushed out from a hotel on the opposite street, holding a hand

I hit the guy on the forearm with his short stick, and I was able to relax. The guy was hit, and stood there angrily, not yet thinking whether to continue to deal with me or let it go. Then, I just heard him roar.

After making a sound, he left me and walked into the small villa I just entered. I turned around and thanked the man who had saved me just now. He was standing on the road, right next to me.

"Hi, dear Watson," he said, "you have made a mess of things! I suggest you better come with me on the express train tonight and let's go back to London!"

An hour later, Sherlock Holmes, dressed in the same style as usual, was already sitting there in my hotel room. He explained to me that there was only one simple reason why he suddenly appeared in front of me. He felt that he

It was time to leave London, so he caught me at the next stop of my journey. The next stop was obvious to me and him. So he disguised himself as a worker and sat in the hotel waiting.

I come back.

"Dear friend, you have been consistent in the investigation of this matter. It is really extraordinary!" He said: "Although I have not thought of what you have neglected in this matter, you have revealed it wherever you go.

Alarm, but found nothing."

"Even if it were you, I'm afraid you wouldn't be any better than me." I told him aggrievedly.

"It's not 'I'm afraid'. Facts have proved that I have done better than you. The distinguished Philip Green stayed in the same hotel as you. We can say with great confidence that if we want to make the investigation more fruitful, the starting point is him."

."

The waiter brought a business card and put it on the tray. Then a man came in from outside, and this man turned out to be the man who just hit me on the street, the thug. When we met, we looked at each other in surprise.

Hold each other.

"What's going on, Mr. Holmes?" he asked: "You asked someone to notify me, and I rushed over. But what does this person have to do with you?"

"This is an old friend of mine and a colleague of mine. His name is Watson. He is also assisting us in solving the case."

After hearing these words, the stranger stretched out his big dark hand and apologized to me profusely.

"I hope my behavior just now did not cause harm to you. When I heard you accuse me of hurting her, I couldn't help but get angry at you. To be honest, I can't be responsible for my behavior in the past few days.

, my nerves seem to be electrocuted at any time, but I can't understand the situation I'm in now. Mr. Holmes, first of all, I want to ask you, how did you find out about me?"

"I had previously contacted Miss Dubny, Lady Frances' governess."

"Is that old Ms. Susan Dubney wearing a bonnet that looks like a turban? I have an impression of her."

"She also has an impression of you. This happened a few days ago - when you thought it would be best to go to South America."

"Ah, you actually know everything about me! Then I don't have to hide anything from you. But I can swear to you, Mr. Holmes, there is no man in this world who can love Ms. Frances as deeply as I do. Absolutely

I really love this woman. Although I look rude, I know this myself - compared with other young people, I am no worse than them. Her heart is purer than snow, she can't help it

Put up with any kind of rude behavior. So when she heard about what I had done, she ignored me. But she loved me - and that's the weird thing about it - she loved me so much that she would do it for me.

, she had remained unmarried during these holy years. I had made a fortune during the years at Barberton, and at this time I thought I should seek her out, find her and move her, and I heard she was still single.

. Later I finally found her in Lausanne and tried my best to pursue her and persuade her. She seemed to be weaker than before, but her will was still as strong as before. When I went to find her again later, she

Frances had already left Lausanne for Baden, so I chased her back to Baden. Later, I heard that her former maid was here, so I looked for her and wanted to find out where Frances was. Although I am usually very rude, but

Recently I have escaped from my rough life and changed myself a lot, maybe for her! So when I heard Dr. Watson questioning me, I really couldn't bear my emotions. For God's sake

For my sake, please forgive me, and please tell me how Ms. Frances is doing now?"

"We will also continue to investigate this matter." Holmes continued in a very serious tone: "Tell me your address in London, Mr. Green."

"You only have to go to Lamb's Hotel to find me."

