Chapter 10 Chapter 10 The Fifth Finger

The lexicographer seems to have been lured by a glutton to define the word "eat"-"to eat, that is, to swallow food with the mouth".This action that we have to do every day is defined so indecently. What is even more annoying is that this statement is so accurate that you have to accept it.Indeed, if you want to explain it directly, isn't eating what he said?But the biological definition like "the process of taking nutrition" sounds more modern and materialistic, and it can even be said to be a hint of some kind of carnality.You can't deny that, in addition to focusing on the psychological aspect, this statement also has a very pleasant and unexpected effect.

Lights and candles were lit in the small dining room on the second floor of a flat on Feet Lane.The friendly and hearty conversation at the table seemed to be accompanied by the clink of glasses and the gurgling of wine.It was a rare feast for Mr. Godfield Bellingham, whose childlike excitement over a simple table shows how much he has had to endure in the past. And an unforgettable past.We talked for a long time about some good things, but no one mentioned the will of John Bellingham.We start from Saqqara Pyramid Saqqara Pyramid, located 30 kilometers south of Cairo, is the mausoleum of Djoser, king of the third dynasty of ancient Egypt, built about 2700 BC.The pyramid is the earliest among the existing pyramids in Egypt, and it is also the earliest mausoleum built with stones in the world.The ingenious workmanship of glazed and fired bricks and tiles talks about the simplicity and simplicity of medieval church floors, and the antique woodware in the Elizabethan period talks about the beauty of Mycenaean pottery. The mysterious grandeur of Taike culture.I even began to wonder if my two lawyer friends had gotten carried away with the conversation, completely forgetting the real purpose of this meeting.Because they didn't say anything about the "case" until the dessert was on the table.However, Thorndike seemed to be looking for an opportunity, and wanted to wait until the atmosphere was warm enough before bringing up the "case".When Mrs. Gemma disappeared from the dining room with the tray and the wine glass, Thorndike felt that his chance had come.

"Doctor, did you have a visitor last night?" said Mr. Burlingham. "I mean my friend Jericho. I have heard from him about your meeting, and he seems to be very curious about you. Because I've never seen him go after anyone so hard. So what do you think of him?" "He seems to be an interesting and strange old man. Yesterday we teased each other for a long time around some weird questions. I deliberately kept asking questions, but he kept answering them blindly. Hehe, what an interesting meeting! " "There's no need for him to get too close to us," said Miss Burlingham, "and the whole world is waiting to see our family joke now!"

"So they decided to appeal to the court?" Thorndike asked. "Well, yes," replied Mr. Burlingham calmly, "yesterday Jericho told me that my cousin Herbert had made it clear to his lawyers that he was going to apply to the court and that I was invited to join him. Tonight he actually came to fight for Herbert! Oh, don't let these annoying things spoil our happy mood now." "Oh? Do you have any secrets?" Thorndike asked. "Why do you deliberately avoid this topic that everyone is interested in? You don't mind talking about it, do you?"

"Well, of course. But I'm ashamed to force the doctor to listen to my long list of ailments!" "It depends on what the ailments are!" replied Thorndike. "It is very tiresome if a bad-tempered patient presses the doctor to prescribe inexplicable medicines. But if he If you are suffering from some rare disease, such as trypanosomiasis or acromegaly, then the doctor must be very willing to listen and help him as much as possible." "Then legally speaking," asked Miss Burlingham, "is our case a rare case?" "Of course," Thorndike replied emphatically, "the case of John Bellingham is undoubtedly a very unique and typical case from any point of view, and any person in the legal profession will pay great attention to it. Especially forensics."

"Oh, doctor, this is very good news!" said Miss Burlingham. "Perhaps our case will be recorded in a textbook or a paper! But let's not make too much of it." "No," went on her father, "we don't want to be famous, and I'm sure Herbert does too. Did Bicky tell you about Herbert's proposal?" "Well, he has told me," replied Thorndike; "it seems he must have mentioned it to you again, has he not?" "Yeah, he sent Jericho to tell me to give me another chance. I was going to take it, but I got a lot of backlash from my daughter, who didn't agree to a compromise, and I thought maybe she was right. For She cares more about this matter than I do!"

