Chapter 8 seven ray of light

The news that Lestrade brought us was both important and sudden, and quite unexpected.After hearing this, we were all astonished and speechless.Grayson jumped up from his chair, spilling the rest of the whiskey in his glass.I watched Holmes silently. His lips were tightly shut, and his eyebrows were tightly pressed over his eyes. Holmes murmured: "Stangerson has also been assassinated, and the case is more complicated." "It's complicated enough," Lestrade complained, sitting down in his chair. "I'm in a council of war, and I can't figure it out." Grayson stammered and asked, "You, is your news true?"

"I've just come from his room," said Lestrade, "and I was the first to find out about it." "We have just been hearing Gregson's opinion on the case," said Holmes. "Would you please also tell us what you saw and did?" "I have no objection," replied Lestrade, sitting down, "I confess that I thought Drebber's murder had something to do with Stangerson. This new development shows me that I was quite mistaken." I decided on this idea, so I started to investigate the whereabouts of this secretary. Someone saw the two of them together at Euston Station at about half past eight o'clock in the evening on the third day. At two o'clock in the morning on the fourth day, Drebber's body was found in Brixton Road. The problem I was faced with was to find out what Stangerson had done during the period from half-past eight until the murder. What, and where did he go afterwards. I sent a telegram to Liverpool, stating Stangerson's appearance, and asking them to keep an eye on American ships; and at every hotel and flat near Euston station. Look up. You see, I was thinking that if Drebber and his friend had parted, it was logical that Stangerson would have to find a lodging near the station that night, and he wouldn't be there until the next morning. to the station."

"It is probable that they have made an appointment first," said Holmes. "It turns out to be so. I ran all night yesterday in vain inquiring about his whereabouts. I began my inquiries again early this morning. At eight o'clock I arrived at the Halliday's Hotel in Little George Street. When asked if there was a Mr. Stangerson living here, they immediately answered that there was. "They said: 'You must be the gentleman he was waiting for, and he has been waiting two days for a gentleman.' "'Where is he now?' I asked. "'He's still asleep upstairs. He gave orders not to wake him until nine.'

"'I'm going up to him at once,' said I. "I calculated that I might surprise him by showing up unexpectedly, and that I might reveal something in his unpreparedness. A shoe-shine waiter volunteered to lead me up. This room is on the third floor, and there is a The short corridor can be reached directly. After the waiter showed me the door, I was about to go downstairs when I suddenly saw a scene that made me very sick. I wanted to vomit. Although I had twenty years of experience, this I couldn't hold back for a while, a crooked bloodstain flowed out from under the door, flowed all the way through the corridor, and pooled at the foot of the opposite wall. I couldn't help but yelled. After hearing this, the waiter turned around and walked back. He Seeing this scene, I was so frightened that I almost fainted. The door was locked upside down. We knocked it open with our shoulders and entered the room. The window was open, and beside the window lay the dead body of a man in pajamas, curled up in a ball He had died long ago, and his limbs were stiff and cold. When we turned the body over, the shoe-shine recognized at once that it was the resident of the house, named Stangerson. The cause of death was that the body The left side was stabbed deeply with a knife, it must have hurt the heart. There is also the strangest thing, guess what is on the face of the deceased?"

When I heard this, I couldn't feel my hair stand on end, I felt very terrible.But Holmes immediately replied, "It's the word 'Lache' written in blood." "Exactly the word," said Lestrade, with fear in his voice.For a while, we were all silent. The assassination of the hidden murderer seemed methodical and at the same time incomprehensible, which made his crime all the more horrific.Although my nerves are very strong on the battlefield full of casualties, when I think of this scene, I can't help but shudder. Lestrade went on: "The murderer has been seen. A milkman, on his way to the milk-house, happened to pass the little alley behind the hotel, which leads to the coach-house behind the hotel. He Seeing that the ladder that was usually placed on the ground was erected, facing a window on the third floor, this window was wide open. After the child passed by, he turned his head and saw a person coming down from the ladder I saw him walking down in a calm and generous manner. The child thought it was a carpenter in the hotel working, so he didn't pay special attention to this person, but he just felt that it would be too much to go to work at this time. That's all. He seems to remember that the man was a big man with a red face and a long brown coat. He must have been in the room for a while after the murder. For we found that the basin water had The blood showed that the murderer had washed his hands; there was also blood on the bed sheet, which showed that he calmly wiped the knife after the murder."

As soon as I heard that the murderer's figure and features were in good agreement with Holmes' deduction, I glanced at him, but there was no expression of satisfaction on his face. "Have you found nothing in the house which would lead to the arrest of the murderer?" asked Holmes. "No. Stangerson had Drebber's purse with him, but he seemed to have it usually, for he was in charge of expenses. There was more than eighty pounds in cash in the purse, which was a good deal. These crimes." It seemed unusual, and whatever its motive was, it would never have been murder. There were no papers or diaries in the victim's pocket, only a telegram, which had been sent from Cleveland a month earlier, the message It was 'JH now in Europe', the cable was not signed."

