Chapter 17
The street is so narrow that it can only allow a carriage to move forward and turn. The male residents and pedestrians on both sides are wearing simple shirts and outer jackets or simply a washed yellow cloth. The sleeves are high, and the hats on the head are mostly outdated styles.
This kind of dress is rarely seen on the streets of ordinary urban areas, because it is not gentle enough, and it is not even possible to talk to some people in formal clothes wearing this kind of clothes.
Because of her clothes, she is inferior.
As for women, they are basically the same simple dresses. Unlike other areas in the city, they are not big and beautiful. They also wear aprons around the waist and abdomen, which are almost the same as the maids in ordinary people.
In fact, nearly 50% of them have had the experience of working as a maid in a large family, and the remaining 50% include the elderly and children.
Don’t get me wrong, being a maid in this era is not a shameful thing. On the contrary, as a person at the bottom of the society, it is actually a good thing to be expected to be a maid in a decent family. Weaving at home, weaving baskets should be high, if you meet a generous host with good luck, you may get some extra income.
If luck is better, young poor girls may be able to get rid of their current poverty life, even if they can’t become rich wives, they can also become the hostess of middle-class families, put on a decent dress to see Opera, enjoy troupe performances, this is the life that most slum area girls pursue all their lives.
And among these people, Donald and Sherlock seem a little out of tune, which is not only reflected in their clothes, but also in their own unique temperament.
This makes many people around them look at them, both good and bad, but it’s not so comfortable after all.
“Sir, where is 6 Farney Street? We have something to entrust to the rat catcher.”
As an assistant, Donald doesn’t have the power to be shy and embarrassed, so he can adjust his mood , met a passer-by who looked kind-hearted, and successfully knew the route.
Even in the Bangli district, the rat catcher lives in a relatively remote place, because he often deals with rats. In order to conduct some experiments on rat trapping, the number of rats in his house is no more than some garbage. The field came less.
Although they are all locked in iron cages, living next to such a family will definitely bring a lot of pressure to my heart. What if I wake up one day and find mice all over the floor?
This isn’t a horror movie, but it’s not that bad either.
“That’s right in front?”
Sherlock pointed to an extended wooden token twenty meters ahead, with the outline of a mouse and red covering most of it. cross.
Compared with the area I passed by just now, this place looks more desolate. The houses are almost all second layer buildings in disrepair, with cracks and broken wooden boards. The appearance of on the verge of collapse seems to say As long as the wind is stronger, it dares to fall directly.
“There doesn’t seem to be any residents around…”
In the past, I saw that many of the surrounding houses had empty doors open, not to mention the inside, but the outside. There was a lot of dust on the ground.
“It should be an abandoned area. People go to the empty building. After a while, some government departments should tear it down or rent out the whole piece of land to build a factory. This kind of thing is very common recently. The land in the city is cheaper than this.”
The construction of the factory attaches great importance to the land price, which is a cost issue. Compared with some shops, this type of building is obviously in the slum area. Good construction sites can be found within.
The government naturally agrees. The factory will not only provide a large amount of tax, but also provide jobs, so that some people in the slum area who usually have nothing to do have jobs, and they will not go to the city to hang out and commit crimes. The rate will also decrease accordingly.
It’s a good thing!
Arrived at the entrance of the mousetrap shop, the door was closed, and the curtain was still pulled inside.
dong dong
“Is anyone there? We have a mousetrap commission!”
Sherlock knocked on the door and waited for 5 seconds , no response.
“Going out? Well, the rat catcher, his usual job is to catch mice outside.” The rat catcher is the key clue at present. Whether it is a thief or not, there is always some information, but if the person can’t find it, how can he search down?
“Don’t worry, look here, the lights are on inside, be careful later.”
There was a small hole in the curtain of the window next to it, and Sherlock knocked on the door. See the lights inside.
During the daytime, the curtains are drawn and the kerosene lamps are lit. It’s a bit difficult not to make people suspicious, but after waiting for another 10 seconds, no one opens the door.
Donald stepped forward and shot the door twice.
“What do you mean when the light is on inside and you don’t open the door? Even if you don’t take over the job, you have to say it face to face. My brother has a bad temper. I’ll smash the front of your house later, please don’t. Blame us for the heavy attack!”
If people don’t open the door, it is still necessary to use some means.
Squeak
“You two gentlemen, I’m getting old and I have limited mobility. I’m sorry.”
Looking down, the old man in front of me The shape is a bit strange, with a hunched back and a hunched waist, and a figure that only reaches Sherlock’s chest. On top of his head, he wears a black wide-brimmed silk top hat mentioned by the jeweler Abel, covering his entire face, only through his drooping gray beard and The hoarse voice judged that he should not be young.