"What about Jericho?" asked Thorndike. "He seemed more neutral, but he could still see that he felt that it was obviously wiser to accept this condition than to wait for a long-term inheritance. He certainly hoped that I would do this. The sooner the matter is over, he can The sooner you unload your burden." "In the end you still refused?" "Well, I refused very firmly. Next, Herbert will apply for a death certificate and examine the will at the same time, and Jericho said he will support him-he said he has no choice." "Then what are you going to do?"

"I think I'm going to file a countersuit, although I don't know where I stand to do it." "I think you'd better think through the whole thing before you take concrete action." Thorndike suggested, "You seem to be very sure of your brother's death. If he does die, all you have in the will Benefits received under the regulations are subject to the conditions of the death determination. Oh, maybe you have talked to the lawyer about this?" "No, no. Maybe you have heard from our doctor friend that my current financial situation does not allow me to hire a lawyer. It is for this reason that I am hesitant to discuss the case with you."

"Then you mean, you're going to appear in court in person?" "Well, that's what I intend. If there is a countersuit, then I have to do it myself." After a moment of contemplation, Thorndike raised his head and said solemnly: "Mr. Burlingham, I advise you not to handle this case yourself. I have my reasons. One thing is certain, Mr. Herbert will have a shrewd and capable attorney. If it really comes to court, it is likely that You cannot withstand the onslaught of the opponent, but you have to take the lead. At the same time, you also need to consider the factor of the judge."

"But a judge should be impartial to someone who can't afford a lawyer and legal counsel, shouldn't he?" "That's natural. Judges generally try to provide assistance and advice to a party without a lawyer. Although many British judges are very honorable and responsible people, you may not be able to afford this risk, so you must Take special circumstances into account. Since many judges have been legal counsel, a large degree of professional bias is brought to court. Come to think of it, although some legal counsel are very ridiculous in the way they treat witnesses , but they can still get a license, and some judges are hostile to forensic and other experts who testify in court, so I say that not all judges are just, let alone the privileges and immunities they enjoy .In general, if the case is presented by you in person, it will cause a lot of trouble. Because you are not familiar with the legal procedures and details, this is likely to cause some delays. If the judge is hot-tempered, then He may be impatient. Of course, I am not saying that this will necessarily affect his sentence, and I believe that this will not be the case, but I still think it is best to try to avoid angering the judge. More importantly, the professional You can quickly grasp the defense strategy of the opposing lawyer in court and take effective countermeasures in a timely manner, but you must not be able to do this.”

