Chapter 490 Baker Street Irregulars

The carriage stopped outside John’s textile factory.

Zhang Heng and Holmes got out of it and at that time, a man with a mouth full of rotten teeth and a sharp chin came up to them.

“Gentlemen, can I help you?” he asked.

“We’d like to go inside to look for someone,” said Holmes.

“I’m afraid that’s inappropriate. Everyone inside the factory is female and both of you are men…” The man shook his head, “That’s not right, that is not right.”

Holmes reached out to his pocket, took out a half-pound gold coin, and threw it into the man’s hand. “We just need a quarter of an hour.”

The latter frowned, pretending to be embarrassed.

Holmes did not bother playing along with his act. He was about to reach out and take the gold coin back when the man protested.

“Okay, okay, okay. The boss is not here today. I can find a way to help the two of you to get into the factory. But let me be clear. You only have a quarter of an hour. I can’t let you stay in there any longer,” said the man said and quickly pocketed the gold coin.

He then took the two into the textile factory.

Watt’s invention of the steam engine kickstarted the industrial revolution. The steam engine gradually replaced the water frame, and textile factories did not need to be built by the waterways anymore. Due to the fact that the John Textile Factory was founded a long time ago, it had never been relocated. It was still at its original site. Nonetheless, the equipment inside the factory had been upgraded over time.

This was Zhang Heng’s first time witnessing such a scene. The vast factory was full of machines. Pipelines were being set up under the ceiling, and the continuous belt spinning around the pulleys powered the sewing machines noisily. All the female workers wore hats and aprons, standing in front of the machines, and repeating the dull and tedious; it was repetitive and made them no different than a marionette. In this factory, there were no distinction between humans and machines. The man asked, “Who are you looking for? Maybe I can help you. I know everyone here.”

Holmes and Zhang Heng then exchanged glances. After that, Zhang Heng placed his arm on the man’s shoulder.

“To be honest with you, we actually want to open a textile factory. We are here to learn from yours!”

Immediately, the man became vigilant, “That won’t work! If you have told me about this earlier, I would never have let the two of you come in here!”

“Don’t be so sure,” Zhang Heng said, “We want to recruit a group of skilled workers. If you can help us, we can give you good money.”

The bloke was moved when he heard the offer.

“No, how can I betray Mr. Stotts! He put me up to this job, and he is a distant relative as well. I won’t do anything that would put him at a disadvantage.”

“If you do the job we give you well, you can expect a handsome amount of money entering your pockets,” Zhang Heng said, “more than enough for you to eat, drink and play for a long time.”

As the two chatted, Holmes quietly left the place.

Twenty minutes later, Zhang Heng and Holmes met up again outside the textile factory. The man escorted the two to the road and said excitedly, “I will make a list soon and make sure that all of them are honest and hardworking folk.”

“Sounds like a plan! We will come to you again after we determine the location,” said Zhang

Heng.

Seeing that the man was contented and had returned to the factory, Holmes spoke again. “Not bad. I was right about you wasn’t I? You were born to do this. With a bit of training, you will outsmart those idiots at Scotland Yard in no time!”

“How about you?”

Holmes chuckled twice, “I who the murderer is.”

“Oh? Who is it?”

“Don’t worry. I will announce the conclusion once I gather enough evidence. In a way, Gregson is right. Gathering not enough evidence and announcing out our deduction is a big taboo in our line of work. Once you preconceive that someone is the murderer, you will subconsciously ignore the evidence that is not conducive to your deduction. Gregson himself made such a mistake. He wholeheartedly believed that the kid named Paul killed Molly. All the evidence he collected was set to go against that kid.” Holmes paused. “The basis of deduction is observation. First of all, you’ll need to look for small and often overlooked details through extremely detailed observation. Every small detail is like a dot on white paper. When you can connect all of them, you will be able to find the answer you are looking for.”

“It happens that the chemical plant Paul works is right next door. Shall we have a look too?” asked Zhang Heng.

