"The Widow" Bertha

Six months later, early in the morning.

Just after dawn, Thomas Thames came down from the second floor of the office and opened the locked door.Before going to school, several younger brothers and sisters helped him tidy up the sanitary environment of the whole office as usual, and then they left after breakfast, and other members of the gang arrived one after another.

It was an unremarkable day, until around noon, a few men in European-style suits with obvious Mediterranean blood came uninvited, and they put several heavy boxes on the first floor of the office. , The heavy box hit the ground and made a loud noise.

"It's for Lady Thames."

The man at the head spoke English with an Italian accent and said, "Greetings."

Several Italians put down the boxes, turned and left, and the people in the office looked at each other in blank dismay.

All eyes were on Thomas.

Thomas: "..."

He sighed with a headache, and then said: "Go to Nan'an Street, invite Madam over here, and ask what to do."

"—Nothing to do."

Bertha came to the office, raised her eyebrows after listening to Thomas' report, her eyes fell on these heavy boxes: "Have you seen what's inside?"

"Not yet, the Italian sent you, not the office, ma'am."

It was quite clear that Bertha liked Thomas.

She lifted her chin: "Open it."

After receiving the order from Mrs. Thames, several young people boldly stepped forward and broke the lock on the box.

Afterwards, the contents inside are finally curious, and you all fully understand why the box is so heavy.

A box of ammunition, a box of antiques, and a box of miscellaneous things that are not legal, if it falls into the hands of any ordinary person who abides by public order and good morals, he will be hanged several times.

"This……"

"Send it back," Bertha said.

"Send it back?!"

The little accountant Ned directly raised his voice: "Madam, this is very valuable!"

Nonsense, is she blind or ignorant?

No wonder Ned was excited, he was the one who was hired to keep the accounts, and it was really more uncomfortable than cutting the flesh for him to send an expensive gift to him.

"Otherwise," Bertha said blankly, "The Italians want your wife to marry me, but I really want to marry her? Is this thing a dowry?"

"...We can return the gift..."

"you shut up."

Bertha said unhappily: "Go back and tell the Italians that if they don't want me, I will hand it over to Scotland Yard. Presumably Inspector Lestrade is willing to help them accept this gift."

Ned was reluctant: "Okay, okay."

When the little accountant left with a slumped face, Thomas held back a smile and said, "I don't think it's okay to stay, ma'am, it's because you are so charming that even the gang leaders outside the Whitechapel area bow down under your skirt." , you have to leave a chance for others to pursue you.”

Bertha turned her head to the side, and said with a smile: "I haven't settled my affairs yet, so you're starting to worry about me, huh?"

Thomas: "It's no big deal to find a lover."

Bertha: "Ordinary gentlemen, let alone such people."

Of course Thomas understood what Bertha meant.

Half a year ago, she used extraordinary means to stab the old den of the White Dove Gang, and helped the 14-year-old Lyanna Byrne to be the leader of the Byrne family. Since then, the two gangs in the Whitechapel District have officially merged.

As for other local snakes in the slums, such as gypsies and Irish, this is not something Bertha can act rashly.After half a year of secret observation, the other party found that Mrs. Thames did not have the idea of ​​encroaching on their interests, so she put away her covetous eyes and continued to live her life in a corner.

As for the first thing Bertha had to face outside the Whitechapel area, it was the Italians.

Italian gangsters can be regarded as their national tradition. Not only are Italians rampant in Italy, Italian immigrants also like to act according to gang rules when they come to other countries.

Bertha may not know anything else, at least she has watched the "Godfather" series.And Italian gangs in big British cities are no better than they are in America.

She had just gained a firm foothold in the Whitechapel area, and she didn't want to cause trouble for a short time, but she just came into contact with the Italians out of politeness.

Unexpectedly, after such a contact, the boss of the other party began to show courtesy to Bertha.

"It would be better for those who are interested to talk only about business," said Bertha indifferently. "If there is further entanglement, there will be trouble in time."

"You didn't do this before..."

"Ok??"

Aren't you also "interested" with Mr. Holmes before? !That guy is farther away from an ordinary gentleman than a gang boss!

Of course, Thomas Thames would not bring such words out to kill himself, he immediately shut up: "It's nothing, since it's something for Madam, you have the right to handle it yourself."

Bertha glanced at Thomas, but did not continue the subject.

She sat down on the chair on the first floor, and then said lazily: "Didn't Lyanna still clamor to handle affairs by herself yesterday, how did you arrange it?"

In the past six months, nothing major has happened. The biggest trouble in the office is a few adolescent children.

The girls and boys surnamed Thames were very well-behaved, but the newcomer Lyanna Byrne was not.She is smart enough and bold enough, and even more knowing that she is an outsider, she puts all her energy into trying to be the first in everything to impress Bertha, as if otherwise she cannot prove that she is indeed capable of leading the White Pigeon Gang.

