Chapter 7 Sixth Baius Gleeson Shows His Skills

The next day, newspapers were full of news about the so-called "Brixton Curious Case".Each newspaper had a long-form story, and some had editorials in particular.Some of them I haven't even heard of.I still have quite a few clippings of the case in my scrapbook.Now attach some excerpts of it: The Daily Telegraph reported: "There is no more bizarre case in the criminal record than this tragedy."The fact that the victim had a German name, that no other motive was apparent, and that there was such a vicious inscription on the wall; all this indicated that it was the work of a group of exiled political prisoners and revolutionaries.There are many strands of the Socialist Party in the United States, and the deceased was no doubt tracked down and murdered because he violated their unwritten laws.After the article has briefly mentioned the past cases of the German Secret Court, the Mineral Springs, the Carbonari, the Marchioness of Branvilliers, the Darwinian Theory, the Malthusian Principle, and the Ratcliff Highway Murders, etc. At the end of the article, he gave advice to the government, advocating that foreigners in the UK should be monitored more closely in the future.

The "Standard" commented: Such lawless atrocities often occur under the Liberal Party.These atrocities were actually caused by the turmoil of the people and the weakening of government power.The deceased was an American gentleman who had been in the City of London for several weeks.During his lifetime, he lived in Mrs. Charpentier's flat in Tower Querry, Camberwell District.He was traveling in the company of his private secretary, Mr. Joseph Stangerson.After saying goodbye to their landlady on Tuesday, the 4th of this month, the two went to Euston Station, intending to take the express train to Liverpool.At that time, some people saw them on the platform of the station, but they disappeared afterwards.It was later reported that Mr Drebber's body had been found in a vacant house on the Briscton Road, some miles from Euston Station.How he got here and how he was killed is still incomprehensible mystery.Stangerson's whereabouts are still unknown.We are pleased to learn that two eminent Scotland Yard detectives, Lestrade and Gregson, are simultaneously investigating the case, and we are confident that the case will soon be resolved.

"Daily News" reported: This must be a political crime.Because of the despotism of the governments of the Continent and the hatred of Liberalism, many have been deported to our soil.If their past actions are tolerated and not held accountable, such persons are likely to become good citizens.There is a strict "rule" among these exiles, and if they are violated, they must be executed.Every effort must now be made to track down his secretary, Stangerson, in order to ascertain certain features of the dead man's habits of life.The London address of the deceased's former residence was known, and this brought the case a great step forward.This discovery is due solely to the tact and tact of Mr. Grayson of Scotland Yard.

Holmes and I read through the reports together at breakfast; they seemed to amuse him very much. "I told you long ago that no matter what the circumstances, the credit always goes to these two men, Lestrade and Grayson." "That depends on the outcome." "Oh, man, it doesn't matter at all. If the murderer is caught, it's because of the hard work of the two of them; if the murderer escapes, they can say: Although it's hard work, but... anyway, Good things are always theirs, and bad things are always someone else's. No matter what they do, someone will praise them. There is a French saying that goes well: 'A fool is stupid, but there are fools who are stupider than him to applaud him.' "

As we were talking, there was a sudden sound of chaotic footsteps in the corridor and on the stairs, mixed with the landlady's complaints, and I couldn't help shouting: "What's going on here?" "This is the Baker Street Unit of the Detective Squad," said my companion with seriousness.When I was talking, I saw six street urchins rushing in. I have never seen such very dirty and ragged children. "Attention!" cried Holmes sharply.So these six little hooligans stood there in a line like six ugly little clay figurines. "In the future, you will ask Wiggins to report alone, and the rest will have to wait on the street. Have you found it, Wiggins?"

A boy replied, "No, sir, we haven't found it yet." "I reckon you haven't found it either. You must keep searching. It's not enough until you find it. This is your salary," Holmes gave each of them a shilling. "Okay, let's go now, I will wait for you to bring good news in the next report." Holmes waved his hand, and the group of children went downstairs like a nest of little mice.Then came their shrill din from the street. Holmes said: "The achievements of these little fellows alone are greater than that of a dozen official detectives. When the official figures show up, they are silent. But these little fellows can go anywhere and do anything. They're all there. They're astute, they're as seamless as the tip of a needle. They're just unorganized."

"Did you hire them for this Brixton Road case?" I asked. "Yes, there's one thing I'm trying to figure out. It's only a matter of time. Ah! We're going to hear some news now! Lo and behold, Grayson is coming down the street toward us. He His face was full of complacency, and I knew he was coming to us. Look, he stopped. That's him!" The doorbell rang loudly, and in the blink of an eye, the handsome detective jumped up the stairs three steps at a time, and broke into our living room. "My dear friend," he cried, pressing Holmes' indifferent hand firmly, "congratulate me! I have made the case as clear as day."

I seemed to see a shadow of anxiety flitting across Holmes' expressive face. "Are you saying you've got it right?" he asked. "That's right! Really, my brother, even the murderer has been caught!" "Then what's his name?" "Arthur Charpentier, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy," cried Grayson haughtily, puffing out his chest, rubbing his fat hands triumphantly. Holmes breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, and smiled unconsciously. "Sit down, please, and have a cigar," he said. "We'd like to know how you do. Have some whiskey and water?"

