Chapter 485: 485

Chapter 485 The Unidentified Corpse Of Thames

The pleasant wine party did not last too long before it was interrupted by an uninvited guest . The uninvited guest was a tall man with a fair complexion and grayish-yellow hair . He frowned when he entered through the door . ” “Something bad has happened . ”

“You always come to me when you are in trouble . I’m not even surprised anymore . ” Holmes sat on the sofa, having no intention to deal with the uninvited guest right now . He wanted to introduce Zhang Heng to him first . “Gregson, chief of Scotland Yard . I’m comparing him with his peers,” he looked at Gregson again, “Zhang Heng, my mysterious and lovely new roommate from the far east . We are discussing the influence of professional opponents . We are also trying to eliminate my treasured Port wine as well . Since you are here, would you like to have a glass with us?”

“I am afraid this is not a good time to drink,” the inspector said, glancing at Zhang Heng at the same time . “Don’t worry . This friend of mine can be trusted, and his lips are sealed . ” Holmes said, “You can tell me anything that you want to tell me right here . ” “Okay . ” This wasn’t Gregson’s first rodeo with Holmes . Upon hearing that, he discounted Zhang Heng and spoke his mind .

“I encountered a challenging case . ”

“I doubt it, but you can go on . ” “In the afternoon, the police on patrol found a dead body at the River Thames . We asked a nearby boatman to help us to retrieve it . The victim is a young girl but that’s all we know . Our efforts in uncovering her identity remain fruitless . There were no clothes, jewelry, and other useful items that could help us to identify her . We don’t know her name, where she lives, what she does, and whether she has any friends or relatives . In short, we don’t know anything about her . No one has reported anyone missing recently . You said that you are most interested in this kinds of sticky cases, so I came to you as soon as possible . ” “A wise move . ”

After listening to Gregson’s description, Holmes showed a touch of excitement on his face . He turned to Zhang Heng and said, “My friend, I am sorry that we have to end the party early . ” “It doesn’t matter . Work is paramount,” Zhang Heng expressed an understanding . Holmes got up, put on his coat, before suddeenly saying, “Where is your hat? Theory class is over . You should put what you have learned into practice next . ” Zhang Heng was a little surprised . He could see that Gregson didn’t want him involved in this case . Besides, he and Holmes had only met for two hours . Even though they shared a good chat, Holmes didn’t need to invite him to solve the case .

As of now, Zhang Heng had a primary mission he needed to complete . He did not expect to be granted that opportunity on the very first day he entered this world . Holmes was the kind of person with astute observation . Zhang Heng happened to have many secrets with him . The two hours that Zhang Heng spent chatting with Holmes was stressful . Even though he mentioned wanting to learn from Sherlock, he wanted to not appear too eager and leave a bad impression .

However, it now seemed that Holmes had a habit of dragging his roommate with him to solve any criminal case . In the novel, not too long after he knew Watson, he would drag him to every crime scene he came across . If Zhang Heng remembered correctly, Watson lived with Holmes for several weeks during that time . And they knew each other’s temperaments rather well, This time, however, Holmes and him were only slightly closer than aquaintences .

The inspector wanted to say something about it, but in the end, he decided to keep his mouth shut . Zhang Heng gladly accepted Sherlock’s invitation, and the three of them got into a carriage parked at the roadside .

Most of the narratives in “Sherlock Holmes” took place in the late 19th century . At that period, Britain was in the Victorian era . The industrial revolution was taking place and England expanded its colonies overseas . Politics, economy, and culture developed rapidly, resulting in a gross domestic product larger than all countries put together . They were known as the empire that never rested, and it put them at the center of the world .

London, it’s capital, was also the world’s largest city with a population of more than six million .

Unfortunately, there was an increasing gap between the rich an the poor . To quote Dickens’ opening sentence in ‘A Tale of Two Cities’—This is the best era and the worst era .

Rapid population boom in a such short period turned London in to a sardine can of extremely crowded proportions . Zhang Heng still remembered some data he came across . In every 1,200 square feet, there were 2,795 families with more than 10,000 people living in the same house . They were like piglets locked in a pigpen .

Most ordinary workers earned less than ten pounds a year, and a large portion of the money went into the landlord’s pockets . They were forced to eat low-quality bread mixed with expired flour, potato flour, potassium alum, and chalk powder . Falling sick was not an option, where most didnt have the means to even buy simple clothes or toys for their children . Getting enough rest was a massive problem as well, where most of the population were overworked and exhausted . In contrast, take Watson as an example . The novel states that he worked as a military doctor . Although not a rich man, he could afford a relatively comfortable life in London . Given an allowance of 11 shillings and 6 pence per day, it was equivalent to almost 17 pounds of income every month . As for the landlords and factory owners, they would bag in even more . Hanging around dance theaters each day, they frequently switched sex partners .

The carriage drove towards the River Thames . Holmes was in a good mood along the way, chatting endlessly about the concert he had attended . Unfortunately, it was difficult for his two companions to delve into the topic . Inspector Gregson’s mind was on the case, and although Zhang Heng had played the piano before, he knew but a handful of famous 19th century musicians . “I like music, one of the few things that excites me in this dull world . The other thing I enjoy are those criminal cases . The more complicated and brutal they are, the more I enjoy them . Unfortunately, fewer and fewer criminals are willing to use their brans when they commit crimes . ”

“In most cases, you can actually find similarities in cases that have occurred in the past . So, if you get stuck, try looking back at the old ones, and you will find yourself rewarded by them . ”

“Did you build an archive in your mancave?” Gregson interjected . “I do have the habit of collecting newspaper clippings with difficult cases on them . However, most of the past cases are stored in here,” Holmes smiled as he tapped on head .

Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters .