1897 65438+1October 14, it's still raining in London. Sherlock Holmes and I crowded at 22 1B Baker Street, enjoying the warmth from the fireplace. Before the Times finished reading that day, a letter from the doorman downstairs immediately woke us up from the complicated political news. This is a letter from Sir cavendish Smith, a senior official of Scotland Yard, who respects Holmes as much as me and my readers. At the sign of Holmes, I opened the envelope and read:

Dear Mr. Holmes,

Thank you again for your great help with the Turkish medal. I believe that if this matter can be made public, the whole Britain will be grateful to you.

As you expected, I need your help on a very urgent and confidential task now. You may have heard that we are going to hold a birthday present for a politician recently, but I'm afraid I can't mention his name here because of well-known reasons. Many artists were invited to perform, and we have no doubt about their reputation, but one of them caught our attention. This is an Italian opera singer, Lady Gallia. The scandal about her is widespread, and her performances all over Europe will always cause great sensation. To this end, we also invited her to this feast, but we still have reservations about her reputation. Perhaps by coincidence, she is on her way to another performance in London now. Sir Broms than specially hosted a welcome banquet to celebrate his daughter's return to China, and Gallia will perform at the banquet. For political and security reasons, I can't attend this banquet to investigate myself, and besides you, I really can't find anyone more suitable for this important task. Attach two invitations. I believe your famous partner, Dr. Watson, will accompany you. At 8 o'clock in the evening, a carriage will arrive at the gate of Baker Street 22 1B on time and take them to Sherrington Manor.

Although it must be attractive for a music lover like you to listen to the most beautiful sounds in Europe at a private concert, I still hope you can concentrate on your mission.

Yours faithfully

Sir cavendish Smith

"Watson, how can we refuse such an important task! Obviously, the future of Britain will depend on our performance. Will you go with me? " Holmes' eyes sparkled, and he could see that this letter was probably his best refreshment in this boring day. As a loyal old friend, I stood up without hesitation and replied, "Holmes, I will spare no effort to help you."

Main character

Sherlock Holmes: a world-famous detective, with amazing observation and logical reasoning ability, is very good at music, tobacco, plastic surgery and chemical experiments.

Watson: A loyal assistant of Sherlock Holmes, who once worked for Her Majesty the Queen in Afghanistan, is now a surgeon, holding a wonderful pen to witness the legend of Sherlock Holmes.

Sir Broms Beebe: One of Britain's three construction giants, a grumpy tycoon, is going to hold a grand welcome banquet for his daughter who has returned from abroad.

Herman Grimble: Sir Broms Beebe's joint venture partner. They have been old friends for many years.

Lavinia Broms: Sir Broms's only daughter has just returned from Switzerland, and she is likely to inherit Broms's huge business empire.

Horace Fowlett: Sir Broms's personal lawyer lives alone in the middle of nowhere and is keen on designing all kinds of strange machines.

Lestrade: A senior police officer at Scotland Yard, an incompetent clown, was jealous of Holmes but had to admire him.

Wyatt Collins: Sir Broms's nephew. A few years ago, Sir Broms than deported him to Brazil for his hooliganism.

Colonel Patterson: A stubborn old officer with poor eyes and good ears, and an old alcoholic.

Captain Herrington: A polite and handsome officer, his love for Miss Broms at first sight is obvious to all.

Dwight Richards: owner of Fairfax Theatre, a well-informed gypsy.

Veronica Davenport: The finale actress of Fairfax Theatre, the mistress of Dwight Richards, and the owner of silver earrings.

Jeffries: Makeup artist of Fairfax Theatre Company. After falling in love with Davenport, they all disappeared in Brazil.

Lambert: Sir Broms's housekeeper, a loyal old woman.

Hunt: Bartender employed by the Hadford Home Economics Company to provide service at Sir Broms Beebe's banquet.

