Baker Street Charterers

Holmes and his party hurried to the Dolan Perfume Shop again, but Mr. Ethan Reed told them that the maid named Marianne had already left yesterday on leave because of something at home, and they managed to escape.

As for whether it is really "something at home", the time card is so coincidental and exquisite that one has to suspect that this is simply a pre-arranged conspiracy.

"As far as I can see," commented Holmes, "Mr. Marianne was not brought back here as Mr. Reed said, 'meeting Miss Bell by accident' as Mr. Reed said. It is very likely that the whole thing was premeditated. of."

"But what is she planning?" Nora was puzzled. "It must not be that she killed Miss Bell herself. Maybe she was a participant in it, but I don't understand what relationship she has with the murderer."

"This is the biggest doubt in this case." Holmes frowned. "Mr. Grayson, I think I need a little help from you."

"Of course."

"Please bring Mr. Robert and Miss Swan here separately. There must be some key point that we have overlooked."

Regarding this mysterious case that had caused Gleason a lot of trouble, he couldn't wait for a reasonable result to meet his superiors' explanation, so he responded abnormally to Holmes' requests.He quickly brought the three of them to the police station, arranged for them to enter different interrogation rooms, and the first person they interrogated was Robert who had just met.

"Hello, doctor." Holmes sat down, faced the other party's surprised gaze, and said calmly, "I think I need to re-introduce myself. I am Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective."

Robert's eyes flicked back and forth between him and Nora who was standing behind him, and he sneered mockingly, "Oh, then I guess, this must not be your wife, Miss Marianne, right?"

Facing such sarcasm, Holmes didn't change his expression, "Oh, it's true that her name is not Marianne. In fact, it belongs to a maid who introduced Miss Bell to you. Maybe you have an impression?"

Robert snorted coldly, "Is it a beauty? Then maybe I will have a little impression."

It seems that the answer is no, Holmes continued to ask, "Do you know the news that Miss Cheryl Bell was murdered?"

Robert was silent for a moment, but his voice softened, and he seemed a little dazed, "Yes... I saw the newspaper, and I know why you asked me to come here, but I can tell you very clearly that her death has nothing to do with me. Nothing to do."

"I doubt it very much." Grayson snorted coldly, "Do you know that Miss Bell is three months pregnant, and it is very likely that it is your child."

Robert was completely stunned, he stared at Gleason's face, "Is what you said true?"

"Of course it is."

Robert collapsed on the chair as if his spine had been taken away. He smiled wryly, "No... I don't know at all. She didn't tell me. I thought we were honest enough."

"That's obviously not the case." Holmes' eyes were full of scrutiny. "Can you describe in detail when you met Miss Bell and how you got along with it?"

Robert's eyes gradually became distant, "I remember, of course I remember... I was still in the hospital that afternoon, and a nurse said that a lady was introduced by an acquaintance and hoped that I could be in charge of her condition. I still remember that she was wearing a suit The black skirt, the black lace pearl-decorated top hat, the silent and elegant appearance... I have seen many beauties in my life, but very few people have eyes like hers, she looks empty and indifferent..."

Nora scratched her head impatiently.Gleason next to him listened with gusto.

It was just a very common cheating love story, a quiet and slightly nervous young beauty who didn't love her husband, a handsome young man who was romantic and sweet-talking, and finally the ice was melted by fire, and she had never been pursued so passionately by a man Cheryl was successfully dumped by the former military doctor, and they agreed to meet once or twice a week, except for her maid, few people knew the truth about "Madam going out to see a doctor".

When Robert described his beloved wife, his tone was full of love and nostalgia. In his eyes, Cheryl Bell was completely different from Ethan Reid's description. She loved reading books, behaved elegantly, and was usually silent, but stared at his eyes. Her eyes were "like flames burning under the ice (his words)", and she was fascinated by her innate aristocratic temperament.

Nora turned her head and secretly whispered to Holmes, "Is this really a person?"

Holmes replied in a low voice, "When a woman faces a man she loves and a man she doesn't love, it's often the difference between fire and ice."

Judging by Robert's attitude, he really liked this lady very much, and he didn't seem to have any motive or reason to kill her.

"Suppose she took that train of death just to tell you that she was pregnant?" asked Holmes, especially sharply.

Robert froze for a moment, and then vowed, "Of course I will be responsible, she is the woman I love!"

"And Miss Ida Swan?" Nora interrupted suddenly. "Did you tell her that too?"

Robert's face froze, and his expression became ugly.He swallowed impatiently in silence, and whispered with some difficulty, "...You all know?"

"Not all women only have a handsome but useless face in their eyes." Nora's voice was flat, but his face turned pale with sarcasm. Miss Da Swan, in the end, she chose to leave you because she was pregnant, but you chose a completely different way of speaking, didn't you?"

