Mr. Lestrade works at Scotland Yard, and he often comes to sit with us in the evenings. Mr. Holmes especially welcomes his arrival, because he can always tell Holmes what is going on at the police headquarters, and Holmes will listen carefully to the officer's handling of the case.

Details, and at the same time, he sometimes provides some opinions of his own to the other party. After all, he has rich experience and profound knowledge.

One evening, after Holmes and Lestrade finished chatting about the weather and newspapers, Lestrade stopped talking and just kept smoking his cigar. Holmes asked eagerly: "Is there something unusual at hand again?"

case?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing special."

"Then talk to me!"

Lestrade smiled helplessly.

"Okay, actually I do have something on my mind, but this thing is really ridiculous. It's not a big deal, but it's very strange. So I don't want to trouble you, Mr. Holmes. I know all the unusual things.

All of them can arouse your interest. But I think this matter has more to do with Dr. Watson, at least compared to us."

"Sickness?" I asked.

"Well, I think it's madness, and it's a very strange kind of madness. People living today hate Napoleon so much that they would break him into pieces when they hear his name. Can you imagine?"

"It has nothing to do with me," said Holmes, leaning back in his chair.

"Yes, I said this matter has nothing to do with us. However, he broke into someone else's house and broke the Napoleon statue. In this way, he will be sent to the doctor instead of the police station."

Holmes got up.

"It's quite interesting. It looks a bit like a robbery. Please tell me more about it!"

Lestrade was afraid that he might miss something, so he took out the work diary he carried with him and looked at it carefully.

He said: This happened in Morse Hudson's store. He has a branch on Kennington Street that sells statues and pictures. Four days ago, someone came to report the incident and said that shortly after the clerk left the counter, he heard something hard.

There was a knocking sound, so he immediately ran back to the counter and found that the statue of Napoleon placed together with other works of art had been smashed into pieces. He quickly asked the person who just passed by, but he did not find this person.

It's just that I saw a man running into the shop, and I didn't know who the gangster was. This incident seemed like a meaningless hooliganism, and the plaster statue was worth a few shillings at most. Although the patrol police was reported, the whole thing

These are all trivial matters and not worthy of special investigation.

But the second case that happened last night was more serious and special.

Two to three hundred meters away from the shop where the crime occurred in the morning, there lived a very famous doctor named Barnico. Many people on the south bank of the Thames would go to him when they were sick. His clinic and residence were in Kenning.

Don Street, but he also has a branch clinic located 3.2 kilometers away on Lower Brexton Street. The doctor is also a Napoleon fan, and his home is full of the French emperor's relics, paintings and books. Former

Soon he bought two half-length replicas of Napoleon's statues from the crime shop. It is said that this head is very famous and is a masterpiece of the famous French sculptor Diwan. The doctor couldn't put it down and put one in the hall of his residence and the other in the hall of his residence.

It was placed under the mantelpiece of the branch clinic 3.2 kilometers away, so that he could appreciate Napoleon's heroic figure no matter where he was. As a result, when Dr. Barnico went downstairs this morning, he was shocked. He found that the hall of his house

The statue of Napoleon in the house was missing. Someone must have entered his room at night, but except for the statue, everything else was intact, but the statue had been smashed into pieces in the garden outside the door.

"Very interesting indeed." Holmes rubbed his hands back and forth.

"I thought you would be interested, but before I finished speaking, Dr. Barnico returned to the clinic at noon. When he arrived, he found that the window of the clinic had been opened. He was very surprised. There was another Napoleon in the room.

The statue has been smashed into pieces, even the base has not been spared. We can't find any criminals in either location, or any clues left by the madman. This is what happened, Mr. Holmes."

Holmes said: "It is indeed quite absurd and strange, but there is a question, that is, whether the statue broken in the Hudson's store and the two sculptures in Dr. Barnico's home and clinic were copied from the same model.

?”

"Yes, it's exactly the same model."

"Then we come to the conclusion that this person did not smash the bust simply because he hated Napoleon. There are thousands of statues of this emperor in London. This person who opposes the worship of Napoleon, no matter who he is,

, it is impossible to start with only these three statues. Therefore, your idea that he is a simple opponent of Napoleon is not valid."

Lestrade said: "Actually, I thought so too, but in that area of ​​London, Morse Hudson was the only supplier of statues, and these three statues were placed in his shop for a long time.

Time. So although there are thousands of statues in London, these three statues are the only ones in this area. When perpetrators commit crimes in this area, of course they will first choose these three statues. Dr. Watson, what do you think?

look?"

I said: "The manifestations of paranoia are all kinds of strange and unlimited. What contemporary French psychologists call 'paranoid ideation' is this kind of situation. In fact, it is completely normal in other aspects, but it only manifests itself in one aspect.

