Baker Street Charterers

"Then, I think I should take my leave," said Holmes slowly to the baker, putting on his top hat.

The boss, who was forced to walk around the mill with him and listened to a bunch of nonsense, was confused and nodded. Just as he was about to say something, Holmes' gaze suddenly turned to his. Behind him, he showed a very satisfied smile.

A bad premonition suddenly fell on the boss's bald head, he immediately turned his head, and then his face turned pale - a strangely dressed young woman appeared from nowhere, holding his son's collar, walking towards here with a smile come over.

It is said that Mr. McAdam Baker, who was "missing for two days", was bound by a young woman with a string, his hair and clothes were messy, he limped, and he looked extremely embarrassed.

"Look, Mr. Holmes, if you hire me, you will never have to worry about losing the value of that pound." As soon as Nora let go, McAdam's feet went limp, and he fell at Holmes' feet, his face pale and speechless.

Holmes glanced at Andrew, who was also pale, and smiled enthusiastically, "In this case, Miss Nora Sharp will definitely tell me about your interesting hide-and-seek process."

"Of course." Nora said with a smile, "You don't know how cunning this guy is—hiding in a secret attic, if he didn't run out by himself, no one would find him there—of course, not including me and You." She flattered her employer tactfully, then continued—

"At first I also thought that my guess was wrong, and he was not hiding there, but sometimes it is so lucky-God bless, today is a sunny day, with plenty of light and bright sunlight, enough for me to spot this Mike When Mr. Adam hid in the attic, the faint silhouette cast by the sunlight from the floor."

McAdam would never have guessed that he was discovered in this way—by being betrayed by the sun.He looked hopeless and exhausted, his shoulders slumped, and he was disheartened.

Holmes raised his eyebrows. Even though he was aware of Nora's specialness, he was still slightly surprised by the other party's meticulousness. He unconsciously lingered on for a few seconds, then moved away, and paused on the face of the bakery owner. .

"Look, Andrew Baker, I reminded you before that you must pay attention to the truthfulness of every word you say. I think the warning is clear enough." Holmes' face gradually became serious, his gray eyes were always sharp and calm, and his voice was deep, " If you continue to shield McAdam Baker in the name of your father, then your son will lose his last chance to plead his innocence - as one of the murder suspects."

Andrew's face turned completely pale, and Holmes took the opportunity to add the last sentence, "Then, do you have anything else to say about this?"

Nora watched all this with great interest, and it is obviously Mr. Detective's strength to grasp the loopholes in people's hearts and make insinuations.

"This matter has nothing to do with my father." McAdam, who had always been depressed, suddenly said, he closed his eyes resignedly, his thin body couldn't help curling up, his face was gray, "...it has nothing to do with him."

Holmes opened his pocket watch and looked. "Before the detective tells his superiors to come and arrest you, you have five minutes to defend yourself, Mr. McAdam Baker."

The young man opened his lips, and after a long silence, he finally spoke in a hoarse, tormented voice, "Maybe you won't believe that I, I didn't kill Julie...I didn't kill her."

Holmes raised his eyebrows, "Go ahead."

McAdam's lips had a thick layer of skin, his face was haggard, and his eyes were black and blue. It was obvious that he had a bad time, very bad.He silently stood up under his father's support, raised his eyes, and looked at Holmes, tired and calm, "I like Julie...very, very much, and I will never hurt her that much...even if she doesn't love Holmes." I."

Nora's brows twitched. Sure enough, the facts were different from the rumors. Since she didn't like McAdam, what was the reason for Julie's elopement?

"Since you found me, I thought, maybe telling me everything I know will not hurt my father." The filial and thin young man sighed, his eyes gradually became distant, as if he was lost in memory, "...I see Julie often. Since a year ago, she has always come here to buy bread. She is very beautiful. Even if she is just a maid, she is beautiful enough to attract the attention of the whole street..."

