69 – The Strange Case of Dr. Henry Jekyll (1)
Despite being 70 years old this year, Dan has still been an active member of the House of Commons in his London district for decades. News of Sir Buskeru’s murder began to spread rapidly throughout London.
It was partly because the victim was a famous person, but because the prime suspect who was believed to have murdered the victim so horribly was the famous Dr. Henry Jekyll, it spread faster than a train to the point that by early morning, all Londoners had already heard of it.
Jane Watson also heard this shocking news when she was rubbing her sleepy eyes and about to start breakfast, and she couldn’t help but be surprised, of course.
If she had simply been someone else’s business, she would not have been so surprised by Jane Watson’s character. But as recently as yesterday she had been doing her own research into the affairs of Dr. Henry Jekyll with her own eccentric friend, her Holmes.
Did she, and her own friend, foresee all of this? No, is it possible to know in advance that a murder will occur? Or is it just a coincidence?
Watson pondered as she placed the baked beans on the toasted bread and took a big bite. She had been following her friend around for months, trying to make inferences she had learned with her own eyes, but nothing came to her. Watson said that she could not help it, perhaps because she lacked a clue, but she continued to worry.
Of course, no conclusion was reached. Whether or not Holmes had foreseen this in advance, it didn’t seem to make much of a difference.
However, if her eccentric friend asks a question, will she give an answer?
It was clear that she would spit out her bitter words, treat Watson himself like a fool, and talk about things that only she knew.
As she thought about that, she suddenly lost her appetite, and Jane Watson was unable to control her confused mind and was unable to finish her meal that morning.
She could not eat even half of a pot of baked beans, 6 slices of toasted bread, 5 sausages, 3 black puddings, and 4 slices of bacon, so it must have been serious in her own way.
One thing that was fortunate for her was that she was immediately visited by her own friend.
Holmes knew the boarding house where he was staying, and although it was a little earlier than the appointed time, when he opened the door, his friend was standing there looking no different from usual.
“Holmes! Have you seen the newspaper? Ah, I guess that’s why I came here because I saw it! That… “Anyway, what are you going to do?”
“Ha, of course you knew, Watson. London is already in chaos right now. I never thought something like this would happen… “It’s unexpected, so I’m a little embarrassed.”
“Really?”
No matter how he looked at it, his friend was no different from usual, so he asked again without realizing it. Of course, the mean-spirited Holmes ignored Watson’s words.
“Get ready to go, Watson. “Because there’s a place we need to go first.”
“You’re not going to tell me where I’m going even if I ask, right?”
“Why are you asking if you know, Watson?”
“Ha… …. Okay, I’ll get ready. By the way, Holmes, this would happen…… “Not what you expected, right?”
Because Watson didn’t ask with any particular meaning, she couldn’t tell that Holmes’s answer was slower than usual.
“… No, of course I didn’t expect it, Watson. “You are asking the obvious.”
“Well, that’s true too. “There’s no way he would have let someone die even though he knew he could die, so he’s not a villain.”
“… Okay.”
Watson, riding in a carriage with Holmes to an unknown place, could feel that his friend’s attitude was a little colder today.
Of course, his tone towards himself was always harsh, but today it was even more harsh. It was strange, but I felt like a child who was sulking and complaining.
“Holmes, are you in a bad mood?”
“Why are you asking such a stupid question again?”
“No, no. Ah… …. Like… Maybe that day-“
“Watson, don’t think anything stupid and just stay quiet.”
Watson didn’t know it yet, but the two were currently heading to the Diogenes Club. As Holmes, it was necessary to receive help from Mycroft in order to investigate the scene.
Just as anyone would kindly provide guidance to a beginner when doing something dangerous, even Holmes had no choice but to kindly provide explanations and precautions in order to take Watson to the Diogenes Club.
Because I knew that it was a place that was far from ordinary, as it was created by Mycroft.
“I have someone to meet, so I’m going to a place called the Diogenes Club, Watson. It’s a tricky place, so I’ll tell you what to watch out for. “Keep it in mind and be sure to follow it.”
“Great… club? “Can we come in?”
“Of course you’re taking me because I’m qualified, Watson. Don’t be stupid and just listen. Once you’re inside the club, don’t say anything. Don’t be stupid, Watson. “As always, silence is absolutely important there.”
“Well… “I’ve never said anything stupid-“
“Just shut your mouth until I open my mouth. And don’t be stupid, because the person we’re meeting doesn’t like that. No, Watson, just don’t even think about it. Understand?”
“Isn’t that a bit harsh? “Is that what you were thinking of me, Holmes?”