Must be stubborn. When a person's family inherits from him or psychological defects caused by the war at that time, or a person reads too much about Napoleon's deeds and is too impressed, it can form a 'paranoid idea', so he will be affected by the idea.

I have fantasies and become angry."

"Dear Watson, it cannot be explained this way." Holmes shook his head and said, "because no matter what influence the 'paranoid idea' has, it will not enable them to find the place where these statues are distributed."

"Then how do you explain it?"

"I don't need to explain, I just noticed that this criminal's weird behavior followed a certain method. For example, in Dr. Barnico's clinic, he didn't have to worry about being discovered, so he smashed the statue in place, and in Dr. Barnico's clinic, he didn't have to worry about being discovered.

In the doctor's house, any noise would wake up the doctor and his family, so he took the statue to the yard and broke it into pieces. In fact, it seemed like an insignificant thing, but experience tells me that I shouldn't give up any small details easily. Watson,

Do you remember how that annoying Abagnale thing got my attention? It was just seeing how deep celery would sink in butter on a hot day. So, Lestrade, I

I will not laugh at this matter of three broken busts, and I will be deeply grateful to you if you can tell me the new development of this continuous surprising incident."

My friend soon learned the follow-up news of this incident, which was worse and more tragic than he imagined. Early the next morning, I was getting dressed in the bedroom, and at the same time I heard a knock on the door, Holmes had already come over.

, read loudly to me the telegram in his hand:

131 Peter Street, Kensington, please come immediately.

Lestrade

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I don't know, anything could happen. I guess it's about the bust. If it's true, then this criminal has already started operating in other parts of London. I've called the carriage and there's coffee on the table, Watson.

Move faster."

Peter Street is a dead lane near the busiest part of London. We arrived here half an hour later. The house at No. 131 was very practical, one of a row of neat and beautiful houses. The carriage had not yet arrived.

, we saw that the fence in front of the house was crowded with curious people, and it took us a long time to squeeze through the crowd. Holmes exclaimed: "Oh my God, it seems to be a murder case. Now London's

The newsboy didn't have to worry about running out of business. Look, the deceased's shoulders were curled up and his neck was stretched out. It was obviously the result of violence. Watson, do you know what happened? The other steps were dry, but the steps above were washed.

?Well, there are quite a few footprints! Come on, Lestrade is at the front window, and we will know everything soon."

The police officer looked very serious when he greeted us, and we followed him to a living room, where an elderly man in a flannel dressing gown and slovenly attire was pacing back and forth in the room. Passing by Les

Ted introduced us that he was Mr. Horace Harker of the Central Newspaper Syndicate and the owner of this house.

Lestrade said: "Mr. Holmes, this time it's about Napoleon's bust. You seemed to be very interested in this matter last night, so I sent you a telegram. Obviously the development of the matter has become much more serious. You

I'm glad to be here."

"To what extent did the incident escalate?"

"It's already murder. Mr. Harker, please tell these two gentlemen what happened in detail."

Mr. Huck said: "This is an unusual thing. In fact, my job is to collect other people's news. I didn't expect that a real news happened to me now. I can't write a word now."

I feel uneasy and a little confused. If I were here as a reporter, then I would first have to interview myself and write a two-column report in the newspaper. In fact, due to work reasons, I have worked for many people.

People have made different reports, but there is really nothing I can do about what happened today. Mr. Sherlock Holmes, I have long heard of your name, and I hope you can explain this strange thing to me."

Holmes sat down and listened quietly to the other party's story...

The bust of Napoleon seemed to be the cause of the incident. About 4 months ago, I bought this statue in the second store next to Highland Street Station. It was a store owned by Harding Brothers. The price was very cheap. Since then, I have been buying it.

The statue is placed in this room. Due to work reasons, I usually write at night, often until early in the morning, and it was the same today. But at about 3 o'clock in the night, I was in the study room upstairs.

There was a sound coming from below, but when I listened carefully, the sound stopped. I thought it was coming from outside, so I didn't pay attention. Five minutes later, a very miserable roar suddenly came from Mr. Holmes.

, that sound was really terrifying, it is still lingering in my ears, and I will never forget it as long as I live. I was completely stunned at the time, and it took me about a minute or two to react, and I hurriedly walked downstairs.

Up and down, when I walked into the room, I saw that the window was open, and the bust on the fireplace was gone. It was just a plaster statue, worthless at all. I really couldn't understand why the robber would do this to me.

Interesting in this kind of thing.

No matter who it is, it only takes one big step from this window to reach the front steps. You can definitely see that this robber obviously did the same thing, so he quickly opened the door and walked out in the dark.