"Thank you very much for your advice, Dr. Thorndike," said Bellingham with a wry smile, "but I'm afraid I'll have to take the risk!" "Oh? That's not certain." Thorndike said, "I have a proposal. If you can open your heart and consider it carefully, I think this should be regarded as a mutually beneficial agreement. As Miss Burlingham said, Your case is unique, and it may indeed be included in textbooks as an example. Also, given my interest in law, I will always follow the development of this case. If it is possible to enter the case and investigate without It would be nice to just watch. Not to mention how rewarding it would be for me to get this case right! So here I am asking you to hand this case over to me Let’s see if we can come up with a solution.” Bellingham fell into deep thought. After a while, he glanced at his daughter and said with a trace of hesitation: "Dr. Thorndike, you are so generous..." "Oh, I'm sorry!" Thorndike quickly interrupted him, "I'm not that generous. I've already explained that my original motive was entirely out of my own consideration." Hearing this, Bellingham looked a little uneasy, and laughed, and once again glanced at his daughter, who was just peeling a pear without looking up.Seeing that she ignored him, Branham asked: "Do you think we have a good chance of success?" "Oh, I think the current situation looks very slim, but if I think this case has no chance of winning at all, I will directly advise you to let it go." "If this case can have a good result, are you willing to accept me to compensate you according to the usual standard?" Bellingham asked. "If I had had a choice," said Thorndike, "I would have said 'very gladly. Senferger, right? They have a very good income, but a very bad reputation. Oh, well, let's not talk about these hypothetical questions. Seriously, if I can make your case, I It is a very great achievement, and we can both benefit from it." Thorndike turned his face to Miss Bellingham, and continued, "I sincerely implore you, Miss Bellingham. Now we have made progress together. dinner, and pigeon pie and cake, won't you be willing to support me, and at the same time show a little kindness to Dr. Bakery?" "But how are we going to decide what to do with Dr. Berry?" asked Miss Birlingham, puzzled. "Of course, you know, he once wanted to use his own money to hire me!" "Is there such a thing?" She turned to me and asked me with a startling look. "Well, there is, but it's not that much," I began to feel uneasy, and secretly hoped that one day Thorndike's secret would be revealed. "I just mentioned to him... mentioned the lawyer's... fees and things like that. But please don't be angry with me, Miss Branham. Dr. Thorndike has very wisely declined me." .” As I stammered my explanation, Miss Burlingham gazed at me thoughtfully, and said: "No, how could I be angry? I was just thinking that poverty has its rewards. You two have been so kind to us father and daughter! I am very grateful to Dr. Thorndike for his generous advice and would be more than happy to Accepted. Really appreciate all the help you've given us." "My dear," went on Mr. Burlingham, "let us enjoy the rewards of poverty! We have suffered a lot before, and now let us accept his mercy and kindness with peace of mind! " "It's very kind," said Thorndike. "Miss Bellingham, you have not disappointed me, and I am very grateful to Dr. Bickrey for your kindness. You have already decided, then, that I will handle the case." gone?" "Yes, please, Dr. Thorndike," said Mr. Bellingham, "we will support you unconditionally, in whatever way you please." "Great," I said, "let's raise our glasses together, and wish this case a smooth solution! Miss Burlingham, please also pick up the port wine. Although this wine is not very famous, it is very helpful The body is still extremely beneficial and the catalyst for our friendship." I poured her a glass, and when everyone's glasses were filled, we rose to celebrate our new alliance with a solemn toast. "Oh, by the way, I would like to add one more thing," said Thorndike, "it is a good thing to have your own lawyer. When the lawsuit officially begins, that is, when you receive notice from Herbert's lawyer, you can find Ge Mr. Marchmont from Lei Law School, hand over all the documents to him. Of course, he is only representing your case in name, and in fact he will not take any action, but I think formally there must be a lawyer to guide you. In addition, there is another very important point, that is, before the trial, Jericho or anyone must never know that I am related to this case, and we must keep a low profile as much as possible." "Well, we'll keep it secret," said Mr. Burlingham. "It's very easy, to tell the truth, because Marchmont and I, by chance, knew each other, and he was Stephen Blackmore's solicitor. Remember when you won a very good case, and I had a history with the Blackmores." "Oh, is it?" Thorndike said, "this world is really small. The case at that time was indeed intricate and the debate was fierce. It was really interesting. It was also the first time that Reeves and I worked together. It is also a precious memory for me.” "Yes, I was a great help," said Reeves, "though I only stumbled on a point or two. Oh, come to think of it, your case is not so much like Blackmore's." It's the same! There are also people who disappeared, both with ridiculous wills, and the person who disappeared at the same time was also the testator and an antique collector." "Hehe, the cases we handle are always more or less similar." Thorndike winked at me as he spoke, and I immediately understood his intentions, because he immediately changed the subject. "As for your brother's disappearance, Mr. Bellingham, the newspaper