Chapter 222: The Valley of Fear (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 222: The Valley of Fear (5)
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, what brings you here… Oh?”
To thoroughly verify the details published in the morning newspaper, Charlotte had journeyed to the police station in Pennsylvania, the jurisdiction where the incident had occurred.
“Could you be… Charlotte Holmes?”
“…Do you know me?”
Charlotte asked, casting a puzzled look at the officer. The man recognized her instantly, extending a hand with a delighted expression.
“Of course! A Study in Scarlet and The Adventures of Charlotte Holmes are bestsellers. They’re famous not only in America but in France as well.”
“…I had no idea they were doing that well.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Inspector MacDonald. But what brings the famous Miss Holmes here…?”
At the inspector’s probing, Charlotte let out a tired sigh and produced a newspaper.
“…What is this?”
“My business pertains to an incident reported in today’s paper. Since this station has jurisdiction over the matter, I came to gather information.”
“Oh? Have you decided to take your talents international?”
“Not exactly,” she explained, her eyes darkening. “It’s just that the peculiarities of my current situation have left me with no choice but to involve myself this time.”
“Hmm… I see. I’m curious what kind of incident could move a figure as renowned as Miss Holmes.”
“There’s no need for a long explanation. You can see for yourself.”
The inspector bowed his head, eyeing the newspaper Charlotte had laid on the desk.
“Ah… are you talking about this assault case?”
“That’s right. I want every scrap of information you have regarding this case.”
“Um… it doesn’t seem like a significant enough incident for someone of your stature to handle.”
“Appearances can be deceiving, Inspector. What seems trivial might hide a chasm thousands of miles deep.”
“…Well, I understand. Given your reputation, I’m sure you have a good reason to be involved.”
Just as the inspector was about to continue, he added, “In my personal opinion—”
Squeak…
The door behind them swung open, and someone stepped into the station.
“………”
The moment the newcomer entered, a heavy silence smothered the room.
“Well, well, well… look who we have here.”
A familiar voice, dripping with mockery, addressed Charlotte. Charlotte’s gaze turned cold as she stared at the figure.
“At this point, Holmes, it might as well be considered stalking.”
“…Only it was you who sought me out this time.”
The speaker was none other than Professor Jane Moriarty. Her expression was just as dark and frigid as Charlotte’s.
“Were you anticipating the route I’d take? Quite impressive, if I do say so myself.”
“Ha… Nonsense.”
Realizing they had to endure each other’s insufferable faces even in another country, both women looked visibly annoyed. The atmosphere in the police station grew markedly colder as their hostile auras clashed.
“Um… excuse me, but who might you be?” the inspector asked hesitantly. He didn’t recognize the professor, and the tension was making him nervous.
Jane’s expression shifted instantly as she turned to him. “I am Professor Moriarty. Just an ordinary university professor.”
“…Are you going to leave out the part where you’re a professor at the August Academy?” Charlotte interjected mockingly. “A celebrity in the world of academia for your papers on asteroid dynamics and the binomial theorem? Fame achieved at a remarkably young age, I might add.”
“When have I ever boasted about that?” Jane snapped.
“Ah, and while living on a teacher’s salary of seven hundred pounds a year, you somehow display a forty-thousand-pound painting in your study. It’s a mystery where that kind of money comes from.”
“I’ve never told you my salary, nor have I ever shown you my study.”
“…There are ways for a detective to find out.”
“Such as breaking and entering?”
Their bickering resumed for what felt like the thousandth time.
“Well, even for you, I didn’t think you’d go so far as to spout your vain delusions in front of a police officer,” Jane sneered. “There are laws against defamation in both America and Britain, for your information.”
“Shall I tell you an interesting story? In the 1750s, there was a woman named Julia Wild…”
“A real figure who wielded considerable influence among London’s villains, lending them her wisdom and organization for a fifteen percent commission fee,” Jane finished for her.
“Oh, you’re quite knowledgeable.”
“Changing the subject won’t save you from a defamation suit. Consider this a final warning.”
“Thank you for the warning, Miss Napoleon of Crime—the woman who has spent over six thousand pounds on her underlings in the past month alone.”
“It seems you’ll be meeting a lawyer very soon.”
“Not a lawyer. Armed assassins are more likely. Watch your words.”
The inspector, watching the confrontation with anxious eyes, finally decided to intervene before the situation escalated further.
“Please… let’s put the fighting aside for now,” he said timidly. “Could you first explain why you’ve come here?”
“…Indeed. I was just thinking about that.”
Only then did Jane Moriarty shift her gaze away from Charlotte.
“I wanted to discuss the case reported in today’s newspaper…”
“Ah, so there really is something deeper to this case?”
The professor pulled out the exact same newspaper Charlotte had shown earlier. The inspector scratched his head, looking overwhelmed.