I almost tripped over a dead man, whose body was lying on the ground. I quickly came back to get the light, and then I saw the poor dead man lying on the ground, with a big hole in his neck and blood all around. He looked real

It was so scary. His face was in the air, his knees were bent, and his mouth was wide open. God, I thought I would dream about him again, so I quickly blew the whistle, and then I didn’t know anything else. I guess I

I fainted, and when I woke up, the policeman was standing next to me, and I was already in the hall.

Holmes asked: "Do you know any of the victims?"

Lestrade said: "We couldn't find anything to prove his identity. The body has been taken to the funeral parlor. Of course, no useful clues were found from the body. His face was very tanned and he was tall and strong.

, he was about 30 years old, and he was dressed very poorly, but he didn't look like a worker. In a pool of blood beside him, there was an abandoned folding knife with a horn handle. We can't judge this knife now.

Is it a relic of the deceased or a murder weapon? There is nothing on the deceased that can prove his identity. In his pocket there is a rope, an apple, a map of London, and a photo, oh, the photo is here."

The person in the photo has a face that looks very much like a baboon, with thick eyebrows, a protruding muzzle and nose, and is very special. His expression is very witty, and the photo was obviously taken quickly with a small camera.

"What's become of that bust now?" asked Holmes, looking carefully at the photograph.

"The statue was found in the garden of an empty house on Camden Street. It had been beaten to pieces. I just got the news before you came. Now I want to go over and have a look. Do you want to go with me?"

"Of course, I want to take a look." Holmes checked the carpet and window and said, "This man is very flexible, or his legs are very long. It is actually very easy to jump out of the window, but the ground under the window is very low.

It means that you need to be very flexible to jump up and open the window. Mr. Hacker, now do you want to go with us to see the fragments of the bust?"

The newsman sat at his desk in a depressed mood.

He said: "It is estimated that the first batch of evening newspapers has been published now, and I believe it has been written about it. However, I still have to write about it. This is my fate! Do you remember the collapse of the Doncaster Stand?

Is it something? I was the only reporter in the stands, but my newspaper was also the only one that did not publish this matter, because I couldn’t write it anymore, and the stimulation I received was too great, so now I want to write about what happened in my home

The murder in front of the door, although it’s a little late.”

When we set off, I saw that he had already started writing in front of the desk.

The remains of the bust were about two to three hundred meters away from the house. Small fragments were scattered on the grass. The bust had been smashed into pieces. You can imagine how much the person who smashed the statue hated this statue. This statue

The great emperor never imagined that his statue would end up in this situation. Holmes carefully examined the fragments of the statue he picked up from the ground. From his confident expression, I was convinced that he had found a clue.

Lestrade asked: "Did you find anything?"

Holmes shrugged and said:

"I've got some clues to base our actions on, but obviously we still have a lot to do. One thing I find strange is that this criminal got the bust just to break it, but he was not in the house or

It was smashed near the house, and it was clear that the bust was more important to this criminal than a human life."

"I think he didn't know how to deal with the deceased when he met him, so he panicked and took out the knife."

"It's very possible, but the statue was broken in the garden of this house, so I ask you to look at the location of the house where we are."

Lestrade stopped and looked around.

"He probably knew it was an empty house, so no one would bother him if he broke it here."

"You have to know that every step he takes to take this statue increases the risk of being discovered by others. There is an empty house at the entrance of this street. He will definitely pass by that house first when he comes here.

Since the houses are all empty, why didn’t he choose the one closer to the street, but insist on taking it here to smash it?”

Lestrade said: "I don't know."

"There are street lights here. He can see here but not over there. That's the reason."

"Yes, that's it. I remembered that the smashed bust at Dr. Barnico's house was like that, not far from the streetlight. So how do you want to deal with this situation now? Mr. Holmes."

"Just remember it. Maybe we will encounter a situation that has something to do with him. We should write it down in the record. What should we do next? Mr. Lestrade."

"I would say that the most important thing we should do now is to first find out the identity of the deceased. This is not too difficult, so that we can further find out what the deceased was doing in Peter Street last night and who was at Mr. Harker's door.

Killed him on the front steps, do you think so?"

"Yes, that's true in theory, but it's completely different from how I handle cases."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Of course I have my own ideas, so don't be influenced by it. Let's do our own thing, and then we can exchange opinions so that we can learn from each other's strengths."

"That's it!" said Lestrade.

"By the way, when you saw Mr. Harker when you returned to Peter Street, please tell him for me. I think it is certain that the criminal who killed someone at his house on the night of the crime must be a murderer and hate Napoleon. This pair of

His coverage was very helpful.”

"Do you really think so?" Lestrade asked, staring at Holmes.

