Case1 Four Families - ch17

The next day, many people came to the house. After returning from church, Holmes sent a telegram calling everyone involved in the case. Osborn Livingston, Scarlet Rosevelt, Seamus Blake, Travis Smith, and James Moriarty. Today, there are more guests than ever, making the small living room look short of space. Sherlock Holmes swept his gaze, met everyone in the room before coughing softly.

"First of all, I would like to introduce James Moriarty, a friend of Mr. Norville Malcolm, he was the recipient of the map and the keys with Mr. Malcolm's own consent." Holmes turned his hand towards Moriarty. Then introduce all four family.

"Since we met, I would like to make a clear confirmation of the treasure," said Osborne, staring at James Moriarty.

"For your share, you can do whatever you like. Same as mine," replied Moriarty with a smooth, soft voice. But the staring eyes had the power to suppress the four families to bite their lips in displeasure but did not dare to argue.

"You're an outsider," said Osborne. "No matter how you convince Malcolm. But this is ..."

"That's right, I'm an outsider, so I don't care about your demonic curse," said Moriarty, interrupting with a sharp voice. Turn his eyes to Sherlock Holmes, whispering that Holmes could read into the word.

...What is called a real devil ...

The detective narrowed his eyes before taking the eyes off his close friends and turning to speak to everyone in the room.

"Before everyone decide what to do with the treasure, I think we all should go and see that there really is a hidden treasure. Unless any of you already know what, your father is hiding."

"Mr. Holmes, you mean you already solved the treasure map?" Asked Scarlet in a high voice.

"Yes, in fact, this can hardly be called a mystery." Sherlock Holmes brought the four pieces of the map together on the table. And turned towards Osborne.

"I guess Mr. Osborn, Mr. Norville, and Mr. Redmond, who were the first to consult the devil's curse, would never have put the map together."

Osbourne's expression hardened immediately but did not open his mouth to speak. According to James Moriarty, Norville Malcolm was distrustful of the other two families. To be clear, the three families had no trust in each other.

One secret that Holmes has not shared is that he has known where the treasure since he saw the three-part map. The same case with the three families, even without Seamus Blake's map. If Osborne, Norville, and Redmond put a map together and someone solved the mystery. Who knows what humans can do if greed drives them?

"I will explain from the edge of the paper to the center. Starting with every section of the map has a blank corner signed by the four clans' father. Having a signature in each corner allows the maps to be tiled correctly." Sherlock Holmes draws his fingertips along the signature in the upper, lower, right corner of the aligned maps. "Now, next to the signature. You will see the drawing lines. What do you think it looks like? "

"It's...look like a big tree," said Scarlet.

"Sweet chestnut trees," Travis added, "but quite large."

"Yes, how about this picture?" The detective moved his finger to the two intersecting lines.

"Plus sign ... no, the cross," said Osborne.

It was then James Moriarty suddenly grinned on the corner of his lip with a hilarious expression. "Hmm, just like this. I know where the treasure is hiding." Moriarty stood up. Before turning to the black-haired man, "Sherlock, you knew a long time ago."

While others Look at Holmes and Moriarty with dazed eyes. Why Moriarty, who had just seen the map, solved the mystery in the blink of an eye? And did the detective already know where the treasure from the start? The black-haired man felt those stunning eyes beam at him, but he smiled as if nothing happens before explaining,

"The cross, in other words, means the church. And a church with a large chestnut tree hundreds years old. I can only imagine St Leonard's Church in the village of Tortworth, At Gloucestershire."

Sherlock Holmes painted a smile. When everyone realized where the treasure was hidden, an excited expression of hope flashed in Scarlet, Osborne, and Travis's eyes. But the detective still didn't explain the entire map. In the middle of the paper, the cut part is divided into 4 parts with letters mixed with numbers.

"The rest of the mystery, we better get to the actual place."

.....................................

St Leonard's Church, Tortworth village.

Under the calm atmosphere in the realm of God and the greenery of nature. They were all looking up at the grandeur of a centuries-old tree, bringing with them hoes, pickaxes, long ropes, and other equipment they could find for a limited time in search of the treasure. Sherlock Holmes also brought a compass with him.

"Now, I will explain the letters and numbers in the middle of the map."

James, Osborne, Scarlet, and Travis put together a map that spreads each corner into a single plan. In the corner where the four papers are connected, there is a spiral. Then there are letters and numbers written in a circle around it. Therefore, if the four maps are not lined up, the numbers will be miss.

"There are only four letters on the map. N E W S represents the four directions. I think the numbers following the letters refer to the number of steps," explains Sherlock Holmes, and he begins walking looks down around the chestnut tree. "So, we have to start by finding the starting point for walking. I think there must be a symbol ... ah, here we are."

Sherlock Holmes pointed at the base of the chestnut tree. Although it was somewhat fuzzy, the spirals engraved on it were visible. He took out a compass.

"Starting from here Going eight steps north ..."

Watson, Moriarty, and others followed Holmes's steps. Until the young man stopped in an open space overlooking the church and the chestnut tree. Holmes bent over the soil, looking for clues to convey that it was a burrow ten years ago. Until he found an area with a different grass

"The length of the number of steps may differ. But I think it's right here."

Sherlock Holmes looked at Watson as he rolled up his sleeves. Watson, who was waiting with the device, started using a hoe to dig the ground. Sherlock Holmes took a shovel to help dig up nearby. Time passed until the detective began to pant. Travis Smith volunteered to continue digging.

In the midst of the silence that each person waited with full concentration. The tip of Travis' shovel that was pressed into the ground hit something hard. The face of the former soldier changed and began to spread the soil around it.

"Found a rag ..."

Travis spoke in a gasping sound. As he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand and lowered himself. He tried to pull on some old cloth. When the fabric was torn, it felt harder than a rock.

"Found it, it looks like. Iron chest" said Travis.

"Let me see," said Osborn, and scraped the ground with his hand until he saw the cloth and the corners of the iron chest. He extended his hand to ask for a shovel from Travis. "I'll continue digging."

Travis retreated. He looked at the silver-haired man who still digging. More importantly ... this was when Travis continued digging from Sherlock Holmes, and now Osborne took it. Travis still felt this tired ...

"Mr. Watson, aren't you tired?"

Watson was the first to start digging and doing his job nonstop. The stroke of raising the shovel over the head, teeth down and soil's lever up, all continued like a machine. Watson did not change his face or show even slightly tired.

"I'm fine."

Watson spoke in a flat voice without looking up from the work he was doing. Time passed until Osbourne gave up and passed the bat to Detective Holmes. They dig until a square area is about one person embracing. When the topsoil was removed, the image of the iron chest was visible to everyone. Sherlock Holmes and Watson helped pull the iron chest up to the ground.

A specially designed iron chest that is durable and has a special mechanism, requiring 4 keys to open, otherwise the treasure inside will be destroyed.

"Alright ..."

Sherlock Holmes looks at the keyhole marked with the English letters and steps back, opening the way for keyholders Osborne, Scarlet, Seamus, and Moriarty. All four of them inserted the key into the hole and screwed it together.

Click!