“Well, alright. You do have a certain authority as a professor from the August Detective Academy…”
“……..Tsk.”
“Then, let me continue what I was saying earlier…”
Just as the inspector was about to resume his explanation—
Screech…!
“Excuse me!”
The door flew open once more, and another familiar voice echoed through the room.
“My name is Gia Lestrade, Inspector of the London Metropolitan Police Department. I’m here to ask for cooperation on a ca—”
Lestrade’s brisk voice cut off abruptly. She froze in her tracks the moment she spotted the two women already inside. Another long, eerie silence settled over the police station.
.
.
.
.
.
“Guys… are you sure no one else is coming?”
“………”
“Hmm, should we finally start then?”
The inspector watched the three women. They sat expressionless, faces turned away from each other with their arms crossed. It made him sweat with nerves. Steeling his resolve, he cleared his throat to explain the situation to the trio of dangerous women.
“So, continuing with the story… my personal guess is that this case is related to a violent gang.”
“A violent gang?” Charlotte responded, looking slightly intrigued.
“There’s a vicious gang that has been active around here recently.”
“Exactly where are you referring to?”
“Well… it’s a place called Vermissa Valley…”
As the inspector answered the follow-up question, Lestrade suddenly bolted.
“Thank you!”
“Eh?”
“Have a good day!”
Gia Lestrade leaped from her seat, threw the door open in a flash, and sprinted out of the station.
“That… that person…” The inspector looked baffled as the door continued to swing back and forth. It had been a busy day for that door.
“…The explanation keeps getting interrupted. Oh well, then…”
“………”
“Excuse me? Are you both alright?”
He asked with a puzzled look. Professor Moriarty and Charlotte were fidgeting in their seats. Even though they hadn’t bolted like Lestrade, they seemed incredibly impatient.
“…It’s fine. Please continue.”
“But please, make it quick.”
“Um…”
With an uncertain expression, the inspector stared at them briefly before shaking his head and continuing.
“…I’ll continue, then. Anyway, I believe the organization active in that area is linked to this assault case.”
“On what grounds?”
“The fact that all the perpetrators were women. The members of the organization, known as The Scowrers, are also all women.”
Upon hearing this, both the professor and Charlotte’s eyes lit up with an ominous glint.
“However, one thing I don’t understand is why they would commit such an act…”
“…Thank you for the information.”
“Much appreciated.”
The two women rose from their seats simultaneously, leaving the inspector bewildered by their sudden departure.
“Are you leaving? Then you must be careful.”
Inspector MacDonald, looking worried, offered a final word of caution.
“Vermissa Valley is currently known by the locals as the Valley of Fear. The gang residing there is violent and savage. Even the police can’t exert their full authority there.”
“”………””
Charlotte Holmes and Jane Moriarty paused for a moment, then slowly turned around.
“Thanks for the advice.”
“But it was completely unnecessary, to be honest.”
“…….!”
A brief, sharp surge of hostility radiated from the pair. Without even realizing it, the inspector’s hand twitched toward the pistol at his hip.
Squeak…
As the two women quietly left the station, he exhaled a long, shaky breath and murmured under his breath.
“…I’m not sure what’s going on, but I have a feeling the name of that place will change back to Vermissa Valley very soon.”
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.
.
.
Meanwhile…
“…Is it just my imagination?”
Adler, feeling a sudden surge of anxiety, had taken off his wig and placed it beside the bed to scratch his head.
“I suddenly feel an ominous chill crawling all over me…”
Just as he was reaching out to transform back into Irene Adler—
Clatter…!
“Rookie, are you hurt anywhere?”
“Dear Irene, are you feeling worn out?”
“That bastard… we already beat him thoroughly, but maybe…”
“…….!”
The door of the boarding house was violently kicked open.
…Are they ripping the door off with brute force?
Adler was utterly astonished. The members of the gang had somehow broken through the door despite it being securely locked. Realizing the danger, he hastily scrambled to shove the wig back onto his head to maintain his female persona.
“O-Oh, you’ve arrived…?”
He greeted the leader and the members with a forced, trembling smile. But…
“””………….”””
For some reason, the bright smiles that had been on the women's faces moments ago vanished, replaced by an ominous foreboding.
“Why… why are you looking at me like that…?”
Sweating profusely, Adler looked at the women and whispered.
“…You put the wig on backward.”
“Ah.”
Carelessly, he spun the misaligned wig back to its original position. He only realized the gravity of what he’d done after the deed was finished.
“””……..”””
Silence filled the room.
“…You were a man?”
“See? I told you he smelled like a man…”
“Hmm…”
In the heavy silence, the members locked the broken door behind them with sinister smiles, inching toward Adler. He, in turn, backed away as far as he could, his entire body trembling in fright.
“Ah, but I’m a woman…”
Of course, he had walked himself into a dead end with no way out.