The Great Demon Holmes

Chapter 9: Studying the Blood Character (4)

Chapter 9: Studying the Blood Character (4)

Chapter 9: Studying the Blood Character (4)

"It's actually quite simple to deduce all of this," Sherlock said as he walked back to the corpse and pulled up one of the woman's arms. "Look, the entire arm is stiff like a wooden stick, and it slightly bends outward. This isn't rigor mortis but a result of the tendons in the armpit being cut. It renders the victim's arm completely immobile."

As he spoke, he casually gestured towards the legs of the body. "The same method was used to sever the inner muscle group in the lower limbs. This leaves the victim paralyzed on the ground, unable to struggle or even scream, as the killer used a hook to damage the vocal cords and glottis."

His tone carried a profound sense of despair and agony in every word he uttered.Updated from

"And this method is a traditional way of preparing beef in the town of Rochester," he continued. "To ensure the freshness of the meat, they would do this to live cows. While cutting the meat, they would use the juice of the Euphorbia plant to stop the bleeding. The cow's body would still twitch during the processit's quite fascinating. But this practice was banned over 20 years ago by the local authorities, who deemed it animal cruelty. They just had to meddle... However, if you're interested, I can introduce you to some excellent underground restaurants in London that serve this type of cuisine, although they can be quite pricey." Sherlock smiled as he spoke to Catherine.

"Focus on your case!" she snapped.

"Right." Sherlock continued, "In any case, the killer's skill is not something that can be acquired in just a few days. If the arteries in the armpit were cut, the victim would quickly bleed to death. The killer has extensive experience and extreme patience in this regard, likely deriving pleasure from it."

"But the underground restaurants in London wouldn't provide the necessary environment for such training. The killer must have their own methods or perhaps even raises large livestock themselves. I lean towards the latter, as it would be more discreet... The juice of the Euphorbia plant is effective in stopping bleeding, but prolonged contact can cause itching and hair loss on the skin. Wearing close-fitting cotton shirts can alleviate this itching sensation."

"And about the victim's mouth," Sherlock continued. "As I mentioned earlier, the killer damaged the glottis because there is a clear tearing mark around the mouth. You see, to damage the glottis, the hook needs to be pressed downward. It's difficult to achieve that angle without opening the mouth."

No one responded to him. Perhaps they couldn't keep up with his rapid speech, or perhaps... who knows what they were thinking.

From his understanding of the Judicators, he had thought they were the type who would launch into ruthless pursuit and bloodshed once they knew the name of the culprit. But now, they were carefully considering his deductions, and even nodding slightly at the end, indicating that they had followed his train of thought and affirmed it after digesting the wealth of information.

In contrast, the young constable in the steam armor standing outside the alley looked utterly perplexed, mouth agape.

"Based on the scene, we can only speculate to this extent. That's why I said I'm no longer needed here," Sherlock finally brought the topic back to the beginning. "So I will take some unanswered questions back home and contemplate them. It's the most helpful course of action for the case at the moment."

Catherine hesitated for a moment, her gaze shifting back and forth between the body on the ground and Sherlock. After a few seconds, her eyes settled on the face of the grieving Bailiff.

After a short while, she spoke slowly, "Remember, you have less than 20 hours. If you succeed, you will naturally receive the Church's gratitude. But if you fail, you will face the appropriate punishment."

"Punishment?" Sherlock's tone didn't reflect much confusion. "Forgive my frankness, but given the stringent conditions you have imposed, it seems logical that not finding the killer would be the reasonable outcome. So why the punishment?"

"Pressure makes people more focused on their work," Catherine replied calmly, giving him this statement.

This indicated that she knew these demands were unreasonable, but she didn't care. There was no need for any reason to punish a commoner. In fact, Sherlock felt that if he were to be stabbed to death right now, it would instantly compel the culprit to reveal themselves. The people here wouldn't hesitate to chop him to pieces.

However, such unreasonable and even dehumanizing behavior seemed perfectly reasonable to everyone present. It was a crushing disparity ingrained in the societal structure that went beyond ethics and morality. No one would question why a member of the clergy would indiscriminately hack an innocent person to death, just as no one would care if a wild grass was sentenced to death for being trampled on during a walk.

Of course, Sherlock had no interest in evaluating the merits or drawbacks of this social hierarchy. He was just an ordinary detective, so he politely smiled and said, "Then... may I request a carriage to take me home? It's quite far, Baker Street in the Lower City."