Holmes decided not to tell the prime minister about tonight's incident for the time being.
Zhang Heng had no objection, but Villard wanted to say something. He felt that it wasn't very gentlemanly of him to do so. It was tantamount to using the prime minister as bait. However, since he wasn't British, it wasn't appropriate for him to speak up about such matters. In the end, Holmes got what he wanted.
The Baker Street Squad was summoned again, and this time, Holmes went into action himself. During the day, he disguised himself as a shoemaker, setting up a stall not far from the prime minister's residence. At night, he pretended to be a drunkard by the roadside.
Two days later, he had earned four shillings from repairing shoes, and yet, there was still no sign of the Prussians.
Holmes himself wasn't in a hurry. He slept for only three hours a day, but he seemed to be in high spirits. When he was free, he even had the mood to play the violin.
As for Zhang Heng and Villard, they didn't stay idle either. These days, the two spent their time in pubs and boxing arenas in London, hoping to use this method to continue searching for their target. However, like Holmes, neither of them found anything. On the morning of the third day, Zhang Heng received unexpected news that Holmes had been arrested.
Zhang Heng and Villard saw the great detective at the police station. The latter was sitting on a bench, resting his chin in his hands. No one knew what he was thinking.
Zhang Heng went through the bail procedures, and the police released Holmes.
Holmes took the shoebrush and toolbox from the officer and walked out of the police station without a word.
Zhang Heng and Villard were a little worried about Holmes, afraid that he would take things too hard. However, when Holmes got into the carriage, he suddenly laughed. "Interesting. It seems that I have indeed underestimated my opponent this time."
"Hmm?"
"It's a little embarrassing to talk about it," Holmes chuckled. "I haven't been in such a sorry state in a long time. I was supposed to keep an eye on someone, but I was discovered instead. Someone told the police officers patrolling the street that there was a suspicious person outside the prime minister's residence. Then, I was arrested by the police. Although I have some connections in the police station, this matter involves the prime minister, and the police can't release me immediately. So, I had to ask you guys to bail me out."
"Did they recognize your disguise?"
"It's better to say that this was a trap from the beginning," Holmes said. "I am now certain that we are being watched. It should be after the night at the theater. We are trying to find the Prussian based on the information we have at hand, but the other party is obviously trying to figure us out as well. I have to admit that they have done a good job in this matter. It seems that they already know where we live and what I do. This time, our movements are completely under surveillance. Today's incident seems to be their warning to me."
"Warning?"
"Yes, it seems that they don't want me to interfere in this matter anymore," Holmes said. "But it also indicates that we are close to the truth."
"Sorry to interrupt." The red-haired detective scratched his head and said, "Did I forget something? Haven't we found nothing for the past two days? Why are we suddenly so close to the truth?"
"I don't know yet, but we must have done something to make them nervous. I've been thinking about it before you arrived," Holmes said.
Holmes felt in his pocket, and found that his pipe was not there, in consequence of his change of clothes.
Villard quickly took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed one to Holmes with both hands.
"Don't rush. Let me think about it." Holmes took a drag.
While Holmes continued to ponder, Zhang Heng recalled the events of the past few days to see if he had missed anything. Then, both of them let out a soft gasp at the same time.
"Did you guys find anything?" Villard was more curious than anyone else, wishing he could crawl into Zhang Heng's and Holmes's heads.
"Are you thinking about what I was thinking just now?" Holmes asked Zhang Heng.
The latter looked at Villard. "You said that Mr. M's previous cases were all in France. That means the possibility of him being a Frenchman is very high."
"Uh … yes, that's right."
"And 'Carmen' is a French opera."
"… That's not a problem." The red-haired detective raised his eyebrows. "So?"
"'Carmen' first premiered in Paris. After that, it came to London. Mr. M happened to be in London at the same time," Zhang Heng said. "Could this be a coincidence?"
"Wait, are you suggesting that Mr. M is related to the opera company?"
"That would explain why they are so nervous," Zhang Heng said.
"Because we appeared at the theater that night," Holmes said. "They think we might be getting close to Mr. M."
"I will look for Miss Adler now and see if there is anyone in the troupe who is French and has only recently arrived in London," Zhang Heng said decisively.
Half an hour later, Zhang Heng arrived outside Irene Adler's house. After Zhang Heng gave his name, the nanny opened the door and invited him to sit in the living room. Just then, the sound of a piano could be heard coming from the second floor.
"Miss Adler is practicing. Please wait for a moment," the nanny said.
"Okay." Zhang Heng sat down on the sofa, and the nanny made him black tea. About a quarter of an hour later, the music stopped, and the female singer came down the stairs.
"Look who's here. You are a rare guest, Mr. Zhang Heng," Irene Adler said. Eileen Adler said. She was wearing a white dress today, looking like a lily in quiet bloom.
With Irene Adler's intelligence, Zhang Heng had no intention of hiding anything and told her everything.
A look of realization appeared on the female singer's face. "I see. You left that night because of this case, right?"
"I hope Miss Adler doesn't mind."
"Irene, just call me Irene," the female singer said. Said the songstress. "How can I blame a man who works so hard to improve the security of London?"
"Strictly speaking, this job is unpaid," Zhang Heng said. "So, it might be more appropriate to call it a hobby."
"That's even more admirable, isn't it?" Irene said. She paused, sat down opposite Zhang Heng, and poured herself a cup of black tea. "The person you are looking for does exist.
"The person you're looking for does exist. He's the troupe's French consultant. Before the rehearsals, he usually communicated with the troupe by telegram, but this London premiere is very important, so he rushed over from France. Speaking of which, I've never liked that guy very much. Although he looks very modest on the surface, I can see that he's actually very arrogant. He doesn't take other people seriously at all, especially women. Of course, he's good at flirting, but unfortunately, he's not as smart as he thinks he is. He's the smartest person in the whole troupe."
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