Chapter 523 - The Truth (1/2)
Chapter 523 The Truth
Irene Adler watched in dread as the pale man got up from the bed and approached her. His eyes darted around in excitement, like a child who had discovered a new toy, not to mention how he seemed to have a perverse attachment towards her. The demented smile on his face reflected off the scalpel in his left hand.
The knowledge that she was all alone, and that no one would be coming to her rescue slowly sank in. Irene Adler shut her eyes in despair. A few seconds later, there was a loud rumble right above her, the sound of someone opening the entrance to the secret room. When Zhang Heng and Holmes rushed down with their revolvers, they were bewildered by what they saw. They never expected to bear witness to such a peculiar sight.
Irene Adler’s hands and feet were still bound, unable to move. Father Jacob stood beside her, with no emotion on his face. A middle-aged man was lying in a pool of blood beside Father Jacob, and engraved on his face was an ‘I-can’t-believe-this-is-happening-to-me’ look; his eyes staring woefully at Father Jacob as if asking why.
When Father Jacob saw Zhang Heng and Sherlock Holmes, he threw away the b.l.o.o.d.y knife in his hand and said calmly, “I’m glad that both of you are here. I’m the one that killed him.”
Holmes squatted, examining the middle-aged man. He saw the wound on the back of his head and shook his head.
“It’s too late.”
Zhang Heng walked past the corpse, approached Irene Adler, untied the ropes on her hands and feet, and removed the rags from her mouth. Once free, she spat on the ground, getting rid of the strange taste in her mouth. Earlier, Zhang Heng had his Evil Wall ready for its final usage, but fortunately, Holmes managed to find the entrance within three minutes.
When the two rushed in, they thought that they would encounter a hostage situation, but the result turned out a surprise. Zhang Heng subsequently heard a system notification from the game that his main task was completed. Although he still had many doubts in his heart, it was not the time to dwell on such matters. The two detectives tied Father Jacob with the rope that bound Irene Adler, then notified the authorities.
Holmes stayed in the bas.e.m.e.nt, guarding Father Jacob while waiting for backup from the police to arrive. On the other hand, Zhang Heng sent Irene Adler home, staying there until six in the morning before returning to 221B Baker Street. At that time, Holmes had already returned from the police station.
He looked content, and he even ignored Mrs. Hudson’s protests, going straight ahead to his room to rub on his fiddle. It’s loud and unmistakable melody echoed around the walls of the old apartment. Playing the rather raucous instrument in the wee hours of the morning, the neighbors might just come over and silence him for good.
“It seems you’ve got ins and outs of the whole thing figured out,” said Zhang Heng. “It seems you can watch the operas for free in the future,” replied Holmes at almost the same time.
“This might not be the most complicated case I have encountered, but indeed, it can be regarded as the most interesting.” Holmes put down the violin and finally turned the topic back to the case.