Still displeased pursing his lips, Miss Emily looked around me.
- Yes you are right. But God forbid you to say again something like a decent woman - she left the room, turning on the doorstep, and ordering - just stand there!
Returning a minute later, she caught me exactly the same place. She was carrying a large box, which was a smaller box.
- Here you go, - handed me the box. - We are the performances, the boys play female roles themselves. More than anything, I can not help you.
- Thank you, ma'am.
- Everyone dresses up and run. And do not you dare be late for dinner!
- Yes, ma'am!
Back in her room, I unpacked my inherited wealth. The large box lying bonnet of dyed black straws, sewn thereto with two blond braids, and long dress made of thick woolen cloth dark brown.
The second box contained a mosaic of theatrical make-up, a few brushes and a small mirror. I must say that I'm glad the mirror the most, it was missing in my room.
Someone may say that man is not particularly necessary, but let me ask you - have you ever tried to dress and make themselves up in a girl without a mirror? That's it.
Although, I must say that now it appeared to me to anything. Slipping on a dress and bonnet, and I myself could not with certainty determine its sex. It affects young age, and white, too delicate for the boys skin. Make-up is not needed. The final touch was rolled up to the knee pants, shoes, fortunately, all children of this age were similar.
The only thing that seemed strange to me - from the mirror looked at me the boy, who looked a little older than the one I saw yesterday in the mirror, Molly. Whether it's just an optical illusion, or ... I'm growing? However, now there is no time to think about it.
Looking out into the corridor, and making sure that it is empty, I slid down the stairs and left the yard. All students were obviously busy in the back yard, there was no one in front of the main entrance.
Trying to go slow gait, somehow like a maiden, I could not help sympathize with Huckleberry Finn, having been in the same situation.
The first thing I was going to visit a pawnshop Norrie, and have prepared a suitable legend. Then, perhaps, it was worth to visit Molly, to ask her for more details about the future "employer". The idea that there is something still wrong, do not let me rest.
By calling card, I was glad that go far. Lombard Norrie was on the ill-fated sadly familiar to me Maer Street. House Molly was also located nearby, on the next street.
All the while I was walking briskly toward the goal, I looked into the faces of passers-rare - does not look anyone in amazement at the false girl. But, apparently, my disguise was really good, as no one gaze I drew.
Lombard Norrie was quite a decent size store that occupies the entire first floor of the two-story home, by local standards, it can be said almost rich.
I pushed open the heavy wooden door, somewhere in the back of the room rang the bell. At the sound he popped up smiling, very complete little man. However, the smile quickly disappeared when he saw me.
- Dear Sir, - I grabbed the edge of the skirt hands, trying to sit in an awkward kniksene. Not sure what was appropriate, but like Norrie was satisfied. At least, he smiled again:
- Hello, darling. What did you want?
- You see, sir, - I tried to keep my voice sounded thin, imitating women - my mother sent me to find out, is not whether you have it ring?
- What ring? - The man frowned.
- Dad ... blew it. This mother's wedding ring. So she sent me to find out if he did not bring it to you, and whether you can buy it back.
- Hmm ... Well, see - Norrie pointed to the counter.
I stepped closer. Under the thick glass of the counter were a variety of jewelry - rings, earrings, cuff links, brooches with glass. They all gave the impression things are very cheap, are silver or silver-plated, and only a couple tonyusenkoy rings shining noble gold. Hours on the counter was not.
The rest of the items in the room was a mixture of the range hardware store and clothing store-manufactory.
- It's all? - I barely concealed disappointment.
- It's all here. There is also a shop in the city, they are in charge of my wife, but I highly doubt that your ring got there.
- Yes! It definitely got there! The ring was very expensive, my mother got from her grandmother in the inheritance! - I tried to make the most plaintive look. - I ask you, sir! Tell me how to find your store, my mother is sure to find the money and buy back the ring back!
