Mary's Nineteenth Century

For expression management, Mycroft is a must.

Looking not only at London, but even in the whole of Europe, it can be said that few people can see through his true emotions.

At this moment, meeting Mary at the gate of Scotland Yard, he was talking about business in a serious manner.

"Mr. Minton, you must have read the morning papers this morning. There was a problem with the Royal Marseilles in July. The champion horse "Poison" was suspected of taking a certain Chinese medicine and died suddenly in the early hours of this morning.I got some general information, would you like to take a look now? "

Mycroft raised the file bag in his hand, as if he hadn't been thinking about how to add a prefix to "Mary" at all just now.

"I just got a new clue here too about the Royal Ascot."

Mary also looked businesslike, "Now go to Regent's Park, how about talking while walking?"

The traffic conditions in London are not very good today. A rain caused several stagecoaches to break down and they were all blocked on the main road.

It is not wise to take a car at the moment, and walking is the best option, but it takes a full five or 10 minutes to walk from Scotland Yard to the destination.

There was no way Mycroft could refuse.

What?He used to be too lazy to move?Those bad habits will of course be changed by the self-disciplined Holmes.

Five or ten minutes is enough for the two to exchange the latest clues.

At present, it has been presumed with [-]% certainty that the deceased who died in the fire in the power distribution room was not Luke himself.

Four days before the Royal Marseille final, on July 7, Luke sent a telegram in uncontrollable excitement.

Code words are used above, mentioning that the April Fool's Day carnival is coming.The sender is "fisherman" and the recipient did not leave a name.

Mycroft mentioned that the champion horse "Poison" was raised at the Emerald Racecourse, which was the only way Jennifer passed back to London.

"Jennifer was supposed to arrive in London the night before yesterday, but there is no news so far, and Caesar, the horse trainer of the emerald carriage, has also disappeared. Based on the current clues, it can be found that the conspiracy started when the originally scheduled competition horse was struck to death by lightning. And a picture records the cause and effect in it."

What picture is so amazing?

It is the "burnt fish" that was sent to Watson under the guise of Luke.

""Charred Corpse", "April Fool's Day", "Poison" horse racing, "Fisherman". "

Mary also connected the fragments discovered before and after, "This string of code words is played very well, and it can be said to be very appropriate."

"indeed."

Mycroft had a guess, "This will lead us to find the recipient of the telegram. The recipient is likely to be from France, even if he is not French, he has lived in France for a long time."

If Lestrade heard this, he would inevitably raise a bunch of question marks. Why did he suddenly speculate on the recipient's nationality?

Simply put, it has something to do with the origin of April Fool's Day.

It is said that it originated in France in the 16th century, and the French called it "Poisson d'Avril", which literally means the fish (Poisson) of April (Avril).

It is in line with some traditional customs. For example, if you intend to tease others, you can cut the paper into the shape of a fish and stick it behind the person you want to tease.

Later, April Fool's Day was introduced to England in the 18th century.

The telegram that Luke handled, the sender is "fisherman", the content said that the April Fool's Day carnival is coming.

The reason he chose this code is precisely because of the word fish (poisson).This is very close to a word, poison.. drug (poison).

Today, the Emerald Racecourse broke out that the champion horse mutated into a monster head, which is a side effect of a certain special drug.

After taking this traditional Chinese medicine, horses can improve their functions in a short period of time, just like people taking stimulants.

As the saying goes, the medicine that cures the disease is the poison.. medicine.A traditional Chinese medicine can help the horses improve their performance within ten days and half a month, and the abnormality cannot be detected at all with the current methods.The side effect of such deception is bound to be terrible.

— Mutate into a monster head, and then die.

The horses participating in the competition are under the charge of each professional horse trainer.

It is impossible for Nishizawa not to understand the condition of the horse he is in charge of. It is very likely that he personally fed the horse with medicine, and deliberately called the code name of the horse "poison".

When a series of plans were finalized, there was a code word in the telegram, and the April Fool's Day carnival began on July 7.

"Poison" participated in the Royal Ascot, and won the championship with an upset. Several gamblers who bet on it became rich overnight.

If the group of people who designed this matter left their original place of residence in a low-key manner and changed their appearance to go to other places, they could live a prosperous life.

Things didn't stop there, at least not enough for Luke.He didn't choose to leave quietly, but wanted to make a big wave.

Luke has worked at the PPP telegraph station for four years. As long as he is willing enough to figure out the circuit situation in the station, it is not difficult to create a fire caused by a short circuit.

