178 – A Study in Scarlet (3)
“Stupid bastard, you should cut off that guy’s head and kill him! “Stupid bastards who think their heads are just for decoration, they’re worse than animals!”
“Ho… Holmes, be careful what you say! “I can hear everything!”
“Ha, Watson! Did I say something wrong? I’m a fool who would have lived in the Middle Ages, so I guess I should follow their ways! That idiot doesn’t even know he missed the killer, right? Damn it!”
After visiting an unnamed police inspector who was off duty and resting at home, Holmes got into the carriage, swearing, while Watson looked around as if he had heard the swearing and tried to appease his friend in any way possible.
His friend, Sherlock Holmes, was clearly a very irritable friend. However, in Watson’s opinion, there was no reason to be very strange.
Of course, Holmes was truly a rare eccentric even in Watson’s eyes, but the same symptoms and twisted personality as Holmes often appeared in smart people who liked to stay in their own world.
For such people, living in this world was extremely frustrating. Living with ordinary people who are below your intellectual level, encountering numerous obstacles, and eventually having a strange personality is a symptom that often appears even among Watson’s university professors.
However, Holmes’ reaction now was clearly unusual. Holmes was a nervous and difficult friend, but he rarely showed his emotions openly.
He usually walked around with an expressionless face, so just looking at him made me feel intimidated, and even though he was sarcastic and mocking when dealing with people, he never showed any strong emotional reactions.
From Watson’s observation, the only time Holmes showed any emotion was when he made fun of Watson himself or when he mentioned a mission related to Mr. Moriarty.
As such, the violent reaction that Holmes is showing right now was a reaction that would have resulted in a big fight if the target of the insult had heard it.
However, Watson thought to himself that his friend’s anger itself was justified, as he was only careful to restrain himself for the sake of his friend’s dignity.
Even Watson, no matter how dull he was, couldn’t help but notice the meaning of the conversation they had just had while visiting the policeman’s house.
The Inspector did not hide his displeasure at the visit of strangers who interrupted his rest, but his eyes sparkled when Inspector Lestrade, a higher rank than him, was mentioned and the offer of a 1 pound gold coin in return was offered.
It wasn’t surprising.
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For one pound of gold, a coachman could become the fastest runner in London and make a passerby work as a servant for a while.
Watson listened to the conversation between his friend and the police inspector, happily imagining how many more betting tickets he could buy with that money.
Holmes sneered like a friend who is good at managing his emotions, but when Watson heard this, he couldn’t help but frown without realizing it.
The inspector suddenly began to bring up the little things that happened while patrolling the area where the incident occurred on a night patrol, and when Holmes opened his mouth to ask again, he was just about to start talking about seeing a drunkard.
A tall man with his face half covered with a scarf and unable to control himself properly due to intoxication. Holmes sighed softly as he explained that it was the middle of the night and that he could not even remember his exact appearance because he thought he was just an ordinary drunkard, and the story soon continued with how the inspector himself discovered the body in an unfamiliar warehouse.
Holmes flipped the coin and handed it over, and then, as if he had managed to calm down inside the carriage, he lit up his pipe again and sighed deeply.
“Watson, please don’t tell me you don’t know what that idiot did. “I want to trust your intelligence, Watson.”
“… “Isn’t there a high possibility that the drunkard is the culprit?”
“Okay, Watson. After all, it’s Watson. Yes, even Watson is at least human! Yeah, that idiot wouldn’t even know he missed the criminal right in front of him. At best, you’re a fool who’s blinded by a single gold coin. This is why you can’t trust those Scotland Yard guys, Watson. I can guarantee that more than half of the cases they investigate are actually accomplices, so they can free the criminals. The other half is to capture innocent people!”
“… Well, calm down, for now. Oh, and don’t go back and try to be weak again? What did you say, Holmes? “It’s not good for your health.”
“… No matter how much I do, I have no intention of looking for new stimulation once the incident has started. More than anything… “This case is quite interesting.”
Holmes smiled. Watson thought that there was something childlike about that expression. It was a strange thing, Watson thought.
Of course, the friend in front of him did not have the innocence of a child, even with empty words, and although he was a beautiful person, he was far from a child.
“… “What’s the point?”
“Oh, I’m not talking about the incident itself. Perhaps the truth itself is worse than you think… Yes, it will be normal. Yeah, it’s a very personal thing. RACHE, remember, Watson? “Riddles in the field.”
“… Is there some other meaning that I don’t know about? Surely, password?”
“No, it’s not like that. Just… It’s a memory from my childhood. Also… I didn’t forget. Well, that can’t be true, he says he doesn’t care about me, but he always thinks about me without even knowing it, hehehe.”
When Watson saw his friend smiling cheerfully while staring into space for a moment as if recalling childhood memories, Watson couldn’t help but feel bad. He felt like a stranger who had been isolated and thrown into another world.
“Is this something to do with Professor Moriarty?”
“Okay. Well, even if I tell you, you won’t understand, Watson.”
“… I wish. “I’m the only outsider. Well, even if you tell me, they won’t know about me.”
“… Oh my, Watson. Are you sulking? It’s just a childhood memory, don’t worry too much. In order to catch the teacher… I need help from many people. And Watson, you are my friend and comrade.”
Watson had no choice but to avoid his gaze due to Holmes’ unfamiliar remark. He wanted to lighten the awkward atmosphere, but since the carriage arrived at Baker Street just then, the two had no choice but to return to their rooms in silence.
Even after arriving at the drawing room, while Watson was sorting out his notes, Holmes filled his pipe with a new one and lit it, but remained silent.
“Um…. Hey, Holmes?”
“Tell me, Watson.”
“That… So what are you going to do now? Could it be that Professor Moriarty… Are you going to go find it?”
“No, that’s not fun. The teacher probably didn’t think I would get involved in this in the first place. If that were the case, given my personality as a teacher, I would have sent an invitation. In that respect, having Mycroft join me was a big help. Okay, Watson, let’s just focus on the case.”
Holmes then sat down, clasped his hands together, and looked at Watson.
“Let’s see, Watson, let’s organize it step by step for your records. The criminal’s appearance and the information about the victim itself are not important right now, so I will omit them. The problem is the field. Located in a remote corner, literally a place that people don’t know about. It would be a place where there wouldn’t even be people if it weren’t for a really stupid inspector passing by by chance. But the victim died in the middle of the warehouse. Probably poisoned? “It would have taken effect quickly. In fact, it doesn’t really matter if it shows up a little late, but what matters is that the victim was there.”
“… “Have I been kidnapped?”
“Watson, you checked it too. There was no sign of gagging or anything. Above all, I looked around the surrounding roads on the way there, and although there were signs of two adult men entering, there were no signs of using artificial means. Of course, there was only one person who came out, but at least the victim headed there.”
“… But he must have been a drunk. “The smell of alcohol hasn’t disappeared from the body yet?”
“He’s a drunk. Yes, if a stupid police inspector had seen him, he would have passed by without even questioning his disbelief. However, it is quite difficult to transport even a drunk person to such a remote place. You might be able to fake it for a little while. But Watson, if you’re the culprit, it’s possible. No, anyone in London, even you, Watson, would have no choice but to quietly follow where he goes, to some extent, without much suspicion.”
“What does that mean?”
“Think of these people who are everywhere in London, who know the geography so well that they just follow where people go without question. Oh, of course not beggars.”
Watson thought for a moment. Of course, because he had to keep an eye on Holmes, his mind worked faster than usual.
“No way…” Coachman?”
“Yes, there is a high possibility that he is disguised as a coachman.”
Holmes smiled and shook the wedding ring he had found at the scene in his pocket.
