"The Widow" Bertha

Bertha asked Grace to go to a nearby tailor shop to get two sets of ready-made men's clothes, and then almost pushed the two disgraced young men directly into the bathroom—fortunately, her new home was big enough and there was more than one bathroom.

An hour later, standing in front of Bertha was the suave Thomas Thames and the sharp Sherlock Holmes again.

That's more or less.

"So it is."

After listening to Thomas' report, Bertha was thoughtful.

She nodded, then looked up.The dark golden eyes met Holmes' sharp eyes, and after a while, Bertha reached out her hand: "So, where is the medicine you got?"

Holmes: "..."

Bertha ignored the detective's naked scrutiny and said indifferently: "Don't worry, research on medicine is not my forte, and I won't pretend to be clever to make trouble for you. But you have to let me confirm that you really got the medicine, and Did you trick me and Thomas?"

Hearing this, Sherlock Holmes took out the medicine bottle in his arms.

Bertha took it and took a look. There were several pills in the tea-brown medicine bottle, and she couldn't even see the exact shape.

Just a few pieces, for research materials and evidence, it is really a little less, it can be said to be extremely precious.

"It's also luck for you two," said Bertha, "that you just met someone who wanted to steal the medicine."

"I just don't know who the other party is from." Thomas frowned.

"It's Dr. Lang's man." Holmes said suddenly.

Thomas turned to look at him in surprise: "How do you know?"

Holmes: "That is obvious."

The topic was brought up to Sherlock Holmes' old business, and without waiting for Bertha and Thomas to react, he explained directly: "One of them bought his coat from a tailor shop near Dr. Long's laboratory, and that tailor shop does not take births , the customers are basically the residents of the nearby blocks. Furthermore, they smell of alcohol and disinfectant.”

"You can see it clearly." Thomas sighed in amazement.

"I am good at observation," replied Holmes.

This is really the style of Sherlock Holmes. Bertha curled her lips and said, "If it's Dr. Lang En's person, it's okay to come here to recover the potion. Maybe it's to prevent competition from peers."

Holmes disagreed with this point of view: "They have seen Thomas."

When Dr. Long's people saw Thomas, they would tell the Jesse gang, and then the residents of the entire Whitechapel area would know that Thomas Thames was investigating the drug test.

"It's okay."

Bertha didn't think it was a big deal.

So what if we know?Connor Thames died under the negligence of the Jesse gang, and now Thomas has a death feud with the original gang and Dr. Long.It is perfectly normal for people on the road to avenge their brothers.It is only natural for him to investigate the drug trial case.

Thinking about it the other way around, if he has been restrained, it is really worthy of vigilance.

What's more, according to Thomas, Sherlock Holmes went to the Irish because one of them died because of the test drug.If Thomas can solve the problem, it is tantamount to giving an explanation to the Irish who lost their friends. He does not need to confess his identity, but also completes the task of wooing them. Why not do it?

"On the side of medicine," Bertha said, "Since you dare to ask for medicine, I will boldly assume that you know pharmacy and can complete the medicine analysis by yourself, sir."

Holmes snorted, as if Bertha had asked some low-level question: "Of course."

"it is good."

Bertha didn't mind Holmes being so straightforward, she turned her head sideways: "There is one more thing, Mr. Holmes. Your brother is looking for clues from the Society of Truth, and this matter is likely to be related to it. Wait until you analyze the drug Will you share with Mycroft the composition and efficacy of the medicine?"

Sherlock Holmes paused.

He didn't answer, and a strange look appeared on his cold and calm face.

The short silence had already given Bertha the answer.

She laughed out loud, with a hint of teasing in her tone: "It seems that you don't plan to share it with Mycroft, so how about sharing it with me, sir? I don't explain everything to your brother either."

Holmes raised his eyebrows: "You don't do anything for Mycroft."

"The Truth Society has troubled me. It's a personal grievance. I have to set them aside," Bertha replied. "I cooperate with your brother only because of the same purpose."

This sentence landed, in exchange for Sherlock Holmes to think for a long time.

Bertha didn't mind Holmes observing herself, even if he used the basic deductive method to analyze herself from beginning to end. It didn't matter that Mrs. Thames didn't really go down to track down this matter from the beginning to the end. Thomas Thames did everything. Watching her was not worth as much as watching Thomas.

Connor Thames' death was unknown, and as the older brother, Thomas was willing to be the gun.

"From the information I have so far," said Bertha, "Dr. Long's laboratory is funded by Sir James Ward, a cabinet minister, but this matter is handled by his wife. Whether Sir Ward is affiliated As for the Truth Society, it remains to be investigated."

After she finished speaking, she thought for a while and added again: "When we first met, you mentioned that the children of the old Jewish people acted together with the children of the Thames family."

Holmes: "I saw it with my own eyes near Dr. Lang's laboratory."

Bertha nodded and said calmly, "Update your information, Mr. Holmes. There are no old Jewish children now, only Mrs. Thames' boys."

Holmes: "..."

Seeing that Holmes was silent, Bertha smiled again: "There is nothing new under the sun, let alone Whitechapel."

Sherlock Holmes naturally didn't care about the change of power in the Whitechapel area. He said, "You mentioned the Truth Society, what is that?"

"A scientific organization without borders, nations, or political forms."

"Perfunctory."

"That's how Mycroft's people put me down."

The young detective couldn't help but "tsk".

Obviously, this was not the answer Holmes wanted, but no matter how inferred, the lazy and presumptuous woman sitting on the sofa was not lying.

This made Sherlock Holmes less alert-at least it proved that although she cooperated with Mycroft, she was indeed not completely attached to him.

"Not all the people who took the drug had problems," Holmes said. "I interviewed thirty people who were tested secretly, and actually three of them died because of the drug reaction."