After the fire broke out, two charred bodies were left behind.A few days later, Jacques was killed and burned in a dark alley.

Looking back at the whole thing, this series of events corresponds to the "burnt fish" newspaper clipping sent to Watson.

The reason why it is speculated that the recipient of the telegram has an origin with France is related to the meaning of the code word derived from the April Fool's Day telegram.

The telegram was sent by a fisherman from Kent who was suspected to be the missing horse trainer Caesar, a Scot.

Among them, Luke, a telegraph operator, was British.That leaves the recipient most likely to be French.

"Then there's a new problem."

Mycroft pointed out, "Who sent the 'Charred Fish' newspaper clipping under the guise of Luke?That person not only knew about the gambling scam at the race meeting, but also predicted Luke's plan to set fire and kill people. "

Who will the mysterious man be?Is it Luke's associate?

If so, why did you send a warning letter to Watson? Did you expect Watson to do something about it?If not, how can you know the inside story?

"Don't you think that the way this letter fell into my hands is a bit familiar."

Mary recalled the past three months ago, "Although the letter was signed by Luke this time, it was not sent by him himself, and this is not the first time I have received a letter of unknown origin from Mr. Watson."

Mycroft also thought about it, "In June, we went to Southampton to look for the Erjiuhui, and it was "Dr. Avatar" who asked Watson to pass on the secret letter of recommendation. "

Dr. Jekyll, identity unknown.

He is one of the members of Erjiuhui.Although it is not the core level, according to the entry threshold, its people must be either rich or noble.

Moreover, according to the association's records, he has put forward many views on the soul and brain, and his words and expressions all show that he is a learned person.

Before, Mary suspected that Dr. Jekyll was Dr. Incarnation, but she tested him after returning to London, but she didn't get any evidence.

"I have followed Dr. Jekyll's developments. From mid-August to December before Christmas, he was invited to give lectures in Boston, USA."

Theoretically, Jekyll himself is not in the UK, but it cannot be ruled out that he had someone send the "burnt fish" newspaper clipping.

Mycroft was also similarly skeptical, "The side effects of the special drug that made the horses win the championship are related to the transformation potion that we have not seen with our own eyes. The transformation potion is very rare and almost unknown, and its formula and raw materials are bound to be known only in the In the hands of very few people. Dr. Jekyll is proficient in difficult and miscellaneous diseases, and it is very likely that he has come into contact with this kind of secret medicine."

As for whether Jekyll gave Luke and others strange drugs?

There is a high probability that it is not given actively, otherwise there is no need to send a warning letter in a detour, but there is also a certain internal connection.

Today, the Royal Jockey Association plans to immediately set up a medical inspection team to go to the Emerald Racecourse to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the "poison" that died mysteriously.Whether more clues can be obtained through horse autopsy is still unknown.

While talking, the two approached Regent's Park.I came to the telegram to go to the above receiving place, but it was already empty.

The original tenant has been away for more than a month, and all his personal belongings have been emptied, and the house has been rented to the tenant in early September.

When the landlord heard about the two people's intentions, he said that the original tenant was indeed a Frenchman, Jean Gosling, a salesman in the building materials business.

"Gosling quit the lease at the end of July. I heard that he no longer wants to do sales work and wants to go back to his hometown in the French countryside. I don't know the exact address."

"Does that Mr. Gosling have close relatives and friends in London? Is there a way to contact them?"

Mary's hearing that the Frenchman left in August fits with the previous inference.At the end of July, the result of the horse race was announced, and the casino cashed out the money.Gosling is a typical conspiracy to get a windfall and run away.

The landlord shook his head, "Gosling works at ABC Building Materials Company, you can go there and ask. But from what I've seen, Gosling has rented my house for a year and a half, and I haven't seen him have any particularly close friends, nor have I seen his family."

Mycroft glanced out the window. It was very close to the old Luke's house, a gambler who had been here before, and it took no more than 10 minutes to walk.

He asked the landlord thoughtfully, "Does Mr. Gosling like to go to the casino? Is there anyone named Luke Allen among his people?"

"Luke Allen? You mean the old gambler two blocks down the street?"

The landlord mentioned the name with a hint of displeasure, "My house will not be rented to people with gambling addiction. Gosling may have been to a casino, but at most it was for business entertainment. He did deal with old gamblers, yes The one that had a fight."

Oh?

Both Mary and Mycroft awaited the landlord's next words.

"The reason is very simple, because old gamblers often gamble and fail to repay their debts, and debt collectors have come to intercept them several times. Sometimes it will affect the surrounding neighbors."