“It couldn’t be better,” said Holmes. “I’m looking for someone over there as well.”

The two then walked to the chemical factory. With men as their main workforce, rules here weren’t as tight as the textile factory. There was, however, still a supervisor watching over the factory. Holmes had to spend half a pound to chat with a few people in the factory about Paul. He touched his chin as he returned.

“Interesting.”

“How did it go?”

“Different people here have a completely different opinion of Paul, but this is actually quite normal. I expected this outcome. Gregson was here, and he asked the factory manager and concluded that Paul is an old man. He’s a troublemaker, lazy, insidious, and cunning. But when I asked his fellow workers, they spoke highly of him, saying that he has a good heart, always willing to help others, and stand up for anyone getting bullied… perhaps it is why the factory manager does not like him,” said Holmes.

“Where was he when the murder happened?” Zhang Heng asked. “That’s the problem. The chemical factory workers leave work half an hour later than the textile factory workers. After Paul’s shift ended, he went to look for Molly as usual. This is a well-known facy, but no one was with him during that time. Hence, he has no reliable alibi, but it still doesn’t matter. We will prove his innocence after we catch the murderer.”

“Where shall we go next?”

“We have completed all the investigations that we could do carry out. Let the Baker Street Irregulars do the rest,” said Holmes.

“Let’s go home.”

Zhang Heng was no stranger to the Baker Street Irregulars. The entire herd of urchins were dirty and smelly, to say the least, and Mrs. Hudson wasn’t pleased whenever they showed up. She would keep her eyes on them all the time, fearing that something would go missing in the living room.

Holmes took out three shillings to the leader of the group named Wiggins.

“Your carriage fees, I want you to keep an eye on the guy named Pearson who works at the Wood Chemical Plant. I want you to see what he does, then report back to me. Oh yes, come and see me alone the next time. Let the others wait outside, or Mrs. Hudson will put me on a stake.”

“Yes, Commander!” the group of children shouted while standing upright. After that, they were dismissed with a wide smile on their faces.

Chapter 491 A Small Injury

The Baker Street Irregulars were among Sherlock Holmes’s large deck of trump cards.

They were made up of a group of street children employed by Sherlock to run errands and track down information. Due to their age and social status, people paid no attention to them, and they were practically invisible within the city’s confines. Even if they were to trail someone undisguised, it rarely raised any suspicions.

“Instead of letting them wander around aimlessly around the streets, it’s better to give them something to do. Don’t underestimate those urchins—sometimes they are even better than a dozen police officers. They can go everywhere and hear everything,” said Holmes as he picked up his violin. “Since we have nothing else to do, any songs that may tickle your fancy?”

“Please, just play whatever you wish.”

“Then it’ll be Sarasate’s Introduction and Tarantella,” said Holmes. He placed the violin between his chin and left collarbone and began playing Zhang Heng guessed that Holmes’s violin level had to be between Lv.1 and Lv.2, a little less skillful than professional players, but it sounded terrific all the same to the untrained ear. Listeners enjoyed his playing a lot, especially in the times he put special effort into it.

As Holmes became completely immersed in the sea of music, Zhang Heng took the opportunity to see his chosen case.

In all fairness, it was actually quite interesting.

This was especially true, considering how he learned programming and communication for quite a while in the previous quest. In comparison, these cases were far more captivating, particularly when the collection of newspaper clippings played out like the scenes of an eloquent story, where each uncovered plot would be more bizarre than the last.

Zhang Heng understood why Holmes was so fond of solving crimes. It was like playing a crossword puzzle. It’s participants had to utilize their full knowledge and concentration, and finding the answer itself was enough to bring satisfaction and a great sense of accomplishment.

Of course, there were more urgent things Zhang Heng needed attending to. Sherlock was finished and Zhang Heng asked him a question. “Do you know of a way I can earn money?”

“Why? Are you short of money?” Holmes raised his eyebrows. “For someone who pays half-a-season’s rent as a deposit to someone he hadn’t met before, it’s rather strange that you’re in need of money.”