Spencer: Captain Spencer: Herrington's coachman.

chapter one

Miss Lambert, the housekeeper, welcomed Holmes and me into the meeting place at the entrance of Sherrington Manor. According to Sir cavendish's orders, Holmes and I were arranged to sit together. But my energetic partner has not given up the habit of observing the environment with professional eyes. We were scanning the guests coming and going in the hall when suddenly I remembered a very important question: "Holmes, how much do you know about Sir Broms than?" Holmes looked around quietly. His eyes remind me of the cheetah I saw when I served in Afghanistan. My partner said to me in a low but very clear voice, "I don't know him, and I never believe those stories in the newspaper." But I can tell you that Broms is in his early fifties, tall, impulsive and violent. Born in poverty, few intimate friends, not liked by women. He is also an unscrupulous businessman, and even dares to set foot in areas beyond the legal permission to achieve his goal. I am also sure that he will make an important statement related to business today. By the way, Watson, how much do you know about him? " I smiled awkwardly and said, "I can't give such a detailed evaluation like you." Holmes, if you don't know this man, how do you know so much? "

"Watson, you should be familiar with my observation method. Look at the table and clothes rack by the fireplace. Obviously, they are for a tall man. I also noticed that the servants were anxiously watching the door where the master appeared. The expressions on their faces are not only anxiety, but also fear, which only moody and rude employers have. Now look at the audience. Most of the male guests are military officers and wealthy businessmen. They are all around 50 years old. Obviously, they are business partners, so I judge that he should also belong to this age stage. Because of his rapid rise in this circle, we can also assert that Sir Broms is a shrewd and ruthless master of shopping malls. We can learn more from female guests. Although these girls are beautiful and elegant, they are wearing cheap clothes. Look carefully, Watson, there are not even the usual female companions in high-class communication places. I can assure you that a serious girl will not attend public social occasions without a date. Look at them staring at young gentlemen, looking for the most suitable prey, whispering to each other like a group of stupid chickens. All in all, if a man only invites business partners and beautiful girls from humble origins to his children's parties, it can only prove that he really has no friends, his taste in women is worrying, and he doesn't love his daughter. "

"In addition, you see those guys who have been talking, it can be inferred from the pad and pen that they are obviously a group of journalists. However, The Times will never send reporters to cover this celebration dinner, so their appearance must be related to the future of Sir Bobby's business empire in Broms. Finally, I want to say that no one will put tables and furniture like this except a madman! Listen, Watson, I hear applause. Broms than Sir Come ... "

Sir Broms is really a tall man in his fifties. He began his opening remarks with a speech in his hand. The powerful businessman has a powerful voice: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am deeply grateful to you for coming to this special reception. Today's moment will change many people ... "When the host spoke, the hall was immediately quiet, but this calm lasted only a few seconds and was broken by a strange voice. At first, I thought it was the sound of champagne corks, but the screams of Sir Broms and the female guests in the front row suddenly woke me up: someone shot Sir Broms! Holmes' roar still seems to echo in my ears: "Watson! Come on, tell miss Lambert not to let anyone leave, and then send someone to the police at once! "

The tall Sir Broms lay motionless behind the podium, but the chaos didn't last long. Holmes' well-trained made him calm down quickly. He looked around and picked up a piece of paper from the stage, which was a speech dropped by Sir Broms. From behind him, I saw the arrangement of the celebration ceremony written on the paper, but the handwriting on it obviously belonged to two different people: one was slender and the other was strong but in a hurry. Just then, a man came up to Mr. Wang, and I immediately judged from his gesture that it was a doctor. Holmes stepped forward and said, "Who is this?"

"I am a doctor in a nearby village." My colleague didn't even look up at Holmes. "How is Broms better than Sir?" The doctor just looked up: "He's dead." Holmes continued, "What about the bullet that killed him?" "It should still be on him. I can only take it out if the police station allows me. "

There is also a gentleman standing on the counter. His stout figure and concerned eyes also attracted Holmes' attention, but he was obviously not an introverted gentleman. He casually introduced himself: "My name is Sweeney. I used to hang out with Broms, and I can be counted as his assistant. Broms told me that we can have a free meat meal here, but I found that a lot of meat is cold, haha ... "

"What did you see when the gun went off?" "I looked in the direction of the shot, only to see Broms than miss appeared in the open side door. In the smoke, she seems to have put something in her pocket. At that time, I felt that such an appearance should scare everyone. "