"I asked people who knew about her, she was called Julie, and she worked as a maid at Brown's in Regent Street... It's ridiculous, I know I don't deserve her, but no one can stop me from admiring her, as long as she is still Without a lover, there is a chance to marry someone else, isn't it?"

McAdam smiled wryly, "Maybe I look like a fool in your eyes. You can despise me because of this, but you can't convince me that people who fall in love are always so humble. I started saving money secretly, hoping that if someone One day she finds out about my affection for her, maybe...a slim hope, she will take a look at me. Even if I know very well that a baker's son, saving money for a year, may not be worth the silver bracelet in her hand Pawned gold coins."

Nora paused.

"Wait." She interrupted him suddenly, her eyes gradually becoming serious, "You mean... a silver bracelet?"

McAdam looked at her blankly, "...yes."

"When did you find out Julie started wearing that silver bracelet?"

McAdam hesitated for a while, "About... a month after I met her."

"In other words, one year and two months ago from today?"

"...probably so."

Holmes also looked pensive.

"What's the matter, is there a problem?" McAdam asked.

Nora shook her head, "Go on."

He was silent for a while, suppressing his uneasiness, and then continued, "...I know this kind of life won't last long, Julie is so beautiful... Sooner or later, someone richer than me will want her more, I just didn't expect it to be that fast."

There were tears in his eyes, "...just half a year ago, she came to me suddenly, she had never been so embarrassed, she was always quiet and gentle, but that day she was wearing her hair, her face was swollen, She came to me crying, begging me to take her away... She was crying so sadly, I couldn't refuse her request, even if I knew she didn't love me, but it didn't matter, I would treat her well, well ..."

His face became numb, "But before I packed my things, the stewards of Brown's house and the police had found us, and I was beaten up by them. They were all carrying guns. I couldn't fight back at all. I had to Watching Julie being taken away...I'm just a poor boy...can't do anything...can't do anything."

"I lay in bed for three days before I could move. Everyone told me that it was impossible between us. Of course I knew. No one knew better than me. Heh——Julie has lovers, but they can't be together. Like us..."

Nora narrowed her eyes slightly.

McAdam's lips quivered. "I thought it was over...I'll never see her again until that day...she—Julie, the day before she died..." The words were hard for him. , His eyes were red, "Yes, there was a woman who came to me. She said that Julie had a very painful life. She missed me very much and hoped that I could take her away. This time, she said that she would help us... ..."

His body began to tremble, and the pain and guilt made him shrink into a ball, "But I dare not... that experience was too terrible, I dare not take any more risks... I am a poor boy, I have no courage I am afraid that my father will be implicated, I am afraid that if we fail, we will be arrested again..."

"...I hid in the house and didn't go to the pier."

Not daring to look up at everyone, he whimpered, "...I didn't keep the promise, I abandoned Julie, God punished me, and I lost her forever."

"I know you're going to come to me and think that I have something to do with Julie's death...you're not wrong, I didn't kill her, but I did, and if I could work up the courage to meet her that day, maybe...maybe She will live, she may not die..."

The following things are self-evident. Andrew hoped that his son could escape to avoid being arrested, but he did not follow his advice out of great guilt, but hid here, suffering from the torture of conscience every day.

However, this love story did not move Nora. She just stared at him calmly and sharply, and said plainly——

"If you don't mind, I'd like to be able to ask you a few questions."

"First, you said that Julie has a lover. I want to know, how did you know, who is her lover?"

"Second, what does the woman who came to you look like?"

"I want you to tell me the answer honestly."

McAdam looked at Holmes hesitantly, but Mr. Detective just smiled and shrugged, expressing that he didn't care.

He was silent for a while, but he still chose to speak, "...Julie's silver bracelet was given by him——she told me herself that I am also in love, and I can see that she has a lover, and it's not difficult Guess, as for who, I don't know, she didn't tell anyone."

"That woman...she had a hood on, and I just remember her eyes were green...just like yours."