“That money was given by an elderly friend when I told him that I had found lodging. The truth is, I don’t have much left,” confessed Zhang Heng. He examined his pockets at the beginning of the quest, and there were about five pounds and seven shillings in it. Even though the rent was paid forward, and meals were provided at home, the money wasn’t nearly enough to support the daily expenses of London.

Holmes shrugged. “I would like to hire you so that you can assist me in solving crimes. We worked well together in that textile factory, but I may not be able to pay you any salary. If I did, I wouldn’t have needed someone to share the rent with me.”

“Solving crimes is something I’m interested in, so you don’t have to pay me anything, but it looks like I would need another job, perhaps something that won’t take up too much time,” said Zhang Heng.

Even though it was still early in the quest, beating Sherlock Holmes at solving crimes wasn’t going to be an easy task. That said, Zhang Heng was ready to put in the work. In fact, he did not need much money, just enough to cover his expenses. Earning that much here would be useless as he couldn’t bring the money out into the real world anyway.

There were plenty of ways Zhang Heng could make money in this era, but they were all jobs that took up long hours. What more, the more important thing here was to explain to Holmes his source of income.

“Hmm… I do happen to know a way to make money.” Holmes touched his chin. “I did it for a while, and although it wasn’t for the purpose of making money at the time, it did bring me a considerable income. It meets your requirements perfectly. Also, it won’t take up too much of your time. All you need to do is free up an evening, but…”

Holmes paused.

“It won’t be easy. You have to show me that you are indeed capable of making this money.”

The private detective got up from the sofa and gestured to Zhang Heng. “Come with me, leave your hat and coat, we won’t be gone long.”

The two walked out of 221B Baker Street and came to an open area with no one around. Holmes stopped, turned to face Zhang Heng, and raised his fist without a warning. Zhang Heng immediately reacted by moving out of the way and avoided being hit.

“Not bad,” Holmes praised. “I can tell from your physique that you’ve probably been trained to fight. Great. I shall not reserve my strength then.”

Holmes constantly shifted directions so his opponent couldn’t tell when or how he was going to attack.

Zhang Heng, on the other hand, remained in his place, not moving much.

The next minute, Holmes suddenly threw a punch again, but this time, Zhang Heng did not sidestep. Instead, he stretched out a hand to block Holmes’ punch, this time, much stronger and faster than the previous one.

“Good defense.”

Holmes did not seem surprised but rather excited by his flatmate’s resistance. Now, he appeared to be more motivated to win, and became a lot more focused.

In truth, his punch was not all that unusually strong. His moves were quick, clean, and straightforward. In a way, it was very similar to Zhang Heng’s style.

Holmes’ boxing skills, like his violin playing skills, however, were at the highest level for an amatuer. It more than sufficed for the detective industry, but was worlds apart Zhang Heng’s decade of training in deadly battlefields. Right now, without a sword in hand, Zhang Heng was somewhat handicapped and he would have to rely on his body posture and movements to avoid most of Holmes’ attacks.

“I’m going to start my counter-attack,” announced Zhang Heng.

Holmes hesitated. He could already tell that Zhang Heng was a lot stronger than he was, but at the same time, it made him even more curious about how good his opponent really was. Since they had already started, they might as well go on, he thought to himself.

Five minutes later, Holmes returned with Zhang Heng to their apartment with one hand covering his eye.

“Do you need me to get you something for that?” asked Zhang Heng.

“No need. It’s just a minor injury,” said Holmes. “I was hit harder than this every day when I was a boxer.”

The moment Sherlock uttered those words, he quickly realized that it was nothing to be proud of.

“Anyway, I can introduce you to a few underground boxing arenas, but if you really plan to make money from this, you’d better throw a game every now and then. Don’t win too effortlessly, otherwise, there won’t be any excitement and suspense, and the handler will have a difficult time.”