At the back of the dining table, there is a soldier, calmly tasting the wine in the cup. Holmes leaned down as if he had discovered a new continent. "Does this gentleman seem to have turned a deaf ear to the gunshots just now?" "I'm Major Lockhart. Over the years, I have been used to the sudden gunfire in India. In my opinion, the murderer is either a sharpshooter or too lucky. Broms can't escape this scene at all. Old Broms has invited me twice. Now my wife hasn't woken up from her coma, but I hope she will stay in a coma for a long time so that I can drink more ... "

Holmes never wants to talk to that drunkard again. His sharp eyes turned to a chair near the entrance to the hall. If you don't look carefully, no one will find the white dress on the back of the chair. After the chess pieces were put away, my partner went to Colonel Patterson next to the bar, but the drunken old officer refused to answer any questions from Holmes, claiming that only superiors or government officials had the right to make him talk. Brims, the servant who cleans the floor at the dining table, is obviously not so difficult to deal with. He revealed the important information that Miss Broms was crying before the gunshot. There seems to be no more clues in the hall. Holmes muttered and strolled into the door next to the clothes. There seems to be something wrong with the door handle. Inside is a short corridor, and the air is filled with strong gunpowder. Sherlock holmes looked back warily. Sure enough, he found a speck of gunpowder on the door and took out a tape measure that never left. The location is about1.65m above the ground. "The truth is always in front of people, Watson. All we have to do is find it. " Holmes' voice suddenly filled with excitement. He carefully examined a knight's armor on the right with a magnifying glass, and then took out a black cloth from behind. If someone hides behind the statue with this cloth, I swear I won't notice. Holmes looked like a cheerful sparrow, and then he rushed to the mirror and carefully picked up a bunch of black hair from the stage.

The door that comes in faces the kitchen. When we walked in, there was only one chef inside. Holmes lifted the lid of the garbage passage on the left and took a look. When he put it down, it made a loud noise and looked very weighty. Soon he found a new clue. There seems to be something under the stool beside the kitchen table. Holmes took out a magnifying glass and stood up after a while, holding an ordinary copper button in his hand. Chef Pennister was obviously angry with the French housekeeper invited by his master. Speaking of gunshots, Pannister told us that he heard a garbage cover ring before the gunshots, but it rang again after the gunshots. For the second garbage cover ring, Pannister firmly believes that it is the maid Mary, because she was not there at that time. Back in the bronze corridor, Holmes found a grease stain on the handle of another door next to him, which looked like sausage. He twisted the door and went in. There is also a short corridor. There is a table in the middle of the corridor. Under the table, my partner found a powder box with a magnifying glass, which contained white powder. I don't know which lady left it. In the corner on the right at the end of the corridor, Holmes found a red handbag. In the bag, he found a small-caliber white revolver, a pass from Geneva to London, and Miss Broms's passport. On the carpet by the door, he took a little dust with a test tube. Holmes frowned, but I don't know what he was thinking.

The door on the left leads to the women's lounge, and the dust inside proves that few people come here. There is a piece of paper in a book on the round table. Holmes took out the paper and wrote down the contact number in French. There is a pile of white powder on the dresser. Holmes took out the test tube he carried with him and took some powder. At the same time, he noticed a picture of a young woman beside the toilet mirror. She was wearing a pair of strange earrings. After leaving the lounge, Holmes went to the men's smoking room next door. As a senior expert in tobacco, he soon found that the ash in the ashtray on the table was not left by the cigarette end next to it. The obvious footprints on the floor caught Holmes' attention. He measured it with a tape measure and found that it was a pair of shoes of size 7. There is a pair of beard scissors on the bathroom mirror. Holmes found a bunch of greasy red hair with a magnifying glass. When he went out through the door at the end of the corridor, he found sausage stains on the doorknob. There is a stain on the carpet next to the stairs leading to the second floor, and a girl in a blue servant uniform is scrubbing it hard.

