016

Blade of the Ripper

[Sherlock looked at her without saying anything. The corners of his mouth curled up, but this made Libella a little timid.

"How did you know … there was a corpse here?" Sherlock looked at her and asked. "Hmm?"

Libella hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time. At this moment, facing this person's interrogation, she was so nervous and timid that she couldn't say a word.

Sherlock walked towards her and looked at the flustered girl's nervous expression. "Could it be that you are the murderer?"

"No —" She made a strange sound from her throat, eager to clear herself of suspicion. Her eyes were full of grievances. "I … I …"

But she couldn't say another word.

Sherlock chuckled and turned around. "I know the murderer isn't you. I just wanted to see if you could speak."

He looked back at her, his eyes aggressive. "Girl."]

The narrator's steady voice fell. Under Sherlock's gaze, Libella was forced to listen to the scene of Sherlock and the heroine's first encounter.

She couldn't laugh.

In the original novel, the heroine and Sherlock met in front of a corpse, so Sherlock became curious about the heroine's ability to discover corpses. Then, the two of them had a chemical reaction, and a series of irreversible OOC happened to Sherlock. For example, he smiled and said "girl" in a wicked manner.

He was so good at flirting. Was he really Sherlock?

Of course not.

At least, the Sherlock in front of her wasn't like this.

— "How did you know I lived here?"

— "I went to investigate."

— "Why did you investigate my address?"

— "I admire you very much."

— "How did you find out?"

— "I followed you here, sir."

— "But I took a taxi."

— "Baker Street is only two streets away from that place. Why did you take a taxi?"

Libella quickly thought about whether her answer was contradictory. After all, Sherlock looked at her thoughtfully after the question ended.

The two of them were silent for a long time. Libella was even more nervous. She squeezed the biscuit given by Mrs. Hudson into crumbs and fell on her windbreaker.

Sherlock glanced at the biscuit crumbs and retracted his gaze. Li Bella thought she finally had some time to rest, but she didn't expect Sherlock to throw another bomb at her.

"So, you're not with the Ripper."

"… Huh?"

Li Bella's voice was trembling, and her hands were trembling as well. The biscuit had completely turned into crumbs, falling onto her windbreaker and shattering into pieces.

Sherlock didn't look at her. She took a sip of the milk Mrs. Hudson had placed on the tray.

Of course, he knew what she was thinking, but his mind was too complicated. Explaining it to her now, and he had to deal with the letter in his hand.

But …

The irrepressible curiosity in those big eyes was too eye-catching.

Sherlock put down the milk and said, "I received a challenge letter from the Ripper. I can't go out."

Whether she understood or not was her own business. He didn't have time to explain.

After saying that, he opened the letter and read it.

Beside him, Libella was sitting on a wooden chair. Her body was small, and the chair was tall. If she were to lean against the back of the chair, she wouldn't even be able to reach the ground. She looked just like an obedient student waiting to be taught.

But the person in front of her was obviously not a good "teacher." After all, he wasn't a teacher. He only talked about his logical starting point and ending point, and then he hurried to deal with the next matter. He didn't tell her why he came to such a conclusion.

Libella felt that Sherlock like this …

Was very charming …

Yes.

She remembered that he was like this most of the time. Under the constant questioning of the people around him, he was too lazy to say more. So, he only talked about his logical starting point and ending point, leaving them to ponder. As for himself, he would go straight to the mystery. After a long time, he would tell the whole process of his thinking.

This familiar Sherlock made her feel very safe. Very good. No OOC, no male or female lead, only a case.

She smiled.

Hmm …

Of course, she couldn't control her curiosity. Why did "the Ripper's challenge letter" and "whether she was the Ripper's informant" connect?

Not to mention, Sherlock had already come to the conclusion that she wasn't the Ripper's informant.

Well, since he didn't chase her away, then she would …

Hmm …

Just make a guess?

Libella carefully reached out and took a biscuit from Mrs. Hudson's tray. She ate it happily, as if the biscuit was given to her by Sherlock.

Sherlock noticed her little action and didn't say anything. He continued to focus on the letter from Davis.

Hmm.

First of all, Sherlock said that he received a letter from the Ripper, asking him not to go out. This matter must have happened before he met Benben. Libella guessed.