Holmes smiled and said: "This is not actually important. But if it is really written like this, I dare say that Mr. Harker and the subscribers of the Central Newspaper Syndicate will be very interested in it. Watson, it seems that our work today

It will be many and complicated. Lestrade, please come to Baker Street to meet us at 6 o'clock tonight! You can use this photo in the deceased's pocket first, and I will return it to you in the evening. If I

If your judgment is correct, you may have to go out at night to assist us. I wish you all the best and see you in the evening."

Mr. Holmes and I walked to Highland Street together and went to the store where Harding Brothers sold busts. The answer we received was that Mr. Harding usually only came to the store in the afternoon, and he himself was new to the store and did not understand the situation. Holmes

His expression became disappointed and annoyed.

He said: "Well, it seems that Mr. Harding will not come in the morning, and we will have to come back to him in the afternoon. In this case, our plan will also change. Watson, I think you must have guessed why I want to pursue it.

I want to see if there is anything special about the origin of these busts that can correctly explain the real reason why these busts were smashed. Now we can first go to Mr. Hudson's shop in Kennington Street and see what's in his shop.

Can I get some more useful clues there?"

We took a carriage ride for about an hour and arrived at the store. Hudson was strong and had a rosy face, but he was not tall and his attitude seemed very impatient.

He said: "Yes, sir, the statue was smashed on my counter. This is simply ridiculous. What have our taxpayers' money been used for? Is it just to let the robbers do whatever they want? Indeed, I am

After selling two statues to Dr. Barnico, I felt that this must have been done by an anarchist. Only such a person would go around breaking statues. Where did I get the statues? This has something to do with this.

Is it relevant? I really can’t see it. Since you want to know, it doesn’t matter if I tell you. I bought it from the Gerdel Company on Church Street in Stepany District. This company has always been very famous in the plaster sculpture industry.

Well-known, it lasted for about 20 years. As for how many I bought, there were 3 in total, 2 for the first time and 1 for the second time, a total of 3. I sold 2 to Dr. Barnico and the other 1

It was smashed on my counter. As for the person in the photo, I don’t know him, huh? No, I know him. Isn’t this Bebo? He worked here, he was an Italian.

He can do some carving, gilding, and make frames for others. Anyway, he just does some odd jobs. He left last week, and no one has mentioned him since he left. He was already gone when the bust was broken.

It's been two days, I don't know where he came from or where he was going, he just did some work while he was here, and he did a pretty good job."

I walked out of the store with Holmes, and he said to me: "That's all we can get from Morse Hudson. But we know an important clue, that is, there are some things in the first two cases.

Bebo, for this reason alone, our one-hour carriage ride was worth it. Watson, now we have to go to Gelder Company in Stepany District. I think we can get some information there, because

The bust was made there."

So, we passed through a prosperous area of ​​London in quick succession: passing streets with many hotels, streets next to theaters, streets with concentrated shops, and passing where London shipping companies gathered, and finally came to the banks of the Thames River

is a city with a population of more than 100,000. Many European homeless people live in rental houses in the city, and their smell and atmosphere permeate the surroundings. We found that room on a spacious street where wealthy businessmen in London used to live.

At the site of the sculpture company, there is a large yard in the factory, which is filled with stone tablets and other items. Further inside is a large room where 50 workers are working. The manager is a German, tall and burly, with fair skin.

He received us politely and gave clear answers to Holmes' questions. After consulting the accounts, we learned that they had made plaster copies of hundreds of Diwan's marble busts of Napoleon, three of which had been sold to the public a year earlier.

Morse Hudson, and three were sold to Harding Brothers of Kensington. These six stone statues were from the same batch and looked no different from the other busts. For someone who tried to destroy these busts,

Stone statues, which he found incomprehensible - in fact, he scoffed at the so-called "paranoid" explanations - had wholesale prices of six shillings but could retail for twelve shillings or more. Replicas

The front and back sides of the marble bust are made into molds respectively, and then connected together to form a complete bust. This kind of work is usually done by Italians, who are also in this house, and then placed on the table in the corridor

Dry and store properly, that's all he can tell us.

However, when the manager saw the photo, he had a strange reaction. His face flushed red, and the eyebrows above his Teutonic blue eyes were tightly knitted.

He yelled: "Ah, this bastard! Yes, I know him too well. Our company has always had a good reputation, and the only time the police were called was because of him. More than a year ago, he stabbed another Italian on the street.

A man with a knife. The police came when he just walked to the workshop and took him away. His name is Bebo, but I don’t know his last name. I am really unlucky to have hired such a person with bad moral character.

He is a very good worker. But he is still very good at his work."

"What was the final crime?"

