在骯脏破败的下城区，阳光是一件奢侈的礼物。
    杂乱林立的房屋遮蔽了大多数的光照，即使是白天也很难直接沐浴到太阳神的光辉。
    好在还是有一束光透过了间隙，打进了夏洛克家的窗户。
    夏洛克正坐在阳光下看书。
    在书桌前还摆放有很多的书籍，这些书籍来自於下城区的“尤弥尔教堂”。在这个太阳神都不愿投下瞩目的阴影角落里，帝国和教会却没有忽视基层的力量。
    宗教信仰和底层免费教育的普及是帝国基层基础盘稳固的重要因素。
    因为常年在尤弥尔教堂当义工的缘故，夏洛克和尤弥尔教堂的教父与嬤嬤们关係很好，再加上夏洛克表现出的对知识的尊重，这让他得以从尤弥尔教堂借阅藏书，並从中汲取更多的知识。
    在“读书上学”这一点上，神圣罗马帝国和中国有著某种特殊的相同性。对於喜好读书、热爱知识的孩子，社会总有著更多的宽容。
    咚咚咚。
    有人敲门。
    夏洛克放下手里的教会史，走到门口。
    敲门的是一位面容好似风乾岩石的中年人，穿著一身黑色的神普装，胸口佩戴著一枚白色倒十字架项炼，留有一头干练的黑色短髮，嘴角有刀疤伤痕，看上去稍显凶恶。
    “早安，夏洛克。”
    梅林神父说话的语气总让夏洛克想起前世一部名为《哈利波特》的作品里某个叫做斯內普的角色。
    这位神父明明有一个优雅好听的名字，气质上却总给夏洛克一种下一秒他就会叼著雪茄从怀里掏出左轮的既视感。
    “早安，梅林神父。”夏洛克微笑著回应，“您来找我是有什么事情吗？如果是找我归还书籍的话，您不用亲自上门来取的。”
    “不，还书不急，我不是来找你还书的。”
    “那您这是......哦，失礼了，快请先进来吧。”
    梅林神父摇了摇头：“不必了，我是来找人的，只是刚好路过和你打个招呼，顺便和你说一下工作的事情。”
    “工作？您是说我加入教会的申请回信到了嘛？”
    梅林神父点点头，从自己隨身携带的一本书里取出夹在里面的一封信。
    趁著夏洛克在看信，梅林神父说道：“首都的教堂都不需要新的传教士。如果你真的打算正式加入教会的话，恐怕得在维多利亚港和刚鐸城里选一个......我比较推荐你去维多利亚港，那里商贸繁荣，生活会更轻鬆一些。而且，我和当地维多利亚大教堂的主教是教会学院时期的同学，有我的推荐信，你可以得到照顾。”
    听到梅林如此说，夏洛克摇摇头：“非常感谢您对我的关照，不过，正如谚语所说，『这个世界上每条路都会通往罗马』，我最近在首都上城区另外找到了一份体面的好工作。所以我恐怕得临时改变一下计划，不再坚持加入教会......很遗憾以后恐怕没机会和您共事了。”
    闻言，梅林神父扯出一个淡笑。
    这个面瘫的男人並不擅长通过面部表情表达自己的情绪，但是夏洛克能看出，梅林神父是真诚地在为自己高兴：
    “这是好事，需要遗憾的是教会，毕竟我们失去了一位日后可能会成长为优秀的红衣主教的年轻人才。”
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    “哈哈，您这称讚叫我有点脸红啊。”
    夏洛克收起信件。
    “您来脏水沟街找谁？需要我帮您吗？”
    “我找莫妮卡。”梅林神父没有拒绝夏洛克的帮助，“免费学校那边说，她已经三天没去上学了。”
    闻言夏洛克皱了皱眉。
    “莫妮卡？”
    莫妮卡是居住在脏水沟街的霍夫一家的独女，她母亲是纺织业工厂的女工，父亲早早离世，是霍夫太太独自拉扯她长大。
    莫妮卡在律法学上很有天赋，霍夫太太经常吹嘘自己的女儿肯定能考上罗马皇家大学法学院，以后只要能嫁给上城区的律师同学，她也就能跟著住上上城区的大房子了。
    “您稍等，我去问问。”
    夏洛克走出门，带著梅林神父一起走到一家二层公寓前敲了敲门。
    等了好一会门才被打开。
    开门的是一个穿著灰扑扑睡袍的老人，他用浑浊的眼睛看向夏洛克：“是夏洛克小子啊，找我有什么事吗？”
    “怀特爷爷，您最近有看见莫妮卡吗？”
    老怀特轻轻点头，牙齿漏风地嘴巴说话都很沙哑：“她前天晚上回来过......五天前吧，她和霍夫太太又大吵了一架，摔门离开去了学校，然后是有好几天没回来。直到我听见她前天晚上回家翻找什么东西，然后大半夜的又走了。”
    这栋二层公寓是老怀特的住宅，二楼租给了霍夫一家。
    老旧的公寓楼隔音並不怎么好，而且青春期碰上更年期的爭吵总是格外的激烈。別说就住楼下的老怀特了，整条巷子都能听见霍夫太太的怒吼。
    夏洛克就经常听见这母女俩人闹矛盾。
    不过，夏洛克其实很能理解莫妮卡。
    有一次吵架的原因是霍夫太太计较莫妮卡把自己买的书借给了同学，霍夫太太非要莫妮卡把书要回来，扬言要是莫妮卡自己要不回来，她就去学校找她同学。
    这种斤斤计较的行为让莫妮卡觉得很丟人，尤其对於孩子来说，借出去的东西马上又要回来这种行为，会让她在同学里抬不起头。
    “霍夫太太最近不在家吗？”
    “她们工厂最近很忙，上次吵架后她也一直都没回来。”
    夏洛克紧紧皱眉。
    这下可麻烦了呀。
    “莫妮卡出事了嘛？”老怀特有点担忧地询问夏洛克和梅林神父。
    梅林神父接话：“她最近都没去学校，学校老师有点担心她。”
    对於那些混混学生，老师们可不会在意，但是莫妮卡这孩子是下城区里难得用功学习的好学生，就算是老师也会对她更照顾些。
    “......您还有什么线索吗？我去找一下莫妮卡。”
    老怀特抬起头，认真回忆。
    “她前天回来的时候不是一个人回来的，门外有人在等她。”
    夏洛克继续询问：“是谁？您有看清长相或者其他特徵嘛？”
    老怀特摇头：
    “我从一楼窗户看出去看不清楚，又是晚上看不清楚，但是应该是两个人。哦对了，有一个戴著圆顶帽、用长柄雨伞撑著地！这我记得，毕竟前天没下雨，我骨头没风湿痛。我还在想谁家好人大晚上还戴帽子、带著雨伞。”
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} #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget .exo-native-widget-outer-container .exo-native-widget-item-container { flex-basis: calc(100%/1); }}</style><style>@media all and (max-width: 450px) { #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget .exo-native-widget-item-container { clear: both; width: 100% !important; max-width: 100% !important; margin-left: 0 !important; } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget .exo-native-widget-item-outer-container { width: 100% !important; } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget .exo-native-widget-item .exo-native-widget-item-image { width: 100% !important; max-width: 100% !important; margin: auto !important } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget .exo-native-widget-item-container .exo-native-widget-item .exo-native-widget-item-content { max-width: 100% !important; } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget .exo-native-widget-item-container .exo-native-widget-item { margin: 0 auto !important; }}</style><style>#exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget {
