Mary's Nineteenth Century

2 February, 27pm, Treasury, Whitehall, London.

The first Chancellor of the Exchequer in history to lose the red confidential box, Andrew Gordon, was irritating back and forth in the office.

"Ask! You'll ask me. I've already told you everything I know. When will you get the box back?"

Gordon slammed his hands on the desk angrily, and glared impatiently at Mycroft, who was already the fourth group of people who came to question him.

Mycroft maintained a well-placed smirk.

The man was still angry, and if he hadn't lost the secret box containing the budget, he wouldn't have to follow the call of the hairy Cupid to return to London.

According to regulations, the box does not leave the body.Even in private social occasions, always pay attention to the safety of the red box.

Gordon was so drunk that he didn't notice that the red box had been swapped.

The next morning, when he was still hungover, he suddenly found that the real box was gone.It was stupid enough to call out the matter on the spot, so that everyone in the manor knew that the red box was stolen, and there was no way to settle it in a low-key and private manner.

Expect those prom-goers to keep their mouths shut?

When there is no accident, everyone, hello, and I look so colorful, but once something happens, it is not only wise to protect oneself, but also has the possibility of making a fuss about it.

"Shocking!Whitehall Confidential Red Box Stolen at Treasurer's Private Party! 』

This kind of news that caused an uproar in the world can be suppressed for a day or two, but can it be suppressed for a week or even longer?

impossible.

I'm afraid I can't hide it for three days, and rumors will spread tomorrow, and then there will be discussions all over London.

The impact is bound to be bad, but the box must be retrieved.As for the person who stole the box, regardless of whether he can be captured alive, he must know who he is.

"Minister Gordon, I hope you can give me more cooperation."

Mycroft seemed to be polite, "Now that the confidential red box has leaked out, we all hope to get it back as soon as possible. No matter how many waves of people come to ask about your situation, it is for the sake of the overall situation. Don't damage the overall image of Whitehall, and don't let The queen is angry, isn't it? If I can, I very much hope to be the last person to bother you."

The last sentence sounds like a good word, but you can't think too deeply.

In Whitehall, who would not be disturbed?For example, Matthew, who has to be disturbed countless times a day, and only a waste who is sitting on the bench will not be disturbed.

At the moment, Gordon also realized that he had not controlled his temper, and he knew better how serious the situation was this time.

There is still a little luck, but the red box lock process is very complicated, and the key that is not specially matched cannot be opened.If the thief does not use external force to blast, and does not get the key, he will not be able to see the files inside.

In any case, you can no longer make enemies at this time.

Gordon knew that he needed to be more polite, especially to the investigators sent by Matthew, but he was used to it, and he did not suppress his domineering temper if he was not careful.

"What else do you want to ask? I have recorded everything I said before."

Gordon tried his best to maintain an amiable tone, "Mr. Holmes, do you have found some special doubts in the transcript and want me to cooperate with the memory?"

Having said that, Gordon couldn't help but have some doubts.

As far as he knew, Mycroft had gone on a business trip to Yorkshire two months ago. This person just returned to London today. How could he immediately discover suspicious points that others hadn't noticed?

Mycroft caught the questioning of his competence in Gordon Treasurer's eyes.

It has to be said that Gordon Finance is quite self-aware.

If it weren't for the fact that the confession transcript provided by this person didn't have many valuable clues, it would be more or less clear now whether the thief was a man or a woman.

Ge Dun has the face to suspect that others can't solve the case, but he admits that he is a waste in disguise, and he was robbed close to him but he didn't even notice the slightest clue.

The night before yesterday, February 2th.

A ball for 46 people was held in the manor on the outskirts of London.In addition to the 23 servants of the private estate, there are always 69 people in the place where the red box was stolen.

The next morning, Gordon discovered that the red box had been stolen.

Search the manor and find a laundry maid knocked unconscious in a low kitchen cupboard.She was only wearing a single dress, and the maid's coat was gone.

Then ask the guard at the entrance of the manor.After recalling, at around 04:30 in the morning that day, a person dressed as a washerwoman left the manor.

At that time, the guards didn't think much about it. Laundromats always worked from dawn to dusk.He didn't notice that the thief, Momomi, played the role of the laundress so boldly that he slipped away from under his nose.

It wasn't just that Finance Minister Gordon took notes three times back and forth, the rest of the guests and the master and servant of the manor were interrogated many times.

Mycroft checked the statement.

It was recorded that the last conscious of the washerwoman who was knocked out was around midnight, and the guards at the entrance and exit had no special impression of the thief who slipped away. As for the others, they didn't notice anything wrong with the thief disguised as a washerwoman.

One question and three unknowns is the true portrayal of this group of people in the manor.

The only clues of value were offered by the thieves.

The fake red box does not use a special lock like the real box. Its keyhole is like a fake one, and it can be opened as long as the box is shaken.There was only one thing in the fake box, an ordinary and brand-new playing card—King of Diamonds.

Does it sound familiar?

That's right, "King of Diamonds" is the new generation of master thief who aroused Sherlock's curiosity and asked him to arrest him.

In the past month, "Box K" has become more and more famous.

Before he stole the red box, he made another big ticket, stealing a priceless emerald brooch from the home of former London transport secretary Tapley in early February.

