My esoteric uncle Jules

Chapter 23: Collaboration with Sherlock Holmes (Please read it on Tuesday)
After briefly comforting Lolita and thanking Madame Pauline, Jules knocked on the door next to his own.

Holmes poked his head out and said with a faint smile:

"Come on, let's go inside and talk about it in detail."

As soon as Jules entered the room, he saw two cups of steaming coffee on the table.

Holmes gestured for a seat.

"Coffee helps keep your mind active, and so does sugar. A combination of the two is even better, don't you think?"

Jules smiled and sat down, but did not drink the coffee:
"To be honest, I just like sweet drinks."

As he spoke, he glanced around casually.

Just like the impression of Sherlock Holmes, there are not too many complicated furniture, nor too many artworks that can highlight the owner's elegant qualities, but it is full of pragmatism.

Books, chemicals, and various "evidence" of crimes.

Among them, an object placed in the middle of the table caught his interest.

It seemed to be a strand of hair stained with blood and filth, with even a bit of scalp mixed in at the end.

A small space was specially cleared around, and a magnifying glass was placed there, which was obviously what Holmes had been studying recently.

"Oh, my friend, it looks like you've noticed that."

Holmes' voice suddenly rang out: "That's a case I need to investigate recently, and that's why I asked you to come."

Jules turned his gaze back and said, "Please speak."

Holmes smiled and said:
"A few days ago, the police came to me and said they had evidence of a cannibalism case involving aristocrats, but due to my status, it was difficult to obtain further evidence. Therefore, they wanted me to use another method.

After evaluating this case, I believe you are well-suited to assist me in this investigation."

Jules stroked the warm coffee cup in his hand and asked doubtfully:
"Me? Mr. Holmes, I'm not good at reasoning and investigation. I'm afraid this matter..."

Holmes suddenly looked straight at Jules and said calmly:
"This case is entangled in a vast and complex maelstrom. If the secrets are leaked, everything could fall apart. My deductive reasoning skills are sufficient, but I still need a trustworthy assistant."

Yule raised his eyebrows slightly and laughed:
"Mr. Holmes, we've only known each other for a short time. What makes you think I won't betray you? You know, even a little bit of wealth slipped through the fingers of aristocrats is wealth that ordinary people can't even imagine in their lifetime."

"You won't," Holmes chuckled, "because this case is related to Carl Hockley."

Cal Hockley? Ruth's fiancé, the steel tycoon? Jules's eyes narrowed gradually, and he said:

"I don't understand you, Mr. Holmes."

Holmes simply said leisurely:
"According to my research, Carl Hockley had previously booked a ticket for the Titanic, but changed his mind just before boarding, thus becoming a survivor of the Titanic in a sense."

"However, there was only one survivor on board."

He didn't say anything more, but just looked at Jules with a smile.

Jules lowered his head, looked at his blurry reflection in the coffee cup, and said lightly:
"You may speak frankly, Mr. Holmes."

At this point, how could he not hear the hidden meaning in Holmes' words?
However, he had anticipated that Holmes would find out about this, so he was not panicked.

He was just confused - how could Holmes be so sure of him? Even if he had an unusual reaction that day, there shouldn't be any other evidence.

Holmes is known for his rigorous reasoning and rarely relies on this so-called "intuition" to make judgments.

"Ha," Holmes just laughed at Jules's reaction. "Aren't you afraid that I'll tell my employer that the target he's investigating is right next door to me?"

Jules slowly raised his head and looked directly into Holmes's deep gray eyes:
"If you knew how to do that, you wouldn't be sitting here chatting with me."

Holmes stared at Jules for a moment, then smiled.
"To be honest, dear Jules, I was actually a little unsure at first. After we met that day, I used some covert means to investigate further, and finally confirmed that you were the one I was looking for."

"However, I didn't rush into action because I always felt that my employer was a bit strange. Not only did he hide his identity, but he even relied on middlemen to commission me. He also seemed to have ill intentions towards my investigation target."

He took a sip of coffee and said casually, "So, I dug out all the employer's information."

Jules's mouth twitched when he heard this - he was indeed Sherlock Holmes, making the "opening of a box" sound like playing house.

"So, what did you finally learn that made you willing to tell me all this, even at the risk of offending your employer?" Hearing this, Holmes leaned back in his chair, his face expressionless.
"I never claim to be righteous, but I will never side with evil. I'm not sure if you have enough courage, so I've been observing you these past few days."

"And your previous performance has finally made me certain that I can entrust certain responsibilities to you."

He paused, then continued, "Are you afraid of breaking the law?"

Jules shook his head.

"So, are you afraid of death?"

Yule's lips curled slightly: "Maybe."

Hearing Jules's answer, Holmes suddenly jumped up, his eyes shining with a strange light:

"So, are you interested in killing the cultist who came to capture you? I just need his body."

What? Jules was stunned.

How did Sherlock Holmes find out that the other party was a esotericist?

He stared at Holmes and said:

"How did you come to this conclusion?"

"Well, that's quite simple," Holmes spread his hands indifferently. "When I was investigating you, I made use of a little trick of the 'lamp', so investigating them shouldn't be much more trouble."

Yule almost instinctively pulled out his gun, but he quickly suppressed the impulse and said calmly:
"Did you know I joined the Anti-Suppression Bureau?"

If Holmes thought he was just an ordinary person, he would never say these things to himself!

Hearing this, Holmes suddenly revealed a somewhat strange smile:

"I didn't know that originally, but unfortunately, I had the honor of meeting someone who came to visit you before."

It turned out that it was exposed when Lutos visited him and gave him "salary"?

Jules stared at Holmes and suddenly said:

"Thanks for the antique shop you recommended. It's great. It has what I need and will help me take that important step."

He said this to test Holmes's knowledge of the occult.

Holmes' smile froze noticeably, but he quickly returned to normal.

"Have you already entered the extraordinary realm?"

Jules didn't say much, just smiled and said nothing.

Finally, I got a small grasp of this great detective!
Although not yet, it can be considered a promotion. After tonight, I may successfully enter the ranks of extraordinary people.

Seeing Jules's reaction, Holmes narrowed his eyes and his momentum weakened a bit, but his confidence remained unchanged:
"If that's the case, then our cooperation will have a more solid foundation."

"Cooperate with me and complete this investigation into the cannibalism case. We can both get what we want—and you can directly eliminate the mastermind behind the threat. What do you think?"

He confidently extended his hand and said with a smile, "I think, my dear Jules, you should understand how to make greater profits, right?"

Jules smiled and shook Holmes's hand vigorously.

"Then, happy working together."

"Pleasant to work with."

After shaking hands, Holmes took out some large coins from the pocket of his wallet and handed them to Jules.

"Here's fifty pounds. Keep it and buy some good food for the little girl. She's growing up."

"...Thank you."

(End of this chapter)