In addition, he was covered with a layer of black cloak, part of which was dragged to the ground, and the bulge behind him was disturbing from the heart.
The tone of his speech was very gentle, and he apologized when he opened the door, but instead made Donald very sorry
“Can we go in and talk? Actually, I have something to ask for evidence.”
“Yes, yes… Are you sure you want to come in? No customer in the past has been able to stay in the shop for more than a minute.”
The words of the rat catcher made Donald Looking at each other in blank dismay with Sherlock, listening to the continuous zhi zhi behind the door, they could probably imagine what was behind the door.
In order to handle the case, this risk is still to be taken. Without the slightest hesitation, Sherlock walked in the front, Donald walked in the last to close the door. , to enter this kind of place, you have to leave a way for yourself and close the door tightly, that is to make trouble for yourself.
The scene on the rooftop is vivid in my mind.
Because the windows were completely covered by curtains, the house was dimly lit. It was supported by kerosene lamps on the middle beams. The hall of about 20 square meters was filled with black iron cages of various sizes and shapes. , the things in it are the same.
Rats, rats, rats!
Even people who have no fear of this kind of creatures will get chills on their backs and goosebumps from beginning to end when they go to such a place.
Donald is like this, and Sherlock’s estimates are similar, except that both of them have a certain ability in emotional restraint, even if they are disturbed by the unstoppable screams of the mice around them, and their expressions are all over the place. Is silent.
The Ratcatcher was standing behind an inner workbench with wire, pliers, and a half-finished cage. What caught Donald’s attention was an old metal bell with a The bells that call the cows on the farm are somewhat similar.
There is also a large wooden cabinet behind this workbench with many partitions.
“Aren’t you two trying to catch mice? Ordinary employers won’t come in, what’s the matter?”
The rat catcher still didn’t look up, just fiddling with the iron cage on the table.
“The jeweler Bad Abel’s warehouse was stolen. You should have been to his house the other day. Did you find anything strange?”
Sherlock didn’t Straight up his guess with Donald, but also revealed some information, just to see the Ratcatcher’s reaction.
As soon as he finished speaking, the movements of the mousetrap’s hands stopped abruptly, and the zhi zhi behind the two suddenly became noisy…Donald’s hands tightened behind his back, and his eyes caught sight of Sherlock’s right hand has also been placed on the waistline of the trousers, and the black windbreaker that covers it does not know when to unbutton it.
“Have you found it?”
The Ratcatcher asked rhetorically.
“Find what?”
“Those mice…they’re not right!”
The Ratcatcher said in a hoarse tone , he seems to know something.
“What’s wrong?”
Sherlock pressed.
“About half a month ago, there were suddenly more people who came to me. They told me that there were mice in the house, swarms of mice! They drilled from the sewer into the pipes in the house and appeared In warehouses, storage rooms, destroying furniture, contaminating food… This should not be the habit of rats, I have never seen such a blatant group of rats before, I even saw a few rat traps some time ago. I got a huge mouse that knows how to think…I’m sure of that!”
The rat catcher expressed his opinion, which coincided with the previous conjecture of the two combine.
“Is it that big?”
Donald gestures for the shape.
“Yes, I saw it on the farm. At that time, it was bringing a group of mice to a little lamb, biting, gnawing, and full of ferocity. Have you seen it?”
>
“Okay, now is not the time to discuss who has seen big rats. Did you find anything unusual when you hunted rats in Abel’s house? Why do rats appear in large numbers in his house, I want to know this.”
Knowing that these mice are indeed a problem, the rest is to find the source of the problem step by step.
“I don’t know about this… Normally, this is not the case. The places where large groups of mice were found in the past were generally large buildings such as taverns and shopping malls. It was rarely seen in residential buildings. I was also shocked when I got to Mr. Abel’s house, those mice who got into his house from nowhere, there must be a passage…”
The Ratcatcher each minding their own business, speaking in fits and starts.
“Where do you catch the most mice? Since you have completed the commission, you must have caught mice?”
“Of course, my craft was passed on to me by my father Yes, the place with the most rats…near the sink where the dishes are washed in the kitchen, I remember something strange, the pipes in Mr. Abel’s house are very thick, not the same as the ordinary person’s house.”
“The plumbing…it’s the plumber!”
Sherlock turned his head, excited, he found the key to breaking the game.
At this time, Donald’s eyes were looking at the Ratcatcher’s house. The rays of light in his narrowed eyes were not visible. He held a pinch of silver-gray powder between his fingers, which spilled when he entered the door.