Miss Holmes, the Professor Is Not a Villain

19 – The Opium Addicts of East End (2)

Various noises went through the silence. Moriarty calmly savored his opponent’s sound.

First was bewilderment, followed by denial.

“No…no, I… I didn’t do such a thing…!”

Despite being intoxicated by drugs and alcohol, the counterpart denies his sin. Isn’t it a laughable matter? A man who was about to fall due to a guilty conscience just a moment ago is now denying his sin.

However, Moriarty understood. He’d been doing such a troublesome task to enjoy such reactions in the first place. But one cannot live just by working.

Sometimes, you find small pleasures while working to maintain a stable and sustainable job. Recently, Moriarty’s job satisfaction was substituted with a mockery of people he wanted to get rid of.

It was a pity, but the detective who could beautifully solve his mystery had not yet come to this city.

As he emptied his champagne in one gulp while savoring Professor Warren’s confused expression, he refilled his glass. Fortunately, there were various types of fun in his life.

Creating mysteries was the best, but he also enjoyed destroying something immensely. Considering his profession and nature, both were things that had to go together.

Even though the sudden sweat started to flow, without even thinking of wiping it, Professor Warren instantly denied it, but soon a foolish question popped into his head.

“That…how did… you… No, no……I didn’t kill her, I didn’t…….”

Of course, if Professor Warren had been a little more composed, and knew how to use his brain a little more, he would have realized how foolish his words were.

After all, it was Moriarty who introduced him to the existence of ‘M’.

At the time, Professor Warren couldn’t understand why he trusted Moriarty and attempted to contact ‘M’.

But he couldn’t be blamed. James Moriarty deliberately lured him like a snake, and he couldn’t blame himself for not being able to resist such temptation.

Above all, he was desperate back then. He was low on money. He was in debt and needed money to spend, but he didn’t have any, and even had to touch his wife’s dowry.

But he couldn’t do that. If his wife knew about the debt, she would rather leave him than save him.

Of course, Professor Warren, who was not as evil as to believe in evil entities, would have had such thoughts for a moment, but he never thought about hurting his wife.

But the one who put such thoughts into his mind was Moriarty, and under Moriarty’s advice, Professor Warren went to find ‘M’.

Of course, it’s not known if it was really ‘M’. Just because they communicated through suspicious letters. But when he deposited a large sum of 100 pounds to ‘M’, the other party immediately told him how to take care of his wife.

It even provided tools, and currently, Professor Warren’s wife officially left the world several months ago due to a sudden illness.

It wasn’t strange. Life and death were prevalent in the daily lives of the British, and one day they could suddenly leave the world and be born as well.

Of course, a significant number of such questionable deaths may be similar to Professor Warren’s case, but Scotland Yard could not question each of these cases.

Suddenly, Moriarty slammed his glass down, startling Professor Warren, and shouted,

“Ma femme est morte, je suis libre! (My wife is dead, I am free!)”

“Heeek!”

“It’s just a joke. Everyone shows off their intellectuality by reciting poetry or singing at drinking parties, right? I was just imitating that, Baudelaire, the poet, from the title, ‘Le Vin des Assassins’ (The Wine of Murderers), it’s an impressive poem, so look it up if you get the chance. Isn’t it a poem for Professor Warren?”

“A… got it……”

As someone who considered himself learned, Professor Warren understood the meaning of the words Moriarty spat out.

But his aura and every word he said had never been as strange as they were in that moment. The very underling he usually dismissed was now approaching him like a chancellor who could change his life.

No, that was just a metaphor. The only existence that could be compared to such a person in Professor Warren’s small experience was beyond.

Moriarty, facing such a professor, continued to speak.

“The more I look at you, the more disappointed I am. How did I know? Of course, because I’m ‘M’. Isn’t it, a childish name that even children could figure out? Moriarty’s M. Of course, no one doubts it because it’s so obvious.”

“…What?”

But Professor Warren wasn’t able to show any response. Moriarty spoke on as if not to give him the opportunity.

“This is a special service for you, Professor Warren, I usually don’t reveal my identity to the clients. Since you’re about to leave, I’ll just let you know this time.”

“Le…Leave?”

“Of course, to join your dear wife in heaven. Well, you might fall into hell, but the Lord in heaven will let you know, all I have to do is send you on your way. Didn’t you plan on taking your own life after a while out of guilt anyway? Don’t deny it, Professor Warren. I can tell just by looking, seeing I’ve seen so many.”

