Mary's Nineteenth Century

As Christmas approaches, why are there so many tourists in the supposedly deserted town of Salem?

Mary scoops up some news over dinner.

The broom hotel is not big, with only a dozen rooms in total.The tourists who came here to stay here unexpectedly gathered people from different countries such as France, Tsarist Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

in the restaurant.

Travelers did not strictly abide by the dining etiquette, and sat down in twos and threes.Even if you don't chat loudly, the neighbors can still hear a little bit of the conversation.

What draws people to small towns sounds simple and straightforward.

The prestigious Peabody Museum has acquired a new collection.This museum, founded in 1799, mainly collects exhibits on art and culture.

This time, I heard that curator White bought a batch of antiquities related to the Mayan civilization.It is ready to be exhibited at the beginning of the new year after Christmas.

Since it will not be exhibited until after Christmas, why rush to this place?

This group of visitors was obviously not simple, they were well-informed collectors who arrived in Salem just before the official exhibition.

In just one meal, twenty or so people who are not familiar with each other in the restaurant have reached an agreement.

They couldn't hold back the idea of ​​seeing it quickly, and they planned to find the curator together and ask for accommodation to conduct an internal tour in advance.

"Mrs. Roman, are you also here to visit the museum?"

Mary listened in the restaurant, and she was also a little surprised that the news of the museum's new exhibits had not been published in the newspaper.

What was even more surprising was that Mrs. Roman appeared in the restaurant.

During the voyage of the Diamond cruise ship, this person can enjoy three meals in the room without going out for several days, but today's situation is different.

"and you?"

Mycroft asked without answering, "Are you here to make up for the regret?"

What regrets?

In the past, it was a pity that the antiques of the Hermes Society Trade Fair were half-truths and half-truths.It's a pity that I gave up my leisure time at home on Christmas, and instead came to Salem in the wind and snow to plan to appreciate the exhibits in advance.

Perhaps Mary could have used this excuse, but instead she waggled her right index finger.

"No, no, you guessed wrong this time. Before I arrived in Salem, I didn't know that there was a new exhibit. How could I be so well-informed as an ordinary person. This time, I came for an old matter. "

At this point, Mary's right index finger fell on the table, writing out a set of numbers "1858".She lowered her voice, "Madam, you are as smart as you, now you should understand why I came here."

Although Captain Bolton says no one else has approached him about Theon's death, Mary suspects that the anonymous letter was not the only one sent to her.The most likely other recipient was Madame Romain, who was in charge of the autopsy at the time.

"It was really unexpected."

Mycroft understood the meaning of 1858. He was not surprised that Mr. Minton could solve the mystery, but he also didn't expect that the Diamond, which he didn't intend to continue to pay attention to, was secretly pointing to the small town of Salem.

That's just a coincidence.

An intelligence officer disappeared in the small town, a group of collectors arrived in the small town, and the Diamond was secretly pointed at the small town.

Is it by chance that everything came together?

Or is there some kind of inevitability hidden under chance?

Almost instantly, Mycroft made a decision, and he half-truthfully revealed his intention. "As you say, I certainly have nothing to hide from you. I came to Salem in search of one thing."

what to look for?

The last time I was looking for Mrs. Roman's old friend Mrs. Susan, this time I was looking for a pocket watch.

"I heard that some thrift stores in Salem sell all kinds of interesting little things. Anyway, I spend Christmas alone, so I might as well go shopping."

Mycroft brought out Mrs. Roman's late husband again, saying that collecting pocket watches was a hobby of the late husband. "In previous years, a pocket watch could be used as a Christmas gift; this year, I also came to find goods on a whim."

Mary: Really?

She couldn't believe a word of such a touching habit of love.

The next moment, Mary praised her sincerity, "Mrs. Roman, you really value love and loyalty. Since we met here by coincidence, why not continue our cooperation on the cruise ship. Christmas can also be more meaningful."

To put it simply, when you come, you come, and when you are idle, you are also idle.