Chapter 492 Carpet

That evening, Wiggins returned to report that the Baker Street Irregulars had followed and observed Pearson for half a day, and that nothing worthy of note had been obtained. He had started work at the chemical plant as usual and didn’t act strangely. Holmes wasn’t in a hurry, so he asked the kids to continue to keep their eyes peeled on Pearson. As for Sherlock, he wanted to work on his research paper.

On the second morning, Wiggins arrived, furiously knocking on the door and startling Mrs. Hudson, baking bread in the kitchen at that time. The commotion woke Zhang Heng too, and when he stepped out of his room, he saw Sherlock Holmes laughing loudly as handed seven shillings to Wiggins.

“One for each, two for yourself. Go to Inspector Gregson, and tell him that Holmes wants him to come to 221B Baker Street,” said Sherlock. As he looked up, he saw Zhang Heng coming down the stairs.

“It’s done. The case is finally coming to an end! If Pearson is caught, the main culprit won’t be escaping.”

“Huh?” asked Zhang Heng with raised eyebrows, “you have all the evidence you need?”

“That’s right,” replied Holmes, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s have breakfast while waiting for Gregson. I’ll explain everything later.”

About an hour later, Inspector Gregson reluctantly arrived at 221B Baker Street, murmuring in disgruntlement as he entered through the door. “I said the case is over. Why did you ask me here? The police are very busy. I couldn’t even get a proper night’s sleep.”

“Really? What are you up to? New case? Still waiting for the commissioner’s commendation?” Holmes laughed.

Gregson blushed and lowered his tone by a notch. “I’ve contributed to this city after all. The case has been in the newspapers for the past two days. Nothing surprising that it grabbed the commissioner’s attention.”

“Indeed, but I think it’s still not too late to celebrate after we catch the real murderer,” said Holmes.

“The real murderer?!”

Gregson was taken aback.

“Come with me. It won’t take up much of your time. By the way, bringing your cuffs with you?”

“I have it with me,” replied Gregson impatiently. “I also have my gun with me, and I will not leave this essential piece of equipment behind.”

“Probably, won’t need it. After all, the suspect is not wicked, and besides, we still have a master here,” said Holmes while glancing toward Zhang Heng. Yesterday was still fresh in his mind, and his eyes were still a little swollen.

“Let’s go, gentlemen.”

Instead of directly heading to the chemical plant, they first entered a pawnshop with a carriage.

“Someone came to pawn a carpet earlier. Where is that carpet now?” Holmes asked the owner.

The pawnbroker instantly became nervous when he heard the question.

“I knew it,” he cursed under his breath.

“Eh?”

“I’m not talking about you, gentlemen. I’m talking about the kid who came to pawn the carpet earlier. I was suspicious of him, and to be honest, I’ve been in this business for a long time. I have crossed paths with all kinds of people. Judging by his attire, he looked like a poor man. How could he have gotten his hands on such a good carpet? He pawned the carpet right when I opened for business. ‘Could it have been stolen?’ I muttered in my heart.”

“Why did you accept it then?” quizzed Gregson.

At that, the pawnbroker simply sneered.

“How much did you give him?” Holmes asked.

“Two… two pounds,” the owner sheepishly admitted. “I examined the workmanship and materials, and you’ll need to spend at least twenty to thirty pounds for something of that quality.” “So it means you reap ten times the profit if you manage to sell it off? Come on, don’t feel bad about it. The problem is, it is a piece of evidence, and it is related to a murder. Perhaps we will give it back to you after we use it. Now, take us to the carpet!”

“Fine… Fine.”

The pawnbroker brought the three to a warehouse where pawned items were stored. Holmes squatted down, and he could see bloodstains in the middle of the carpet without even using a magnifying glass. Someone had attempted to clean the spot but apparently didn’t do an outstanding job.

Gregson tried to console himself.

“This doesn’t explain anything,” he said in disbelief, seeming to be a little shaken and a little nervous as well. “Well, the pawnbroker mentioned the carpet’s probably stolen.”