Sherlock traced it from York to London, visited the owner Tapley, and inspected the scene of the theft with his consent.

The safe was opened, and the gold coins and other jewels were not lost, only the emerald brooch was gone, and a K playing card was left.

In other words, "Box K" is a targeted theft, not just seeking money.

As for how he could sneak into Tapley's house and steal?There are climbing marks on the window sill and the outer wall. The footprints are not too big or too small. They are common 7.5-inch men's rubber shoes.

And during the time of the theft, Tapley was not at home, and went out with his family to the beach for a week.

Back to the theft of the red box.

Mycroft went to the scene of the crime on the outskirts of London in the morning, and several groups of investigators went there, but found no more clues in the manor.

However, through careful investigation, Mycroft discovered a soil with a different degree of dryness and wetness than other places in the grass on the roadside two kilometers away from the manor.It was a rubber-soled shoe print in size 7.5.

Smell it carefully, the humidity of the soil is not accompanied by a faint smell of urine.

It is not difficult to understand that someone here has excreted at will, and it can be suspected that it was the "square K" who stole the red box from the manor.

"Minister Gordon, have you seen people with shoe sizes of 7.5 inches around you recently? Both men and women."

Mycroft looked at Gordon, "Manufacturing a fake red box, although it's just for show, but we must have observed its size, leather, and color difference. From which source do you think these data leaked?"

This is not the first time Gordon has been asked this question. He subconsciously opened his mouth to deny, "It's definitely not from me. From the prime minister to each minister, each has a red box with the same specifications. Maybe it's a box-making workshop There is an inner ghost."

"is it?"

Mycroft did not deny the possibility, but he raised more important doubts. "Why do you think "Box K" is targeting you instead of other people? "

***

The words are divided into two parts.

Even if Mycroft hadn't received the urgent call from Matthew, Mary would have to say sorry and temporarily cancel the skiing competition.

Because Mary also received an urgent call from London, and it was the lawyer Earson who came to her and asked her to go to Dr. Jekyll's as soon as possible.

Lawyer Earlson, good friend of Dr. Jekyll.He frowned and went to the door, because a very difficult incident happened six days ago.

London is very restless!

On February 2, Dr. Jekyll disappeared at home and was suspected of being kidnapped by unknown assailants.

The laboratory on the third floor of the villa is in a mess, with very obvious signs of fighting.The ventilation window was half open, and there was half a bloody footprint on the window sill.

Dr. Jekyll, who was working on medicine in the laboratory, disappeared.

Strangely, a strange man lay on the ground.A short, fierce-looking man in a faded work jacket.The back of his head was smashed open by a glass bottle, and when he was found, he was bleeding all over the ground and was unconscious.

Who is this strange man?

None of the servants in the villa knew him.

Dr. Jekyll doesn't let anyone bother him when he's working, and even the old housekeeper can't enter the laboratory. How did the stranger who doesn't seem to fit in with Jekyll's family get in?

The maid found out that the situation was different on the morning of February 2, and knocked on the door of the laboratory to ask if Dr. Jekyll had breakfast, but did not hear a response.

Afterwards, I recalled that on the night of the 20th, I heard the faint sound of broken glass hitting the ground in the laboratory.At that time, I did not go to inquire immediately, because abnormal noises in the laboratory are normal.

Lawyer Erson was invited by the old housekeeper to investigate on the 21st.After seeing the scene, it was suspected that the unconscious strange man was with the kidnappers, and he was abandoned by his accomplices because of serious injuries.

Five or six days passed, and the strange man was lying in the hospital without any sign of waking up.But there is no news about Dr. Jekyll, there is no news that his body was found to confirm his death, and there is no news that he was extorted for ransom.

Because of the lack of progress in the case, Attorney Erson felt powerless.

He thought of Mr. Minton, whom he had worked with a few years ago, when Mr. Minton found out a case of murdering an adopted son after a mother swapped a child.Looking at it now, I am afraid that only Mr. Minton can successfully find Dr. Jekyll, and he rushed to Yorkshire to ask for help without delay.

"Mr. Minton, please look."

Earson pointed to the man in the solitary ward whom he had hired to keep watch around the clock, the man who had become the only known opening in the investigation into Dr. Jekyll's disappearance.

"This is the man. He is in a coma in the laboratory. I have consulted with many experts, and the situation is not good. He has suffered severe blood loss due to a serious injury to the back of the head. He is likely to become a vegetable."

Mary observed the unconscious man on the hospital bed.The man was about the same age as Dr. Jekyll, and nothing else.

The height difference between the two is a head, and the appearance proves that they are born from the heart.The comatose man looked ugly, and even with his eyes closed, he felt a sense of ferocity rushing towards his face.On the other hand, Dr. Jekyll is a strict and kind handsome gentleman.

As Lawyer Earson said, one only needs to look at a strange man to know that he and Dr. Jekyll are people from two worlds.Don't look at the difference between cloud and mud, it's so obvious.

At this time, Mary was standing by the hospital bed, and for some reason a ridiculous and bold guess suddenly popped up in her mind.

——Is there really a transformation potion in the world?Can a person be transformed into another person who is the diametrically opposite?There is no DNA comparison technology in this era, but fingerprint comparison is possible.After transforming, will the fingerprints of the two change?