- Oh well. I marked the spot on your map. - And cheers:
- Congratulations! Quest: "Nora Norrie" is executed.
- Reward: Experience 200 (200/1000), the continuation of the quest chain!
And immediately following field:
- to offer you the quest: "Even deeper in the hole."
- Terms of the quest - to find the jewelry salon Norrie in the City, and learn the details of the further fate of his uncle's watch.
The award - the experience (400), the continuation of the quest chain.
Penalty failure - automatic failure quests: "The Golden Key" and "Mystic expedition."
Accept the quest?
Accept.
- Thank you sir! Good trading to you, sir! - a second curtsey already left a little more decently.
I opened the card. Wow! Far. Walking at least a couple of hours, and it is possible that more. We'll have to find out about transport, but for now - to Molly.
The road to Molly's house took only a few minutes and took place without incident. I was still no one paid attention. It would be worthwhile to again thank Miss Emily for a dress.
Knocking on the door of the cellar, Molly, I especially did not expect to find her at home, but the door was immediately opened. Girl looked pale and tired, some embroidery was clamped in his hand.
- Hello, little girl, you need something? - wow, she did not recognize me!
- Are you Molly? I Sherilyn. Dora sent me to you, she needs some help - well, maybe even recognize the voice.
- Help Dora? I run! - Molly resolutely stepped over the threshold in one easy house dress, but my efforts were marked another achievement:
- you get the achievement "a hair's breadth (II)!" - you enter so deeply into an image that can deceive and acquaintance!
The award - Mimicry 1 (3)!
- Molly! - I said to have their own, native voice. - It's me, Sherlock!
Molly stopped, looked into my face, hidden in the shadows bonnet fields, and clasped her hands:
- Wow! You do not know Sherlock! Where did you get those clothes? - She pulled me by the sleeve, - come quickly, tell me!
Dragged me into the room and sat on the sofa, Molly listened attentively to the story about all the events that happened to me for last night and half the day. When I finished, she said very seriously:
- Sherlock, you're lucky that you can learn from the masters - mechanics. This is a very good profession.
- So, enough talk about me. Tell me, how much money you have Mr. Ogger?
- A lot of. 10 gold coins - the girl smiled sadly.
10 gold, so much Norrie paid trickster for uncle's watch ... As long as I do not come to mind, where I could take the damned money. We need to think, there is still time. By the way ...
- A Trickster Ray did not appear?
- They do not appear. In the morning came a policeman, asked about them. Who last talked, which were going to ... He said that he found them in the early morning in the City janitor dead. Strangled.
I froze. I had no doubt that they died because of the strange crystal that I found yesterday morning in the park. There was, of course, the possibility that it is not, but it is very much of a coincidence.
- And where exactly they were found, he did not say?
- No, maybe Marissa knows he no longer communicate with her. I heard that she was going to shake out of Norrie, where he sent her friends. And she's so desperate, will seek the truth. Not afraid of anything, even of "Night Stran
gler".
- The Night Strangler? It's the one that killed five girls?
- Yes, only six instead of five. Look, this is today's newspaper - Molly handed me a stack of folded paper sheets.
I opened the newspaper and felt a horror icy claws went back. With a large figure, located on the front page, just below the name "Daily Courant" newspaper, looked at me dead face that same girl from my dream.
Chapter 9.
Not realizing what I was doing, I instinctively threw a newspaper like a poisonous snake. Almost forgotten it was already a dream, suddenly a frightening clarity flickered before my eyes - desperate running along the embankment, falling, a terrible death ... Suddenly, out of the whole kaleidoscope of pictures there was one - hand compressing blue crystal. Arm! Here it is!
Though I perfectly saw that the stranger in a raincoat did not touch the girl a finger up to her death, I was completely sure that it was he who led this terrible spectacle. And the hand, the only thing that seemed out of the dark cloak belonged to the killer.