If it happened after that, then the relationship between her and the Ripper was completely different. It was because there was a challenge letter from the Ripper, and then someone found out his address, so this person could be the Ripper's informant.

… With a starting point and ending point, it didn't seem difficult to fill in the details.

Libella thought about it. Why did he think that she wasn't the Ripper's informant?

What did he ask her just now?

Libella pondered.

Why did he investigate the address? How did he investigate the address? In summary, there were two key questions.

The answer to the first question was that she worshipped Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

The answer to the second question was that she followed Sherlock to Baker Street.

The first question was not suspicious, and the second question was that she followed Sherlock to Baker Street …

— — There seemed to be nothing suspicious!

No, on second thought, there must be a problem.

Mm.

Taxi … Follow me on foot … Baker Street … Within two streets …

Oh, right!

Sherlock had set up a trap!

He said that he took a taxi home, but in fact, he walked back.

So, his original intention was to lure her into giving him an answer?

Since he took a taxi home, he naturally had to take a taxi to catch up.

There were some suspicious points. First, where did she get the money? Second, Sherlock didn't take a taxi.

In other words, if she wasn't that poor Libella, then she was the Ripper's informant?

What kind of logic was this? Couldn't she just be a simple fangirl?

As she complained, she remembered that she had visited Sherlock twice. It was obvious that she wanted to see Sherlock no matter what. She even used the letter that he asked for as an excuse. She did seem like someone with ulterior motives and not a fangirl …

Alright, I was careless.

Libella thought helplessly.

But then again, since Sherlock had received a letter from the Ripper asking him not to go out, didn't he still go out?

The Ripper … Challenge letter … Informant …

In other words, when he met with Benben, he confirmed that the Ripper hadn't put him under surveillance.

This sentence suddenly appeared in her mind.

Libella opened her eyes wide and looked at Sherlock.

Then … Thinking about it in reverse …

"Thank you for your letter, Libella. In the future, don't come —" He put away the letter and looked at Libella, who was sitting on the stool and thinking with her chin in her hands. He calmly wanted to send her off, but she interrupted him.

"Sir, after you entrusted Benben that day," Libella asked in surprise, "you've already met the Ripper!"

Everyone looked at each other awkwardly again.

Sherlock swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Libella was completely immersed in her own world and looked at him in surprise.

That must be it!

Sherlock confirmed that he was under surveillance, so he didn't leave 221b Baker Street. After all, he didn't leave after Lestrade came yesterday. That was Lestrade!

And just now, she retreated to the stairs because she was shy. Sherlock obviously wanted the letter in her arms. Although it was a very short distance, he didn't take a step out of the door. He just wanted her to bring it over!

This was all because he was sure that he was under surveillance at this moment.

In sharp contrast, he met Benben two streets away from Baker Street.

At that time, he definitely didn't have such concerns.

Then why was he so sure that he was under surveillance now?

He must have found the sniper!

… Uh, well, maybe he didn't play that big. If the Ripper was steady enough to be willing to team up with others, he probably wouldn't have done something so impulsive as sending him a challenge letter.

So, maybe Sherlock only found something like a camera?

… Then, it was because the Ripper didn't want to team up with others. The Ripper must have personally come to 221b Baker Street to install the surveillance camera and was discovered by Sherlock.

So, the conclusion was that he must have seen the guy.

Libella's eyes shone.

Sherlock had a new level of respect for this girl.

"But, you …" He slowly said, "Why aren't you surprised by the Ripper at all?"

Eh?

Libella had never thought that she would still have a loophole in her plan …

She was careless.

— No!

She was the female lead!

She wouldn't fall!

She could still save herself!

Libella braced herself and said, "Because … Because on the way here, I read the letter that Davis gave you."

— Let's take a gamble!

Truth be told, she had been on high alert all the way here. When there were people around her, she didn't take out the letter at all.

The only time when there was no one else on the subway was when John Watson's girlfriend, Hathaway, monopolized it. Hathaway was also very close to her because she was afraid!

Sherlock raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh, really? You read it?"

Libella nodded stiffly and apologized, "I'm sorry."

"Then, what do you think?" Sherlock ignored her apology and asked her thoughts after reading the letter.

His expression didn't change, as though he was just casually asking about the weather.

Libella's brain immediately crashed and she frantically made a choice between life and death. A moment later, she said, "The Ripper is a man in red."