"...I, I have no choice but to!" Robert retorted fiercely, "I had just retired, and the army didn't take care of us soldiers who had shed blood and sacrificed for the country. I had no money, no job, nothing—I Can't feed her, I, I have to—"

"I'm not interested in the love-hate relationship between you and Miss Swann." Holmes waved his hand indifferently. "I only care about how you and Miss Swann rekindled the old relationship afterwards?"

Robert slumped his shoulders, "About five months ago... She didn't know how she found me, she said she didn't resent me for abandoning her then... She still loved me, but I... I was I already know Xie Li..."

He covered his forehead in shame, not daring to look back into their eyes, "I rejected her for the first time... But she never gave up, she even waited for me downstairs all night... I—"

Nora frowned tightly, even though she understood that Ida Swan was not as innocent and harmless as it appeared on the surface, but her actions were indeed suspicious.

"Five months ago? One month after you met Miss Cheryl Bell?" Holmes grasped the key.

"Yes...I, I know that you will look down on me, but after all, I was the one who felt sorry for her back then...I, I can't refuse her for the third time..."

Nora curled her lips and said nothing about this statement. I am afraid that this doctor has a very beautiful idea in his heart. A white rose and a black tulip can not only appreciate Miss Bell's quiet and melancholy, but also enjoy Miss Swan's happiness. She's so gentle and lovely, anyway, it's still not the man who will suffer in the end.

"Did Miss Swan mention Miss Bell in the meantime?"

Robert gave him a surprised look, "Of course not, they definitely don't know each other."

Nora sneered, don't you know?Does he really think that he is so charming that the two women can't detect each other's existence, and then continue to have a romantic relationship with peace of mind?

"As regards the red pen," said Holmes at last, "do you recall any evidence concerning it?"

Robert thought about it for a while, "...a red gift box was delivered together. I found it at the door of my house yesterday morning. There was also a piece of paper inside, the most ordinary paper, with a sentence written on it, 'The smartest person in the world Can get the richest treasure, look forward to our meeting, your sincere m'."

Robert felt distressed because of this, "Who do you think will give me this pen? How would he know that I lost such a pen half a year ago?"

Nora and Holmes glanced at each other, and their eyes became heavy.

Robert couldn't get any more meaningful information here, and Holmes chose to move on to the next key figure, Miss Swan, the dripping water Guanyin.

The lady with a pure and lovely face looked extremely aggrieved when she saw them for the first time, she opened her rosy lips as if she wanted to say something, but she obviously underestimated the immunity of the people in this room to beauties.Gleason turned his head away in disdain, while Nora directly put out her hand to stop what she wanted to say, "—stop, dear Ida, we are not Mr. Robert Lee with only chest muscles but no brains, just be direct Well, we are well aware of your intimate relationship with Mr. Reed and Robert, and of your sweet past with him... You really don't need to refute this, or do you feel the need to produce some evidence, such as, Those wonderful paintings?"

Ada immediately choked up, her shoulders tensed subconsciously, her fingers clenched the corner of her skirt tightly, but her face was calm, "...Yes, I did love Robert and became Ethan's lover, but What does that have to do with my coming here?"

"Because a reliable witness told us not long ago that you and the maid named 'Marian' had met in private." Nora replied slowly.

Holmes remained expressionless, with a very light smile in his eyes.Gleason, on the other hand, abruptly stopped the movement of looking back in surprise, and stood stiffly on the spot.

Ada's face turned pale in an instant, she moved the chair legs in panic, and almost subconsciously retorted, "——No——It's impossible——I clearly—"

In the middle of the conversation, she suddenly stopped. Facing Nora's smiling and triumphant face, she clenched her hands tightly and couldn't stop her resentment, "...you lied to me?!"

Nora shrugged, "Someone once told me that the result is the most important thing. Facts have proved that it is feasible, isn't it?"

Still composed, Holmes said, "Hail to the great man who uttered this proverb—and now, Ida Swan, I think you already know why you came here, or do you think more is needed?" evidence to prove that you are inextricably linked to this murder?"

"...I didn't kill Cheryl Bell." She yelled out of control, "I didn't kill her!"

"All the prisoners would say that." Gleason mocked without any sympathy.

Ida Swan was trembling all over, her eyes were full of anger and hatred. She was not a person with a firm mind, but this round of blows and revelations brought her emotions close to the verge of collapse. She almost screamed hysterically , "——No! I didn't kill her, even if I wanted to do it, but I didn't have time to do it!"

Oh——It was an attempted murder that had been planned for a long time. Everyone nodded in understanding, and their eyes on her became more and more contemptuous.

Sure enough, it looks like a harmless lily but is actually poisonous Dripping Avalokitesvara.