51
Three days later,
Lydia agreed to Mr. Wickham's invitation to the next ball.
It was Catherine who told Mary about this.
Taking advantage of the good weather, Mary came to Meriton's inn early in the morning. Editor-in-chief Hall thought that it was a little slow to send a letter by mail,
So he directly asked someone to bring the new issue of "Seaside Magazine" serialization of "The Chess Game of Serial Killers" to Mary.
Mary also wrote an outline of the new serialization idea that she had sorted out previously,
She put it in an envelope and entrusted the letter to Editor-in-chief Hall in order to ask him for his opinion on the next serialization.
In the nineteenth century, the relationship between editors and authors,
Most of the time, it was after the author had finished writing,
And then sent the manuscript to the editor,
Waiting for news of whether it had been written.
The advantage of this was that..,
All the creative rights were in the hands of the author,
It was the author who fully exerted his own subjective initiative to create.
As for whether it was published or not, it was another procedure after the creation.
But in the twenty-first century..,
Some editors of publishing houses or magazines preferred to read the author's outline and sample chapters first, communicate with the author in time, sign the copyright of the work first, and then let the author create the cooperative model.
This was a compromise of the creative process to the market. The editor's performance was completely dependent on the number of readers,
From this perspective, they interfered with the author's creation,
They could more or less guarantee the commercial value of some works.
From the perspective of literary development,
Mary did not completely agree with this method.
Working like this..,
Naturally, could guarantee that the published text was loved by readers and that the magazine could get money. However, literature was completely treated as a commodity.
It was easy for authors to lose their own thinking and self-expression,
They completely focused their creative motivation on money.
But from another perspective..,
This cooperative model could not only speed up the efficiency of the editor's review,
But the author..,
They could also get professional advice from the editor. It was a win-win plan.
Mary's current creative motivation was only the word money.
It was not that she had never fantasized that she could become a great writer like Balzac, Stendhal, or Dostoevsky. Dreaming was not enough.
Regardless of how much money her works could sell, just the word "leaving a mark in history" was already a great temptation for an idealist like Mary.
However, reality was cruel. Without money to eat, where would one find the strength to create?
Mary felt that it was better for her to focus on reality and ensure that she could rely on royalties to become financially independent before thinking about how to create the social and artistic value of her literary works.
Therefore, she still chose the 21st-century cooperation model. First, she handed the plot outline to Chief Editor Hall and asked him to provide some suggestions from an experienced editor's point of view to increase the chances of passing the draft.
After handing the letter to the errand boy, she walked out of the inn. Mary replied to Catherine: "Lydia agreed to Wickham's invitation. Isn't that even better? I'll soon have five brand new hats."
Catherine: "…"
Catherine, who was accompanying Mary, wanted to say something but hesitated. She hesitated for a moment before carefully probing, "Do you really think that Wickham would suggest something as absurd as eloping, Mary?"
Mary's lips curled up.
"If you don't believe me as much as Lydia," she said, "I can't help it."
"I believe you," Catherine said softly.
Mary looked at her in surprise. The fourth sister, who had never had much of a presence, continued to speak: "You can help professional detectives solve cases, and it's already a serial mystery novel. Identifying a person's character is easier than describing a murder case."
"Not necessarily."
Although Catherine was praising her, Mary still shook her head: "The human heart in reality is far more unfathomable than fictional characters."
However, Catherine's words really surprised Mary.
In the original work, Catherine, the fourth sister of Bennet's family, left Mary with no impression.
In reality, Catherine was basically the same. She didn't have any ideas or hobbies.
Because there was a big age gap between her two elder sisters, and Mary was the kind of person who focused on studying and didn't like to socialize, Catherine, as the elder sister, became Lydia's little follower.
In daily life, except for the occasional quarrel with Lydia and snatching beautiful hats, it was just a girl's quarrel. Generally speaking, she liked whatever Lydia liked.
However, Lydia didn't care about Mary's creative path at all. Mary knew this very well, but she didn't expect that Catherine would be interested in her serial.
A few days ago, she was still listening to her story outline about the Circus. A few days later, she took the initiative to accompany her to sample the serial. This was not the polite and friendly behavior between sisters.
"So you also like detective novels," Mary said, "I didn't realize it before, Katie."
Catherine blushed: "I didn't like it before. I thought it was something that only boys like.
It's either murder or crime, bloody and terrible. "
Mary: "And then?"