"I suggest you go back there now and don't leave, so that we can find you if anything happens, okay? I don't want you to have empty illusions, but please trust us. For the safety of Ms. Frances, we

We will do our best. No more words for now. This is my business card. Take it and keep in touch with me at any time. Watson, you go pack your luggage now. I will take pictures of Mrs. Hudson now.

A telegram asking her to prepare breakfast for us two hungry travelers at 7:30 tomorrow morning."

When we returned to our apartment on Baker Street, a telegram was waiting for us. After reading the telegram, Holmes threw it to me in surprise. I saw the words "chip or torn" written on it, which was

Sent from Baden.

"What is this?" I asked him.

"The whole matter." Holmes replied: "Do you remember that I once asked you a question that seemed to you to have nothing to do with this matter-about the missionary's left ear, but you didn't answer

."

"I had already left Baden at that time, so I had no way to ask!"

"Well! Because of this, I sent the same question to the manager of the British hotel, and these few words were his answer to me."

"What do they represent?" I asked very puzzledly.

This shows that our opponent is extremely cunning and dangerous. Dear Watson. Reverend Dr. Schlesinger is a South American missionary. His true identity is Henry Peters. This is the most shameless person in Australia.

One of the gangsters - he is a sanctimonious villain who appears in the young country. His best evil deed is to deceive single women by taking advantage of their religious feelings. And the so-called wife who has been by her side is called Frese,

He was an Englishman, and she was his accomplice, or more specifically an accomplice, in his crime. I was able to identify him by his habits and his physical features - he had been in Adelaide in 1889.

A fight with someone in a salon, and a beating that left deep marks on his face - these all confirmed my suspicions about him. This poor and holy lady fell into the mouth of a wolf and fell into the trap of a devil.

In the hands of that more terrifying couple, they can do anything, Watson. It is very likely that she is dead. Even if she is still alive, she has no freedom and cannot talk to Miss Dubny.

In contact with other friends, it is very possible that she has never been to London at all, otherwise she passed through London. However, our first hypothesis now seems unlikely to be true, thanks to the strict hierarchical system in continental Europe.

It is not easy for foreigners to play tricks on the mainland police. The second scenario seems unlikely, because it seems not easy for these gangsters to find a place where they can put others under house arrest. I have a hunch that she is in London

, but there is no way to know where she is currently, so we can only continue according to our steps. We first have a full meal to build up our energy, and then we just need to wait patiently. In the evening, I stopped by Scotland Yard to find her.

Let's talk to our old friend Lestrade about this situation.

Neither the regular police force nor Holmes' efficient team is enough to reveal his sinful secret. There are millions of people in such a big London, and finding these three people is basically equivalent to finding a needle in a haystack. Like,

We placed ads and followed up on clues, but nothing came of it. We also had no way of knowing where Schlesinger often went to commit crimes. All these methods seemed to be of no avail. We even monitored his old associates, but they never contacted them. Within a week,

There was nothing to gain. Then, suddenly there was a glimmer of hope. There was a Bovington pawnshop on Westminster Road. Someone pawned an old Spanish silver earring there. The man was very tall and had a very handsome face.

Smooth, with the appearance of a priest. We learned that he did not use his real name and his address was false. The people in the pawn shop did not pay special attention to his ears, but from his description, this man was Schlesing.

grid.

The dark-skinned and bearded friend who lives in the Lamb Hotel has come here three times to get information. When he came to see us for the third time, he had less than an hour to go before he found out about us.

He made a great discovery. Although his figure was still burly, his clothes became increasingly ill-fitting and fat. His body and spirit were getting weaker day by day due to anxiety. He often came to us and begged us: "Can I do anything for you?"

What can you do?" Finally, Holmes agreed to him.

"We discovered that he had pawned the jewelry. Now, we should take action to catch him."

"Does this mean something has happened to Ms. Frances?"

Holmes shook his head, looking very serious.

"She should be under house arrest at the moment. It is obvious that if they let her go, they will destroy themselves. We need to be mentally prepared for any eventuality, and it is very likely that the worst-case scenario will occur."