"The man he stabbed didn't die, so he was released after being imprisoned for a year. I'm sure he's not in prison now, but he doesn't dare to show up here anymore. One of his cousins ​​is here, maybe he can

Tell you his whereabouts."

Holmes hurriedly said: "No, no, you don't disclose this matter to his cousin. I ask you not to say anything. This matter is very serious, and it is getting more serious. When I just looked at your accounts, I

I remember the statue was sold on June 3 last year, do you remember the day Bebo was taken away?"

The manager replied: "I can check the salary records and tell you the date." After flipping through a few pages, he said: "Yes, the last time he received his salary was May 20."

Holmes said: "Thank you! I won't waste your time and cause you so much trouble." Finally, he told the manager again not to disclose the matter, and then we got up and left.

It wasn't until four or five o'clock in the afternoon that we had time to have lunch in a small restaurant. A newsboy was at the door of the hotel, shouting: "Kensington murder, the murderer is a madman!" This means that Mr. Hacker's report has been published in the newspaper.

The article occupied two columns, was well-written and shocking. Holmes inserted the newspaper on the condiment shelf and read it while eating, and even laughed out loud several times.

He said: "Watson, this is what it says here. Listen: 'We are pleased to reveal to our readers that the experienced official detective Mr. Lestrade and the well-known private detective Mr. Holmes are responsible for this case.

Their opinions are very unified. They all believe that this ridiculous drama that ended in murder was not a deliberate murder, but the result of mental disorder. Only the explanation of mental disorder is the root cause of the entire incident. As long as you understand how to use newspapers

, Watson, the newspaper can be a very useful tool. If you have finished eating, let's go back to Kensington and hear what the manager of Harding Brothers has to say."

Surprisingly, the founder of this large shopping mall is a thin man, but he looks very smart, capable, clear-minded, and good at talking.

"Yes, sir, I have read the news in the evening paper. Mr. Huck is a regular customer. We sold the statue to him a few months ago. Later we built it in the Stepany district.

Erdel Company has ordered 3 towers, and now they have all been sold. I have to check the accounts to whom exactly they were sold, and I can tell you right away. Oh, these are the transactions. Look, the first tower was sold to Mr. Huck.

Block 2 was sold to Mr. Zozya Brown of Rabnom Street, Chiswick, and Block 3 was sold to Mr. Sandford of Lower Jungle Street, Reading. The photo you brought,

I don't know the person above. He looks so ugly. If I see him, I will definitely remember him. Are there any Italian employees in the store? Yes, there are several workers and cleaning staff who are Italian. If they want

It's not difficult to peek at the accounts. I didn't hide the accounts on purpose. Oh, it would be too weird. If there is anything else you want to know, just ask me."

Holmes recorded the situation when Mr. Harker was testifying. I think he was relatively satisfied with the current development of events. However, he said nothing and just hurried back to meet Lestrade. We arrived

When he arrived at Baker Street, he had already arrived and was pacing the room impatiently. His look was very serious, indicating that he had done a good job at work that day.

He asked: "Mr. Holmes, how are things going? Is there anything to gain?"

My friend replied: "We have had a busy day and have indeed gained something. We have met with all retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers, and the origin of each statue has been clarified."

Lestrade shouted: "Bust! That's great, Mr. Holmes. You have your own way of working, and I won't interfere. But I think I did better than you, and I figured out who the dead man was."

"

"oh?"

"Moreover, I also found out the motive of the crime."

“Really good.”

"We have a detective named Saffron Hill who specializes in cases in Italy. The deceased wore a statue of God around his neck, and his skin color told me at a glance that he came from southern Europe. Detective Hill looked at

After arriving at the body, they immediately recognized him as Pietro Vanuzzi from Naples. He was a famous gangster in London and was related to the Mafia. You should know that the Mafia, a secret political group, is organized through

The way of assassination is to realize faith. Now, things are gradually becoming clear. The other person should also be Italian and a member of the Mafia. Maybe he violated some of the rules of the Mafia and was tracked by Pierre.

The photo in his pocket was probably his, and the purpose of carrying the photo was to make sure he was following the right person. He followed the Italian and waited outside when he entered the house, for which the fight ensued.

was fatally wounded. Mr. Sherlock Holmes, what do you think of my reasoning?"

Holmes clapped his hands in appreciation.

He cried: "Very well, Lestrade, wonderful! But I don't quite understand your explanation of breaking the bust."

"Bust! Why are you always thinking about the bust? That's not the point at all. You can only be imprisoned for half a year for a small act of stealing. We are investigating a murder case. To be honest, I have already obtained all the information.

Got a clue."

"So what should be done next?"