The narrow, graceful brush aristocrat. Hand of a man who has never lifted anything heavier than a pen or purse with coins. Long, pale fingers, gently treated nails, but no noticeable parts of the ring is also absent. I do not know that it could give me, but I have tried to sketch in the memory of all, to the smallest detail.
Sighing, I picked up the newspaper again. The article was titled impossibly corny: "The Night Strangler again on the loose!". Ugh, what a template header! I thought, my real - is the age of banal platitudes and cliches cheap, but it turns out, three hundred years ago, it was exactly as ... Although, what I mean, what three hundred years? For myself to remind that this is just a game, MDA ... So:
"And again he went out on the streets of Londinium, the elusive ruthless killer, one who gossip has already given a name - Night Strangler.
I could only conceive of a sixteen year old girl, a student at the dressmaker Mary Sue Bonham her short life will break so early and so terrible? Just yesterday she happily walked through the streets of his native city, and today her beautiful face, distorted its death agony, looking with unseeing eyes in the murky, cold sky, and her hair streaming wave on a wet roadway embankment Palmers.
Detective March, the Central Branch of the Eastern Police District, refused to give any comments, but we, like all of our readers, it is clear that this is not a random victim of a mugger or rapist. Youth girl, her resemblance to the previous dead, fingerprints on the neck, ritual symbols on the cheeks - all this suggests that the death of Mary Sue Bonham, nothing else, as the work of the notorious Night Strangler!
So long as the same, dare we ask how long the killer will roam the streets of our city? How many more of our sisters and daughters have to fear for your life? And whether the police Londinium, which can not protect its citizens from cruel maniac? "
Phew! What a nightmare, barely finished reading. And I'm not at all unhappy about the death of Mary Sue Bonham, and about the work of an unknown to me scribblers, who dashed off this hellish example of all the disgusting, what you can see in a newspaper article. What kind of momentum? A feeling that people sculpted his opus, referring to the list of the most well-worn epithets of all time. And the reliability? "Carefree walking ..." - a student of the dressmaker in the Eastern District, in the poor neighborhood. Yeah, of course ... very carefree.
I have long grumbled to himself, indignant dishonesty of the author, but the information system window distracted me from this session:
- Supplement to the quest "The Night Strangler".
- You found a few facts about the series of murders of young women in Londinium. Continue to search for information.
Oh you! I had forgotten that I had such a quest. And I took him only yesterday morning, and only so many things have happened that all mixed up in my head.
So, as it was not disgust me the style of the unknown journalist, and a certain amount of relevant information from his scribbling extract possible. The victim - Mary Sue Bonham, a student of the dressmaker, sixteen, girl, that is a virgin. Crime Scene Investigation - quay Palmers. The man who investigates the murder - Detective March of the Central Branch of the Eastern Police District. And characters such as were all previous victims ...
Speaking of characters ... Something tells me, not only as the proverbial intuition that the symbols on the faces of the crystal and on the cheeks of the victims should be the same. Or is it far-fetched? I confuse one thing - the faces of the crystal-six, and also six victims. It seems everything converges. But! Quest, which should be available to me after I will gather all the information about those killed, called the "Case of Seven strangled", and not six. That is, it will be the seventh victim, but it is not convergent with the number of faces ... Or am I missing something, or is it in general all nonsense, and nothing to do. In any case, first of all we need to find all the available information about the already committed crimes and then make some conclusions.
While I was with a newspaper in his hands and fixed stare, thinking about the motives and intentions of the offender, Molly peacefully continued to embroider, decided, apparently, that I still read the article.
- Molly - she tore her eyes from the embroidery, and looked at me, - say, and where you can read the old newspapers?
- I'm not sure, probably in the library, perhaps the publisher has a binder. But I do not know where they are, I have no time to read, you know - she smiled sadly.
Well, I still would not understand. What can be read when each passing day for the locals - an ordeal, especially for those who still retained remnants of human dignity, and wants to live honestly as possible in the Eastern District.