"Excuse me, are you Miss Mary?" Asked Holmes. "What can I do for this gentleman?" Mary seems very polite. "You don't seem to know about the murder?" I know, but so what? If another person dies and I go sightseeing, then my master will give me a good meal. " "What's with this stain?" "There was a fool who fell down while carrying barbecue, but Sir Broms didn't notice when he passed by. He is a little absent-minded these days, perhaps because Miss lavinia is back. Although my master has a bad temper, he is not the worst compared with my devil father. Besides, my salary is not low. " "Have you ever opened the garbage cover in the kitchen after the shooting?" "I only took out the garbage before the gunshot. Only that time, I told chef Panist not to be lazy and doze off. Since then, I have been scrubbing the floor here. " "Is anyone passing by here?" "No one passed by, only Scott, who served in the hall, quietly told me that my master had been murdered." "What do you think of that Frenchman?" "That's a sly guy, but he is still a handsome boy. He is very talkative. "

My friend has never been a polite guest. He left Mary, went to the closet at the foot of the stairs and opened the door for a long time. It is full of blue tablecloths. It is said that Sir Broms hates using white. These blue tablecloths to be laid in the hall are much smaller, and the white tablecloths are still laid in the hall. It seems that a guy in charge is careless to the extreme. There is also a door next to Mary, which is a small restaurant. Holmes picked up the guest list on the table and studied it carefully. The beautiful handwriting was clearly written by a woman, but we were puzzled by the circle crosses specially marked next to the names of some guests.

There is a bald gentleman and a crying young lady behind the dining table. The latter is obviously the deceased's daughter lavinia. As soon as Holmes approached them, the old gentleman took the initiative to stop him: "Who are you, please?" "Sherlock Holmes" "It was you, so we are saved! I was standing behind Broms when the gun went off, but I didn't see anything, but I believe Miss Broms is absolutely innocent. "

"Sorry, I haven't asked your identity."

"Oh, I'm very sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Herman Grimble, an adviser to Sir Bromby and a shareholder of Bromby Company. Many years ago, before lavinia was born, Broms and I met in India. You mean Sir Broms than? He is a man of strong character, stubborn but not bad-hearted. I believe that Sir Broms has left a will to his lawyer friend Horace Follette, and his death should not have any adverse impact on the company's business. " Holmes seemed to ask casually, "Speaking of Mr. Horace Follette you mentioned, I don't think I have met this gentleman." "He should be nearby. It is impossible not to invite him to the party. Although from humble origins, this gentleman is highly appreciated by Sir Broms Beebe. By the way, I was thinking, where did he go? "

Holmes turned to the tearful young lady. After kissing her hand and bowing, the lady choked up and first said, "I'm sorry, sir, I really have nothing to tell you." Many people think that I am the real murderer of this crime, but that is by no means what I did. On such an unusually important day for me, I actually witnessed my father's murder, which is terrible ... "Miss ..." Broms's body trembled in tears, and cannibals in the Indian Islands will feel sympathy when they see it. "With all due respect, I can prove that this lady is telling the truth! Because since she appeared in the corridor, my eyes have never left her! " A handsome army officer appeared from behind Miss Broms. It is not difficult to see from the burning passion in his eyes that this gentleman is a affectionate person.

"What were you doing when the gun went off?" "Colonel Patterson and I are in the bar. At this time, everyone began to applaud. I want to turn my head to the stands, and my sight just passes through the crowd. " "What do you see?" Holmes' eyes narrowed, and my familiar eyes shot out from the inside. "I saw someone in the open door. At that time, no one could see her except me with everyone's eyes. I was immediately attracted by Miss Broms than. She was so charming that I couldn't take my eyes off her until I heard the terrible gunshot. " "Can't be wrong?" "Impossible, Colonel Patterson next to me introduced me to her identity." "And you are?" "Captain Herrington. A few days ago, I met Colonel Patterson at the officers' club, and he invited me to this banquet. " "Captain Herrington, can you confirm your position at the scene?" Holmes kept a close eye on the handsome police officer. Captain Herrington agreed without hesitation, and we went back to the wine cabinet in the hall. Herrington stood at one end of the wine cabinet: "This is it. I was standing here when the gun went off. It is easy to see the side door of the podium from this angle, and no one blocks my sight. " "What were you doing after the shooting?" "Me? I ran out like everyone else. I'm sorry, now I want to apologize to Miss Broms for my abrupt offense. "

Holmes sent the lieutenant away with his eyes, and then turned to look at Colonel Patterson beside the bar. The glass in front of the colonel is empty, and it can be seen that he seems to be awake a lot. "Can we talk now?" My partner bent down and asked the colonel. Colonel Patterson seems to have completely forgotten his unhappiness just now. He replied cheerfully, "No problem."