How about just buying a pocket watch, why not find out why someone left a sackcloth pointing to Witch Town on the Diamond.

Mary: Since the fact that the two collided can't be changed, it's useless to use the handy helper that comes to your door.

"Okay, why don't we go to another place and talk about the known news in detail."

Mycroft couldn't say bluntly that he was very busy, busy looking for missing intelligence personnel, but he admitted that he was not lying.

The so-called finding a pocket watch that is pleasing to the eye, customizing a pocket watch is the joint proof, and it is really to find the watch and its user.Finding missing persons under the banner of finding the secrets of the Diamond is also a good cover.

Mycroft: Now that the wish of purity has come to nothing, don't reject the help that comes to your door.

The two looked at each other and smiled, as if they hit it off.

Leaving the restaurant immediately, Mary proposed to take a walk outside the hotel, while taking a walk to digest food, while talking about the details of the discovery of the sackcloth on the Diamond.

In this way, the first night in the small town of Salem seemed to be uneventful.

Everything is peaceful.

Taiping has reached the point where "doors are not closed at night, and things are not picked up on the road".

The next day, the travelers at the broom hotel hardly slept in.Collectors from all over the world ate breakfast and went to the Peabody Museum in teams.

Mary and Mycroft aren't interested in Mayan antiquities, but they hitch a ride.

Because the "∞" symbol left by the diamond linen strip may represent some kind of mystical meaning, and it may be related to an ancient object, so it's better to go and have a look.

A group of people arrive at the museum.

I originally thought that I could always make an appointment with Director White to chat about appreciating the exhibits in advance, but I was told that the curator did not come to work today.

This is unavoidably disappointing.

At this time, everyone still didn't know another news that might make them almost desperate.

10 minutes away from Museum II, the atmosphere in Director White's home is unusually dignified.

At around nine o'clock in the morning, White woke up from a hangover.

Last night, he drank and chatted with two guests at home.

Even if he drank a little too much, he didn't worry at all.Drink at home, go back to bed when drunk, don't worry about any accidents.

Get up, wash up, go downstairs to eat.

White didn't miss the warmth of the big bed, because the guests who drank with him yesterday stayed at his house temporarily, and now as the host, it is necessary to show up at the dinner table with due courtesy.

Before breakfast, White made a detour to the study.

The newly purchased antiquities of the Mayan civilization are temporarily kept at home and have not yet been collected in the museum showroom.For half a month, he habitually looked at it in the morning and evening.

When I entered the study, I felt that something was not quite right.

One of the windows was not closed tightly, and the curtains were slightly blown by the wind.

Abnormal!

Curator White is used to leaving the study and closing the doors and windows tightly. Did someone come in without permission last night?

At the first moment, Director White thought of the Mayan civilization collection in the cabinet.

Taking out the key to open the cabinet, one of the original 35 exhibits was missing, and the head of the black water ghost skull the size of an adult male fist was gone.

Skulls have important symbolic meanings in ancient American civilizations and are associated with sacrifices and divination.

According to Mayan legend, in addition to using human skulls, priests also carved thirteen crystal heads.Collect all the crystal heads, and you can master the mysteries of life and death.

Legends are just legends.

Director White didn't take it too seriously until he found this black crystal head in South America last month.Its carving technique can be called uncanny workmanship, and it makes people believe that the legendary power may really exist.

After digging out such a treasure, Director White hesitated whether to put it on display in the museum.

Last night, he got drunk enough to drink, so he invited the two guests to come to the study to admire the crystal head.

Unexpectedly, now it feels like a blow to the head.

White rubbed his eyes in disbelief, and groped around the corners of the cabinet again.No, the fist-sized crystal is really gone.

Who stole the crystal head?

It is impossible to disappear out of thin air.

There is no sign of the study and the cabinet being pried, and the key has always been carried with him.

From nine o'clock last night to nine o'clock this morning, within twelve hours, someone must have secretly taken the key.

who is it?

It was hard for White not to suspect the two guests.The crystal skull was hidden at home for half a month, but it disappeared after being admired for the first time. Doesn’t it mean that there are some problems?