    width:300px !important;
    height:250px !important;
    } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget
    .exo-native-widget-item-container{
    width:300px !important;
    height:250px !important;
    max-width:300px !important;
    padding-right:0 !important;
    padding-bottom:0 !important;
    } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget
    .exo-native-widget-item-image-wrapper{
    width:300px !important;
    height:250px !important;
    overflow:hidden !important;
    } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget
    .exo-native-widget-item-content-box{
    position:relative !important;
    } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget
    .exo-native-widget-item-content{
    position:absolute !important;
    bottom:0 !important;
    z-index:3 !important;
    top:unset !important;
    min-height:60px !important;
    height:auto !important;
    background-color:white !important;
    padding:8px !important;
    max-height:150px !important;
    } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget
    .exo-native-widget-item-title{
    padding-right:50px !important;
    display:block !important;
    } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget
    .exo-native-widget-item-brand{
    display:none !important;
    } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget
    .exo-native-widget-item-text{
    display:none !important;
    } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget
    .exo-native-widget-item:before{
    content:'';
    position:absolute;
    bottom:20px !important;
    right:22px;
    border-left:10px solid #fff;
    border-top:10px solid transparent;
    border-bottom:10px solid transparent;
    z-index:11;
    border-radius:5px;
    } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget
    .exo-native-widget-item:after{
    content:'';
    position:absolute;
    right:25px;
    bottom:20px !important;
    border-left:10px solid #000;
    border-top:10px solid transparent;
    border-bottom:10px solid transparent;
    z-index:11;
    border-radius:5px;
    } #exo-native-widget-5820802-bmwbf.exo-native-widget
    .exo-native-widget-item-content:after{
    content:'';
    position:absolute;
    right:10px;
    bottom:10px;
    border-radius:50%;
    width:40px;
    height:40px;
    z-index:10;
    background:black;
    }</style><a class=“exo-native-widget-itecgnjkkwcqbhvirxxvaposnu8csjtyxuw4akrqjhtfmqnxhlrat1.i_jxxjqteo0rlf_xbopkl1ujyeufb1dxwiotlo734lixqnico4ytzo9skea40avqlorlluynvqmmvn_vsey4wkdaaa-&cb=e2e_695add944209d9.55769614“ oncontextmenu=“setrealhref(event)“ onmouseup=“setrealhref(event)“ rel=“nofollow“ target=“_blank“>united statesunited statesdating<ins class=“eas6a97888e2“ data-zoneid=“5820802“ data-processed=“true“></ins>
    “好吧，那我们不打扰您了。”
    关上门，夏洛克嘆了口气：“看来没什么有用的线索。我另外想办法找找她吧。”
    “不，这位老怀特先生的线索很有价值。”
    梅林神父的话叫夏洛克一愣。
    梅林神父面无表情地说道：“你可能不熟悉，但是我打过交道。大晚上还戴帽子，手上拿著伞或者手杖，打扮得像雾都绅士一样的傢伙，只会是那些人。”
    “神秘署。”