“This is the carpet in John Jones’ office,” interjected Holmes. “To be honest, I didn’t expect the investigation to go so smoothly. I thought he would have used a more secure method to deal with this.”

“Why does that name sound so familiar? Wait… are you talking about John’s textile factory’s current owner?” Gregson finally remembered where the name came from. “He was the one who welcomed us into the factory. Seemed like a nice guy, that bloke.” “The textile factory’s female employees don’t seem to think so. It’s not the first time he’s harassed one of them,” said Holmes. “Although nobody wanted to talk about it, I still discovered that he’d taken over the factory his father about a year ago. Right after that, female employees over there started getting pregnant. Of course, most kept as quiet as they could and left the factory after receiving severance payment.” “It is indeed not something one should be proud of.”

one

Gregson’s tone had mellowed considerably. He went on, “Well, I admit that I might have missed something. Mr. John is suspicious, but I still insist that the kid named Paul is my number one suspect here. After all, the bloody clothes under his bed can’t be fake.”

“Stop getting nervous, and listen to me first.”

Holmes smiled.

“It was Molly’s turn to clean up the place when the tragedy struck her. She was the last to leave, and at that time, the light in John’s office was also still turned on. In other words, they were the only two people still in the factory at that time. John had all the time in the world to commit the crime. The next day Zhang Heng and I visited the textile factory. The guy at the entrance told us that John was not there. That didn’t sound right to me, especially after someone was murdered in his factory. He should have been at the factory, trying hard to calm his female employees down. When we were there, I sneaked into John’s office and noticed that his carpet had been changed recently. The new carpet was obviously not the right size, probably one that was hastily pulled from home. A faint bloodstain was also on the corner of his majestic desk. Blood seeps into the wood grain, yes, but as you said, it still doesn’t explain why Molly’s clothes were under Paul’s bed.”

There was a reason why Gregson was the best man to hold the police inspector post.

He shook his head. “Is John trying to put the blame on Paul? But Paul works at the chemical plant next to his factory. John might not even know him. Secondly, even if he knows that there is such a person called Paul, it is impossible he knew where he lives. The network of alleyways in the slums would confuse John. If a person like him enters the slums, he would have been instantly noticed.”

“You are right, which is why I believe that there is another conspirator in this case!” proclaimed Holmes.

Chapter 493 Sit Down and Rest

Holmes booked a carriage, and the three hurried over to the chemical plant.

“Conspirator?”

Gregson was surprised.

“Didn’t you say that this was a crime of passion? The suspect obviously did not plan. The reason why he killed Molly was that she resisted fiercely. It frustrated the killer. And as you said earlier, there were only two people left in the textile factory.”

“This is the last key that complements my reasoning, and it is also the most important key,” Sherlock deduced with surety in his voice.

“I found the answer later in the chemical plant. Paul lived in a shared house, and his roommate also worked in the chemical factory. These guys leave work half an hour later than the textile factory. Paul had left the chemical factory first, intending to look for Molly as usual. However, Molly wasn’t at the place where they often met. Paul felt that something was not right. So, he went to the textile factory and saw that it was closed. In the end, he returned to the chemical factory.”

“Huh?”

“His roommate, Pearson, was still there at that time, so Paul fetched Pearson to go find Molly with him,” Holmes went on.

“Something interesting is coming next. Paul and Pearson split up to look for Molly. Now, Paul didn’t manage to find her, but his roommate, Pearson, accidentally ran into John, who happened to be dragging Molly’s body to the river to be disposed of. Naturally, when most people come across a situation like this, they would either call the police or if they are good fighters, they would have tried to try to apprehend John first. Unfortunately, Mr. Pearson chose another path.”

“Which path?”

Gregson couldn’t help asking.

“Much like Paul, Pearson came to London when he was very young. This was his fourth job. Previously, he polished shoes on the streets, washed dishes at a restaurant, and helped to look after horses. At night, he would sleep in the stable. Such lads must have experienced the hardships of life at a very young age. Knowing there was no one he could rely on, he had to seize every opportunity before him. On that fateful night, when he saw John by the river, he realized the opportunity he had been waiting for all this while had finally arrived.