"What was Mr. Colonel doing when the gun went off?" "I was in the wine cabinet. I didn't go anywhere after the shooting. I stayed next to the wine cabinet. " "Have you met Miss Broms than?" The colonel shook his head. "That's impossible. My eyesight is so poor that I can't see clearly even if a fly flies into whisky. But there's nothing wrong with my ears. The applause began there. Old Broms walked to the podium from my right. Of course, Captain Herrington has a better eye than I do, and he is honest. If he sees mosquitoes and fleas dancing in the hall, it must be true. In addition, my ears told me that the gunshot was definitely a small-caliber white revolver. " "Excuse me, how do you know Captain Herrington?" "A few days ago, I met him in the officers' club. At that time, I thought, maybe I can meet some beautiful women with elegant conversation by bringing him here. " Say that finish, the colonel handed the empty cup to the bartender behind the counter.

Holmes took time to find Brigham who was sweeping the floor and asked, "What do you think of that French housekeeper?" Brims smiled and shook his head. "I don't think he will ever come back." When the bartender filled the colonel with a glass of whisky, Holmes leaned over and asked, "Did you see anything when the tragedy happened?" The bartender shook his head: "I was serving two gentlemen and didn't look around at all." "Are you Broms's servant?" "No, I'm from Hadford Home Economics. I'm here to serve this banquet."

While I was in a daze for these boring conversations, Holmes suddenly hurried back to the small restaurant. He took out a small revolver from his pocket and handed it to Miss Broms who was still crying. When the latter saw the gun, he couldn't help exclaiming, "Oh, my God!" "

"Excuse me, is this gun yours? Miss Broms than. " Holmes asked blankly. "Yes, my father gave it to me when I came back." "Why do you need a gun?" "My father may think that he and I are in some kind of danger, but he refuses to tell me the truth. He just said that he would tell me everything after the party. Oh, Mr. Holmes, Graber has told me your story. I beg you to help us find the real murderer and let my father rest in his grave. " "Don't worry, Miss Broms, be strong." My friend comforted the poor girl.

As a well-known detective's right-hand man, I think maybe I should go outside the hall to learn more details, which is one of the skills that Holmes usually taught me by setting an example. There is a rude man standing in my way outside the door. It should be Lamb, the driver of Broms. When he learned that I was Watson, the assistant of the famous Mr. Holmes, his tone immediately became full of admiration. According to Miss Lambert's instructions, Lamb has been standing in front of the gate to stop all the reporters who heard the news and not let any guests leave. Lamb confidently assured me that the other door except the main door was also locked, and if anyone came in or out, he would never get in. After I said goodbye to Lamb, I went to the garden, where the guests' servants and drivers gathered. I talked to them. Most men are drunk and can't say anything noteworthy. Miss Roundtree, who is beautiful and pretentious on the bench, groans sadly for her lover's failure to stand up. She doesn't seem to care about the death of old Broms. Sue, the maid next to her, thinks that Miss Broms killed her father because this young girl always looks strange in her eyes. Miss Lambert, standing on the steps, told me that she had asked the country inspector to find the Scotland Yard detective who worked here. I also learned from Miss Lambert that the careful French housekeeper Louis Philippe is not here today. He went to London and bought himself a new pair of glasses. The circle mark on the guest list was also Louis Philippe's idea. The guests in the circle are more important. The guests across the circle have bad eyes and need to sit in a bright place.

