Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 115 The Return (26)
"Mr. Holmes, things are terribly bad! My hair is about to turn white. Have you heard the name of Godfrey Staunton? He is the core player of the team, the soul of the team. On the halfback line, I I'd rather have Staunton than any other two. Whether it's passing, dribbling, or stealing the ball, no one can compare to him. He is the core figure and can bring the whole team together. How should I What to do? Mr. Holmes, I want to ask you how to deal with this. Substitute Morehouse, he is an advanced midfielder, but he always wants to squeeze in and grab the ball instead of staying on the touchline. He plays set-pieces. Yes, but he doesn't know when to strike and isn't good at tackling. And the two old Oxford players, Moulton or Johnson, are always on him. Although Stevenson has speed, he can't play in the Ground kick from 25 yards. For a central defender who can't handle ground balls and high-altitude balls, he doesn't deserve to play at all. If you can't help us find him, Mr. Holmes, I will definitely lose. "

My friend listened intently to his narration, and he gestured with his strong arms from time to time, trying to make every word he said be deeply understood by us.As soon as the guest had finished speaking, Holmes took out the volume of archives with the letter "S".But this time he didn't find any useful information from the rich content above.

"There was a man named Arthur H. Staunton," said Holmes, "who made a fortune making counterfeit money. There was another named Henry Staunton, who was hanged. But I have never heard of Godfrey Staunton." name."

Our guest showed a look of surprise.

He said: "Mr. Holmes, I thought there was nothing you didn't know. If you haven't heard of him, you don't know me either?"

Holmes smiled and shook his head.

Overton said: "Mr. Detective! In the rugby match between England and Wales, our team was No.1, and I was the leader of the university team. It doesn't matter if you don't know! I don't think anyone in England doesn't know him He is the best centre-half at Cambridge. Both Blackheath and the national team are more than willing to ask him to play centre-half. He has played in five international competitions. My God! Mr. Holmes, have you really been living in England?"

Holmes was amused by the man's questioning.

"Mr. Overton, the circle you live in is different from mine. The circle you live in is healthy and happy. I have contact with people from all levels of society, but I really haven't played anything with people in the sports world. Intercourse. But amateur sport is the healthiest business in England. Your presence shows that I have something to do in the most disciplined of outdoor sports. Sit down, please! Slowly and in exact order Tell me what happened, tell me what you think, and how you want me to help you."

Overton had the look of resignation on his face, the look of those who are accustomed to use their physical powers instead of their mental powers.He began slowly to relate the strange and queer story, and his account contained ambiguities and many repetitions, which I have omitted here.

"The thing is, Mr. Holmes, as I have just told you, I am the captain of the Cambridge rugby team, and Godfrey Staunton is the best player. To-morrow evening we play Oxford. Yesterday. We came here and checked into the Bentley Hotel. I went to check on them at about ten o'clock in the evening and they were all rested. I'm a firm believer in the fact that training hard and getting enough sleep is good for playing your best game I saw that his face was pale, as if something disturbed him, so I asked him what was the matter, and he told me that it was all right, except that he had a headache. I said good night and left. Half an hour later, the waiter said, A bearded man in poor attire gave him a letter. He had gone to bed and the clerk had to bring the letter into his room, and for some reason he collapsed on a chair as soon as he had read it, as if he had been It looked like someone chopped it with an ax. The waiter was terrified and wanted to call me, but he stopped him. After drinking some water, he returned to his usual appearance, and then went downstairs to speak to the person waiting for him at the door. After a few words, the two left. The last thing the waiter saw was them running towards the river beach. This morning, Gauffly’s room was the same as last night. After the man left, he never came back, and now there is no news at all, and it is probably impossible for him to come back. He likes sports very much, and he may have suffered a heavy blow, otherwise he would never have stopped participating in the competition Yes. I wonder if he really left us forever and never came back?"

Holmes listened with great interest to hear him through the matter.

"Have you taken any measures?" he said.

"I have telegraphed Cambridge University to ask if they have heard from him. The answer is that no one has seen him."

"Can he go back to school so late?"

"Yes, there is a night train at eleven fifteen."

"However, according to your judgment, he did not take this train, did he?"

"Yes, no one has seen him at all."

"Then what happened next?"

"I'm telegraphing Monte James again."

"Why did you telegraph him?"

"Goffley is an orphan, and this is his only closest relative, probably his uncle."

"It may help you to settle the matter. That man is the richest man in England."

"I heard him mention it."

"Is Godfrey his next of kin?"

"Yes, Godfrey is his only heir. The old Sir is almost 80 years old, and has a serious rheumatic disease. People say that his time is numbered. He never gave Godfrey a shilling. Scrooge of the Tao, but I suppose that property will go to Godfrey sooner or later."

"Any news of him from Sir Mount James?"

"No."

