187 – Five Orange Seeds (2)
“Damn it, it’s Inspector McDonald again.”
Holmes, who was shaking involuntarily as he slowly woke up from the medicine, glanced at his window and clicked his tongue.
After a while, the sound of a maid coming up the stairs was heard outside the door, so Watson knew that Holmes had not been drunk.
Watson couldn’t help but smile bitterly as he watched his friend click his tongue as if he was truly annoyed.
Of course, it was not unusual because his friend was blunt and he was a person who literally isolated the world from himself, with no friends other than Watson himself.
However, Inspector MacDonald, whom I learned anew after the Scarlet Study, was a special case that stimulated such a friend.
“But that person is your fan, Holmes. Aren’t you the first fan among the police?”
“I think it would be better to be stupid and whine like Lestrade, Watson. Sometimes, when I look at that person, I think he might be better suited as a religious person rather than a police officer. Judging from the way you praise me excessively, Watson, there is no one like you. At least Watson, you know how to control yourself. Oh, except gambling.”
“… “I don’t always gamble.”
Watson made a small excuse, but her friend didn’t even respond. After a while, the maid announced her guest’s visit, and soon Inspector MacDonald came to Baker Street again.
“Mr. Holmes! How are you? hahahaha, it’s only been a week since we were able to arrest the culprit thanks to your advice last time! Oh, Miss Watson, it’s been a while!”
“Welcome, Inspector McDonald.”
Unlike Holmes, who half-lyed on the sofa and greeted half-heartedly with his eyes, Watson politely greeted Inspector McDonald, who came in with a bright smile.
In most cultures, greeting someone older than you by lying down as a host would be criticized as rude, but Holmes didn’t care and just looked at him with a sparkling gaze that made you feel uncomfortable. Inspector Macdonald also didn’t mind.
Seeing that attitude, Watson couldn’t help but understand Holmes’ reaction a little, no matter how much he wanted to stop him from spewing bitter words at the other person.
At first, Inspector McDonald was not convinced that Holmes and Watson, who were just outsiders, were involved in the investigation, out of common sense.
Holmes laughed at the stupid and stubborn attitude of the police officers, but Watson, who had ordinary culture and personality, recognized that the inspector’s attitude was correct.
If it had stopped there, he might have literally been just a passing connection among the countless police officers in London.
However, in the process of arresting the criminal, Inspector Macdonald felt right next to her that Miss Sherlock Holmes was an extraordinary being, and surprisingly, he was a little influenced by her.
It was an unexpected reaction even for Holmes, but most police officers, like Inspector Lestrade, had a tight corner and only saw Holmes as a useful comment that would help increase their performance.
At first, Holmes enjoyed the reaction as if he had just met another Watson. However, by chance, I met Lt. McDonald on another case, and by the third time, I realized that a hostile attitude might have been better.
In Watson’s opinion, Inspector MacDonald had long been the perfect follower of Holmes. He naturally admired and found meaning in whatever Holmes did, and even learned a new trick of annoying Holmes, who hated being bothered.
“Ah… “A guest has arrived, so I’ll clean it up.”
“No! Amazing, I guess… I think it’s drugs, but it’s actually Dr. Holmes! “I heard that shamans from the East often use drugs to get inspiration, and I guess you do the same!”
“Ha….”
First of all, since Lt. Macdonald’s job is a police officer, Watson hurriedly tried to clean up the syringes and drugs on the table that his opponent’s eyes had not yet cleaned up, even though they were not his.
Of course, in his subsequent reaction, even Watson could not completely hide the expression on his face as if he were looking at a crazy person, and Holmes sighed slightly as he thought about how to deal with the new-oriented idiot.
“Anyway… I still don’t have the qualifications to join you in the mission you are devoted to… “It probably isn’t there yet, right?”
“Lieutenant MacDonald, I’ve told you many times already, but there’s nothing we can do right now. “I’m thinking about you, so let’s cut out the unnecessary talk and just talk about the incident.”
