Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 302 Corpses can talk, and so can traces!

After arriving in Edinburgh, Lionel and Conan Doyle rested at their hotel for one night and then headed to the University of Edinburgh the next morning.

They were going to visit Dr. Joseph Bell.

After exchanging pleasantries, Conan Doyle opened his briefcase, took out a thick stack of neatly organized folders, and placed them on the coffee table in front of Dr. Bell.

Conan Doyle, too nervous to sit down, said in a trembling voice, "Dr. Bell, this is a 'gift' that Lionel asked me to bring to you."

Dr. Joseph Bell took the documents and began to look through them—

Composition and color of soil samples from various boroughs of London

Common Ash Formations of Cigars and Pipes

Common stains on major building materials in Greater London

London Daily Weather Data, January-June 1880

Distribution of Major Plants Along the Thames River

Hand characteristics of different occupational groups

……

Dr. Joseph Bell opened the top folder containing the soil samples.

After careful reading, it was discovered that the content was not just general talk, but included detailed data and hand-drawn diagrams.

Even soil from different regions was packaged in small bags, labeled, and accompanied by detailed descriptions—

The area near Regent's Park is rich in humus-rich, dark brown clay.
The dock area was covered with dark gray silt mixed with coal slag and shell fragments;
The area around Whitechapel typically has light yellow sandy soil mixed with lime dust...

He didn't say a word, and picked up the record about cigarette ash again.

The book "The Rules of the Detective" mentions only about 20 types of cigar ash, but here there are a whopping 140.

It includes almost all cheap tobacco and hand-rolled tobacco, and even records their morphological changes under different burning conditions.

Dr. Joseph Bell flipped through the pages slowly, but the interest and surprise in his eyes grew stronger.

After a while, he put down his cigarette ash and began to write, then quickly browsed through the documents about hand features and building materials.

The living room was silent except for the rustling of papers turning and the sounds of students moving around and talking.

Conan Doyle was so nervous he could almost hear his own heartbeat, and he gripped his hat tightly with both hands.

Lionel sat calmly, his gaze lowered, as if he were confident of everything.

Finally, Dr. Joseph Bell put down the folder, looked up, and his gaze first fell on Conan Doyle.

His voice was devoid of emotion: "Sit down, Arthur—did you organize and arrange all of this?"

Conan Doyle then dared to sit down on the edge of the sofa: "Yes...yes, Professor. What you see today is mainly me."

But later, about one hundred older students from St. Thomas and Guy will participate. The materials will become much richer quickly!

Dr. Bell's tone remained calm: "You left the Royal Hospital, chose not to be a doctor, just to do this?"

Conan Doyle's face flushed instantly. He lowered his head and his voice became even softer: "Yes...yes, Professor."

I'm so sorry I didn't discuss it with you beforehand... I was so grateful for your letter of recommendation for that assistant physician internship..."

Dr. Joseph Bell raised his hand to interrupt him, but his gaze turned to Lionel: "Mr. Sorel, I understand now."

Your creation of that 'consulting detective' wasn't merely a product of literary fantasy or an imitation of my daily habits. The research you gathered went far beyond the background studies typically conducted by novelists to create a sense of realism.

Lionel said frankly, “Yes, Doctor. I don’t think the insight you show in your daily diagnosis and assistance to the police is some kind of unrepeatable ‘magic’.”

It is a reproducible 'science' based on your extensive knowledge and rigorous logic.

We—especially Arthur and his classmates—are trying to make it more systematic, easier to learn, and easier to apply.

He paused before continuing, "I spoke with Colonel Vincent of the CID in London. Crime is changing, and the police need new tools."

And these seemingly trivial pieces of knowledge, once systematized, can guide detectives in complex crime scenes.

Dr. Joseph Bell was silent for a moment, then looked at Conan Doyle again, this time with a hint of emotion in his expression.

He spoke slowly: "Arthur, you've given up a relatively safe path. But preventing tragedy and bringing the criminals to justice..."

This may well be an equally valuable option.

He sighed softly: "I understand your choice. That letter of recommendation... I respect your decision."

But remember, this path may be even more difficult, and I hope I won't hear from you giving up on it in the future.

Conan Doyle suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with surprise: "Professor! You're not angry with me anymore? Thank you!"

Dr. Joseph Bell shook his head slightly: "Mr. Sorel, as you wish, I can take one day every two weeks to go to London."

Go see what those young people have collected, and offer some professional guidance on classification and interpretation.

Lionel smiled sincerely: "Thank you very much, Dr. Bell. Your joining us is of great significance to us."

At this moment, Dr. Joseph Bell seemed to suddenly remember something and asked, "Mr. Sorel, I have another question."

Both the University of Edinburgh and hospitals in London have offered forensic medicine courses, so why did you choose me?
I'm just a surgeon; my expertise doesn't seem to be entirely in this area.

Lionel sat up straight and said confidently, "Dr. Bell, there are professional forensic doctors in modern times."

However, they often focus too much on the 'deceased' themselves, neglecting the scene—the environment in which the crime occurred.

Your 'deductive method' incorporates all related traces into the scope of observation and reasoning.

The shape of the footprints, the dust on the clothes, the mud on the trouser legs... this makes it more comprehensive and three-dimensional!

The body only tells us 'what happened,' while the traces at the scene tell us 'who did it' and 'how it was done.'

Leonfinal concluded sincerely, "Like the 'Chantelle case,' you relied not only on toxicology but also on your judgment of the environment."

Only you noticed that the gas leak wasn't enough to be fatal. Unfortunately, it seems that until now, only a few people have realized this.

After hearing these words, Dr. Joseph Bell fell into a long silence.

He squinted slightly, as if recalling the mysteries he had helped the police solve.

After a long pause, he sighed and shook his head self-deprecatingly: "I've solved so many cases for Scotland Yard in my own way—"

In the end, the first person to discover the value of this method was actually a young man from France, a novelist…

Dr. Joseph Bell stood up and shook hands with Lionel: "Mr. Sorel, Arthur, what you are doing is very interesting."

I am willing to do everything I can to offer help.

(End of this chapter)