Chapter 28: The Secret of the Speckled Band (3)

– Squeak…

The door to the previously closed waiting room opened and as Professor Moriarty stepped out. Charlotte, who had been leaning against the corridor with a dazed expression on her face, fixed her gaze on her.

"You…"

Then, echoing in the corridor was Charlotte's voice, cold as ice.

"What trick did you use?"

At that, the professor stole a subtle glance at her.

"An illusion using a venomous snake. If you're not a murderous professor who used something like that then what trick did you…"

"..."

But that moment was brief. She diverted her gaze and moved on pretending she didn't hear Charlotte's words.

"I wasn't done speaking!"

"A detective begging for answers…"

Moriarty replied in a cold voice to Charlotte's childish outburst.

"How pathetic."

Charlotte was momentarily lost for words at that sharp retort, her hand trembling violently.

"…I feel the same way."

The professor who was walking ahead of her, murmured in a voice that was barely audible.

"How did I overlook such an obvious fact?"

After Adler's shocking revelation, Professor Moriarty, who had been left alone and had sat in a daze while thinking intensely for a while, finally realized what she had missed.

She had made the same basic, foolish mistake that the silly detective behind her had made.

"....."

And now, she was on her way to correct that mistake.

Not with her usual smirk, but with a serious expression donned on her face for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

At the same time, she felt a mix of unease and impatience— feelings she had never experienced before in her life.

"..."

As Moriarty quietly moved further down the corridor, Charlotte stared intently at her retreating figure while grinding her teeth.

"What did I miss?"

However, just thinking about it didn't improve the situation for her. Hence, she soon closed her eyes and deeply lost herself in her thoughts.

"There's definitely… something wrong… somewhere…"

Thus began her deep meditation.

In the past, it was a state she could only reach through intense experiments or with the use of narcotics or other drugs, but now… if there was any matter related to him with that man she could easily reach this state.

"…Hmm."

However, despite reaching her most optimal state, there were no signs of the situation getting any better.

Even though she tried to find a flaw in her deductions there wasn't a single conclusive point for her to chase.

It felt like revving an engine without moving the vehicle, just straining it for no reason.

"...…"

This stagnation continued for quite a while.

"Um, Holmes. Come to think of it, there's something strange…"

The unexpected individual who broke the frustrating silence was…

"Do snakes even drink milk?"

None other than Rachel Watson, who had been thinking hard next to Holmes.

"...…Ah."

Charlotte Holmes with her mouth slightly ajar, began to stare at Rachel Watson with a blank expression on her face.

Several minutes of silence later—

"That's right."

"Huh?"

"You are right, Watson."

Charlotte, who had unlawfully broken into Inspector Lestrade's library to search for materials related to the case, began speaking in an unusually excited voice, abandoning the usual tone with which she spoke to Watson.

"No snake in the world drinks milk. They eat things like rats or insects. Thus the bowl of milk that was in the vault wasn't for feeding a snake."

"I thought as much…"

"Moreover, snakes can't hear a whistle. They can feel vibrations but their sense of hearing is severely lacking."

Charlotte, having said that, lifted her head to look at Watson.

"And snakes can't move backward. That detail contradicts Miss Stoner's testimony."

Then with a spark in her eyes, Charlotte asked in a haste…

"Watson, do you have the examination reports of Ms. Stoner, who collapsed with Adler on the day of the crime?"

"Yes… here."

When Watson pulled out the examination report from her belongings and handed it over, Charlotte read it with a fiery intensity and soon clenched her eyes shut.

"Excluding the marks suspected to be signs of abuse, there are no visible signs of external injuries. Right, I shouldn't have overlooked this fact."

"Didn't you say earlier that the fang marks weren't visible because the snake's fangs were too small for us to notice?"

"I thought so too. Actually, I was too engrossed in my deductions to fully understand the shortcomings of my assumption."

And then, Charlotte, drained of all energy, slumped down to the floor.

"Adler would be so disappointed in me."

Seeing Charlotte in this unfamiliar self-reproaching state, Watson's eyes widened in utter shock.

"Watson, maybe I'm just stupid…"

Charlotte murmured in a gloomy tone, gazing forlornly at Watson.

"That's absolutely not the case, Holmes."

Watson, almost bursting into a chuckle at her demeanor, gently stroked Charlotte's head and spoke.

"You're just lacking some common sense. That's all."

"...…"

Charlotte furrowed her brows in response to Watson's seemingly comforting words that were more sharp and blunt than anything else.

"But it's true, isn't it? Even when we first met, you didn't even know that the Earth rotates…"

"Why are you bringing up that old story?"

Charlotte hastily interrupted Watson's attempt to dredge up her embarrassing past. Watson, who momentarily smiled while looking at her embarrassed state, continued the conversation.

"Our little detective here might be a genius that appears once in a millennium, but she's still not quite there yet…"

"...…."

"But it's okay to be inexperienced."

Then, Watson reached out her hand toward Holmes and spoke in a soothing tone.

"As for general knowledge, I can always fill you in."

"…Watson."

As Charlotte grabbed the hand and stood up, Watson whispered with a slightly mischievous expression on her face.

"But when it comes to romance, I'm still a bit clueless."

"…What?"

"I'm talking about that boyfriend of yours that you've been tiptoeing around. He looked a bit disappointed. You might need to win his heart again…"

However, Watson suddenly stopped speaking.

"...…."

The unpleasant behavior exhibited by Isaac Adler a few days ago, contrasting with Charlotte's sacrificial actions towards him, tangled in Watson's mind, complicating her thoughts.

"Right."

Charlotte's soft voice reached Watson's ears as she pondered on what to say.

"…The riddle that man prepared for me isn't over yet."

