The Church of the Sacred Heart opened at eight o 'clock sharp. Father Jacob had prepared two baskets of white bread and distributed it to the homeless people nearby.
Zhang Heng and Holmes took the opportunity to observe Father Jacob quietly.
"Your previous deduction is wrong," Zhang Heng said.
"Impossible. Even if there is a slight deviation in the details, it can't be so ridiculous," Holmes said flatly, but he also seemed a little helpless.
What the two were talking about was the deduction Holmes made based on the handwriting on the letter.
"Left-handed, male, between thirty and forty years old, weak and unstable personality, and conservative thinking."
Now, it seemed that other than the male deduction, the left-handedness and age inferences were all incorrect. As for the weak and unstable personality, and conservative thinking, Zhang Heng couldn't find anything wrong with him.
Other than that, Zhang Heng also noticed that Father Jacob's left shoulder seemed to have an injury, but it should be an old injury. He had been carrying the bread basket with his right hand, probably because his left hand could not lift it. His hair was neatly combed, and although his clothes looked old, they were very clean.
He looked like a typical clergyman, a little old-fashioned and dignified, but at the same time, full of love.
Holmes and Zhang Heng looked at each other, both seeing the doubt in each other's eyes. At this point in the investigation, Father Jacob was undoubtedly the biggest suspect. However, when Zhang Heng saw him in person, he realized that the possibility of Father Jacob committing the crime was not high.
According to Holmes and Zhang Heng's crime scene simulation, the murderer should have strangled the victim's neck with one hand and slit the throat with the other. Zhang Heng wondered if Father Jacob was capable of such a feat.
After that, Zhang Heng stopped a homeless man next to him who had just received the bread. "Friend, I have something to ask you."
"What is it?" The homeless man was a little wary, hiding the bread in his clothes.
Zhang Heng took out a shilling. "Is there anyone else in this church other than Father Matthew and Father Jacob?"
The homeless man snatched the shilling and shook his head. "There was a young deacon, but he couldn't stand the life in the East End and left. Now, Father Jacob is the only one here."
"Does he have any family?"
"No, the priest has always been alone. He has been in this church for more than thirty years. He doesn't have a wife, and he doesn't have a daughter. Uh … I heard that he has a cousin, but he's not in London," Wanderer said, his eyes never leaving Zhang Heng's pocket.
Zhang Heng knew what the man was thinking. This was the East Side. Even though it was daytime, and Zhang Heng had just given this guy a shilling, that shilling was obviously not enough to satisfy him. So, Zhang Heng slightly opened his coat and flashed the revolver at his waist.
The Wanderer immediately became well-behaved. He realized that the person in front of him was not someone to be trifled with. He could only put away his restless thoughts and leave while muttering to himself.
On the other side, Holmes was already walking towards Father Jacob.
"I have sinned, Father."
"Everyone makes mistakes in life, my son," Father Jacob said. "The important thing is whether you are willing to repent."
"I want to repent for my sins, for the lies I have told, for the wrongs I have done … These things torment me every day, filling me with guilt," Holmes said.
"Very good. This shows that your heart is still bright." Father Jacob nodded. "Come with me, son."
After that, Zhang Heng saw Holmes following Father Jacob into the confession room.
About a quarter of an hour later, Holmes walked out again. Before Zhang Heng could speak, he shook his head. "You don't have to go. It's not him."
"Huh?" Zhang Heng raised his eyebrows.
"He had an alibi for the first and third murders," Holmes said. "Especially on the first night, he wasn't in the East End. Besides, the injury on his left shoulder is real. He couldn't have committed the crime with only one hand."
"What about collusion?" Zhang Heng asked.
"I can't completely rule out this possibility, but I asked him a few suggestive questions during our conversation. From his answers, I don't see any extreme hatred for the prostitutes. And judging from the crime scene, I don't think there are any signs of collusion."
Zhang Heng wasn't too surprised by this answer. He was just asking out of convenience. It was rare for a serial killer to be colluding. No matter why they embarked on this path, it was obvious that they wanted to play the role of God in their own world. However, there could only be one God.
Holmes wasn't discouraged. He didn't look too disappointed that he came up empty handed this time. "This proves that my previous description of the murderer is correct. Next, I just need to find more clues. Your general direction is correct. As long as we can find the intersection between the three victims, the murderer must be among them."
"I hope we have enough time," Zhang Heng said.
… …
Although the church didn't work, it did give Zhang Heng a lot of inspiration. After that, he quickly turned his attention to the small clinic in the East End.
Other than priests, there was another group of people who could easily come into contact with these prostitutes without arousing any suspicion — doctors.
At this point in time, the famous fourth murder had yet to occur. In that case, the murderer cut open the victim's lower abdomen and removed part of the uterus and kidney. All of this was done in the dark. Because the patrolling police were very close to the scene, the murderer took less than nine minutes to finish the job. His technique was clean and neat. At the time, many people suspected that the murderer was a professional surgeon.
However, Noomi was from Sweden, after all. She wasn't very sociable with the other prostitutes, and her knowledge of the three victims was limited. Naturally, she didn't know which clinic they went to. Zhang Heng could only ask someone else for more information.
Holmes had already left. Zhang Heng took one last look at the Church of the Sacred Heart, only to find that Father Jacob was looking at him from the church. The two looked at each other, then Father Jacob nodded politely at him, picked up the mop beside him, and continued to mop the floor with his head down.
Just like Holmes said, there was a very quiet and calm power in him. Zhang Heng didn't think that such a person would have anything to do with the serial killer in the Whitechapel.
He didn't forget the bet between him and Holmes, and he didn't stay here any longer. Instead, he walked to the tavern with more prostitutes.
Little Adorkable said:
Thank you Chen Zhenli and Broken-Winged Fried Chicken for your tips ~
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