Catherine: "Then your serial was published in Seaside Magazine. Dad liked it so much that he read it back and forth several times. He even praised you at the dinner table.
I went to take a look and found that detective novels are much more interesting than I thought. "
Well, who hasn't had this kind of "interesting" experience before?
Mary laughed out loud.
No matter what she thought before, she looked very interested now. Who would dislike their sister for being interested in books?
"If you're interested," she said, "I'll recommend a few detective novels that I've read before to you."
"I want to know the story of Mr. Philipp Luther more!"
Catherine mustered up the courage to speak: "I heard that you were coming to get the sample serial today, so I followed you. I just want to know … what's the development of the plot later."
Mary: "…"
Catherine: "What's wrong?"
Mary: "Nothing, I'm very happy!"
Mary was indeed happy to have someone who approved of her creation out of nowhere.
Jane and Elizabeth had always been close to her, so of course they would support her. However, Catherine was different.
She didn't love her because she cared about her, but because she really liked the work itself.
"Then why are you in such a hurry?" Mary generously handed the sample serial to Catherine. "Go read it first."
Catherine's eyes lit up: "Really?
Don't you need to read it first? "
Mary: "I wrote the serial, so I don't need to read it to know the plot."
As for typographical errors or spelling mistakes, Mary didn't think she was as professional as Chief Editor Hall. She trusted his professional ability.
Moreover, this serial was about to officially start the plot. As the author, Mary was naturally the one who was most familiar with the work.
According to Chief Editor Hall's habit of clipping chapters, she could roughly guess at which plot point this serial would end.
The second serial continued with the wonderful clipping of the previous serial. After Philipp Luther heard Edmond's words, his first reaction was to ask, "Are you here to turn yourself in?"
"Yes." Edmond admitted.
"Then who did you kill?" Luther asked.
His question was met with a smile from Edmond. The burly Edmond looked a little cold when he smiled.
"You'll have to find out yourself, detective." Edmond's purpose was not only to turn himself in, but also to issue a challenge.
Even though Philipp Luther still hadn't recovered from the pain of losing his wife, a sense of justice had long been deeply implanted in his soul.
Moreover, his wife was also his assistant when he solved the case. Even if Luther continued to wallow in grief and didn't accept the murderer's challenge, his wife's spirit in heaven wouldn't forgive him.
Therefore, Luther sent Edmond to the police station immediately, and then officially started the investigation.
Previously, after Sherlock Holmes finished reading the first serial of "Serial Killer's Chess," he threw out three possibilities for the case, which convinced Mary wholeheartedly. If she wanted to investigate a murder case without finding the victim, she couldn't think of an answer beyond these three possibilities no matter how hard she racked her brains.
Therefore, the first thing Mary wrote Luther was to find the missing person in the parish.
Fortunately, this wasn't difficult. Although the industrial town was prosperous, the neighbors knew each other.
After the pastor made the matter public, everyone was shocked and frightened, but they also quickly helped the police and Detective Luther find the answer.
There was indeed a woman missing in the town, and that was Edmond's mother.
Edmond's mother was strict and controlling, so she didn't have a good relationship with the neighbors.
Everyone liked the honest and witty Edmond, who was far better than her mother. A year ago, she had left home to "visit her family" in the south. In fact, if it weren't for this, no one would have thought of investigating whether she had been visiting her family for a year or had gone missing.
After a whole year, even if there were any clues, most of them would have disappeared.
For this reason, Luther had to use the most primitive methods of investigation, collecting clues from a year ago bit by bit. Finally, in the wasteland outside the town, the body of Edmond's mother was found.
The body had basically rotted, and the police confirmed that the cause of death was that the head had been chopped off with an axe. It was violent and bloody, very much like how Edmond, who had been abused by his mother, finally couldn't bear it anymore. During an argument, he had swung the axe in anger and killed his mother.
But Luther felt that things weren't that simple.
How could a criminal who killed in a fit of passion wait until a year later, when Luther arrived, and then say in an extremely calm tone, "I killed someone."
He brought the answer to Edmond again, and in prison, he confessed to it.
The huge Edmond was handcuffed to a chair, and his expression was almost numb and cold.
"You're very efficient," he praised. "If they want to change the police, they definitely won't be so quick. I don't mean to offend the local police, and I'm still very good friends with them. However, detective, the government agencies are cumbersome and lengthy. You've been a police officer, so you should know very well, but …"
Luther didn't say anything.
Seeing that Luther didn't continue his words, Edmond's dull expression showed some dissatisfaction.