"Drink as much as you like," replied the detective. "I've had a lot of work these two days, and I'm worn out. You know, the physical work is not much, but the brain is very tense. You know how hard it is, Mr. Holmes, for we all work with our brains." Holmes said solemnly: "You are too much of an award. Let us hear how you have achieved such a gratifying result." The detective sat down in the armchair, smoked his cigar complacently, and suddenly slapped his thigh and said happily: "It's ridiculous, Lestrade, a fool who thinks he's brilliant, but he's totally mistaken. He's looking for the whereabouts of that secretary, Stangerson. The fellow is as unborn as a child." The case has nothing to do with it at all. I bet he's probably got the guy by now."

He laughed so proudly when he talked about it that he couldn't breathe. "So, how did you get the clue?" "Oh, I'll tell you all. Of course, Dr. Watson, it's an absolute secret, and we can only talk to ourselves. The first difficulty that must be overcome is to find out the origin of this American. Some people may have to register Put up an ad, wait for people to come and report, or wait for a friend or family member to come out and report something automatically. That's not how Gleeson works. Do you remember that hat next to the deceased?" "I remember," said Holmes, "that it was from John Underwood & Sons, 229 Camberwell Road."

After hearing this, Gregson immediately showed a very depressed expression.He said: "I don't think you've noticed that. Have you ever been in that hatter's shop?" "No." "Ha!" Grayson relieved, "No matter how small it may seem, you should never miss any chance." "Nothing is insignificant to a great man," said Holmes, as if quoting some wise words. "Well, I found the owner, Andou, and I asked him if he ever sold a hat of that size and style. They checked the sales book, and they found out quickly, that the hat was sent to It was from Mr. Drebber, a resident of Charpentier's apartment in Tarquay. That's how I found out the address of this man." "Nice, well done!" Holmes murmured. "I then called on Madame Charpentier," continued the detective, "and found her very pale, and very disturbed. Her daughter was also in the room—she is a very pretty girl indeed. When I talked to her, her eyes were red and her lips were trembling. Naturally, none of these could escape my eyes. So I began to suspect. You know, Mr. Holmes, when you find the right clue , What kind of energy was that, I just felt so comfortable that it made people tremble. I asked: "Have you heard the news that your former tenant, Mr. Drebber of Cleveland City, was assassinated?" "The lady nodded. She seemed unable to speak. Her daughter was weeping. The more I looked, the more I felt that they knew something about the case. "I asked: 'What time did Mr. Drebber leave you for the station?' "'Eight o'clock,' she said, swallowing with suppressed excitement, 'his secretary, Mr. Stangerson, said: there are two trains for Liverpool, one at nine-fifteen and one It was eleven o'clock. He caught the first train.' "'Is this the last time you'll see each other?' "As soon as I asked this question, the woman suddenly turned pale. It took a long time before she replied, 'It's the last time.' But when she spoke, her voice was hoarse and unnatural. "After a moment's silence, the girl spoke. Her manner was calm, and she spoke clearly. "She said: 'It's no good lying, mother, let's be frank with this gentleman. We did see Mr. Drebber again afterwards.' "'May God forgive you!' exclaimed Madame Charpentier, stretching her hands, and leaning back in her chair. 'You have killed your brother!' "'Assure would like us to tell the truth, too,' replied the girl firmly. "And I said, 'You'd better tell me all about it now. You'd better not talk about it at all. Besides, you don't know how much we know.' "'It's you, Alice!' cried her mother, and turning to me again, 'I'll tell you all, sir. Don't think I'm anxious to mention my son, Because he had something to do with this murder case. He is completely innocent. But my concern is that he seems to be a suspect in the eyes of you or others. However, this is absolutely impossible. He His nobility, his profession, his past testify to that.' "I said, 'You'd better tell the truth. Trust me, if your son is innocent, he won't be wronged.' "She said: 'Alice, you'd better go out and let us talk.' So her daughter went out. Then she said: 'Well, sir, I didn't mean to tell you this, but My daughter has said it, and now there is nothing else I can do, so I must say it. If I intend to say it, I will not hold back anything.' "I said, 'That's really smart.' "'Mr. Drebber stayed with us for almost three weeks. He and his secretary, Mr. Stangerson, have been traveling on the Continent. I saw Copenhagen stamped on every case, so I can tell. That was the last place they were. Stangerson was a taciturn, well-bred man; but his master--terrible, not at all. A man of rough and indecent manner. On the night they moved in, Drebber got so drunk that he didn't wake up until twelve o'clock the next day. His frivolous and obscene attitude towards the maids was simply repulsive. The worst thing was that he used this attitude again. Come and treat my daughter Alice. He talked nonsense to her more than once. Fortunately, the daughter is too young to understand. Once, he actually took my daughter in his arms and hugged her tightly. He Such lawlessness that even his secretary called him so indecent was impersonal.' "'But why do you put up with all this?' I asked. 