"It's very simple. Detective Hill and I took the photos, went to the Italian District to find the person, and then arrested him as a murderer. Do you want to go with us?"

"I don't want to go. I think there is an easier way, but I can't say for sure. It depends on a factor beyond our control. But we are very sure, about two-thirds, if

If you come with us tonight, I should be able to help you catch him."

“To the Italian Quarter?”

"No, I think I can catch him in the Chiswick District. Lestrade, if you go to the Chiswick District with me tonight, then I will definitely go to the Italian District with you tomorrow night. I won't go a day later."

What impact will it have? Now I think we should get a few hours of sleep, because after we set off at 11 o'clock tonight, we probably won't be able to return until dawn. Lestrade, you can have dinner with us, and then sit on the sofa

Let's take a nap. Watson, can you call an emergency courier for me? I have an important letter here that needs to be delivered immediately."

After Holmes finished speaking, he walked up to the attic and looked through the bound volumes of old newspapers. After a long time, he came down, his eyes full of victory, but he did not speak to us. This case is very complicated, and after twists and turns, I have been

Carefully observe Holmes's investigative methods. Although I haven't figured out the final purpose yet, I already know that Holmes is waiting for ridiculous criminals to get the other two busts. If I remember correctly, one of them is

In Chiswick District. There is no doubt that we will capture him tonight. Therefore, I have great admiration for Holmes's intelligence. He included a misleading message in the evening news, making the criminal think that he could

I continued to operate without being traced. So I was not surprised when Holmes told me to bring a pistol. He brought his favorite weapon-a loaded shotgun.

At 11 o'clock in the evening, the three of us took a carriage to Hammersmith Bridge. After getting off the car, we told the coachman to wait where we were and walked forward on our own. Soon we arrived at a quiet road with neat houses on one side.

, there is a small garden in front of each house. Under the dim light of the street lamp, we found the house with the door sign of "Rabunom Villa". It was obvious that the owner had gone to bed, because except for a little light showing through the hall window

A blur of light was scattered on the garden path, and the surrounding area was pitch black. The wooden fence separated the road from the garden and cast a deep dark shadow in the garden, which provided us with a hiding place.

Holmes whispered: "I guess we have to wait for a long time. Thank God, it didn't rain tonight, but we can't smoke here. It would be too dangerous. But don't worry, this matter has a two-thirds chance of success."

chances, so it’s worth suffering a little injustice.”

Surprisingly, we didn't wait too long before we heard a little noise. It could be said that there was no warning at all. The door was suddenly knocked open, and a black shadow rushed into the garden as nimbly and quickly as a monkey.

On the path. We saw him quickly pass through the projection of the hall light on the ground and disappear into the darkness of the room. At this time, there was silence all around, and we held our breath. Soon, after a slight "squeak" sound, the window was opened.

Pushing away, the sound disappeared, and then it was quiet for a long time. I speculated that this person was trying to find a way to enter the room. Sure enough, we saw the shadow of a dark lantern flashing in the room. It was obvious that he did not find what he was looking for there.

something, for we saw the lantern flash to the next window, and then to the next window.

Lestrade whispered: "He will definitely climb out of the open window. We will wait for him there and we will definitely catch him at once."

But before we had time to move, the man came out again. When he walked to the path and was illuminated by the hall light, we could see that he had a white object under his arm. He was a thief.

He looked around, the street was silent, and he seemed to be getting bolder. He turned his back to us and put the things down, and then we heard a loud "snap", followed by a continuous "cluck" sound.

He was so absorbed in fiddling that he did not hear our footsteps as we crept across the lawn. Holmes sprang at his back, and Lestrade and I rushed to seize his hands and cuff him.

He was handcuffed. We turned his body and saw an extremely ugly face with deeply sunken cheeks. His eyes were full of anger and his face was twitching non-stop. I was convinced that this was the person in the photo.

However, Holmes did not pay much attention to the person he had captured. He squatted on the ground and carefully examined the items he had stolen from the house. It was a bust of Napoleon, the same as the one we had seen that morning, knocked

It was broken into pieces. Holmes put the pieces under the light and examined them carefully, but found nothing special about these small pieces of plaster. After he finished the inspection, the light in the room came on, and the owner opened the door and came out. This was a kind, fat gentleman with a

Wear shirt and trousers.

Holmes asked: "Are you Mr. Drozya Brown?"

"I am, sir. You must be Mr. Holmes, right? After I received the urgent letter from the messenger, I followed your instructions. We locked all the doors from the inside and waited for the development of the matter.

I'm glad to see you caught this guy. Gentlemen, come inside and take a rest!"

But Lestrade wanted to send the criminal to a safe place as soon as possible, so he quickly called a carriage and took the four of us to London. The prisoner didn't say a word. He kept using his words from under his messy hair.

