"The Widow" Bertha

Human skin?

After seeing the "evidence" in Thomas's hand, Bertha immediately understood why Thomas was in this state—not to mention him, even Bertha felt chills immediately.

"Holmes and I have never seen the attacker's face clearly," Thomas said with difficulty, "Madam...is this demon in Whitechapel...is it a human?"

Bertha pursed her lips and said nothing.

What else can it be if it is not a human being?It may be a monster, or an unknown creature. In short, before ruling out all possibilities, Bertha absolutely does not believe that Jack the Ripper rampaging in the Whitechapel area is really a demon from hell.

Apparently Sherlock Holmes thought so too.

He finished checking the back alley where the murderer attempted to kill, and then the young detective strode over.Holmes just nodded towards Bertha indifferently, then walked straight to Nancy without stopping.

Sykes was like a dog who was afraid that Holmes would snatch his favorite toy. Seeing the detective approaching menacingly, he strode in front of Nancy and said vigilantly, "What else do you want to do?!"

Holmes: "I have something to ask her."

Sykes: "You can ask me anything."

Holmes snorted: "Sikes, if you really care about the young lady behind you, go and get a bandage and alcohol for her from the Front Street Pharmacy. A veil won't stop the bleeding."

It wasn't until the detective threw such words mercilessly at Sykes' face that the latter chose to shut up.

Holmes was too lazy to continue pestering him, he walked around Sykes and looked at Nancy: "May I see your wound, miss?"

Nancy quietly looked up at Holmes.

She was silent all the time, and after being rescued by Thomas and Sherlock, she only said thank you, and even Mrs. Thames came in person, and Nancy didn't say a word.Hearing the young detective's request, Nancy just lowered her head, and then removed the handkerchief that tied the wound on her palm.

Bertha followed suit.

After pressing for so long, the blood basically stopped, but the wound was very deep, and the knife edge cut the flesh in Nancy's palm, and the scene was very bloody.

such a fast knife...

"Scalpel?" asked Bertha.

"Yes," Holmes said solemnly, "Such an incision is supposed to be caused by the grasping method. In clinical practice, such a grasping anatomy is only used when cutting large-scale wounds or when forceful cutting is required."

"...so he's very professional."

"Yes."

Then Holmes answered Thomas' question: "Therefore, if you doubt whether he is a human being, then there is no need. He must be a human being, and my initial deduction is not wrong. Not only is he a human being, but he is also a man with proficient knowledge of anatomy."

"Easy to say."

The confident detective doesn't convince Thomas.

The young man in the beige coat slowed down for a while, and finally recovered from the shock of tearing off the attacker's skin with his own hands.Thomas Thames, who was leaning against the wall of the alley, shook the human skin with his sleeves still in his hands: "Then why do you explain this?"

What kind of person peels?

At least normal people would not. If it is assumed that the attacker is indeed a male human, his body must have undergone serious lesions.

Bertha took a deep breath.

Sherlock Holmes immediately turned his head to look at Bertha. The young man's sharp eyes rested on her for a moment, and then he said firmly, "What did you think of?"

"Yes."

Bertha rubbed her thumbs against her palm subconsciously, and the touch of the skin when she supported Pastor Brian White that day was still clearly visible.

"Dr. Butz said that the flesh under Pastor White's clothes has almost lost its human shape," Bertha said in a low voice. "At that time, I helped him, and I felt that the pastor's skin had completely lost its normal state."

"You think Reverend White fits the profile of a murderer."

In fact, every detail of Brian White fits the profile of a murderer.

He has studied biology, and his level is not bad, so he is naturally proficient in anatomical knowledge; he often has fragmented consciousness, which happens to coincide with the time of Jack the Ripper's activities; What kind of illness the pastor is enduring now, but this is actually consistent with the human skin that Thomas is awkwardly carrying.

All in all, how can Bertha not doubt him?

Just as the atmosphere of silence spread, Sykes, who had gone to a nearby pharmacy to get alcohol, came back.

He didn't hear the previous discussion. He only heard Holmes say that Pastor White fit the characteristics of a murderer. The careless gangster stuffed the medicine into Nancy's hand, and then said, "It can't be a pastor!"

Holmes raised his eyebrows: "How?"

Sykes replied naturally: "You have never seen him when he has a fever. That pastor can't even get out of bed, and he has to be supported for a few steps, and he wants to kill someone? Not even you and Thomas." Catch the Ripper."

After finishing speaking, Sykes added: "Besides, if I bring a few people to stay in the church for 24 hours, you won't be able to make a living. I am here, and there are two people still guarding him in the church! He can't run away."