"Then what can I do?"

"Those people don't recognize you, do they?"

"I don't recognize it."

"It is very likely that he will choose another pawn shop in the future, which would be worse, and we would have to search again. On the other hand, he got a relatively fair price at this pawn shop, and the people at the pawn shop did not doubt him.

Therefore, I concluded that if he was in urgent need of cash, he would probably still choose the Bovington Pawn Shop. I wrote a note and asked you to hand him over to the pawn shop and wait there. If you see this guy, you

Just follow him to where he lives, but you must promise me not to be reckless and remember not to use force against him. You must promise me that you must not act rashly without my notification and permission."

In the next two days, the distinguished Mr. Philip Green (I need to introduce to you that he is the son of a famous admiral who once commanded the Azov Sea Fleet in the Crimean War)

Still found nothing. On the night of the third day, he suddenly ran to our living room excitedly, his face was pale, and every muscle in his body was trembling with excitement and excitement.

"We've found him! We've found him!" he shouted to Holmes.

His excited words were incoherent. Holmes pushed him to a chair, made him sit down and comforted him.

"Okay, now you can tell us the story from beginning to end!" he said.

"A woman came about an hour ago. She was his wife. She was holding the other one of the earrings. This woman was tall and had a pair of mouse eyes on her slightly pale face."

"This woman is his wife," said Holmes.

"I followed her out of the shop and followed her towards Kensington Road. But she entered a shop, Mr. Holmes's, a funeral director's shop."

My companion was stunned for a moment. "Really?" His voice was trembling. Although his face was still calm and pale, he still couldn't hide the anxiety in his heart.

"I walked into the store and I heard her talking to the woman at the counter. I could probably hear her saying, 'It's late,' or something to that effect. The woman at the counter explained to her, 'Morning.'

It should be sent,' she replied, 'it will take a little longer, not the same as usual. They looked at me and stopped talking, so I had to ask a few casual questions and then pretend to leave.

"You did a great job, but what happened next?"

"After I saw her walking out of the store, I hid in an aisle. She kept looking around, maybe she suspected me, and then she got into a carriage. At this time, I also called a carriage to follow.

She got off at 36 Portney Square, Briston. I passed the square and stopped on the corner of the square so that I could keep an eye on the house."

"Then did you see anyone?"

"Sir, except for one window on the ground floor, it was completely dark. Even the window on the ground floor had its blinds drawn down, so there was no way to see what was going on inside. I stood there helpless, and then a covered truck stopped here.

Come down, two men got out of the car. They took something out of the van and carried it up to the front steps. Mr. Holmes, they carried a coffin."

"What?" Holmes asked in surprise.

"Yes, I almost couldn't help but want to break in. But at this time, a person opened the door, and the coffin was carried in by the two people. The woman who opened the door was stunned.

Yes, I saw her glance at me, surprised that I had been recognized by her, so I quickly closed the door. I remembered your instructions before leaving, so I came over and told you quickly. "

"You did a very good job." Holmes said as he picked up half a small piece of paper and wrote a few words on it: "If you want the operation to be legal, you must have a search warrant. It is better for you to do this kind of thing.

Well, you take this note to the police station and he will give you a search warrant. Of course, the search may not yield anything, but the sale of jewelry is enough. I think this detail will be revealed by Lestri.

Morally considered.”

"But, they might kill her. Otherwise, why buy a coffin? If not for her, who else will?" Green looked extremely anxious and angry.

"We must do our best, Mr. Green. We can't delay, leave it to us! What we have to do now, Watson——" When our client left, Holmes continued: "Lestrade will

As usual, the regular police are mobilized, and we irregulars also take our actions. The situation has become very urgent. I have to take the most extreme method that is justifiable even if I say it. We have to rush to Porter immediately.

Ni Plaza, immediately!”

"We'd better continue to analyze the current situation." He said this as our carriage sped past the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Bridge. "These gangsters first instigated the relationship between Ms. Frances and her loyal maid, and then waited for the maid to leave.