"If Godfrey went to the old sir's, why did he go there?"

"He had been disturbed by something the night before, and if it had anything to do with money it must have had something to do with Sir's estate. Sir's got a lot of money and as far as I know it's unlikely that Godfrey will get it. He doesn't please the old man. He wouldn't go there if he could."

"Well, let's assume a situation. If your friend goes to his relative's house, you can explain why that person came to him so late and made him more restless."

"I can't explain it at all," said Overton, bewildered.

"Well," said Holmes, "the weather is fine today, and I should like to look into the matter, and I feel that whatever the condition of the young man is, you must be ready for the race. His sudden disappearance, as you say, There must be something very important. It is precisely because of this incident that he has not come back yet, let's walk to the hotel together to see if the waiter can tell me something new."

Sherlock Holmes' careful enlightenment restored Overton's peace of mind.After a while, we came to the hotel and walked into Staunton's single room.Here, Holmes asked the waiter all he wanted to know.The man who came the night before was neither a gentleman nor a servant, but a "not very well-dressed fellow", about 50 years old, with a thin beard, a pale face, and very modest clothes, he was really excited , The hand holding the letter kept shaking.The waiter saw that Goffley pocketed the letter, but did not shake hands with the man in the hall.They said a few words, the waiter only heard two words "time", and then they hurried out.The hall clock read 10:30 at that time.

Holmes sat on Staunton's bed and said, "I think you should be on the day shift, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir, I get off work at eleven o'clock in the evening."

"So did the waiter on the night shift see anything?"

"No, sir, only the theater-goers are late. No one else."

"Did you not leave all day yesterday?"

"Yes, sir."

"Is there any mail for Mr. Staunton?"

"Yes, sir, it is a telegram."

"Ah! That's very important. When?"

"About six o'clock."

"Where was Staunton when he got that telegram?"

"It's in this room."

"Were you here when he read the telegram?"

"Yes, I am. I'll have to wait and see if he calls back."

"So, did he call back?"

"Yes, sir. He sent a telegram."

"Did you send the telegram?"

"He went there himself."

"Did he write it in front of you?"

"Yes, sir. I was standing there by the door, and he turned and wrote on the desk. When he was done, he said to me: 'Okay, waiter, I'll post it myself.'"

"What kind of pen did he write it with?"

"Sir, it's a pencil."

"Did you use the telegram on the table?"

"Yes, it's the top one."

Holmes got up and walked in the direction of the table.He picked up the top telegram and walked to the table, carefully examining the writing on it.

He said: "It's a pity he didn't write with a pencil at all." Then he threw down the telegram, shrugged his shoulders in disappointment, and said: "You must also know, Watson, that the writing is likely to end up on a second sheet of paper. On—Many good marriages have been ruined by this mark before. But I can't see anything on this paper. Oh, yes, I can see he used a thick-tipped quill. With We'll be able to find some marks on the blotting paper. Ha, you see, it's true!"

He tore off the strip of blotting paper and showed us the writing on it.

Overton shouted excitedly, "Look with a magnifying glass!"

"Never mind," said Holmes, "the paper is so thin that you can see what is written on it from the reverse side." He turned the blotter over, and we read: For God's sake support us!

"This is the last sentence of the telegram he wrote a few hours before his disappearance. Of the above content, we can't find at least six words at all, but the remaining content is enough to prove that the young man found There will be extremely serious danger befalling himself, and it is also stated that there must be another person protecting him. Please see clearly: 'We!' This obviously involves a third person. In addition to the bearded man who delivered the letter, Who else would it be? And what is the relationship between the bearded man and Godfrey? In order to avoid the danger in front of him, who is the third person who went to find help together? We should mainly focus on these questions An in-depth investigation was carried out."

I said, "I'll just send the telegram to someone to find out."

"My dear Watson, it should be done. You are capable of solving this problem. But you must know that if you go to the post office to check the private telegram draft, you will definitely make the staff there dissatisfied with you. To complete this It requires a great deal of formality. I am sure, however, that it can be done by some ingenious means. Mr. Overton, I should like to see the papers lying on the table before you go."

There were letters, ledgers, and notebooks on the table, and Holmes flipped through them quickly and earnestly.After a while he said: "There's nothing wrong with that. I think your friend Staunton is strong and clear-headed, and he won't make any big trouble."

"He's in very good health."

"Has he never been ill?"

"Never been sick, but he's been lying down with a kick to his shin, and he's hurt his knee with a slip, but I don't think that's a sickness at all."

"Perhaps he is not as strong as you think. I think he may have some unspeakable hidden disease himself. If you agree, I would like to take this or two materials for future needs."

