Baker Street Charterers

221b Baker Street was caught in a strange atmosphere.

For Watson, whose reaction was slightly lower than the normal level, his intuitive feeling was "something seems wrong, but he can't say it". the edge of.Nora behaved normally, but seemed a little more silent than usual.Holmes keenly sensed the abnormality of his girlfriend, but this feeling was too weak, and it seemed to be related to the newspaper scandal that evening, but he couldn't shame himself to apologize, so he had to let it go.

This state of affairs continued until the second case, which may be called a "grand mystery," came.

On this day, Baker Street ushered in a lady. She was wearing a dark brown woolen dress, simple in style without any lace decorations, and a hat of the same color with white feathers. Her face was slightly inferior to Amanda's, but A pair of big blue eyes are full of spirit, elegant and noble. Among the women Nora has seen, this visitor can have a very high score overall.

Watson has recently been in the sad mood of a broken love. The daughter of the hotel proprietress had to reluctantly part with the doctor because she had gone to another place.When this Miss Morstan came, Watson looked out of the window with a downcast face and was in a daze. Hearing the sound of light footsteps, he turned his head and met the lady's gentle eyes. He froze for a moment, as if His whole body trembled like being shocked by an electric shock, and then he stood up immediately.

Everyone paid attention to him, and Watson came back to his senses, awkwardly invited him to sit down, and brought him hot tea.

Miss Morstan introduced herself succinctly. She seemed to be in an anxious situation, her lips trembled slightly, she looked nervous and restless, and she clasped her hands, and said in a low voice, "Mr. Holmes, because my mistress Heather Mrs. Forester's introduction, I'm here to ask you for advice, I hope you can accept my request."

Holmes straightened up and shifted his gaze to Nora who was flipping through the magazine. He paused for a second before turning his head and concentrating on it. He said in a low voice, "Please speak."

Miss Morstan took a deep breath, Watson was keenly aware of her emotions, and comforted her softly, "You don't need to be nervous, Miss Morstan, if you think it's inconvenient for us to be here, we can... "

"No, not at all." The lady stopped Watson with her gloved hand. "Perhaps you could be of great help to me if you would sit down for a while."

Watson immediately sat on his sofa, his eyes sparkling.

Nora raised her head, looked at Watson with a half-smile, closed the magazine and stood up, nodding to the people in the room, "I think I should leave..."

Holmes looked up at her. "You don't need to avoid it at all, Miss Nora Sharp. Don't you think it is one of the duties of your job to listen to cases?"

Nora paused. She scrutinized Holmes for a few seconds. Before she could speak, she heard Watson hurriedly smooth things over, "I agree with Sherlock very much. Nora, I think you will be more useful here. some."

In order to restore the inexplicable estrangement last time, Mr. Watson tactfully and humorously laughed at himself, successfully making Nora show a helpless smile. She sighed, turned around and sat back on the sofa, and treated Miss Morstan softly. With a smile, "Please, ma'am."

Holmes slowly relaxed his shoulders and leisurely shook his pipe, but did not light it.

Maybe it was because of the weird aura between Nora and Holmes. Miss Morstan's eyes turned around between the two, and after a pause, she slowly said, "In short, the thing is like this... "

"My father was an officer. He had been working in India. He was the oldest captain in the regiment. He sent me back to England when I was very young. My mother died early. He couldn't take care of me, so he sent me. Went to boarding school in Edinburgh, where I spent seventeen years."

"In [-], when my father took a year's leave to return home, he telegraphed me from London to say that he had arrived safely in London, and that he was staying at the Langham Hotel, and that I should join him at once. I went there by car without stopping, but the manager told me that Captain Morstan did live here, but he never came back after going out the night before. I waited for a day and there was no news, so I followed the boss's advice and reported the case , maybe you have also seen it in the missing person notice in the newspaper, but after so many years, I still have no news of him..."

Miss Morstan covered her face with her hands, and she was sobbing before she finished speaking. Watson patted her on the shoulder lightly, and handed over a clean handkerchief in a gentlemanly manner.

Nora stared at the handkerchief—where did it come from?Hell, Watson still has such a pick-up thing ready at any time?

Holmes pondered for a while before continuing to ask, "Do you still remember the exact date?"

"December 1878, 12, the day he disappeared—almost five years now."

"His luggage?"

"It's in the hotel. I looked through it. There are some clothes and books, and many antiques from the Andaman Islands. He used to work there. I can't see any clues about his disappearance."

Holmes frowned. "Then do you know any close relations with him in London?"