, they lured this unfortunate lady to London under some pretense. Even though she wrote letters to others, they were unsuccessful in sending them out. They rented a place through their accomplices, and they moved in and put her under house arrest. See

It seems that they have obtained the valuable jewelry they want, and are pawning it for cash one after another. They thought this was very safe, because they never thought that the fate of this lady was still being paid attention to by others. So.

In order not to be accused, they would never let her go. But they couldn't lock her up forever, so they had no choice but to kill her."

"It seems that things have become obvious."

"Now let us think about it in a different way. When you think about the problem along different lines, Watson, you will find that these two different lines of thought will converge at a point close to the real situation. For now, we will not consider this

Madam, let's think about the coffin and think about it backwards. This thing is so unexpected. I'm afraid this lady has been killed. It also shows that in order to be buried according to the customs here, this must be issued by a doctor.

Formal certification requires formal approval and procedures. But if this lady was obviously murdered, they would bury her and destroy her body. But so far, these things have been done so openly and formally, which means that

What are you talking about? There is no doubt that the lady was killed by them in some other way. They used this method to pretend that she died of natural illness and deceived the doctor - yes, they probably poisoned her.

. However, what puzzles me is how they could allow the doctor to get close to her, and of course there is the unreliable possibility that there is a doctor among their accomplices."

"So is it possible that they forged a doctor's note?"

"It's too dangerous, Watson, very dangerous. No, I don't think they can. Coachman, stop the car! We've passed the pawn shop, and obviously this is the funeral shop. Will you go in, Watson? You

It's more reliable to come forward. Ask the family in Botney Square who visited this morning when the funeral will be held."

The woman in the store said without hesitation that the funeral will be held at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. "You see, Watson, all this is not mysterious, it is all public! It is very detailed. They have obtained the legal forms for these procedures, so they

So openly. Well, we have no choice but to attack directly from the front. Are you armed?"

"My cane!"

"Okay, okay, we are strong enough. Only when we are fully armed can we win the struggle." We must not rely on the power of the police, nor can we let those restrictive laws restrict us. Coachman, you can leave.

Watson, like any cooperation, we will always have good luck."

Arriving at a dark building in the center of Botany Square, he rang the doorbell vigorously. The door was opened. The person who opened the door was a woman. Under the dim lights in the hall, she looked like a tall man.

woman.

"What do you want to do?" She peered at us through the darkness and shouted at us angrily.

"I want to see Dr. Schlesinger. I want to talk to him," said Holmes.

"The man you are looking for is not here," she said as she tried to close the door, but Holmes held it against the door with his foot.

"I want to see anyone who lives here, no matter what his name is," said Holmes firmly.

She opened the door hesitantly. "Ah, please come in then!" she said, "My husband is not afraid of meeting other people." She closed the door behind her, took us into a bedroom on the right side of the hall, and turned on the gas lamp inside.

He turned around and left.

"Mr. Peters will be here soon," she told us.

She was indeed right. Before we could take a closer look at the dusty, dilapidated living room, the door opened. A tall, clean-shaven man who looked a little bald.

The man walked in gently. His big red face had a slightly drooped cheek, which made him look sanctimonious. But his mouth, which looked ferocious and sinister, ruined his demeanor.

"I think there are some misunderstandings, gentlemen." His voice sounded a little smooth and a little leisurely, "I think you have found the wrong person. If possible, you can go to the other side of the street and ask, maybe

——”

"It sounds possible, but we have run out of time." My companion said firmly: "Your real name should be Henry Peters of Adelaide, later also known as the Reverend in Baden and South America.

Dr. Schlesinger, I am as sure of that as I am of the fact that my name is Sherlock Holmes."

The man named Peters was taken aback and stared closely at the difficult stalker. "Your famous name cannot intimidate me, Mr. Holmes." He said in a nonchalant tone: "As long as a person keeps on keeping on

When you are calm, it is difficult to make him angry. What is the point of coming to my house?"