Suddenly, we heard someone shouting anxiously: "Wait, wait a minute!" As soon as we looked up, we saw a little old man with a strange appearance, standing tremblingly at the door.He was wearing a black dress that was already whitish, a wide-brimmed top hat, and a wide white tie. He looked very rustic, like a worker in a funeral home.Although he was dressed ridiculously, his voice was clear and loud, and it seemed that he was in a hurry, which attracted our attention.

He asked: "Sir, who are you? What authority do you have to take these documents?"

"I'm a private eye and I'm trying to figure out why he disappeared."

"Are you a detective? Who sent you here?"

"This gentleman is also a friend of Staunton's. He was introduced to me by Scotland Yard."

"Sir, who are you?"

"I am Cyril Overton."

"Then it was you who sent me the telegram. I am Sir Mount James, and I have just come in hastily on the Basewater bus. That means you have already commissioned this private eye to solve the case." Yet?"

"Yes, sir."

"How much do you want to pay?"

"If we can find my friend Godfrey quickly, he will definitely pay."

"However, what if I can't find it? What should I do? Please answer!"

"If that's the case, he will definitely..."

The little old man cried out, "Sir, there's no way it's going to happen. Don't ask me for a penny. I won't pay a penny. Do you understand, Mr. Detective? I'm the only young man." A loved one, but I will tell you that I have no responsibility to him. I am not born to spend money, he may inherit all my property, but I don't want him to take over now. If you take these documents casually , if you lose any valuables inside, you must take full responsibility."

Sherlock Holmes said: "Very well, sir, that is all. I would like to ask you, are you not responsible for the disappearance of this young man?"

"No, sir. He's grown up and can take care of himself. He's not so stupid that he can't see himself. I can't find him. I don't take any responsibility at all."

Holmes blinked, and said sarcastically, "I know what you mean, but you don't know me. People may think that Godfrey is a poor man, and he was not kidnapped because he was rich. Sir, you It is well known that you are rich and powerful. Probably the gang of robbers wanted to get a more comprehensive understanding of your residence and property, so they took your nephew away?"

The pale face of this old man who has never been favored happened to contrast with his white tie.

"Oh my God, it's terrible! I never thought that there would be such a person doing such a shameful thing, and such an inhuman bastard in the world! Godfrey is a tenacious good boy, and he will never betray Mine, I will take all my belongings to the bank to-night. I beseech you, Mr. Detective, to find him safely. As far as money is concerned, it will cost you as much as you want."

The noble miser, even if he did not stink of copper, would do us no good, for he knows nothing of his nephew's life.We have sent Sir away, and the only clue now lies in the surviving telegram, so Holmes copied the remaining text and began to search for evidence in this regard.Overton also went to his team members to discuss how to face this sudden misfortune.

There is a post office not far from the hotel.When we got there, Holmes said: "We can try it, Watson. If there is a proof, we will take the stub, but unfortunately there is no proof. I think the post office must be too busy to pay attention to our appearance." Yes, let's take a chance."

He said with ease to a young lady behind the grille, "Excuse me, the telegram I sent yesterday may be a bit inappropriate, because I haven't received a call back yet. I think I forgot to write Where is the name? Can you check it for me?"

She asked, "When was it posted?"

"It's probably a little past six."

"Who is it for?"

Holmes put his finger to his lips, and beckoned me not to tell the truth.Then he whispered with great confidence: "The last words on the telegram were 'For God's sake support us!' I was anxious to get a call back."

The lady pulled out a stub.

She said, "That's the one, there's no name on it." Then she laid the stub flat on the counter.

"No wonder I can't get a call back," said Holmes. "What a fool I am! Good morning, madam, and thank you for making me clear."

He was clapping his hands and laughing as we walked out into the street.

I asked, "What about now?"

"Great progress has been made. Watson, I have just thought of seven ways of looking at the stubs, and it never occurred to me that it could be done so easily."

"What information did you get?"

"I now know exactly where to start," he said.

He hired a cab and went to Empire Cross Station.

"Are we going far away?"

"Yes, we must go back to Cambridge University. All the signs on here seem to have something to do with it."

As we walked across Gray's Hotel Parkway, I asked, "What do you think about Staunton's disappearance? The motives in the cases we've worked on are very unclear. You don't think there's a purpose in this kidnapping." It's as simple as just for that rich uncle's money, right?"

"I confess, my dear Watson, that I don't think so. It occurred to me at the time, mainly to arouse the interest of that odious old man."

"That's true, but how do you think about it?"

"I can say a few things about it, we first see things happen before this big game, with a big player. It might be pure coincidence, but it's really interesting. Amateur games never Gambling is allowed, but there are still some people who set up bets on the sidelines, just like the hooligans at the racetrack who bet on that horse race, this is only one. The second point is more obvious, although he is now broke, but In the future, he will be the legal heir of a wealth of wealth, and the purpose of kidnapping him is for money, which is also very likely."

"Both of these seem to have nothing to do with the telegram?"

(End of this chapter)