'I suppose you can get rid of the tenant if you like.' "Mrs. Charpentier blushed when I asked him this question. She said: 'It would be nice if I refused on the day he came. But it was because of an attraction. Each of them The rent is £1 a day, and £14 a week; besides, it is the low season when there are few visitors. I am a widow, and my son is in the Navy, and his expenses are great. I can't bear to let go of this income, So I put up with it as much as I could. But this last time, he was so outrageous that I justified getting him out, and that's why they moved away.' "'and after?' "'I was relieved to see him go away in the car later. My son is on vacation now. But I never told him about these things because he has a bad temper and he loves his sister very much. This After the two moved out, I closed the door, and I felt a big lump in my heart. My God, within an hour, someone called the door again. It turned out that Drebber had returned. He looked very excited, and he obviously drank again. He burst into the room, where my daughter and I were sitting, and he said he didn't catch the train. Then, when he turned on Alice, he He dared to speak to Alice in front of me and suggested that she run away with him. He said to my daughter: "You are grown up and no law can control you anymore.I have plenty of money, so don't worry about this old woman.Come with me right now.You can enjoy yourself like a princess. "Poor Alice was very frightened, and kept avoiding him. But he seized her by the wrist, and pulled her towards the door, and I cried out with terror. Just then my son Arthur came in. What happened later I don't know about it. All I heard was yelling and scuffling. It was a mess, but I was so frightened that I couldn't even raise my head. Then I looked up and saw Arthur was standing at the door laughing, holding a stick in his hand. Arthur said: "I don't think we'll be bothered by that little bastard again. Let me go out and follow him and see what he's up to." He took up his hat, and ran into the street. Next morning we heard that Mr. Drebber had been murdered.' "That's what Madame Charpentier said herself. She gasped and paused when she spoke. Sometimes she spoke in such a low voice that I could hardly hear them. But I have written everything she said in shorthand, and there will never be anything." Wrong." Holmes yawned, and said: "That is indeed very pleasant. What happened?" The detective went on: "When Mrs. Charpentier stopped, I saw the crux of the whole case. So I fixed her with a look that is effective for women, and asked her son to come home. moment. "'I don't know,' she replied. "'have no idea?' "'Don't really know. He's got a key to the latch, and he'll let himself in.' "'Did he come back after you fell asleep?' "'yes.' "'What time did you go to bed?' "'It was about eleven o'clock.' "'Then your son has been out for at least two hours.' "'yes.' "'Is it possible to be out for four or five hours?' "'Also a possibility.' "'What has he been doing all these hours?' "'I don't know,' she replied, turning her lips white. "Of course, when it comes to this, there is no need to ask anything else. After I found out the whereabouts of Lieutenant Charpentier, I took two police officers and arrested him. When I patted him on the shoulder, I warned him to be honest with us. When he was leaving, he said brazenly: "I think you arrested me because you think I have something to do with the murder of that villain Drebber." We didn't mention it to him, but he said it himself first. That's all the more suspicious." "Very suspicious," said Holmes. "He was still carrying that big stick her mother said he used to chase Dreb. It was a solid oak stick." "So what's your opinion?" "Well, he chased Dreb as far as Brixton Road, in my opinion. And then they quarreled again. During the quarrel, Dreb took a hard blow, perhaps in the heart, So although she died, she didn't leave any scars. When the rain was heavy at night, and there was no one around, Charpentier dragged the body to the empty house. As for the candles, bloodstains, handwriting on the wall and rings, etc. , but some gimmick to lead the police astray." Holmes said in a complimenting tone: "Well done! Gregson, you have made great progress. It seems that you will rise to the top sooner or later." The detective replied proudly: "I think it has been done neatly and neatly. But the young man himself confessed that after he had chased him for a while, Drebber spotted him and got into a cab." He ran away. On his way home, he met an old colleague who was on the ship, and he walked with this old colleague for a long time. But when he was asked the address of his old colleague, his answer was not convincing. Satisfied. I think the case fits perfectly. The funny thing is Lestrade, he's gone astray from the start. I'm afraid he won't get anywhere. Hey! Talk about him, and here he comes. " It was indeed Lestrade who entered.While we were talking, he had gone upstairs, and then came into the house.The usual air of self-satisfaction and confidence which had been evident in his appearance, in his actions, as in his clothes, was gone now.He looked flustered, sad, and his clothes were messed up.He came here obviously to ask Holmes for advice, because when he saw his colleague, he looked coy and uneasy, and he was at a loss what to do.He stood in the middle of the house, fiddling with his hat."It is indeed a very strange case," he said at last, "an unimaginable oddity." Grayson said triumphantly: "Oh, do you see it that way, Mr. Lestrade? I knew you would come to that conclusion. Have you found Mr. Stangerson, the secretary?" Lestrade said with a heavy heart: "The secretary, Mr. Stangerson, was assassinated at the Halliday Hotel about six o'clock this morning."