"I want to know what happened to Lady Frances Carfax, whom you brought from Baden to London."

"I will be grateful if you tell me the whereabouts of this lady!" Peters said nonchalantly: "She still owes me nearly 100 pounds and has not paid back. This woman has given me nothing but a pair of earrings.

Me. The earrings were so showy that the pawnbroker looked down upon them. She had been with my wife and me in Baden - I did go by a different name at the time - and she couldn't bear to part with us.

, so she came to London with us, and I paid for her along the way, including the tickets. But as soon as we arrived in London, she ran away, leaving only these outdated and cheap jewelry. If you help us find her, Mr. Holmes,

Then I should really thank you!"

"I do want to find her," answered Sherlock Holmes. "I hope to find her by searching the house."

"Do you have a search warrant?"

Holmes took out his pistol from his pocket, half exposed, angrily and threateningly: "Until there is a better search warrant, this means a search warrant."

"What, are you a robber?"

"I don't mind you describing me like this." Holmes said easily: "My partner, Dr. Watson, is also a dangerous person. We are going to search your house together."

At this time, our opponent opened the door.

"Call the police quickly, Annie!" he said. He only heard the sound of women's skirts running in the corridor, and then the sound of the hall door opening and closing.

"We don't have much time left, Watson," said Holmes. "If you try to stop me, Peters, you will definitely suffer. Tell me where you put the coffin that you brought in."

Already?"

"What do you think the coffin is for? There are corpses in it now."

"I must see the body."

"Absolutely not without my permission."

"I think it's okay without your permission." Holmes quickly pushed the guy away and walked straight into the hall. There was a half-open door in front of us. We walked in and found a dining room with a coffin.

Above the table was illuminated by a half-lit chandelier. Holmes turned on the chandelier and opened the coffin lid. A thin-looking body lay in the coffin. The light illuminated a shriveled and thin body that looked like an elderly person.

The face, despite all the abuse, hunger and disease, could not be that of Lady Frances. Holmes was both surprised and a little happy.

"Thank God!" he said, "It's someone else."

"Ah, you have made a great mistake, Mr. Sherlock Holmes," said Peters, and he followed us into the house.

"Who is this woman?"

"Well, if you really want to know, I can tell you that her name was Rose Spender, and she was my wife's old nanny. We found her dying in the Brixton workhouse clinic.

So we invited Dr. Howson from No. 13 Fairbank Villa - Mr. Holmes, you must remember this address carefully - we took good care of her and fulfilled the obligations and responsibilities of a church member. She was in No. 1

He died within three days - it was recorded on the doctor's certificate that he died due to old age and infirmity - this was the doctor's diagnosis, and you should know it better than me. I asked my wife to choose Kensington Road.

Stimson & Company is here to handle the funeral. The funeral is scheduled for 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. Is there any loophole in this, Mr. Holmes? I think you should admit it generously. What a ridiculous mistake you made! You thought

After opening the coffin lid, you can see Ms. Frances Carfax lying inside, but it is a poor 90-year-old old woman lying inside. I am very interested in taking a photo of your stunned expression to appreciate it!"

Under the ridicule of his opponent, Holmes still showed his usual cold and calm expression, but his clenched fists revealed his anger.

"I'm going to search your house," he said.

"Don't stop yet!" Peters yelled at him. At this time, I heard the sound of a woman coming in, accompanied by heavy footsteps passing by the aisle. "We will find out who is who right away. Please."

This way, officers. These two men broke into my house without permission and there is no way to get them to leave. I beg you to kick them out!"

At this time, a police officer and a policeman appeared in the aisle and stood there. Holmes handed them his business card.

"This is my business card. This is my friend and partner, Dr. Watson."

"Oh, my name is Mr. Jiu Yang." The police officer said, "But you don't have a search warrant, so I can only ask you to leave."

"Of course I have to leave, I know it very well."

