Baker Street Charterers

In the police station they met Lestrade who was explaining something to the current director seriously.Seeing Holmes and Nora walking in unscathed, Lestrade widened his eyes and stepped forward a little excitedly, "You are not injured? Oh, great, I thought—"

"Thanks for the update, Lestrade." Holmes smiled, and then asked curiously, "What's holding you back? I thought you had given up on this case."

Lestrade's face darkened, "Damn it - we had brought a lot of people on the road at that time, but we were stopped by a group of Quakers who came out of nowhere, claiming that there was an innocent The believers were detained by us in the police station. There are too many of them, and their attitude is firm. You know, that group of people are not easy to mess with. I had to go back halfway to find the so-called innocent believer, but there was no..."

"They've been cheated," said Holmes. "These Quakers are good and gullible, and we can't do anything about them—no one can be against God. Even if you know you're being led by the nose, you find Not to whoever did it - smart, very smart way."

"You mean, they are being used at all and have no intention of doing so?"

"Only that person knows the truth, but since it has already happened, it is meaningless to look for the reason." Holmes waved his hand.

At this time, the director also turned his head. This is a thin man in his 30s, with brown hair and yellow eyes. He often maintains an overly serious expression and looks as sharp as a lion.Alcott Barton, a promising iron-blooded man who climbed from the bottom all the way to the position of chief of the police department, is tough and known for his unselfishness.Originally, Nora admired the demeanor of this director very much, but his other identity made her a little afraid-this young and promising director was also Adams Duane's protégé. Personal relationship is very good.Therefore, they didn't dare to judge whether he also knew about the dirty deal that that person did in private and became a member of it.

After all, Adams Duane can be said to have contributed a lot to Barton being able to become a minister at this age and become a hot new political star in London.They really can't afford the risk.

Nora watched Alcott Barton approaching steadily, and fixed her sharp gaze on Holmes. After a pause, she asked in a deep and majestic voice like a waking male lion, "Are you Sherlock Holmes?"

Holmes stretched out his hands calmly and shook them, "Good afternoon, Commissioner Button."

Barton frowned slightly, stared at him for a while, and then said in a calm voice, "You really are just like what your brother said, and he described it very accurately."

elder brother?Mycroft?Barton actually knew Holmes' brother?

Judging from his tone, it seems that the relationship is also very good.After all, Mycroft wasn't in the habit of promoting his younger brother with his many eccentricities.Since Holmes was mentioned, it must be someone he considered reliable.

Could it be that the relationship between Alcott Barton and Adams Duane is not as personal as it is said to be?

Nora was seriously thinking about this question, but Holmes curled his lips indistinctly, apparently not having any optimistic expectations for his brother's so-called "description", "Oh? Since you and Mycroft are friends, then you also I know very well that I can only believe a third of what he says."

"Blunt, conceited, and stubborn." Barton whispered, "Then which one-third should I trust?"

Holmes, "..."

Nora couldn't help chuckling. It had to be said that Mycroft still hit the nail on the head, because the three points he said were indeed very accurate, and she had to admit it.

His brother is probably the only guy in the world who dares to call Sherlock Holmes "dumb".The great detective always intends to show his extraordinary reasoning ability and observation ability for details. Indeed, few people can match these points. Although he didn't say it directly, he is very proud of it without guessing in his heart.

Nora's laughter attracted Barton. He turned his head slightly and looked straight at her with his sharp eyes. Few people could maintain their calmness under his gaze or stare.But Nora wouldn't, she even showed a slight smile, bowed slightly to salute him, and said with a smile, "I've heard your name for a long time, Mr. Button."

"Long time, Miss Sharp." Unexpectedly, he recognized her, which made her impression of the director better.To be honest, there are really not many men in this era who think highly of women doing public work. Although Alcott Barton is too serious to get close to, his eyes did not show any contempt and discrimination. He even used a relatively respectful vocabulary.

The smile on Nora's face grew more genuine.Barton nodded slightly, then turned to Holmes, "If your trip is for the disappearance case... Come with me, I have something important to tell you."

Holmes paused for a few seconds, then nodded.Barton immediately turned his head and walked towards the cell.

Holmes and Nora followed, and Lestrade thought about the meaning of his superiors, but in the end he did not choose to go together.He screwed up the case, and probably the boss won't want to see his bad face again for a while.

Returning to this familiar place again, the same doorman was stunned when he saw the group of them, and quickly bowed, "Mr. Button, Mr. Holmes, and Miss Sharp."

