"Did you check on the maid who cleaned the house?" Holmes took out his pipe and filled it with tobacco.
"I did. Although the maid had been working in the house for two years, the old butler detained her immediately. He searched her, but he didn't find any oil paintings. She didn't go anywhere else from the moment she entered the house to the moment she came out to look for the old butler. So, she can be ruled out as a suspect in this case," Villard said.
After a pause, he continued, "Through the viscount's connections, I also found two other victims who were visited by Mr. M. From their descriptions, they received letters from Mr. M at the same time that their belongings were stolen. One of them had his belongings stolen while he was on vacation, and the other one was more prominent than the viscount. His belongings were better hidden, but they were still lost. That guy is like a magician. He can get into any secret room and play everyone like a fiddle."
Holmes was noncommittal. He lit his pipe and took a puff. "The best thief I've ever encountered was a dwarf who performed in a circus. He was only half the height of a child, and he was very thin. He could sneak into your house through the chimney, and he could squeeze through narrow gaps by shrinking his bones. But even he couldn't do it without leaving a trace."
"That's why I can't figure out how that guy did it. I can only come to you for advice," Villard said respectfully.
"All right," Holmes smiled. "Since I've promised to help you, and I'm very interested in this case, I won't leave it alone. But for now, let's find you a place to stay in London."
The three of them rode in a carriage to an inn. While Villard checked in, Holmes stood in the lobby, smoking his pipe as he observed the passersby.
"Do you think Mr. M is among them?" Zhang Heng asked.
"Who knows?" Holmes exhaled a ring of smoke. It was obvious that he was in a good mood. "We're in luck today, Zhang. We've come across such an interesting case. I thought early in the morning that Villard would surprise us. Hey, he didn't let me down."
Zhang Heng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The more difficult the case Villard encountered, the happier Holmes was. The great detective's mind was indeed different from ordinary people.
"Do you have any clues about the whereabouts of the oil paintings?" Zhang Heng asked.
Holmes didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "What about you? Do you have any ideas?"
Along the way, Zhang Heng had been thinking about the case, trying to piece together all the clues. Thanks to Villard, the red-haired detective had done a thorough investigation of the crime scene, turning the viscount's mansion upside down. Zhang Heng felt like he was there when he read the report.
"You said that after eliminating all the bizarre and unscientific options, the only thing left is the truth. No thief could be so skillful as to leave no trace on the ground and bypass the hounds without causing any noise. Also, I looked at the layout of the house. Other than the old housekeeper, the cook didn't sleep that night either. He was busy in the kitchen, and he wasn't far from the house. The door of the house was usually locked. So, I think the problem lies with the maid who cleaned the house."
Holmes looked at Zhang Heng like he was looking at a rare animal in the zoo. He then exclaimed, "My mysterious eastern traveler friend, no matter how long I've known you, you always surprise me, don't you? It's great to know you. Although you're still learning from me, you're more than capable of setting up your own business. You're so much better than my mediocre peers. Even a newcomer like Villard can't compare to you. Maybe it won't be long before you become a strong competitor for me. Then, this world won't be so boring for me anymore. "
This was already a very high evaluation for Holmes. Although he was still a little boastful in the end, for the always proud detective to say such a thing, it proved that Zhang Heng had indeed impressed him.
"Haha, when I saw the notebook just now, the first thing that came to my mind was the locked-room murder case in Fort Qom. At that time, there were rumors that the victims were killed by ghosts. Because all the doors and windows were closed and couldn't be opened from the outside, and the murder scene inside was very bloody and had a strong sense of revenge, the locals believed that only ghosts could have done it. Even many of the police believed that the ghosts were avenging themselves.
"But as I said, after eliminating the impossible, the remaining answer, no matter how unbelievable it may seem, must be the correct answer. It turns out that the victim was the murderer himself. He used extreme means to kill himself. It was a very interesting case because the victim had a secret buried in his heart. That secret had haunted him for a long time. He felt guilty for something he did when he was young. The guilt followed him for the rest of his life. Coupled with the fact that he was terminally ill at the time, and he was worried that the murderer's descendants would seek revenge on his wife and daughter, he resorted to such means to repay the debt he owed all those years ago.
"The situation this time is very similar. I've carefully read Villard's notebook and ruled out the possibility of an outsider breaking into the house. That leaves only one possibility: a house thief. After all, bribing a maid who earns less than a pound a week is much easier than sneaking into a heavily guarded mansion. If I were Mr. M, I would have chosen this path as well." Zhang Heng frowned.
Zhang Heng frowned. "The letter on the ground is easy to explain. The maid had it with her a long time ago. She left it there when she was cleaning the house. She stole the painting, but the only thing I haven't figured out is how she escaped the inspection. Was the butler her accomplice?"
"You are close to the final answer, my oriental friend," Holmes said excitedly, blinking. Holmes blinked and said excitedly, "I believe that if you were given half a day more, you would be able to figure it out. It's not difficult to retrieve the oil painting. The difficult part is how to catch Mr. M. I have to admit that as a thief, his imagination and talent are very good. Judging from his way of doing things, he must be a cautious and patient person. It won't be easy to catch such a guy, but London is our home ground. It won't be right to let him get away again."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