He stared at us with vicious eyes. Once I even put my hand near him, he pounced on him like a vicious dog. At the police station, we searched his whole body carefully. All he had on him was a few shillings and a handful of stains.

The long knife was covered in fresh blood and nothing else.

Before breaking up, Lestrade said: "The matter is probably over. Detective Hill knows these gangsters very well and will convict him. You see, my Mafia theory is not bad! But, Mr. Holmes

, I’m very grateful for your ingenious way of arresting him, but I don’t quite understand the reason.”

Holmes said: "It's too late today to explain. In addition, this case needs to be thoroughly investigated, and there are still one or two small details to be investigated. If you come to my house at 6 o'clock tomorrow evening, I will explain it to you in detail. In short

, this case is very special. Watson, if I am willing to let you record these cases, I bet that the details of this case will definitely add luster to your records."

The next night, Lestrade gave a detailed account of the prisoner to the meeting. The information we already had was that his name was Beppo, whose surname was unknown, and that he was a well-known bastard in the Italian Quarter. He was

He is good at making statues. He used to be an honest man, but later he gradually went out of his way. He was arrested twice, once for stealing and once for stabbing an Italian. His English was very good, but he refused

Answer the reason for the destruction of the statues. The police found that these statues were probably made by him, because he did such work when he was at Gelder Company. Holmes has been silent while listening to the information we already know.

He listened politely and politely. But I could feel that - because I knew him very well - his thoughts had drifted to other places. I saw uneasiness and expectation flashing under his normal expression.

Finally, he stood up from the chair, his eyes bright. The doorbell rang at this time, there was a sound of footsteps on the stairs, and then an old man with a ruddy complexion and gray beard walked in under the guidance of a servant.

A travel bag is placed on the table.

"Who is Mr. Sherlock Holmes?"

My friend smiled and nodded and said, "I guess you are Mr. Sanford from Reading!"

"Yes, I should be a little late because it is more inconvenient to take the train. In your letter to me, you mentioned the bust I purchased."

"That's right."

"This is your letter. You said: 'I need a replica of Divan's bust of Napoleon, and I am willing to pay 10 pounds for this statue from you.' Is that right?"

"Yes, that's it."

"I was surprised to see your letter because I don't know how others knew that I owned this statue."

"Of course you will be surprised. It's actually very simple. Mr. Harding from Harding Company told me that you bought their last statue and told me your address."

"Oh, that's it! Did he tell you how much I paid for it?"

"He didn't mention this."

"I'm not rich, but I'm honest. I only paid 15 shillings for it, and I think you should know that before you pay £10."

"Mr. Sanford, thank you for being so honest. Now that I have agreed on the price, I will definitely pay you."

"Mr. Holmes, you are such a generous man. As you requested, I brought the statue here." He opened the traveling bag, and this time we finally saw what the complete bust of Napoleon looked like.

A few times before, we only saw some fragments.

Holmes took out a note and a ten-pound note from his coat pocket and placed them on the table.

"Mr. Sanford, please sign this note in the presence of these gentlemen. This means that you have transferred the ownership of this statue and other related rights to me. I am a stickler.

No one can predict what will happen in the future. Mr. Sanford, thank you very much. Take your money and good night!"

After the guests left, we paid attention to Holmes's actions. He spread a piece of white cloth from the drawer on the table, then placed the bust on the white cloth, picked up the shotgun, and shot Napoleon in the head. The statue immediately became

A pile of fragments was found. Holmes bent down and examined the fragments eagerly. He soon began to shout with triumph. I saw him lift a fragment high, with a small dark object embedded in it, like a mosaic.

Like raisins on top of pudding.

He shouted: "Gentlemen, please look, this is the famous black pearl of Baugus!"

Lestrade and I were both stunned. We started to applaud involuntarily, as if the play had reached the final part. Holmes bowed to us, his pale face glowing red, as if the screenwriter was thanking the kind audience.

.Only at this time can he temporarily break away from rational thinking and show his joy when he is praised. Such a person who despises worldly honors, has a unique temperament and is taciturn will be deeply moved by the praise and praise of his friends.

.

He said: Gentlemen, this is the most precious jewel in the world. I am a lucky man. According to a series of inductions, I can start from the place where the pearl was originally lost-the bedroom of Prince Colonna in the Daccor Hotel, and work my way up.

One of the six Napoleon statues built by the Gerdel Company in the Stepany area was traced. Lestrade, do you remember? What a sensation it caused when this precious pearl was lost.

At that time, the London police found nothing. They also asked me for my opinion on the case, but I had no idea. The princess's Italian maid had been suspected, and the authorities' investigation showed that she had a brother.