“This is a place where you are not allowed to make even the slightest noise, so don’t even make a sound. No, Watson, in your case you’d better just not breathe. Just keep these three things in mind.”
“No, what is that now-“
“We have arrived. “Stop talking nonsense, Watson.”
In the end, Watson grumbled and followed Holmes into an unfamiliar building. The exterior and interior itself looked like a typical gentleman’s club that Watson knew.
However, given that the furniture and decorations inside were quite fancy, it was not as much as the Reform Club, but it seemed to be frequented by upper class people.
The name Diogenes Club itself was a strange club that Watson had never heard of before.
I could tell immediately upon entering that what Holmes had emphasized was not a lie. The first thing I encountered was silence.
It was filled with silence, like a monastery where many monks had gathered to silently pray. It wasn’t sparsely populated.
Inside the rooms at first glance, several gentlemen were enjoying reading, drinking tea, or even smoking cigarettes in silence. Or there were some who were immersed in meditation.
But everyone was silent. Even the manager who was carrying things or approaching Holmes and Watson was silent.
The manager seemed to already know Holmes and tried to help guide the way, but after receiving a note from Holmes, he nodded and guided us deeper.
It was a small room, a strange place with only simple chairs.
Holmes finally broke the silence as the manager closed the door and disappeared, leaving the two ladies alone.
“You can talk now, Watson. Oh, that doesn’t mean stupid thoughts are allowed. “That’s a pain for me to hear.”
“What on earth are we doing here? “You said it was a club?”
“Think of it as a unique gathering of people who want to enjoy silence. Of course, that is not the entire purpose of this place. Ah, you’re here.”
The door was opened.
A large man came in. Watson was not yet thirty, but he could already see that the fat man’s eyes resembled Holmes’s.
“I have to go out this morning for work, but I can’t give you much time, Sherlock.”
“I came because I wanted to go with you, Mycroft. Oh, Watson, it’s Mycroft. He’s my second brother. And brother, this is Jane Watson.”
“Ah… hello?”
For Watson, he couldn’t help but be a little embarrassed by the unexpected introduction of his family. If you think about it, it is clear that since Holmes was also human, he must have had a family.
However, as I walked around with him all this time, this fairy-like friend had such a mysterious aura that it didn’t feel strange at all even if he was literally born alone and exists.
At least Mycroft Holmes looked ordinary, unlike Holmes, so I couldn’t help but be even more surprised.
Of course, his eyes were sharper than Holmes’s and gave a special impression if you looked closely.
However, from the ensuing conversation between the siblings, Watson was able to realize that Mycroft was also a special being of the same type as Holmes.
“Still, I’m glad you’re a medical student who might be able to cure your addiction. “No matter how much stimulation you need, you are overusing it, Sherlock.”
From noble mtl dot com
“It’s my business, it’s nothing for you to worry about. And you know very well that that’s not the reason. My brother told me to take care of my health first, and in the meantime, I gained another 3 pounds. “Why are there only fat pigs around me?”
“Okay… A pig, Holmes? It can’t be my story, right? Yes?”
“That’s a hasty conclusion, Sherlock. It’s exactly 2.5 Pounds. Still, I’m glad you’re doing well. Well, it’s a way for people to get together. “You’re a good friend. Of course, it would be better if we restrained ourselves from each other.”
“Me? With Watson? “Now that you’re saying that is an insult to my intelligence, Mycroft.”
“Aren’t you and Miss Watson of the same type anyway, Sherlock? Look, I’m a gambling fanatic, enjoy the thrill, but secretly dream of destruction, really……. “Oh, excuse me, Miss Watson.”
“Yes? “Hey, what are you saying now?”
“I told you this, Mycroft. “Don’t intercept it like you guessed it.”
“It is an observation, an extremely natural observation. “For example, you can see that Miss Watson is still suffering from disappointment and joy after seeing the bad results in the horse race this morning.”
“That’s natural, and more than anything, we bet against the odds in both games, but they ended up screwing us up.”
“It’s not two games, it’s three games, Sherlock. We placed reverse odds on 3 games, but 1 game was canceled, so we were only able to confirm the results of 2 games. “The game itself is three.”
“I… excuse me! No, how on earth do you do that?”
“What? Oh, damn it! Yes, my brother won again.”
Watson could not help but be embarrassed as he watched the siblings ignoring him and having a conversation that they could not understand but each one clearly revealed Watson’s close personal life.
Luckily, the teasing was over, Mycroft Holmes checked his watch and opened his mouth.