"You should arrest him!" Peters shouted.

"If there is any need, we know what to do." The police officer said solemnly: "But you must leave now, Mr. Holmes."

"Yes, Watson, we really need to leave!"

We came to the street again. Holmes still had the same indifferent expression on his face as usual, but I was holding back my anger and was very angry. The police officer followed us closely.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Holmes, but that's the law."

"Yes, Sheriff, I understand there is nothing you can do."

"I think there is a very important reason for you to come here. Is there anything I can do-"

"This case concerns a missing lady, Sheriff. I have reason to believe she is in this house, and I'm waiting for a legal search warrant, which will be here soon."

"Then leave it to me to monitor them, Mr. Holmes. Once I find any movement, I will notify you immediately."

It was just after 9 o'clock at this time, and we immediately started looking for clues. Our first stop was the Brixton Almshouse. According to the people there, a charity couple had indeed visited a few days ago. They claimed to live in

We had a dull old woman here who was their former servant, and we wanted to take her away, and the people in the workhouse agreed. When the people in the workhouse heard from us that she died three days after going there, they were not particularly surprised.

.

The second stop we went to was the doctor. He had been invited to see the old woman. The old woman was very old. The doctor witnessed her death, so he signed the official diagnosis.

"I assure you, there is no loophole for him to take advantage of in this matter, everything is normal," he said. He added that there was nothing else in the room that made him suspicious, just like

People like them have no servants, which is really noticeable, and the doctor can only provide these information.

The last stop was Scotland Yard. We put it on hold because the process of issuing a search warrant was difficult, and the Sheriff would not be able to sign it for us until the next day. If Holmes could make it to visit around 9 o'clock, he could meet with Lestri.

We went together to apply for a search warrant. The day passed by in such a hurry. It was almost midnight, and our friend the police chief came to inform us that there were lights flickering on and off in the windows of the dark big house.

, but no one came in or out. We have no other choice but to wait patiently for tomorrow.

Sherlock Holmes seemed very irritable, did not want to talk, and was restless and unable to sleep. I walked away. He puffed on his pipe, frowned, and tapped his long nervous fingers on the arm of the chair. At this time, the answer to this mystery came.

The solution may be tumbling in his mind. Throughout the night, I heard him wandering around the house. Finally, when I was woken up in the morning, he rushed into my room. He was wearing pajamas, but his face was pale.

and deep-set eyes told me that he had not slept all night.

"When is the burial? Is it eight o'clock?" he asked eagerly: "It is already half-past seven. God, Watson, why is my brain not working? Hurry up, my friend! Life is at stake.

.If I go late, I will never forgive myself, never forgive!"

In less than 5 minutes, we got on the carriage and left Baker Street at high speed. Even so, we only arrived at Bigburn Clock Tower at 7:35, and when we arrived at Brixton Road, it was exactly 8 o'clock.

However, the other party also came out late. It was 8:10, and the hearse was still parked at the door. When our tired horses stopped, three people happened to come out carrying the coffin. Holmes quickly stepped forward and stopped them.

"Carry it back!" He put a hand on the chest of the person in front and ordered: "Carry it back immediately!"

"What on earth are you going to do? I repeat, do you have a search warrant?" Peters looked at the other end of the coffin with a red face and shouted angrily.

"The search warrant will be here soon. Carry the coffin back immediately and wait for the search warrant to arrive."

Holmes's stern tone shocked the coffin bearers. Peters had already slipped into the room, and they followed Holmes's order. "Quick, Watson, give you a screwdriver!" The coffin had just been placed on the table.

, he shouted. "Here you go! Open the coffin lid within 1 minute and you'll be rewarded with a pound of gold! Hurry, don't be nagging! Very good! Another one! Another one! Come on now! Let's open soon! Well,

It’s finally open.”

We worked together to open the coffin lid. When we opened the coffin lid, a strong smell of chloroform that made people want to faint rushed out from the coffin. There was a person lying in the coffin, and his head was covered with gauze soaked in anesthetic.