London, but we can't figure out if they are connected. The maid's name is Lucreshya Vannuchi, and I guess his brother is Pierre who was killed two days ago. I saw in the newspaper that the pearl was stolen

The date was two days before Bebo was arrested. Bebo was arrested for injuring others. At that time, he was making a statue at Gelder Company. Now the order of things happening is clear. Of course, my thinking is with

Things developed in the opposite order. Bebo got the pearl, maybe he stole it from Pierre, or he was Pierre's accomplice, or he was the contact between his sister and Pierre, it didn't matter.

The key problem is that he got the pearl, and when the police came to arrest him, the pearl happened to be on his body. He was working in a factory and knew that he didn't have much time, so he had to hide this priceless jewel properly.

, otherwise they would be searched by the police. At that time, there were 6 busts of Napoleon being dried in the corridor, and one of them was not completely dry. Bebo was very good at his job, so he immediately drilled 1 bust on the soft stone statue.

He made a small hole, hid the pearl inside, smoothed the hole, and covered it up. This was a smart approach. No one would have thought that there was a pearl hidden in the plaster statue. Bebo spent a year in prison.

During this period, the plaster statues were sold to various places in London. He could not determine which statue the pearl was in because the pearl was stuck to the inside of the plaster statue and could not be distinguished when it shook. So he had to break the statue to find the pearl. Bebo did not

He gave up easily, but he was very smart and perseverant, and kept searching. Through his cousin who worked at Gelder Company, he learned about the retail company that sold these statues. He then tried his best to find a way to Morse-Hudson Company.

He went to work and found out the buyers of the three statues there. However, he did not find pearls in these three statues. With the help of other Italian workers, he found the buyers of the other three statues. One was

Mr. Harker, where he was followed by his accomplice. The accomplice believed that he was responsible for the loss of the pearl, so the two fought and he killed the accomplice.

I asked: "If the two of them were co-conspirators, why did they carry his photo with them?"

"In order to find him, if you ask others about Bebo's whereabouts, you can take out the photos. This is obvious. I think after Bebo has killed people, he will act faster instead of delaying. He is afraid of himself

His secret was discovered by the police, so he had to step up his action before being captured by the police. Of course, I can't be sure that he didn't find the pearl in Huck's statue, or even that what he was looking for was a pearl. But, I am very sure that

, he was looking for something. Because after he took out the stone statue, he passed through several houses and broke it in a bright place. Since Huck's statue is one of the three, it also confirms what I said.

, there is a one-third chance that the pearl is hidden inside. Of the other two stone statues, he will obviously attack the one in London first. I warned the homeowner in advance to avoid another tragedy, and then we started taking action, and

The effect was very good. Of course, at that time I was sure that what we were looking for was the black pearl of Baugus. After I saw the name of the victim, I connected the two things. Then, only Reding was left

There is a bust in the district, and the pearl must be in that statue. So, I bought the statue in front of you, and the pearl is inside."

We sat for a while without talking.

Lestrade spoke: "Mr. Holmes, I know you have handled many cases, but this case was handled so delicately. We at Scotland Yard will not be jealous of you, not at all, sir. On the contrary, we will feel that

Glory, if you can go tomorrow, both old detectives and young police officers will be very happy to shake hands with you and congratulate you!"

Holmes said: "Thank you very much! Thank you so much!" At this time, his face turned away, and I saw that his expression was excited by the warm feelings of human beings. Immediately, he returned to calm thinking. He

Said: "Watson, you put the pearls in the safe, and then take out the documents of the Conker-Singleton forgery case. Then we will meet again, Lestrade, if you encounter a new

If you have any difficulties, I will do my best to help you."

【Legal Commentary】

The busts of Napoleon described in the story were all destroyed by people. These statues are private property and were maliciously damaged. So the people who damaged these statues are typical of those who deliberately destroy finances in China's "Criminal Law"

Behavior. So let us understand the content and judgment of this crime.

The so-called crime of intentional destruction of property (Article 275 of the Criminal Law) refers to the intentional destruction or damage of public or private property in a relatively large amount or other serious circumstances. According to the provisions of this article, intentional destruction of public or private property in a relatively large amount or in other serious circumstances

Only when the circumstances are serious, a crime is constituted. Therefore, whether the amount is relatively large or the circumstances are serious is the boundary between crime and non-crime. Intentional destruction of public and private property, if the amount is small and the circumstances are minor, it is a general illegal act and should be followed.

According to the provisions of the "Public Security Management Punishment Regulations", detention or warning, single or combined fines, and orders to compensate for losses. The so-called "serious circumstances" generally refer to the destruction or damage of important items and serious losses; the destruction or damage of public or private property.
Chapter completed!