“Pearson persuaded John, now in an extreme state of panic and anxiety. He told him he could help with this matter, and although John naturally didn’t trust strangers, but the situation at that time wasn’t in his favor. There were not many options for him to choose from, and as a last resort, he could only choose to believe Pearson.

“After that, Pearson proved that he had lived up to this trust,” said Holmes, as he turned to Gregson again.

“Remember how you told me that you found Molly’s clothes under his bed? I thought it was weird at that time. Since he dumped the body into the river, why did he have to take her clothes off and put them under his bed?”

Gregson was embarrassed. “This… is a problem… Why didn’t I notice it before?!”

“But if Pearson were the one who did it, then everything would make perfect sense. At first, he persuaded John to take the clothes off Molly. He then brought them home and put them under Paul’s bed so the police would question Paul but not Mr. John. As for the carpet in his office, John handed that task to Pearson too. This guy seized every last opportunity in front of him. In a way, his plan was a huge success. I thought we had to wait a long time to slip up, but to my surprise, he ends up making such a low-level mistake.

“He didn’t even think of burning the carpet in the first place. Instead, he pawned it.”

Holmes shook his head.

“The article published in the Echo might not be a bad thing, after all. At least, it paralyzed his nerves. Considering his previous living conditions, it is not incomprehensible for him to make such a mistake. It does save us a lot of trouble. Now, we just need to get the blanket and apprehend Pearson. With that, we have everything we need to prosecute the real murderer. Then, the case will be over.”

The three then got off the carriage in front of the chemical factory. This time, there was no need for Holmes to bribe the guard anymore. Gregson revealed that he was a policeman, and they managed to find Pearson, who was still working in the factory at that hour. However, they ran into a small hitch while trying to apprehend him.

Perhaps it was because the police had arrested their protesting colleagues. Now, all the workers had turned hostile towards them. Pearson recognized Gregson and realized that something wasn’t right. As a result, he had persuaded his fellow workers to surround Gregson and Holmes.

Seeing Pearson disappearing into the crowd, Gregson went after him without much thought. He drew his revolver and was about to shoot into the air when Holmes abruptly caught his arm. Gregson stomped in frustrated fury.

“Why are you stopping me for?! He is getting away!”

“Don’t worry. He can’t run far,” replied Holmes nonchalantly, not showing the slightest bit of anxiety.

Pearson ran out of the factory after he had created a mess. He was deeply frustrated. Paul was his friend, where the two stood up for each other whenever they were broke. Because of that, Pearson did not want to live like that anymore. However, no matter how hard he tried, life always handed him the short end of the stick, kicking him down over and over again.

It wasn’t until the previous night when he met John that Pearson finally made up his mind to stop living like this. He decided that he’d become famous in the metropolis, and for that reason, he didn’t hesitate to turn against Paul and help John instead. At least, he could become a manager there without working his arse off. He could not wait to quit his job at the chemical factory.

And with the thought in his hand, his dreams suddenly seemed possible. Only two days later, however, his dreams were shattered to smithereens. Although he had managed to escape the factory, he was now perplexed, and he did not know where he should go next.

Suddenly, he saw an Asian man standing not far ahead. “Pearson?” the Asian man asked as he looked at him.

“Get lost!”

Pearson was in a rut and wasn’t in the mood for a conversation at the moment.

“It seems we have found the right person,” the Asian man nodded, “Just sit down and rest for a while.”

“I’m frustrated, man. Don’t blame me for being impolite if you don’t get lost.”

Pearson clenched his fists.

The Asian man smiled when he saw it.

“Sure. This makes things easier.”

Five minutes later, Holmes and Gregson finally came out of the chemical factory. Gregson’s clothes were ripped, and his hat was lost. He was cursing nonstop, and then was when they spotted Zhang Heng standing under a tree with Pearson, now crouching and hugging his stomach.