Holmes took off the gauze, revealing the face of a middle-aged woman as beautiful as a statue. He immediately reached out his hand to help her sit up.

"Is she dead, Watson? Is she still alive? We shouldn't be late!"

Half an hour passed, and it seemed that we were still too late. Due to suffocation and chloroform gas stimulation, Ms. Frances was completely unconscious. Finally, we gave her artificial respiration, injected some ether, and used various methods to

All used up.

"My dear friend, if you please, record this case in your notebook!" Holmes said to me that night: but it can only be written down as an example of temporary deception, which even the cleverest

It is inevitable for the mind to be confused. Most people may make this mistake, but it is more difficult to recognize the mistake and remedy it. I also want to express my gratitude for the reputation that has been saved this time. A thought kept haunting me that night.

Falling asleep. I once noticed an important clue somewhere, a strange sentence and a certain phenomenon, but I easily let it go. Later, in the early morning, I suddenly remembered what it was.

Well, do you remember what the female owner of the funeral shop said to us in Green? She said, 'It should have been sent a long time ago. It needs to take a longer time, and it is different from the ordinary ones.' What did she say? Yes.

Coffin! What does it mean that it is different from ordinary ones? This can only mean that the coffin must be of a special size. But why is this? What is the reason for this? I suddenly thought: The coffin we saw is so deep,

What was inside the coffin was a thin person who seemed unrelated to the coffin. How could such a big coffin be used only to hold such a small body? Because they needed to put another body. The same certificate, with

Come to bury two corpses. If I hadn't been disturbed by so many things, this would have been very clear to me. The funeral started at 8 o'clock, and now we only have the only chance left, which is to move the coffins before

Stop them before they leave.

"Perhaps she is not dead yet. Although the chance is slim, this is a rare opportunity after all. According to my basic understanding of them, they generally do not kill people. Even at the last moment, they will refuse to use violence. They can only bury her

Only in this way can she disappear without any trace. Even if she is rescued from the ground by us, they can still escape. I hope they accept this idea. Please carefully recall the cabin upstairs. Do you remember it?

This lady must have been locked up there for a long time. They covered her mouth with chloroform and carried her into the coffin. In order to keep her unconscious, they poured chloroform into the coffin and then nailed the lid tightly. This is terrible.

What a good idea, Watson. It's the first time I've heard of it in the history of crime! If our former missionary friends are lucky enough to escape Lestrade's grasp, they may still cause big troubles in the future."

【Legal Commentary】

Henry Peters and his wife Fraser committed the crime of kidnapping and intentional homicide. The crime of kidnapping refers to the act of extorting property or using violence for other purposes, coercing or combining other methods to kidnap others, or kidnapping others as hostages.

Intentional homicide refers to the act of intentionally and illegally depriving others of their lives, which is a crime that infringes on citizens’ personal and democratic rights.

In the story, Henry Peters and his wife Fraser deceived the victim into house arrest for the property of Ms. Frances Kafasis and caused the death of the victim in order to cover up the facts of his crime.

According to Article 239 of the Criminal Law: Anyone who kidnaps another person for the purpose of extorting property, or kidnaps another person as a hostage, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years or life imprisonment, and shall also be fined or have his property confiscated. If the kidnapped person is killed or the kidnapped person is killed

If a person commits a crime, he shall be sentenced to death and his property shall be confiscated. If the circumstances are relatively minor, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than ten years and shall also be fined.

In this case, Henry Peters and his wife Fraser did not hesitate to use criminal means to obtain benefits for the sake of money. Not only did they cause serious consequences, but they would inevitably go to jail. In real life, the cases of this kind of crime are

There are many, among which there are many ways to use kidnapping to obtain money. To reduce or eliminate this kind of criminal behavior, the key is for people to be more vigilant and learn to see the facts clearly when encountering the temptation of strangers or small interests. This will not only
Chapter completed!