Mary's Nineteenth Century

Whitehall, London, 05:30 pm.

Some people don't go home after get off work, but go upstream to the office building instead, probably because they have important business to do.

Under the guidance of lawyer Erson, Mary approached the three colleagues of the deceased and asked Oliver how he was at work before his death.

"Hey……"

Colleague A sighed and shook his head, "Oliver, who would have thought that he would be killed by the coachman, we always thought he would grow old safely."

Why?To sum it up with later buzzwords, the victim Oliver lived a relatively homely life.

His activities are basically within a fixed range.home, Whitehall office building, a café across the street from the office building, and a hammam near where he lived.

"On Saturday afternoon, he will get off work earlier. Oliver will choose to go to the Turkish bath near his home after dinner to take a bath. Other than that, he hardly participates in other social activities."

Colleague B: "It's like bars, casinos, concert halls, etc. In short, he doesn't have much interest in those things. We have worked together for five years. As far as I know, excluding the activities that must be attended by official business, Oliver only goes out to play five or six times a year at most. , please count Christmas and Easter."

Colleague A also added: "Oh! Yes, Oliver is not too lazy to go out with us, even if his family comes, it is the same."

It is mentioned here that Oliver's parents and younger brother live in the outer suburbs of London, about two hours' drive from Oliver's residence in the city.

The distance is not too far, and the old Oliver couple will come to London every half a month or so on weekends to participate in entertainment activities, such as listening to concerts, such as watching various performances.

Mary According to known information, the kinship of Oliver's family is not complicated.

Brief summary: My parents are alive and in their 50s; three sisters who are not much different in age got married one after another five or six years ago, and live with their husbands in other counties.

However, his younger brother is only 12 years old.The relationship between the old Oliver and his wife should be good, otherwise, at the age of 40 years old, how could the old Mrs. Oliver be pregnant and give birth to a young son.

Nowadays, medical technology is still underdeveloped, even if you fast forward 200 years, 40 years old is already within the age range of advanced maternal age.Its danger is self-evident.

However, nothing is absolute.

Because the question of whether abortion is legal or not in the UK now is more biased towards not being able to voluntarily abort.

If you want to have an abortion in a formal way, the conditions are undoubtedly very strict, and it is difficult to ensure that the elderly mothers give birth willingly.

At the moment, Mary heard that the relationship between her colleague ABC and Oliver was considered close, at least enough to talk about some family private issues.She asked, "In the past, did the old Oliver and his wife often meet their son when they came to London?"

"Of course, the Oliver family has a good relationship."

Colleague C said: "Although Oliver doesn't like to go out, they have dinner at home every month, and they change the menu every time in a good mood. I still remember Oliver said last month that he would try new soups and the like."

"It's bisque, a vegetable miso soup that's all the rage these days."

Colleague A still remembers because Oliver mentioned that it was a failed attempt. "Unfortunately, the old Mrs. Oliver doesn't like the taste of broad beans very much. Oliver also said that he would change the list of vegetable ingredients."

Mary wrote this down, and she turned the topic to the office. "So did Oliver ever get into trouble with anyone at work?"

All three colleagues shook their heads.

Colleague C confirmed, "No, I've never seen Oliver get angry with anyone. Our work is related to financial data, and God forbid, those numbers are really scary sometimes.

Even though Oliver is socially reticent and generally reticent, that doesn't mean he's difficult to get along with.On the contrary, everyone thinks that reticence is synonymous with reliability.At this point, the two of you will get the same answer if you walk a few more places. "

Reticent, and the same is true of the lawyer Erson who came to investigate this time.

Many people think that lawyers should be able to speak well, but who stipulates that an excellent lawyer must like to be lively and hang out in various social venues all year round.

"Can you talk about Oliver's recent work?"

Mary must consider whether, if not the shadow of daily life that brought Oliver's death, it had something to do with his dabbling in dangerous matters. "Is he involved in some kind of life-threatening secrecy?"

How to say this?

According to the self-judgment of the three ABC colleagues, their work content is very ordinary.They have a general understanding of what they usually do, and what Oliver handles is definitely not fatal.

"I can only say that I am quite satisfied with the salary I got."

Colleague B euphemistically said, "No more, no less, it is in line with the job content, and there is no task that excessively squeezes brainpower."