“Oh, you are so kind, sir! “What great consideration!”
“It’s going to spin, really.”
Holmes frowned and sat down to listen to the case. Although he was a tiring person to deal with, he was a police officer with a decent track record, so it could not be denied that many of the cases he brought were interesting.
Above all, MacDonald, a self-proclaimed follower, used to come to hear Mr. Holmes’ opinions on mysterious incidents.
Holmes once contemplated using the fact that he was married to block her husband’s visit by implying that he was interested in a young woman, but she gave up completely when he went so far as to invite her to her house for tea time.
As if to prove the saying that similar people marry, the woman, Inspector MacDonald, was similar to her husband, or rather, as if she had been brainwashed by Inspector MacDonald, she babbled and called Holmes herself a teacher, so Holmes stopped thinking.
One of Inspector Macdonald’s few strengths was that he was quick to follow Holmes’ own orders.
“It’s a murder case, sir. A terrible murder occurred on the Thames River in London two days ago. A young friend… “I met a tragic death, but I was confused in many ways, so I came to see you.”
“Two days ago, two days ago…. Incidents that have not yet been announced… Nope. I heard it was briefly published in the newspaper….”
“The newspaper would have treated it as an accidental death, but in fact, the investigation team has already come to that conclusion.”
At Inspector McDonald’s words, Holmes closed his eyes for a moment as if organizing his thoughts.
Watson could see that this was a process of retrieving information from the so-called memory palace. Surprisingly, his friend often used the method, which is often described as a literal palace or library because it can contain a lot of information using an old memory method from records such as the old Roman era, and showed an extraordinary memory.
“Two days ago, Thames, accidental death. “It was the drowning of Mr. John Offenshaw.”
“Yes, sir! As expected, teacher-“
“Let’s keep talking, Inspector McDonald. “There must be a reason why you thought differently even while those idiots were concluding that the death was an accident.”
Holmes quickly cut Inspector McDonald off and responded coldly.
However, Watson, who could boast that he was one of the people who knew Holmes better than anyone else even after he lost his memory while living with Holmes, could tell that his friend was truly freaked out.
Fortunately, Inspector McDonald, who did not notice this, carefully rummaged through his inner pocket and placed it on the table in front of them.
“It might be valuable evidence….”
Holmes grumbled but frowned to observe it carefully. Even Watson had to stand up and bring his head closer.
Lieutenant McDonald took out a yellow paper bag, the size of a medicine bag, and carefully took out something the size of a pill and placed it on the table.
“Seeds?”
Watson muttered after confirming that.
Just as said, there were five dried, twisted seeds.
“It came from the inside pocket of the dead Offenso. As you can see… “They’re five ordinary orange seeds that you see everywhere.”
“And the stupid superiors ignored this, this is it.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Holmes. But… No matter how much I think about it, it’s strange. Of course, it’s an ordinary seed. I personally checked it just in case, but it was an orange seed that can be found everywhere. However… “I don’t usually carry something like this around.”
“I’d like to say you brought it well, Inspector Macdonald. I guess I should peck at Mycroft and tell him to educate his superiors well. Seeds, five orange seeds….”
“Is there anything that can be guessed or inferred?”
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“Wait a minute.”
Holmes closed his eyes, pressing his palms together as if to say no more. The two people watching were silent for a moment.
Watson stared blankly at the orange seeds. He was often scolded by Holmes not to even think foolish thoughts, so it had become another habit. Amazingly, Watson really learned how to not think at all.
“… I think I remember. Actually, this method is not uncommon. Just in case, the orange seed or the number 5 itself has no meaning, symbolism, or evidence, so it’s better to give up on that point. “The important thing is that I sent five orange seeds.”
“… What do you mean by that? “Do you know anything?”
“… Watson, have you ever heard of the KKK?”
Holmes opened his mouth.