But he still continued, "It's just that this is not enough for me to praise you for being a smart person, detective.
You just did the job that the police can do. "
"How many other victims are there?" Luther asked rudely.
"Ah," Edmond was satisfied. "You guessed it. How did you guess?"
"Because you turned yourself in to show off."
Luther suppressed his anger and explained, "For a whole year, the police didn't find any clues, which made you very dissatisfied.
You wanted others to know what you've done, so you chose to turn yourself in to me to show off what you've done.
You were unfamiliar with the way you killed your mother, and it was all because she was not popular and no one cared that she was lucky enough to escape. This was the first time.
How many other victims are there? "
"Do you know what a sequence is, detective?"
"…"
Edmond didn't answer Luther's question.
"Simply put, it's a series of objects arranged according to some unchanging rules," Edmond responded. "I've attended a worker's class, and that's what the teacher taught us."
"You mean."
Luther looked at him warily.
"You're a serial killer who follows your own unchanging rules to kill people.
sequence
Are you a serial killer? "
If Mary guessed correctly, according to the plot development and word count, Chief Editor Hall would most likely cut off the story here.
In the twenty-first century, the term "serial killer" was finally established and became a term for criminal psychology. It also went through a process.
Mary simply removed the psychological investigation and research from this process and condensed it into this story.
In the end, Philipp Luther would use the word "serial killer" to describe Edmond, but not now. Mary had already thrown out the concept at this point in the plot.
The second issue of the serial ended here. It not only let everyone know the murderer's criminal pattern, but also gave a temporary definition of a murderer. It was a more appropriate ending.
Catherine happily took the sample issue of the new issue of Seaside Magazine. Looking at her posture, she couldn't wait to open the magazine and read it on the street.
"Read it when we get back," Mary had to remind her. "Reading on the road hurts your eyes."
"Okay."
Catherine had to close the magazine. "Then let's go quickly."
However, she was doomed to miscalculate.
Mary had just nodded and was about to return to Langbourne with Catherine when a carriage suddenly stopped in front of the two Bennet sisters.
"Miss Mary, Miss Catherine!"
Mr. Bentley, who hadn't seen for a long time, got out of the carriage without saying a word.
"Mr. Bentley?!"
Mary and Catherine were very surprised. "You're back?"
A few days ago, he wrote to say that he would be back soon, but they didn't expect him to be back so soon.
Mr. Bentley, who was about to become their future brother-in-law, was very eager to see the two sisters.
He took off his hat. "I wanted to go directly to Langbourne after finishing my business, but I didn't expect to meet the two of you in Meriton now."
"Katie and I are here to sample the issue," Mary said.
"Congratulations." Mr. Bentley smiled.
"It's us who should congratulate you, sir!"
Mary joked with a smile. At the same time, she didn't forget another important thing. "You and Jane were very busy before, so I didn't dare to ask. Is there any progress in the investigation of Holmes abroad?"
"He hasn't replied yet, but the government official who entrusted him with the investigation abroad with us said that he is safe," Mr. Bentley explained. "As for you, Miss Mary, if you really want to go to Meriton, Mr. Thornton said that he will ask his mother and sister to take care of you."
Strictly speaking, Mary was also helping Mr. Thornton investigate the case, so it was reasonable for him to say so.
But Mary shook her head. "Thank Mr. Thornton for me, but we have a relative in Milton. Maybe I can stay with my relative."
Mr. Bentley was stunned. "You have a relative in the north?"
In fact, Mary was also surprised.
Mary wasn't surprised that Mr. Bennet had many relatives. After all, he was a respectable country gentleman.
But she really didn't expect that a relative would go to the north, so far away from Langbourne.
And except for a few close relatives, such as Gardiner and his wife and Phillips, other distant relatives didn't contact each other, so Mary really didn't know.
"I didn't know before," she answered truthfully. "It was my father who told me."
"I know who it is!"
Catherine suddenly said. "This morning, I heard my father tell my mother that a pastor surnamed Hill, who is my father's cousin, suddenly resigned at the beginning of the year and moved to the north with his family to teach!"
Mary was speechless.
Surnamed Hill?
She didn't know any relatives with the surname Hill.
But a pastor surnamed Hill who lived in the south resigned and moved to the north … In comparison, this was the family of Miss Margaret Hill, the heroine in the novel "North and South."
The second daughter of the Bennet family married an honest and sincere man, and so did the only daughter of the Hill family.