reports are really comprehensive, even the floor plans of the mansion and Herbert's house are published in the newspaper. Then, whoever provided these things to the newspaper office Do you know who it is?" "I don't know that," replied Mr. Bellingham, "but I have had several journalists who have asked me for information, and I have turned them away. So has Herbert, as far as I know. And Jericho, He's always been tight-lipped." "In general," Thorndike said, "those reporters can always get 'subject matter' through some channels, but someone must have given them your brother's features and drawings of those houses. If you can know this Just whoever it is. Putting that aside for now, we have to discuss a couple of legal issues. Oh, sorry, this is a very necessary step." "Also," I added, "please go to the living room first—it's actually Barna's kennel—and leave the cleaning up to the housekeeper!" Soon, we came to the simple and cozy little room.Afterwards, Mrs. Gemma brought the coffee with a sullen face, but her expression seemed to tell us that if you want to drink this stuff, please feel free, but don't blame me if something goes wrong!I settled Bellingham in an easy chair with sagging sides, Barna's favorite, with a slumped cushion that looked as if it had been squished by an elephant sitting cross-legged for so long.After that, I lifted the piano cover again, made an inviting gesture, and said: "Would you like to ask Miss Burlingham to play us a song?" "She can play the piano?" "Oh, but I haven't touched a piano for nearly two years! It must be fun, but if it fails, your ears will suffer. Choose your own!" she replied with a smile. "My choice is based on experiment," said Mr. Burlingham. "I don't mean, of course, to waste experiment in some useless place, so as not to ruin Dr. Barna's piano. But, Ruth, Before you play the piano, I want to say something, ugly words first, so as not to spoil everyone later." He stopped abruptly, and all the people present looked at him expectantly, "Thorndike Doctor, I suppose you read newspapers, too?" he asked. "No, I never read newspapers," Thorndike replied, "but sometimes, for the sake of my work, I will check certain reports in a targeted manner." "Oh, that is," said Bellingham, "you may have seen the news report about the discovery of the wreckage, which said it was part of the victim's body." "Well, I have read these reports, and also created a file for future reference." "That's right, then I don't need to explain to you now the poignant and familiar feeling I have about the murdered and dismembered remains of some poor man, no doubt. I think you can understand me, and I want to ask Yours is, do you feel the same way about this?" Thorndike lowered his eyes and stared at the floor thoughtfully. He didn't make a sound for a long time, and we all waited anxiously for his answer. "I think you must associate your brother's mysterious disappearance with those wreckage," he said finally. "Of course, it's only natural. Actually, I really want to say that you are wrong, but it seems difficult to say so." It is convincing. From a certain point of view, it is indeed very similar, and until now there is still no obvious evidence that the wreckage does not belong to Brother Ling." Mr. Bellingham began to writhe uncomfortably in his chair, sighed, and said gruffly: "This is dreadful! Dr. Thorndike, dreadful! Will you tell us now, in your opinion, Which items are consistent or not consistent?" Thorndike was lost in thought again, and it seemed that he was not very willing to talk about this topic.However, since the question has been raised, he can only reluctantly answer: "Actually, it is not the time to talk about the pros and cons. The facts of the case are still unclear at this stage, and our views in many aspects are just conjectures. As of The skeletons found so far are all parts that cannot be used as a basis for identification. This alone is very surprising. Judging from the characteristics of those skeletons, it can only be generally said that the deceased was a man of height and age. A middle-aged man who is similar to his brother, and the time when the body was abandoned is roughly the same as the time when he disappeared." "You mean that the time of dumping the corpse has basically been determined?" said Burlingham. "Basically, the approximate date can be deduced from the bones found in Sidka Town. There is a water mustard field there, which was cleaned up about two years ago. From this, it can be concluded that the time when the human bones were dumped there It will definitely not exceed two years; however, from the analysis of the condition of the bones, the time of disposal will never be less than two years, because there is no trace of residual muscle tissue found on those bones. But what I said is a reward We do not have any direct evidence of the information published in the Internet." "Have the important parts of the corpse been found? I haven't read the newspapers. Miss Aoman often brings me a lot of newspapers to read, but I couldn't bear it, so I threw the whole stack of newspapers out of the window." At this time, I seemed to see a smile in Thorndike's eyes, but he still replied seriously: "I can tell you one by one according to what I remember, but I can't guarantee that the date is completely accurate. The bones were first discovered in On July 15th, in the town of Sydka, apparently, this was an accidental discovery. It included a complete left arm, but the ring finger was missing, and it was connected to the shoulder, that is, the shoulder blade and collarbone. This time the The discovery made the local residents, especially the young people, mobilize collectively, and launched a large-scale search operation on