Charlotte, as lively as ever, leaned back and spun around in thought.

"Ah…"

"The snake with the hallucinogenic venom wasn't the trick that was deployed here. Then, what caused the hallucinations in Ms. Stoner?"

While Watson looked at her with a resigned expression and shook her head in dismay, Holmes, with sparkling eyes, murmured to herself.

"…A collar?"

Images began to form clearly in her now-focused mind.

"No. That would merely restrain the victim. It doesn't have a brainwashing effect."

"...…."

"Then, the milk? No. She wouldn't leave such crucial evidence out in the open. It's not something to provoke one's suspicions either."

Thus, Charlotte rapidly narrowed down the possibilities.

"A brainwashing spell? No, Ms. Roylott has pathetic mana abilities, she's a non-mana user. A curse? But it's unlikely that such a convenient curse exists…"

Her pupils suddenly began to dilate.

"…Holmes?"

Seeing her in that state, Watson wore a slightly worried expression. As she reached out to touch Charlotte's shoulder…

"Ha."

Charlotte burst out laughing with a clear exhale…

"Ha-ha, ha-ha-ha…"

"…Did you finally figure it out?"

Hearing that refreshing yet somewhat incredulous laughter, Watson tilted her head and asked.

"Yes, thanks to you."

Charlotte then flashed a confident smile, one she hadn't shown in a while, as she looked at the person who contributed the most to this case.

"So, what happened?"

"…In reality, Ms. Stoner wasn't hallucinating at all."

"What?"

"Watson, you are indeed intelligent… but your ability to synthesize fragmented information and draw a conclusion seems to be still lacking somewhat."

Seeing Watson's bewildered expression, Charlotte spoke with a hint of exasperation in her voice.

"Well, Watson… Among all the people on the street, why did Ms. Stoner happen to stab just Isaac Adler? Why do you think she did that?"

"It could have… been a coincidence."

"It might seem like a fatal wound because it was close to the heart, but the autopsy report you gave me earlier states that all major nerves had been ignored on the trajectory of the knife."

"Yes, it was quite the stroke of luck for Mr. Adler."

"But what if it wasn't luck or coincidence?"

With that, Charlotte looked at Watson with a refreshing smile on her face.

"Think about it, Watson."

And then, Charlotte began to rapidly fire questions at her.

"Who was the first to mention information about the speckled band when Isaac Adler was stabbed?"

"That was…"

"And the person who testified that the last thing they remembered before losing consciousness was a low whistle and a speckled band?"

"...…"

"And even the person who claimed that they clearly saw something like a spotted rope or a speckled band moving away from the vent?"

As Watson tried to answer seriously, her mouth began to gape in realization.

"That's not all. If Lady Roylott didn't design the vent that way, who among the mansion's remaining residents had the authority to do so?"

"Could it be….."

"Unlike the stepmother whose mana abilities are dismal, who is the one with exceptional mana abilities— enough to even be admitted to the August Academy?"

"Oh my God."

"And crucially, who in this mansion is a student of the Detective Academy and thus has easy access to Professor Moriarty?"

Having said that, Charlotte took a brief pause to catch her breath, then instructed Watson in a sharp tone.

"Watson, contact your hospital immediately."

"Alright."

"We need to check if Ms. Stoner is still calmly lying in her hospital room or…"

A moment later.

"…Holmes."

Watson, who had sent a message via a portable mana crystal communicator to a staff member of the hospital, responded in a quivering voice.

"They're saying… Helen Stoner disappeared from the hospital this morning."

"I figured as much."

Hearing that, Charlotte wore a satisfied smile and began to draw her conclusion.

"Using testimonies and tampering with the evidence, she cleverly crafted the illusion of a speckled snake, shifting the blame of her attempted murder onto her stepmother.

"Perhaps, she might have brainwashed the stepmother a long time ago already.

"And if that's true, she's the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, using the stepmother to get Isaac Adler into her clutches."

Charlotte's eyes, which had been so focused till now, began to take on a golden hue once again.

"The hidden mastermind behind this case was none other than Helen Stoner herself."

"But why?"

Watson, who was looking at Charlotte with a slightly puzzled expression on her face, soon tilted her head and posed that question.

"That's not important, Watson."

But Charlotte brushed past her and started to move in haste.

"What matters is that I've now discovered the truth."

"Where are you going?"

"And based on my predictions…"

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Charlotte's face rapidly turned pale.

"…That man is in danger."

.

.

.

.

"…Hmm?"

In a basement void of any light, I found myself bound to a chair as I slowly opened my eyes.

"You're awake, Mr. Adler."

"You were undressed, so I just dressed you back."

The first thought that crossed my mind as I took in the scene before me was that I was in deep trouble.

"Now, this place is your home, Mr. Adler."

"That being said, I've realized the mistake I have made."

Before me… Lady Roylott was lying on the floor, naked and unconscious.

"What you wanted to do with my stepmother, do it with me instead."

Miss Stoner, straddling my lap and pointing a knife at me, spoke in a bright tone.

"…So, whisper to me the mistake I have made, dear assistant."

Professor Moriarty, who was leaning beside me and whispering in a honeyed voice into my ear suddenly tilted her head with a dark look in her eyes.

– Bang! Bang bang! Bang bang bang!!

"Open the dooooor!!!"

Charlotte Holmes' shouts reached a fever pitch as she pounded on the door of the basement, which was firmly sealed with mana enchantments, with all her might.

"Mr. Adler."

"Young Adler."

"Adler!!!!"

All these elements were proving that I was definitely screwed.

'…Should I just bite my tongue and feign death?'

Even if I couldn't die, I began to yearn for an escape from this twisted reality.