Chapter 495: 495

Chapter 495 The Idle Days

“That was an exhilarating fight! You followed all the pointers I gave you, won the fight, and fooled all the spectators at the same time . Here’s the money you won . ”

Holmes handed all thirty pounds to his flatmate .

As a participant, Zhang Heng couldn’t bet on himself, so he had Holmes place the bet on his behalf . In addition to the two pounds he won, he received a respectable 32 pounds from the fight alone .

“You have no prior reputation, and no one knows how good you are . What more, this is just some lowly anonymous fight, so the fee for your appearance is only this much . It will get better, but it looks like you’re too eager to make a name for yourself, haha!”

“Like I said, making money is of secondary importance to me,” replied Zhang Heng as he wiped the sweat off his face with a towel .

“Pity . If you continue participating in fights, you might very well become a well-known boxer . You have the skills, the composure, and you come from some ancient, mysterious land from the far east . It would be an excellent gimmick,” Holmes remarked . “But I’m glad that you’re willing to work with me . I really do need a partner . ”

…

Two weeks had passed since the River Thames case . At that time, Zhang Heng managed to sieze Pearson who was trying to escape, and Gregson interrogated him on the spot, thus confirming Holmes’ deduction . The inspector had Paul immediately released, but bad news awaited him when he went to John’s house with his men to arrest him . They learned that he had gone on vacation and had left the night before-clearly, the movements of a guilty man .

Gregson slapped his thigh in a fury . What worried him most was that John would have escaped to some obscure colony and would never return . He could be a long way from England and it would be nearly impossible to catch him then . But Holmes had suggested that unlike Pearson, John was a man of good standing in London, owning many factories and plots of prime estate .

He wouldn’t have abandoned all of these things and escape to the colonies, where life was far less colorful than a big city unless it was his last resort . His escape was more of a temporary nature . Holmes’ proposal to Gregson was also straightforward .

“Capture” Paul, and then pay John’s house another visit with the excuse of inviting him to attend Paul’s trial in court .

Gregson thought about it and did as he was told, and it did not take long for this gambit to bear fruit .

it turned out that John had never left London at all . Instead, he had been hiding in a secret manor on the outskirts, keeping a close eye on the situation, while his old housekeeper would report any news to him . The arrest of the “murderer” instantly made headlines on the Echo and newspapers such as The Times and The Evening News . Headed by Inspector Gregson, Scotland Yard was lauded for their efficiency and valor . Furthermore, unions and activists were also demanding for the personal safety of female workers be improved . With the matter seemingly concluded, John returned to his home a week later, worried that a lengthy absence would raise suspicion .

As soon as he set foot into his house, he was instantly surrounded by the police .

Gregson could finally breathe a sigh of relief . Smugly, he put John in cuffs, and the next day, Echo printed a new article detailing how the astute Inspector Gregson had used the media to deceive the killer, lowering his guard down, before finally nabbed the real perpetrator .

The citizens of London felt as if they were witnessing the unfolding of a sensational detective story . They little expected the case to hold so many unforeseen surprises, where a battle between sheer wit of police and criminal ended with justice triumphing over evil . Who would hate to read a story like that?

Holmes had also been keeping track of the case’s progress, but mostly, of whether his deductions of the criminals were accurate or not . Everything else outside of that didn’t seem to concern him .

Holmes even made a trip to see John personally after his arrest . He returned to 221 Baker Street that day, looking extremely pleased . Zhang Heng thought it was rather amusing . Sherlock Holmes’s obsession with deduction and reasoning had reached a tipping point where most people found difficult to understand . He was addicted to it, like a child preoccupied with toys, unable to withdraw no matter how hard they tried .

“The case itself isn’t complicated . In fact, it was quite simple . If I had been put in charge, I would have been able to tell that John was the killer right off the bat . Even if the evidence was insufficient and I couldn’t make an arrest, I would have my men follow him and keep him form escaping . Thank goodness, it’s finally over,” said Holmes .

It took Zhang Heng two weeks to go through all the cases Sherlock had handed him . They really opened his eyes, especially some of the more compelling crimes committed by the more crafty murderers .

Holmes, however disagreed with the quick scanning

“There’s no need to rush . This is just the beginning . After this, you’ll need to summarize and analyze the similarities and differences between these cases, then remember them . You might encounter similar cases in the future, and you’ll be able to make quick, efficient deductions . As for the knowledge of soil, tobacco, and all that, I’ll be teaching you that as well . But not now… At least not until you’ve completed the first stage; otherwise, you might just bite off more than you can chew . ”

Zhang Heng nodded .

With the stipends he earned from the boxing match, money wasn’t going to be worry for the next two months . Of course, as the odds of him winning increased, things wouldn’t be that simple anymore . His appearance fee would increase, of course, but he would have to participate in two or three fights a month to make enough money to cover his expenses .

Sherlock Holmes was consulted on two more cases after the River Thames case, one from a fellow detective, and another commissioned by a client . After listening to detailed accounts, Holmes compiled a list of deductions and solved the cases without even visiting the scene of the crime .

These two cases earned him some money . But after that, there was an idle stint .

With no work available for the entire week, Holmes finally found the time to complete his paper on the effect of the shape of hands on different professions . Then began the screeching and howling of his violin, until he finally succumbed to the boredom and became a sack of potatoes .

When Zhang Heng enjoyed his breakfast, which he rarely had the opportunity, Holmes was still fast asleep . In fact, he spent the entire morning in his room .

Zhang Heng knocked on his flatmate’s door and let himself in .

Holmes was slouching on his suede armchair with his head tilted back . There was a syringe on the side table and a couple of needle holes in his arm .

“Do you know that this only serves to kill you?” asked Zhang Heng .

“Don’t worry; this is only 7% of the solution . I’m aware of the harms it can bring, but I am not the type of who can just sit and do nothing . I need to be doing something! Even if I am given the most difficult problem or the most difficult case, I would be happy . I detest living an uneventful, mediocre life! The side effects of this drug is nothing by comparison . ”

Holmes’s eyes were shut as he spoke, “Every earthling pursues stability and comfort, getting married, having children, and a stable job . But what’s there to look forward to in a life like that? Don’t get me wrong . I’m don’t look forward to chaos all day long, but if there are no criminals in London, then I will consider relocating! Otherwise, I might just die in this chair sooner or later!”

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