Barton nodded and said to them, "This is the only place in the police station where you can talk. Maybe you still don't trust me, but you two, if you trust Mycroft...he is my friend, and I Told all the facts of the case, including that Moriarty."

Nora was taken aback, and Holmes also paused. He looked at him calmly for a while, but the stern sheriff's face remained unchanged, and his yellow eyes looked back at him, so Holmes smiled and said slowly, "Then you Is there anything important you need to tell me?" When he said that, he glanced at the gatekeeper next to him.

Button said immediately, "You can trust him... In fact, he passed the news to me."

The guard scratched his head and smiled.

"News?" Nora asked.

"About the traitor." Barton said surprisingly, "I always knew that there was an informant of the other party here, but he hid it very well. I couldn't find him before, until today."

Holmes said nothing.

Button looked at him seriously, "I know you still don't believe what I said, Holmes...In fact, I know that you followed Duane. I dare say, everyone knows that you did it."

Holmes raised his eyebrows suddenly, "Really? When did my tracking skills become so bad?"

"You are too conceited, Holmes." Barton shook his head. "You think that no one knows that you took a homeless man, questioned the twins, and then went to an underground brothel? You are not the only ones paying attention. Me. You're lucky, if Moriarty wanted your life, you'd have a hard time making it this far."

Holmes smiled slightly, "How well do you know your enemy, Mr. Button. Since I dared to go to such a dangerous place with only one companion, I am naturally not afraid that someone will take my life... Speaking of which, your performance It really surprised me."

Barton smiled, although the smile was so faint that it was almost invisible, "You think... Duane and I are in the same group, right? Because he promoted me?"

"Isn't that true?" asked Holmes sharply.

"This is indeed the truth." Barton was not angry, still calm, "It was out of common interests...but few people know that I discovered some of his improper transactions a long time ago, your brother and I , Mycroft, once reached an agreement, and in order to complete this agreement, we planned for many years... until you broke the surface calm."

Nora frowned, she seemed to understand something, but she was a little unsure.

protocol?He means……

"James Moriarty," Patton said, "he became famous earlier than you imagined, he did more things than you imagined, and his influence... To tell you the truth, Mike Rowe and I Ford started to think of a way to deal with him a long time ago, but he is too smart and cunning, we can only find another way..."

"Are you explaining the origin of your current title?" Holmes raised an eyebrow.

"Be patient, young man." Barton said in a deep voice, "This warning is not just for now... Yes, I am warning you, before everything is ready, don't startle the enemy, even though you have done so many times Yes. Your brother originally wanted to come and talk to you in person, but he thought maybe—no, definitely, what he said would only backfire, and that third of the 'stubbornness' shouldn't be groundless."

Nora glanced at Holmes secretly. The detective's expression was very calm, abnormally calm.As far as she knew, if someone had quoted Mycroft in such a way to satirize Holmes on weekdays, he would have retorted back, but he hadn't.

I really want to know what is going on in the mind of the great detective at this moment...the content in it must be very rich and interesting.

Until now, Nora finally believed that the director's words were true. He did have a good relationship with Mycroft. Judging by the faint smile in the eyes of this serious director and the teasing in his tone... he should know Holmes very well. style, and "very much appreciate" it.

Nora coughed lowly, as if nothing had happened, "Mr. Barton, I think we have received your kind warning...we will pay attention. Other than that?"

Holmes gave her a meaningful look, but she had no intention of understanding the meaning of that look.

"Besides that?" Barton paused for a while before opening his mouth in a deep voice, "I know you have some tricks, but don't think that you can deal with Moriarty with these alone, his connections are much wider than yours, don't Do something stupid. Tell us everything you know, and the rest...we'll take care of it."

Holmes seemed to have thought for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders, smiled slightly, narrowed his eyes, seemed to be serious, and then said casually, "Yes... Sheriff. We will do as you say."

"I will inform you of new news... If there is nothing important, don't come here casually. There are many eyes watching you." Barton nodded to them after saying this, and then nodded to the gatekeeper. Turning around and leaving with a steady pace as when he came.

Nora watched the director walk away before turning to look at Holmes. The big detective still had a casual smile on his face. Feeling her gaze, he turned his face and raised his eyebrows, "What's wrong?"

Nora was silent for a few seconds, "...you won't give up, am I right?"

The smile on Holmes' face deepened, and his gray eyes were as full of fighting spirit as a jungle hound.

"Of course not." His tone was very gentle. "Oh, dear Nora, I've always been the best brother to my brother, haven't I?"

"..."