"Anything else?" asked Holmes. "There is nothing important. There is a novel on the bed, which the dead man read in bed. His pipe is on a chair by the bed. There is a glass of water on the table. There is a wooden ointment on the windowsill. A box with two pills in it." Holmes jumped up from his chair with a cry of delight.He said loudly with joy, "This is the last link, and my conclusion is now considered complete." The two detectives looked at him in amazement. My friend said with confidence: "I have in my hands every clue that makes up the knot. Of course, the details have yet to be added. But from the time Drebber parted from Stangerson at the railway station to the day of Stan I've seen all the major events up to the time when Johnson's body was found, as if I'd seen it with my own eyes. I'm going to give you a proof of my opinion. Take those two pills. Did you bring it?"

"Here I am," said Lestrade, producing a small white box, "the pills, the purse, the telegram, which I thought would be safer in the police station. The spot. I brought the pills just by chance. I must declare that I don't think it's a thing of any importance." "Bring it to me, please," said Holmes. "Well, Doctor," he said, turning to me again, "is this the usual pill?" These pills are indeed unusual.Pearly gray, small and round, almost transparent to the light.I said, "From the two characteristics of light weight and transparency, I think the pill will dissolve in water."

"Exactly," replied Holmes. "Would you please go down and fetch that poor dog? The dog has been ill, and didn't the landlady ask you to kill him yesterday, so that he won't suffer? " I went downstairs and picked up the dog.The dog was struggling to breathe and had glassy eyes, suggesting it was not going to live long.Indeed, its snow-white lips can tell that it has already far exceeded the lifespan of ordinary dogs.I put a pad on the carpet and put it on top. "I will now cut one of the pills in half," said Holmes, taking out his knife, and cutting open the pill. "I will put half back in the box for future use, and I will put the half in the wine glass. There is a spoonful of water in the glass. Please see, our doctor friend is right, it will dissolve in the water immediately."

"That's interesting," said Lestrade in an angry tone, thinking that Holmes was playing tricks on him, "but I don't see how it has anything to do with Stangerson's death?" "Be patient, my friend, be patient! Then you will understand that it matters a lot. Now I add some milk to it, and I put it in front of the dog, and it will immediately lick it light." As he spoke, he poured the liquid from the glass into a plate, and placed it in front of the dog, who quickly licked it clean.Convinced by Holmes' earnestness, we all sat in silence, watching the dog attentively, and expecting something astonishing to happen.However, nothing special happened, and the dog was still lying on the mat, breathing hard.Apparently, the pills did it neither good nor bad.