- Molly, I ... - suddenly open the doors would not let me answer. In the small room, having fallen head over heels on the stairs, I flew two boys about my age, breathless and disheveled.
- Molly, hurry, let's go! - immediately shouted one second, noticing me, from something red, and began to correct skewed gates and smooth hair.
Ah, yes, I did not take off his hood with braids and was for them, of course, girls. Meanwhile, the first boy drew attention to me, too, and began to put itself in order. Funny, I did not think the girls here in such high esteem.
- Molly, do you want to go with us - funny bass he said, obviously trying to look more grown-up and important. - There's Marissa smashing shop Norrie!
- What?! Billy, what are you talking nonsense? - Molly's surprise embroidery dropped to his knees.
- Yes, I fail at this point, if I'm lying! That Sten saw! - the second boy nodded, not taking his eyes off me. I shivered, it was, in truth, how - that uncomfortable.
- So, wait - Molly said, - Come on, tell me in the order.
- But what can I tell you. Marissa morning even threatened, to talk heart to heart with Norrie, but it then dissuaded. Well, she know him contact is dangerous.
- What has changed now?
- Oh, nothing, just half a day, Marissa sat in the "dead pig", to commemorate the Trickster with Ray. Well, now she's the devil himself is not terrible, batters have Norrie windows, and threatened him to chop his head.
- Wait, - Molly frowned - and we are what we can do?
- Nothing! Who Marissa then communicate wants, Norrie himself sitting behind the counter, shakes - Billy smiled wryly - but at least we'll see. Well this is fun!
Hmm, it seems to me that the Norrie strongly dislike in his native street, apparently for good reason. In any case, the cost to go there, if only because I wanted to look at Marissa.
- Molly - I turned to the girl - Go to, go, I wonder the same. And in which case, - I pointed to the guys - gentlemen protect us.
These gentlemen instantly straightened her shoulders, inflated chest, and in general, made every effort to show that the best advocates for the two ladies, and can not be. Molly, fortunately, understood me correctly and played along:
- Okay, let's go. - Turning to the boys, she continued, - get this Sherilyn, um ... my distant relative. Cher - turned back to me girl
- is Bill and Stanley, my neighbors. Very educated young man - with an emphasis on the word "bred" Molly looked sternly at the children, in response to those looked down and went red spots.
- Then come soon - I squeaked, - I'm terribly interesting.
The picture that is revealed to us on arrival, was just amazing. The pawn shop is already there is not one whole windows, the whole pavement, within a radius of five meters, was covered with small glass medley. The crowd of onlookers that all increased, from a safe distance admired the way perekolotiv all the windows on the ground floor, Marissa aiming a bullet in the second.
Looking closer, I immediately realized why the girl was referred to as Pretty Marissa. She, without any discount, was just stunning beauty. Unruly black hair, the skin a little somewhat dark - is likely to present the southern, eastern, or even blood, full of bright lips, slightly slanted eyes - all together, these features were simply incredible explosive mixture.
Even more incredible was the fact that, being a drunk in the smoke, it is, nevertheless, fell exactly where was aiming. One shot - one glass. Periodically, apparently in response to movement inside the store Norrie, Marissa was taken to beat on the first floor, and boulders, freely flying into the inside, something was crushing with a loud clatter.
- Norrie, come out, putrid worm! - from time to time she makes a small breaks and staggered watering Norrie flow of battle. - Come on out, you're a piece of shit-! That you sent the brothers to death, I m-uh !, you'll kill you!
I turned to Molly:
- Brothers?
- They were not native. Trickster Ray, kind of like, escaped from the shelter and then hunted in the street. And they picked up Marissa when she was 4 years old, and since then has taken care of it ...
That is a girl, as I do, in fact, lost family. And this, in part, was my fault. However, very tiny. I did not ask her to pals rob me at the time, and what carried even that did not profit.
Named Sherlock Page 12