Just after her birthday yesterday, she ran over to Bertha and said that she hoped that she could share something for her.

Of course, the final result was sent by Bertha to the ultimate dad Thomas.

"The women workers in Ireland are on strike recently," said Thomas, "and I just threw her over there."

"..."

You are also big-hearted.

The Irish aren't owned by the Thames and the Pigeons, and as for the factory strikes, it has nothing to do with the gangs.

What's the use of Lyanna's past, she's only 14 years old?Thomas deliberately made her suffer.

"rest assured."

Seeing that Bertha was speechless, Thomas smiled and said, "Let Jacob and Budao follow her, they will come back and report if something happens."

However, Thomas made a promise, but the three and a half children didn't come back all day.

***

It was not until dusk that someone heard the news.

"What are you still doing?!"

Sykes rushed in directly: "There is a fight at the textile factory!"

Bertha was taken aback: "Isn't it a strike?"

"It's because of the fucking strike," Sykes cursed. "I just wanted to find a liquor store, but I was almost taken away by Scotland Yard. It is said that I saw blood."

This kind of situation is completely inconsistent with not being as relaxed and happy as Thomas mentioned during the day. She couldn't help frowning: "Didn't it start yesterday?"

Thomas stood up immediately.

Bertha: "Wait a minute, you can't go there alone."

Sykes: "What was he doing at this hour?"

Thomas: "Some kids over there."

Sykes: "I, he...forget it."

Remembering that Mrs. Thames was present, he didn't swear at the second half of the swear words, but instead shouted: "Why are you brats running to the textile factory? Don't die!"

No one knew that the situation could deteriorate like this overnight.Bertha said: "Sikes, take a few people with Thomas to see if they can't beat or run, and they are not Irish. Go look around, if you can't go to the police station to ask. What's the matter with this strike?" See blood?"

——The answer to Bertha's question was a voice from outside the office.

"Because there was a murder in the textile factory."

The familiar voice caused everyone present to turn their heads, and it was Sherlock Holmes dressed as a worker who stepped through the door.The young detective who hadn't seen him for a long time was still tall and thin. The only difference from half a year ago was that he still carried a few children by his side.

The future detective is carrying Lyanna Byrne in his left hand and Jacob Thames in his right, followed by a whistling Jack of Nowhere.

"The workers are on strike to express their demands," Holmes said, putting the two children down. "It is not a last resort, and it will definitely not rise to the level of riots. Three days ago, there was an accidental death in the textile factory, and the Irish people expressed their dissatisfaction by going on strike. .”

Bertha nodded, and then looked at the children first: "Are you all right?"

Jacob: "No, no, no, nothing! If you can't catch us, take us away first, but there are police patrols near the factory all the time, and we didn't find a chance to run back."

Lyanna looked guilty: "I'm sorry, ma'am."

It's one thing to be eager to show off, it's another to make adults worry.Lyanna Byrne had lived a dependent life for a long time, and she didn't want to see the same look of disappointment on Lady Thames' face.

Fortunately not.

Bertha would not be angry with Lyanna or Thomas—who could have predicted such a thing.

"As long as you come back safely," she patted Lyanna on the shoulder to comfort her. "Being able to return safely after being searched by the police is an indirect proof of yourself. The three of you go upstairs to take a shower and change your clothes."

"Thank you, ma'am." Lyanna was somewhat relieved.

After coaxing the children away, Bertha turned her attention to Sherlock Holmes again: "I'm afraid it wasn't an accidental death. The factory owner called the police to try to cover it up, right?"

Holmes nodded.

Just know that.

To be reasonable, factory owners and capitalists may have long been familiar with such things as strikes.As Holmes said, the strike is to express demands, even if they gather in front of the textile factory to shout, they will not really do anything to the capitalists.

Workers rely on labor to support their families, while capitalists rely on workers to make money. If it is not a last resort, who will tear their faces apart?

Calling the police is undoubtedly cornered.

"I suspect murder," said Holmes. "I intend to investigate tonight."

"The Irish hired you?" asked Bertha.

She remembered that Holmes had known several young workers before, and Thames and the Irishman had also relied on the connections of Sherlock Holmes.

But when Bertha asked, the expression of the future detective suddenly became very strange.

"It's Mycroft," he answered. "This matter may be related to the laboratory left by the Truth Society in London. Didn't he tell you?"

Thomas: "..."

Sykes: "..."

The two men standing aside, after hearing Sherlock Holmes spit out the name so bluntly, had the same urge to knock the guy out and stuff him with a rag.

You must know that in the past six months, no one dared to mention this name in front of Mrs. Thames!

Thomas had tried carefully before, asking roundabout questions such as "Did Mrs. and Mr. Holmes quarrel" or "Did they break up", but all he got was Bertha Ray's unmovable smile.

This directly made the name "Mycroft Holmes" a banned word in Thames Office.

And now this guy just said it so easily? !