all the ponds and streams in that area..." "Oh, how cruel!" broke in Branham suddenly. "As a result, another right femur bone was recovered from a pond near St Mary's Clay, Kent. Also, the bone had a tiny feature that could have identified the victim: in its joint Where there is a small piece of bone that has 'ivorified', if the natural surface of the articular cartilage is diseased, this very smooth tissue will appear as the damaged surfaces of the bones rub against each other. " "How's that for identification?" asked Mr. Birlingham. "Well, from this it appears that the deceased had rheumatoid arthritis," said Thorndike, "which is called rheumatic gout, and besides, he may have been slightly lame in his legs, and would have Often complains of pain in the right buttock." "I'm afraid that doesn't help," said Mr. Bellingham. "In fact John does have a bad limp, but that's from an old injury to his left ankle. But when it comes to complaining of pain, because his His personality is very stubborn, so he rarely hears his complaints. Ah, by the way, don't ask me to interrupt you!" "Followed by the discovery by police near Lee," Thorndike continued, "they appear to have quickly launched a larger search operation and found some right foot bones in a pond near Lee, West Kent. If the left foot bone is found, then maybe we have a clue, just now you said that your brother has an old injury on his left ankle, do you know if there is any scar left on his foot?" "I suppose there is," replied Branham. "I've heard it's called a Potter's fracture." "Yes. Indeed, it seems that they belong to the same corpse." "Yes," said Bellingham, "I've heard that too. Our old house is near there. Oh, it's dreadful! I always shudder when I think of it, and think of poor John Maybe he was stopped and killed on his way to visit me. Maybe he came in through the back door if it wasn't locked. He was followed all the way there and then brutally murdered... remember Is it? The police once found a scarab jewel in our backyard. But I still want to make sure that this arm is indeed the same as the one Sidka found?" "It seems so, from all the characters and dimensions," Thorndike replied. "Besides, a new discovery has been made since those two days, which confirms it still more." "Oh? Can you tell me what you found?" asked Mr. Burlingham eagerly. "In a deep pond called Staples, on the edge of Loughton Forest, the police fished out a half-body body, which had a pelvis, which is two hip bones and six vertebrae, that is, Spondyloarthritis. The police immediately blocked and drained the stream in the hope of finding more, but no other bones were found. This is very surprising because the twelfth thoracodorsal vertebra was missing, which involved Many technical problems in the dismemberment. But now I do not want to go into these unpleasant details. The most important thing is that in the found bones, the bone of the joint cavity of the right hip bone also had ivory phenomenon, and it was the same as before. The lesion on the right thighbone found at St. Mary's Clay matches. So we can be almost certain that the bones belong to the same individual." "Oh, so it is," grumbled Bellingham, after a moment's thought, "and are those bones really my brother's remains? What do you think, Dr. Thorndike?" "Judging from the facts I have now, I can't give an answer. I can only say that there is such a possibility, and there are many signs that it is indeed him! But we can't jump to conclusions now, and we have to wait for further discoveries by the police. At any moment, the police may find important parts of the skeleton, and by then all the questions will be revealed." "Well, maybe," said Bellingham, "by the way, is there anything I can do about the identification problem?" "Of course," said Thorndike, "I will ask you to help me then. Then do as I say: make a list of some of the characteristics of your brother, including all his defects and wounds, And the name of the disease, try to list everything you know; if you can find out all the doctors who have seen him - including surgeons and dentists, then it is best to list as well, it is a wish , especially dentists! If the skull is found one day, then dentists will be able to help us immeasurably.” Bellingham could not help but tremble when he heard this. "What a terrible idea!" he said. "But, you are right, you have to have evidence to form a belief. I will try to write down everything you want to know and send it to you. Well, let's put this aside for a moment. Nightmare, don't think about it! By the way, Ruth, is there any piece in Dr. Barna's score that you can play?" While most of Dr. Barna's collection is more serious classical music, we did find a few lighter, more traditional pieces, like Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words."So Miss Bellingham began to play, and her piano skills were quite proficient, and she had a lot of charm.At least that's how it seemed to her father.As for me, I seem to feel that just sitting there and admiring her is already a great enjoyment. Even the wonderful "Silver Wave" may not be able to replace this quiet feeling. Amidst the beautiful and warm music and the relaxed and witty conversation, I spent one of the most memorable nights in my life, and felt that time flew by and slipped away at once.When I said goodbye to my visitors one by one, the bell of San Dante also struck eleven.Looking at the back of the father and daughter of Berlinham, I felt infinitely lost in my heart. Thorndike and Reeves wanted to leave at first, but they seemed to be aware of my declining mood, so out of sympathy and understanding , they decided to linger for a while longer smoking their pipes, and to keep me company as a consolation to me.