Holmes had already taken out his watch to watch the minutes tick by, but to no avail. His face showed extreme chagrin and disappointment.He bit his lip and tapped his fingers on the table, showing a very anxious look.He was very emotional, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.But there was a mocking smile on the faces of the two official detectives, who were glad to see Holmes frustrated. "It cannot be by chance," said Holmes at last, rising up and pacing restlessly about the room. "It cannot be mere coincidence. In Drebber's case we Suspected that there would be some kind of pills, and now such pills are actually found after Stangerson's death. But they don't work. What's the matter? Surely, the series of inferences I made never Falseness may occur! Impossible! But there is nothing wrong with the poor thing. Oh, I see! I see!" With a shriek of delight, Holmes ran to the box, took out another pill, and put Cut it in half, dissolve half of it in water, add milk, and put it in front of the dog.Before the unfortunate little creature even had its tongue fully wet, its legs convulsed and quivered, and it died stiffly, as if struck by lightning. Holmes drew a long breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. "My faith is not strong enough; I should have just realized that if an episode seems to contradict a series of inferences, there must be some other way of explaining it. The two pills in that little box, one One is a potent poison, and the other one is completely harmless. In fact, I should have deduced it long before I saw this small box." I think that Holmes's last passage is too startling to convince anyone of his sanity.But the dead dog was clearly in front of him, proving that his deduction was correct.I seemed to feel that the doubts in my mind had gradually disappeared, and I began to have a vague understanding of the truth of the case. "All this may sound strange to you," continued Holmes, "because, at the outset of your investigation, you failed to appreciate the importance of the only correct clue before you. I was fortunate enough to seize this clue, and all the subsequent Everything that happened was sufficient to confirm my original assumptions, and they are indeed logical consequences. Therefore, those things that confuse you and make the case more obscure will have something to do with me. Illuminates and strengthens my thesis. It is a mistake to confound the strange with the mysterious. The most prosaic crime is often the most mysterious, since it does not appear to be anything new or special enough to serve as an inference. If the body of the victim had been found on the highway, and there had been none of the extraordinary and monstrous circumstances which made the case stand out, the murder would have been much more difficult to solve. Therefore, not only does the strange plot not increase the difficulty of solving the case at all, but it reduces the difficulty of handling the case." Mr. Grayson, who had been listening to this argument with great impatience, could bear it no longer.He said: "You see, Mr. Holmes, we all admit that you are a shrewd and capable person, and you also have your own set of working methods. However, what we are asking of you now is not just to talk about theory and preaching, but to catch you. The murderer. I have told what I have done, and it seems that I was wrong. There is no way that a young Charpentier will be involved in the second murder. Lestrade is following his Stan. Jesson, it seems that he is also wrong. You say something here and there, and you seem to know more than we do. But now is the time, and we think we have the right to ask you to say that you have How much is known about this case. Can you name the murderer?" Lestrade also said: "I cannot but think that Grayson is right, sir. We have both tried, and we have both failed. Since I have come to you, you have more than once Say, you've got all the evidence you need. Now, of course, you shouldn't keep it under wraps." I said: "If the murderer is not caught for a long time, he may have the opportunity to commit new atrocities." When all of us pressed like this, Holmes showed hesitation.He walked up and down the room incessantly, his head drooping on his chest, his brow furrowed, as he always did when he was thinking. "There will be no more assassinations," he said at last, standing abruptly to us. "You can rest assured that this is out of the question. You ask me if I know the name of the murderer. I do. But, Just knowing the murderer's name is nothing, but catching the murderer is a real skill. I expect I can catch him soon. I would like to arrange and do this job myself. But Delicate approach, because we're dealing with a very vicious and cunning man. And it has been proven that he has someone as alert as himself to help him. As long as the murderer doesn't feel that anyone can get a clue If so, then there is a chance to catch him. However, as soon as he has the slightest suspicion, he will change his name and surname, and immediately disappear among the four million inhabitants of this big city. I have no intention of hurting the feelings of you two, However, I must state that I do not think the official detectives are their match, which is why I did not ask for your assistance. If I fail, of course, I cannot absolve myself of the blame for not asking for your assistance. However, I Prepare to take on this responsibility. Now I want to guarantee that as long as there is no harm to my overall plan, I will tell you immediately when the time comes." Grayson and Lestrade were extremely dissatisfied with this assurance from Holmes, and with such contemptuous mockery of the official detective.Grayson's face flushed down to the root of his hair after hearing this; Lestrade stared at a pair of round eyes with a look of surprise and irritation.But before they had time to open their mouths, they heard someone knocking on the door. It turned out that it was the representative of street children, the insignificant little Wiggins, who had arrived. Wiggins raised his hands in salute and said, "Sir, please, the carriage has arrived, it's just below." "My dear boy," said Holmes mildly, "why don't you have such handcuffs at Scotland Yard?" he went on, taking a pair of steel handcuffs from a drawer. Touch it and it snaps." Lestrade said, "An old fashioned one will do as long as we can find someone to wear it." "Very well, very well," said Holmes, smiling. "I'd better have the coachman come and help me with my box. Go and fetch him, Wiggins." I was surprised at this, for according to my companion he seemed to be going on a journey, but he never mentioned it to me.There was only a small traveling suitcase in the room, and he pulled it out and busied himself fastening the straps.While he was busy, the coachman came into the room. "Cheerer, fasten this belt buckle for me," said Holmes, bending his knees as he fiddled with the suitcase, without looking back. With a tense face, the fellow stepped forward reluctantly, with both hands outstretched to help.It was too late to say it, but it was so fast, when the steel handcuffs clicked, Holmes suddenly jumped up. "Gentlemen," said he, with bright eyes, "let me introduce to you Mr. Jefferson Hope, the murderer of Drebber and Stangerson." It's just a matter of a split second.I just had no time to think.At that instant, the look of triumph on Holmes' face, the ringing of his voice, and the dazed, savage expression of the coachman as he watched the gleaming handcuffs snap around his wrists as if by magic, until Today, I still remember it vividly.At that time, we stood there like statues for a second or two.Then, with a roar of rage, the coachman broke free from Holmes' grasp, and dashing towards the window, he smashed the frame and the glass to pieces.But just as the coachman was about to get out, Grayson, Lestrade, and Holmes rushed up like a pack of hounds and dragged him back.A fierce brawl began.This man was so ferocious that the four of us were repeatedly repelled by him.He seemed to have the energy of a madman.His face and hands were badly cut when he jumped out of the window, and blood continued to flow, but his resistance did not weaken.It wasn't until Lestrade put his hands around his neck that he couldn't breathe that he realized the futility of struggling.That's it, we couldn't rest assured, so we tied his hands and feet again.After it was tied up, we stood up, gasping for breath. "Here is his carriage," said Holmes. "Take him to Scotland Yard. Now, gentlemen," he said, smiling cheerfully, "this little mysterious At last we have concluded the case. Now, I welcome any questions you may ask, and I will never refuse to answer them again."