"Yesterday, I was a little drunk and fell asleep in the reception room for a while."

White tried to remember, and it seemed that around 10:30, he was sprawled on the table.Dimly, he thought that the other two were also drunk and unconscious.

until eleven o'clock struck.

White raised his head in a daze, and then the three went back to their rooms to rest.

Is that half an hour?

White suspected that the two guests took advantage of his unpreparedness to take the key, went back and forth to the study once and stole the crystal head.

Maybe, not necessarily stealing.

White comforted himself, maybe the other party was also drunk, and drunks would inevitably do some outrageous behaviors.

Now, both guests are still there.

White took a deep breath and decided to cut straight to the point.

"Do you suspect that someone, me or Anfinsen, accidentally took out the crystal head?"

Bentley's eyes widened. He never expected to hear such a terrible question when he woke up with a hangover for the first time in the United States.He almost patted himself on the head, never expecting such absurd thing to happen.

In mid-November, Bentley arrived in New York to place orders for stock tickers, and he did not immediately return to London.During this trip to the United States, I originally planned to visit several friends from my school days.Anfinsen, who runs an antique business, is one of them.

Bentley originally planned to sail back to England for Christmas in early December.

However, Anfinsen warmly invited them to participate in several antique exchange meetings, so he was also aroused and decided to stay for a while longer.

Who would have thought that all the joy would end in the morning in Salem.

At this moment, the accused Bentley and Anfinsen both refused to admit that they had touched the crystal head.

Anfinsen even said directly, "Curator White, we have known each other for five or six years. Do I look like a thief? If you are worried, then I am willing to be searched. Anyway, Bentley and I were at your house last night. Overnight, as long as it is proved that the crystal head is not on us, we are innocent."

That's a good point.

Director White also thinks the same way, but he can't expressly want to conduct a body search, and it would be best for the suspect to propose it on his own initiative.

Bingley's face was dark. He thought that if Darcy was wronged, he would definitely not agree to the insulting body search.Right now, he reluctantly agrees, just to avoid violent conflicts on other people's territory.

The result of the search was nothing.

Bingley and Anfinsen's clothes, briefcases, rooms, etc. were searched everywhere, but they didn't even find half a piece of black crystal.

As a result, Director White fell into deeper confusion and suspicion, so where did the crystal head go?Could it be that the servants at home stole the black crystal skull while he was off guard?

Another round of searches began.

Bentley and Anfinsen did not want to stay for a moment longer.

It was impossible to sit down to breakfast in peace of mind, get dressed and go back to the hotel in the carriage.

"Oh! Bad luck."

Bentley was about to get out of the carriage when he noticed that the small silver pendant had fallen off the newly purchased two-headed Albert fob chain.It was not found in the carriage seat, and it may have been dropped at Curator White's house.

"God bless, Bentley, are you going to look for the Whites again?"

Anfinsen mentioned Curator White, and his complexion was not good. No one wanted to be wronged as a thief.

Bentley hesitated a little, and it would be fine to match the decorative pendant, so there is no need to look for it again, right?He was about to shake his head when he heard the sound of a carriage pulling up behind him.

Turn around inadvertently.

Bingley couldn't help laughing, he wasn't unlucky to the end, let's see who he met. "Good morning! Mr. Minton, I didn't expect to see you here."

"good morning."

Mary nodded slightly and gave a standard gentlemanly smile.

But in her heart, she felt more and more that the town of Salem was about to have an accident. She hadn't forgotten who gave the "Diamond" boat ticket.

Mycroft got out of the car with the last step.Having been on the same cruise ship, he certainly remembered the Bentley.

At this moment, his eyes darkened.Glancing at the Bentley, the double-headed Albert bracelet he wears looks familiar, the kind of engraving that proves the identity of its original owner.

—It belonged to the missing intelligence officer.

Missing is a state of ambiguity, and most of it is more ominous than good.

How could Bentley have this watch chain that shouldn't belong to him?