“What…What…!”

“There are people like that, when they actually commit a crime, even though there’s no risk of getting caught, they destroy themselves in the end because of their guilty conscience. They are nothing, but I like those people. It’s like watching a flame burn brightly at the last moment, just like you, Professor Warren.”

He had to run away. His survival instincts warned Professor Warren for a moment. But he couldn’t. Moriarty looked at him with a smile on her face, as if she had cast a spell, his mouth moving with no sound and he couldn’t move.

“Anyway, it’s just a greater likelihood that’ll happen. Not everyone’s like that, I’ve seen those without the guts to die, too. So it’s my job to make sure it happens.”

Then Moriarty rummaged through his pocket, pulled out a notebook and a small glass bottle and placed that bottle in front of Professor Warren.

On seeing this, Professor Warren involuntarily widened his eyes. His breath quickened and he felt like he couldn’t breathe properly.

But Moriarty continued to speak.

“Since you’ve already used it on your wife, you don’t need me to explain, right? I believe you are smart enough for that, Professor Warren. Now, just go back to your base in London, cool your head and tell your maid you’re not feeling well. Before you take your nap, swallow this. Just throw the bottle out of the window.”

“…Why…Why are you doing this to me?”

He couldn’t even beg for his life. He could instinctually tell by the look in her eyes that his life was as good as over.

It was a cold look that paused even his survival instincts.

At Professor Warren’s question, Moriarty lightly shrugged her shoulders.

“You should have been good to your young friends. I don’t like fools picking a fight with me. I can be generous to those I respect, but you’re not one of them, Professor Warren. Yes, that’s a good expression. That’s what I wanted to see. Sure, dealing with a professor might be easier if I marched a few Mafiosos in, but I wanted to watch everything from the sidelines.”

In the meantime, Moriarty opened her notebook and began to read what was written.

“Let’s see…… my dear daughter is only engaged so far, to the second son of Colonel Austin. After the funeral, you can marry. My daughter will conquer sorrow with love. My son is only 14 years old, currently attending Eton School. He must be a son to be proud of. So, for the safety and future of your children, you must sacrifice as a father, right? Fortunately, you still have a lot of dowry left from your wife.”

“Pl…ple…please…spar me.”

“Professor Warren is a very difficult customer. I usually don’t plan homicides for just 100 pounds. By common perception, I’m not a street vagrant, do you think I can live receiving such a pittance? This time I’m helping you as a favor. Don’t worry too much, the 100 pounds will be used in place of your funeral expenses.”

While saying this, Moriarty lightened her fingers as if to call someone. No one came.

Professor Warren, sitting right in front of her, heard very well, but her voice was too weak for it to reach the first floor.

Moriarty, as if complaining, yelled out loud.

“Forlock! Forlock! What are you doing not coming when I’ve been calling you!”

Only then did the noisy sound from the downstairs stop for a moment, and the man in his 30s who had led Professor Warren quickly rushed to the second floor where they were.

“Oh, Professor, when did you call?”

“When I snap my fingers, you should come in time. Didn’t I tell you that before?”

“I told you before, you should improve your stamina? The professor is so weak that even if a girl snaps, it will sound louder. Or at least get a bell to ring.”

“Shut up and get the kids to escort Professor Warren home, make sure you check the way out.”

“Yes, yes, Professor Warren? hehehehe, shall we follow then? Let’s go quietly to avoid inconvenience. Why did you bother the professor, he’s a scary person.”

Professor Warren, already half drunk and drugged, could resist no longer. He wished all of this was just a nightmare or a cruel joke.

However, there was a strange reality in the mismatched conversation between Moriarty and the man named Forlock at the end.

If the man had appeared as if he had been waiting as soon as Moriarty snapped her fingers, he might have thought it was a hard-earned act.

Moriarty, as if she was beside herself, savored the expression of Professor Warren being dragged down by Forlock until the last moment, and then emptied her glass.

A moment later, Forlock, who had sent the underlings to escort Professor Warren, came back to her.

“By the way, can I report now?”

“Yes, I guess something unexpected happened, who is looking for me?”

“That…… Fu Manchu wants to meet you personally.”

“…Those East End opium addicts?”