Thomas: "Then the murderer is—"

Holmes: "If it's not Reverend White, it can only be him."

Sykes: "Who?"

Sherlock Holmes made no answer, but glanced at Bertha.

Bertha closed her eyes: "Let's go."

Sykes:? ? ? ?

Seeing the question mark on the young man's face, Bertha lifted her skirt and waved to the person she brought.

"When Pastor White has a fever and loses his memory, Jack the Ripper will appear. This does not mean that he is the murderer himself," Holmes explained, "It may also be that someone has tried everything possible to make everyone, even Brian White Everyone thinks he's the murderer."

"There's one guy who's always been involved, who knows when Pastor White has a fever because he sees him; knows what the pastor has been through because he's a classmate; he's even been to South America as well."

Having said that, Thomas also reacted: "You said Dr. Alan Lear."

Not only in South America, Dr. Lear also went to India with Pastor White's expedition team beforehand. The Indian aborigine who attacked Bertha and Mycroft the night before, so it seems likely that Dr. Lear brought them here .

As for this human skin... What's going on, why don't you go and see Dr. Lear's arm?

"Sikes, take Nancy back," urged Bertha, "and call a few more people."

"you……"

Holmes frowned immediately: "What do you want to do? There is no direct evidence to prove that Dr. Lear is guilty!"

Bertha glanced sideways at the young detective.

The morning sun had already risen high, and the warm sunlight dispelled the dense fog, as well as the death threats and mysterious atmosphere that surrounded Hanbering Street not long ago.

She wore a dark dress, and the expensive fabric was still deep even under the bright light.Bertha hooked her lips, and a sharp look flashed across her slightly raised eyebrows.

"I'll give you a lesson today, Shelley," she said coldly. "It's up to you detectives to tell the evidence and convict, but in Whitechapel, for us gangsters—"

The Jamaican girl suddenly burst into a bright smile.

"I, Mrs. Thames, never need evidence if I want to trouble someone or punish someone."

***

That night.

Dr. Lear lived in a residential area outside the Whitechapel district, where he had a detached apartment.

When young people wearing red scarves and red gloves appeared on the street, all local residents closed their windows one after another, and even some merchants hurriedly put away their goods outside.

Gang feuds abound around the slums, and no one wants to get in trouble.

The first few strong young men rushed to the front of the apartment and kicked open the door, carrying crowbars and hammers.

After a period of chaos, the gang youth who led the charge came out again and said something in a low voice to Ned Morrison, who led someone to slam the door.After hearing this, the little accountant hurried towards the carriage.

After confirming that it was safe, Bertha came out.

She crossed the street and entered the apartment.

It was not admirable to have such a house in Whitechapel, and it was easy to know that it was only the temporary residence of Dr Alan Lear.So Bertha didn't send her boys to search for evidence, it wasn't necessary.

The doctor is waiting in the living room.

He didn't have any sense of being surrounded. When Bertha walked into the living room, Dr. Lear even took off his coat. The spacious hall was empty, and the only doctor was wrapping gauze around his right arm.

The part of the forearm that hadn't had time to wrap around it was bloody and bloody, with half a piece of skin missing.

Bertha's eyes darkened.

"It's really you."

She said in a hoarse voice, "It was you who killed people in the Whitechapel district, and planted the charge on Pastor White."

"Oh?"

Dr. Lear just turned his head to Bertha's questioning.

The young doctor looked ordinary in appearance, and he had no expression until now.

Bertha had little impression of him—at first most of her attention was drawn to Reverend White, who had doubts written all over his body.Dr. Lear, who didn't speak much and didn't have a high sense of presence, naturally became the one who didn't get much attention.

"So you think I murdered and planted someone else, Mrs. Thames," Dr. Lear repeated.

"How else do you explain the flesh torn from your right arm?"

"Wait a moment," he raised his hand and corrected, "I didn't deny the fact of the murder, but...she said I planted you, do you think so, Brian?"

Bertha's eyes widened.

Mrs. Thames' boys, of course, made sure that there were no potential enemies in the apartment before tipping off Bertha.

She was not afraid of the enemy's sneak attack. Holmes and Thomas just behind Bertha were enough to subdue Dr. Lear in front of her, not to mention the subordinates outside the hall.

And when Dr. Lear's words fell to the ground, a desolate figure appeared from the heavy curtains in the apartment hall.

That was the Reverend Brian White.

The pastor met Bertha's shocked expression, his clear and compassionate eyes slightly curved, and then he raised a simple smile.

"The day has come at last," he said, "Lady Thames."