"I only know of one," said Miss Morstan gloomily, "Major Sholto of the No. 30 Fourth Regiment of the Army at Bombay, and they serve in one regiment. Contacted him, but he didn't even know about my father's return to England."

Holmes narrowed his eyes slightly, "This is really strange..."

"The strangest thing I haven't told you yet - about six months ago, on the 1882th of May, 5 to be exact, an advertisement was placed in The Times asking for the address of Miss Mary Morstan , and mentioned that it would be of interest if she responded, without any signature. At that time, I had just arrived at Mrs. Heather's house as a governess. I replied to the advertisement, and someone sent me a small letter from the post office that day. The cardboard box—contained a very large shiny pearl, without a single word—I have received the same box every year since then on the same day, with the same pearl, and no one has a clue. I have had someone identify them, these pearls are rare treasures, worth 4, please see—”

She spread out a cardboard box in her hand, which contained six fine pearls that no one in the room had ever seen in their life.

The luster is soft, the texture is delicate, and the shape is full. It is indeed the most valuable jewelry.

However, Holmes only glanced at it before withdrawing his gaze, "Is there any other news?"

"Yes, I received another letter this morning. Please take a look. This is why I came to ask you for advice."

Miss Morstan handed the letter to Holmes together with the envelope, postmarked South West London, dated September 9th, with a thumb's imprint on the corner, very good paper, envelopes in bundles of sixpence, apparently from the sender Pay attention to the quality of life - "At seven o'clock tonight, please wait for me in front of the third pillar on the left outside the Lyceum Theater. If you have doubts, you can bring friends with you. You are a wronged woman and you will definitely get justice Treat. Don't bring the police, or we won't be able to meet." Signed, your unknown friend.

Holmes looked at the letter with his head down, and said slowly, "Then, Miss Morstan, what do you think of this matter?"

"That's exactly what I need to discuss with you," said the lady anxiously. "I must go—yes, you and I, Dr. Watson, and this..."

"Nora Sharp," said Holmes, "doctor's assistant and bodyguard."

"..." Mary Morstan was stunned, probably because the meaning of the last word was too shocking, she waited for a few seconds before she spoke again, "Well... and this Miss Sharp, I want to ask, Would you like to go with me?"

Watson said earnestly, "I am very much at your service."

Nora gave Watson a meaningful look, "Of course, no gentleman with a compassionate heart will refuse to lend a helping hand."

The doctor smiled embarrassedly.

Mary Morstan gave a grateful smile, "Thank you so much for being so kind. I'm very lonely and I have no friends to help me except you—I'll be here about six o'clock, okay?"

Holmes nodded slightly reservedly, "It can't be too late. One more thing, is this letter the same as the handwriting on the box where the beads were sent?"

Mary immediately took out six pieces of paper, "They are all here, please have a look."

Holmes smiled. "You are very careful. Among my clients, you can be regarded as a model."

He spread out all the letter papers, compared them, and said slowly, "Let me see... Except for this letter, the other handwritings are all fake, but they are all from the same person... You ask me why? Please see This Greek letter e is so obvious, and look at the bend of the letter s at the end. Miss Morstan, I don't want to give you any uncertain hopes, but I still want to ask if there is any similarity between this handwriting and your father's ?”

"Not at all, sir."

Holmes nodded. "I think so too. Then, please leave these papers here so that I can study them. Good-bye at 06:30, Miss Morstan."

Mary Morstan stooped with gratitude in her bright, soft eyes, and hurried out.

Watson stared at the back of the lady walking lightly outside the window, watched her gray beanie gradually disappear in the crowd, and sighed softly.

"What a charming girl, isn't it, Watson?" quipped Nora with a half-smile.

Watson admitted almost without hesitation, "Yes, she is very exciting."

Holmes, however, lit his pipe without much interest, leaned back on the chair, lowered his eyelids, and said in a listless manner, "Really, I didn't pay much attention."

Nora didn't say much, she stood up and put on her coat, "I'm going out, gentlemen, I will be back on time before 06:30."

"I'll go with you." Holmes immediately stood up, put on the gray windbreaker as well, smiled charmingly at Nora's suspicious gaze, and said calmly, "We'll be on our way."

"..." She didn't seem to say where she was going yet—Nora shook her head speechlessly, and went downstairs one after the other without thinking too much, "Then let's go, Mr. Holmes."

"Sherlock." He reminded softly.

Nora opened the door, pulled her drooping forehead hair behind her ears, and replied flatly, "It doesn't make any difference."