Mary did not miss the expressions of the three of them.

At least on the surface, Oliver's colleagues are living a very ordinary life and have not participated in thrilling work.

Follow-up questions were then asked to summarize the preliminary findings.

The deceased Oliver worked a nine-to-five job, and the content of his work during the day was not confidential.

His lifestyle is simple, without complicated interpersonal relationships, and he hardly sets foot in high-risk areas.And he has never had any obvious conflicts with anyone, let alone a character that actively provokes right and wrong.

There are also no known emotional entanglements.

He has a harmonious relationship with his family, and no one has discovered that Oliver has a relationship with anyone so far. At the age of 27, he still likes to read and be alone.

The death of such a small government employee seems to have nothing to do with love or vendetta.Everything seems to be the conclusion of Scotland Yard's investigation that he died of bad luck and was robbed.

The cause of death was simple—the murder suspect, Peter, the suspect who died accidentally after being taken into custody, the coachman killed his passenger because he owed a gambling debt.

Mary failed to get more clues in Whitehall.

After discussing with Lawyer Erson, I will just eat something casually. It just so happens that there is no trend of rain today, so I will go to Oliver's residence later while it is convenient to travel.

It has been ten days since the incident.

Oliver's family living in the outer suburbs had come to the city. The old Oliver couple rented a hotel next to their son's residence and were packing up their son's belongings.

Lawyer Erson has not yet contacted the family of the deceased, but after accepting the entrustment this morning, he did a little investigation into the inheritance related to Oliver.

At this moment, he finally said the longest sentence since the meeting: "The deceased did not leave a will. The preliminary estimate of the amount of his inheritance is [-] pounds in cash, except for items such as clothes and books. In addition, Oliver's family There is a piece of ancestral land that belongs to limited inheritance. The current first-in-line heir is Oliver's younger brother."

Certain lands in the United Kingdom are subject to a system of limited succession.

It is almost a male but not a female, because the heir is obliged to perform military service, and a war requires him to go to the battlefield.

Almost, because there are always exceptions, such as cheating the law to exploit loopholes.

"Wait a minute, three thousand pounds in cash?"

The information obtained by Mary did not include a specific list of the deceased’s estate. “Oliver’s annual income is 130 pounds. He lives in a rented house in London. He can earn [-] pounds in five years after graduating from university. His side job is ?”

Attorney Erson simply summed it up, "Stock trading."

Mary asked, "Is it the manager who chooses the stocks according to Oliver's wishes, and Oliver decides when to buy and sell?"

Earson nodded.

So, Mary thought, Oliver had a self-perception of financial markets. "Is there almost no loss?"

Earlson nodded again.

In stock trading, it is normal to lose and win.

With the principal that Oliver can invest, he can achieve almost no loss, and finally earn [-] pounds. This is indeed an extraordinary skill.

Mary thinks of the guessed behind-the-scenes case investigation client.

It's not surprising that Oliver has special abilities, that's why Professor George came forward to investigate the death case in depth.

However, there is a little strange place.

Mary was puzzled, "Lawyer Earlson, you said Oliver's legacy was cash. He liquidated all his stocks and withdrew from the stock market?"

"Yes, from a month ago."

"The check found at the suspect's home, Peter, was cashed from the City on the afternoon Oliver was murdered," Earson said.

Scotland Yard's investigation was not fast. Today, Oliver's manager was approached, and he went to the bank to find out the story behind the robbed check.

Mary stopped when she heard this.

It was less than two hours after she received the commission from Professor George, and Erson, who accepted the commission earlier, obviously had more information.

Mary evoked a smile that was kind enough to be called, "Mr. Earson, if it is possible, can you tell us all the circumstances you know?

Before going to visit the parents of the deceased, I thought it necessary to have an update.You know, reasoning is based on evidence, not fantasy. "

So hurry up!

Don't talk like you squeeze toothpaste, please put aside the habit of reticence.

"Ok."

Attorney Earlson nodded awkwardly.Please don't blame him, he's just not used to speaking at length in front of strangers. "Nothing else. I took over the commission in the morning and didn't have time to check more things."

Lawyer Earson thought back seriously, and indeed there were none.