"That means a one-tenth probability."

"The investigation base is too small, and I don't think it is enough to confirm the probability," the detective disagreed with Bertha's opinion, "but even so, the death rate can be called high."

"Are you sure it's all caused by drugs?"

"The cause of death of all the deceased is not clear, but according to the description and autopsy, all the deceased had symptoms of confusion, discoloration of lips and angina pectoris before their death."

These are all symptoms of heart problems.

Bertha subconsciously turned her head to look at Thomas, who showed a somewhat depressed expression, and affirmed Bertha: "Connor is the same."

"Then what medicine was this tried?" asked Bertha.

"That's the problem."

Holmes calmed down and replied seriously: "The symptoms of the thirty drug testers are not the same. I even boldly assume that a drug tester like Connor Thames never suffered from any disease at all."

"Yes," Thomas responded, "Connor is a good person. If he hadn't been rich, he wouldn't have taken drugs."

"Not sick?!"

Bertha was taken aback.

She couldn't believe her ears, and her usual nonchalant attitude was swept away—so Dr. Lang's medicine isn't for a specific disease?

"Yes."

Disgust appeared on Holmes' stern face: "A drug that doesn't target any disease sounds extremely absurd! Mrs. Thames, you have been investigating for so long, and you haven't even found out such a basic fact?"

This can't be blamed on Bertha's negligence, but as a traveler in the 21st century, even if Bertha was given two hundred more courage, she would never expect that a laboratory would dare to give medicine to the living.

Isn't it an international consensus that drug testers participate in the drug trial program because of their own diseases? !

Bertha knew that the Victorian era was still at the beginning stage of modern medicine, and the relevant laws and regulations must have not kept up with it, but... it couldn't be so simple and rude.

Bertha barely restrained her expression: What is the difference between such a drug trial plan and poisoning the people?

"……I see."

She said with a complicated mood: "Then have you figured out what potion they are researching?"

"Not yet," replied Holmes, "but the answer will be forthcoming."

Also, fortunately, this time Thomas and Holmes cooperated with each other and got back the new medicine that hadn't been recovered in time.

After speaking, he looked at Bertha again: "Now I believe that you are not doing things for Mycroft."

Bertha hooked the corners of her mouth reluctantly: "It's not bad to have a showdown with each other?"

"But I have a question."

"Please."

"Thomas Thames said you were on good terms with... Mycroft."

Bertha did not expect that the conversation of Holmes would suddenly turn to this aspect, so she asked instead, "What's the question?"

Holmes frowned abruptly.

He seemed to want to say something, but in the end he didn't speak.

"It's nothing, it's just that under normal circumstances he doesn't get too close to his partners." Holmes dismissed the question lightly. "I'll give you the news after the drug test is completed."

"it is good."

Bertha was not stingy, and nodded generously: "I will tell 'Unable to catch', and you will send those children from now on. If there is a result, just ask him to come and deliver the letter."

It's just that Bertha didn't let go of the topic that Sherlock Holmes deliberately put away at the end.

When Thomas and young Holmes left, Bertha thought about it, and found someone to send a note to Mycroft.

[Today your brother asked about my relationship with you, he didn't seem very happy.Does this cause trouble for your family? ] Bertha wrote.

Not long after the note was sent, Mycroft sent someone to knock on the gate of Thames House.

The "postman" who entered the door was still in charge of the neighborhood near the White Horse Hotel.

Seeing the familiar face, Bertha immediately lost her temper. The "postman" also seemed to understand that his appearance was a bit too dramatic, he smiled, and then respectfully handed over the blank envelope: "Madam, your letter."

Fine.

Bertha was not angry either—Mycroft had said before that the Truth Society had troubled her but was stopped.Now it seems that the "enthusiastic citizen" who prevented the Truth Society was probably this Mr. Postman.

She opened the envelope, which was, as usual, a short letter.

[To my dear Bertha:

Don't worry, Xie Li doesn't like to socialize with ordinary people on weekdays, and even if he hasn't heard the news that I have a lover, he will figure it out. ]

Bertha: "..."

Bertha paused at the letter before realizing what Mycroft was referring to.

Even those who don't know Mycroft very well know that he has never had a woman around him, let alone his own brother.I am afraid that the young Holmes did not expect Bertha and her brother to be "intimate" at all, and could be as close as a lover.

Perhaps the reason why the detective hesitated to speak was that he had noticed something, but couldn't figure it out for a while—the more he knew about Mycroft, the more he couldn't think of it.

Bertha could not laugh or cry, for she had not thought of concealing anything from the detective.

Firstly, there is no point in lying to Sherlock Holmes; secondly, what's so shameful about it?It was nothing more than that after Holmes knew about this, he would quickly connect Mrs. Thames with Miss Marple.

But Bertha has two identities, and it’s just for convenience. From the moment "Bertha Mason" was sealed and buried, no matter what Bertha’s surname is, she has cut off her past identity—even now Bertha announced loudly to everyone that she was actually Rochester's crazy wife, how many people would believe it?She doesn't show any signs of going crazy now.

Mycroft's letter did not end here, and Bertha continued to read:

[Compared to Shelly's little confusion, I have more important things to ask for your help right now, ma'am.You and I attended the Home Secretary's party together and let the whole social circle know about our relationship.So did my parents.If you are free on the weekend, may I send a carriage to pick you up and meet my mother? ]

Bertha: "..."

The smile on the corner of her mouth suddenly froze on her face.

Wait a minute, isn't that a little too fast?Bertha boasted that she had seen all kinds of storms, but she still couldn't keep up with the righteous and confident turn of events in Mycroft's letter.

See Holmes' mother?

It's so grand that you need to send a car to pick it up?

Bertha held the letter and froze in place: The two of them met only twice in total, how could they have reached the point of meeting their parents!