The landlord said old Luke would run away sometimes.When he fled, the people from the casino chased him, and it was inevitable that he would collide with the surrounding neighbors while chasing him.

"It's not safe to be two streets away. I passed by the intersection of the old gambler's house once and was almost injured. Assuming the old gambler is a tenant, we all want to jointly ask his landlord to kick him out. It's a pity No, it's his own property."

Not only the landlord, but Gosling was also unlucky and was bumped into one night while leaving get off work.

Afterwards, I heard Gosling said that he was an order student who lost a sum of money that night, and was about to go back to the rented house when he was implicated and bumped by innocent people.On the spot, the anger in my heart couldn't be controlled, and I got into a fight with the fleeing man.

"Not to mention, the old gambler's dodging skills are top-notch, and he has practiced professionally in avoiding debts for more than ten years. Even though Gosling is 20 years younger than him, and his body is much stronger, he really doesn't have much advantage."

The landlord shook his head slightly. That time, Gosling was killed instead. Of course, it wasn't the old Luke who beat him, but someone from the casino.

The reason is also simple, old Luke slipped away.

Gosling didn't chase the fleeing man because he was drinking, but instead fought with the casino pursuers who were coming after him, just to vent his anger.

Hearing this, Mary has already guessed why Luke and Gosling have a further cooperation, probably because they hate old Luke with the same hatred.

As for where they met, it may be related to Gosling's career.Romania's shadow superstition is a custom in the construction industry. Gosling is engaged in the building materials business. Maybe Luke met Gosling when he was selling shadows.

Mary then asked, "When did street fights happen?"

"This May."

The landlord couldn't remember the exact time, "I only remember that Gosling was in a bad state during that time, and he mentioned to me that he might leave London and quit. However, I think he adjusted well, and he was in a very good mood when he moved out at the end of July. "

Mycroft counted the time, and now the series of previous speculations are basically correct.

Gosling was at least involved in the Royal Ascot rigging case, as he took the risk in July because he suffered serious business losses.

But with Gosling's character, it is unlikely that he will dominate the whole incident strongly.The focus is still on Luke, who used to be inconspicuous.

Luke escaped by feigning death, and who is the charred corpse after the power distribution room caught fire?

This doubt has not been solved. Could it be that Luke lured Gosling to the telegraph station to kill people?

The investigation continues.

Since there are no new clues in London for the time being, it is better to go to Kent where someone is missing.

The train leaves the station.

The scenery outside the window receded slowly like a tide, and the brick buildings gradually faded out of sight, replaced by patches of wilderness.The wild grass is withered, the sky is gloomy, and there is not much ornamental value.

Mary looked at Mycroft, who was sitting opposite.

This person has been sitting quietly looking out of the window for almost an hour. It seems that he is not admiring the scenery, but in a very serious daze?

"Mr. Holmes, did you suddenly find the scenery along the train very beautiful today?"

Mary broke the silence, with a smile in her eyes, as if she was saying the second half of the sentence that she hadn't said. "What scenery has attracted your attention for an hour, am I not as charming as the scenery?"

Mycroft turned his head when he heard the sound, and met Mary's teasing eyes.

How could the scenery outside be better than the person in front of him, but he had to look away just to think seriously.

Judging from the current clues, Luke's suspected arson and murder have a general idea.

The problem is the new horse racing doping, which may be related to the transformation potion, and it is suspected to be related to Dr. Jekyll.It is almost certain that Mary will go to Boston, USA in the near future to find out.

Mycroft is thinking hard about the fallout from his trip to Boston.

How long will Mary stay in the United States this time?Will it linger?The most important thing is his confession plan, should it be delayed?

However, in fact, it is not bad to show your intentions in the United States.

The reason was simple, counting the time, his dear brother was about to finish the case and return to London.

With Sherlock in London, it will become unsafe in a sense. Who knows if Sherlock will spoil the scenery at a critical moment.

"I didn't look at the scenery, I was thinking about something."

Mycroft seemed to be telling the truth, "I received a letter from Sherlock before boarding the train. He has investigated a case, and London has some follow-up work to deal with."

"I see."

Mary nodded seriously, but half-suspiciously.

Mycroft blinked: he really wasn't lying.

Because I remember the embarrassing scene of Midsummer Night.When he and Mary just raised their hands above their heads and wanted to set off finger fireworks, they were bumped into by the younger brother who was very good at timing.

For a big hole like my younger brother, as a wise elder brother, he must not fall down twice in it.isn't it?