Then he added, "In addition, I have contacted Dr. Jekyll, and I can go to the medical school to see the corpses tomorrow morning. The corpses of the deceased Oliver and the suspect Peter have completed a comprehensive autopsy."

"I appreciate your appointment. The conclusion of the autopsy is indeed a clue that cannot be ignored."

Mary didn't think it was necessary for two people to see the body together.

"If you have no objection, I think it is more efficient to act separately. We have very little information about the suspect Peter. Can you go to the Palme d'Or casino tomorrow and ask exactly when Peter became addicted to gambling? ? And who led him in?"

Lawyer Earson is just reticent, not stupid.

He immediately understood the meaning behind it, "You suspect that it may be a murder or a premeditated murder. Someone used the coachman Peter to make him owe gambling debts, and finally committed murder."

"Perhaps, the possibility cannot be ignored."

Mary gave the reasons for her suspicions, "Oliver was killed on Saturday, Peter was arrested four days later, and Oliver's check was found at his home. Coincidentally, Peter was ill and had been bedridden for the past four days, and even more coincidentally, he When he was caught in the detention center, he ate a meal of bread containing peanuts and died."

How like no telling.

Mary: "Lawyer Erson, based on your experience, do you believe that there will be two consecutive coincidences in life?"

**

Do you believe in coincidence?

Mycroft got out of the carriage and returned to his residence near Paddington Road.

Enter the house, open the umbrella cabinet, and put the long-handled umbrella of "U Ji" into it.A row of umbrellas are neatly hung in the cabinet. The umbrellas are all black. At first glance, they seem very similar.

Actually, it varies.From the umbrella surface fabric to the umbrella handle carving, even if several umbrellas are from the same series of "U Ji", there are always differences in the details of handmade.

Just like the black umbrella I carry today is from the same store as the one that was presented in mid-September.The two look alike, but they don't match the grain of the umbrella handle wood.

The umbrella that was given away was not in this umbrella cabinet.

It was neatly stored in a gift box in another corner of the storage room.Unless it is the "old woman" who reappears, there is no need for it to appear in front of people.

Do this with caution.

Be careful not to show flaws in the details.

Mycroft also attributed the behavior 45 minutes ago to "caution".

Instead of taking the stairs close to the main entrance as usual, he made a decisive and quick circle and left the office building from the rear, so as to avoid any association with a similar umbrella.

Perhaps, it is superfluous.

After all, "U Ji" sells [-] or [-] umbrellas every month.It is not uncommon for people to see similar models when they pass by, and most people have no time to make a judgment within a few seconds.

But that one should be different.

Mycroft thought of "Mr Kind Umbrella" who had appeared in Whitehall.He doesn't believe that there are coincidences one after another in the world. If you go against the current, you must seek something. Is there any incident in Whitehall that needs to be investigated recently?

In Whitehall Street, where the office buildings of various departments of the British government, such as foreign affairs, internal affairs, and national defense, are gathered, it is strange that nothing happens every day.But the after-hours visit, combined with the building it went to, may be a private case investigation.

——On Saturday night ten days ago, Oliver was robbed and killed. It was heard that the suspect was a coachman and he also died in the detention center.

So what?

Mycroft was sure that he and Oliver had no intersection, and would not be one of the suspects or witnesses. As for looking for clues to help investigate the case?

No, that's not the way he wants to live.To be an unknown civil servant, without having to travel on business, to buy favorite sweets from time to time, and to live a clean life alone is the best ideal state of life.

This is not necessarily laziness, but a rare state - born extraordinary, but willing to be ordinary.

Thinking of this, Mycroft went to the study and read Sherlock's latest letter.

There is nothing special. Sherlock's letter is just talking about the study and life since entering the university for a month, but people's eyes are fixed on the end of the letter.

"God always gives people many tests. My first chemical innovation experiment failed completely and almost blew up the laboratory. This is normal. As rational people, we all know that there is always a certain distance between the ideal state and the reality.

Dear brother, I know you will not mock me.Take dessert as an example, you must know how much the ideal is like a sweet and delicate cream cake, but the reality is like a dry biscuit that is hard to swallow.oh!Finally, I wish you never had such a bad biscuit. "

The corners of Mycroft's mouth froze slightly.

No need, his dear brother really didn't need to add that last paragraph.Impossible, it is impossible for a coincidence to break his ideal life.