Holmes, who came out of the hall door, looked at me and sighed: "Dear Watson, it can be said that there is no result so far. It's probably useless talking to these guys. You should give this job to the Scotland Yard police. They are better at this. " As Holmes spoke, he strolled to the side door of Lamb's guard. He suddenly let out a scream. I saw a cigar head from the angle of his crouching. When I was regretting my carelessness, Holmes squatted on the ground and whispered, "Footprints, the same footprints." He took out a tape measure and measured it carefully, and finally determined his judgment: "No.7."

"Holmes, it's you again!" Lestrade, our old friend at Scotland Yard, appeared loudly at the gate of the manor. Holmes looked up and replied, "You're just in time. This is a very special situation, but don't worry, I think you should still have time to go back to your mother's house for dinner. " Lestrade opened his eyes wide. "Good heavens, Holmes, how did you know I was going back to my mother?" "Dear Lestrade, this is very simple. Although most of my energy is focused on this case, I occasionally notice some trivial details. You see, when we were all in this rural area, I noticed that you were stained with some yellow pollen, and it was only on your right sleeve, which means that you just sent flowers to someone. According to the custom in the city, this kind of action is usually to woo women. And you came so quickly, so I infer that your flowers are for a lady who lives nearby. As far as I know about you, only your mother can have this honor. There is a fresh oil stain on the corner of my mouth, and a handkerchief is exposed in my pocket. Obviously, not long ago, you were enjoying a meat meal. At this time, who can entertain a policeman to enjoy food? And a crime has just happened nearby. "

"Well, Holmes, after listening to your explanation, this is really simple and good! But what about this case? " "As I said, this is a very special case. Before Dr. Watson's report came out, all our inferences were premature. Maybe you can see for yourself first. Miss lavinia has asked the respected doctor Watson and herself to investigate the case, but I believe she doesn't know the truth behind the case. You'd better call the lawyer of the deceased, Mr Horace Follette. Mrs Hudson has prepared a big dinner for us tomorrow. Why don't you come and taste it together, and we can appreciate each other's discoveries. Now, we are going back to Baker Street, and there are still many things to do! "

When we got back to Baker Street, it was already late at night, but Holmes was not tired. He asked me to find three books from the shelf-footprint study, ballistics and tobacco. After reading these three books, he began to test the items found at the scene-first put the water dish on the alcohol lamp, light the alcohol lamp, put the soap into the water, and then take it out of the chair. Then use blue solvent instead of soap, and draw the conclusion that the stains on the cloth are not greasy. Finally, put the cloth under the microscope and you can see that it is a high-quality white cotton cloth. Observe the powder cake with a magnifying glass, and it will turn into a pool of white powder. Put it under the microscope with the white powder found in two other places, and the three piles of white powder are exactly the same. A pile of white powder they synthesized was heated on an alcohol lamp without any reaction, and then put into a heated water dish, only to find that it was a sticky paste-like substance similar to starch. When the red hair was distributed under the microscope, it was found to be a pinch of hair with feminine perfume. The black hair found in front of the corridor mirror is obviously a man's hair under the microscope. Finally, the powder of gunpowder spots removed from the door is heated on an alcohol lamp to confirm that it is gunpowder powder. At the end of the day, Holmes and I listed seven questions in our notebooks:

First, have you identified the murder weapon? Yes, Colonel Patterson's testimony can be confirmed; Second, did the murderer escape from the stairs to the second floor? No, Mary's testimony can rule out this possibility; Third, does the ash in the smoking room come from British cigars? No, the cigar butts found outside the garden side door are consistent with them, which is also confirmed by tobacco science. Fourth, has the side door leading to the kitchen been opened after the shooting? No, a servant in the garden confirmed that he couldn't leave through that door at that time; Fifth, is Miss Lambert responsible for setting the tablecloth and dining table? No, the testimony of the chef and Miss Lambert confirmed that the French housekeeper presided over the banquet. Sixth, is the height of the murderer known? Yes, the approximate height of the murderer can be inferred from the measurement of powder spots and ballistics. Seventh, are there any other guests besides Colonel Patterson who have bad eyes? Yes, Miss Lambert admitted that the sign on the guest list was to let her sit down, and the guest list we got confirmed this.

"What shall we do now, Holmes?" I asked. My friend showed his funny smile for the first time today: "It's time for bed, Watson."