Becoming Professor Moriarty's Probability

Chapter 28: The Secret of the Speckled Band (3)

– Squeak...

The door to the previously closed waiting room opened and as Professor Moriarty stepped out. Charlotte, who had been leaning against the corridor with a dazed expression on her face, fixed her gaze on her.

"You..."

Then, echoing in the corridor was Charlotte's voice, cold as ice.

"What trick did you use?"

At that, the professor stole a subtle glance at her.

"An illusion using a venomous snake. If you're not a murderous professor who used something like that then what trick did you..."

"......"

But that moment was brief. She diverted her gaze and moved on pretending she didn't hear Charlotte's words.

"I wasn't done speaking!"

"A detective begging for answers..."

Moriarty replied in a cold voice to Charlotte's childish outburst.

"How pathetic."

Charlotte was momentarily lost for words at that sharp retort, her hand trembling violently.

"...I feel the same way."

The professor who was walking ahead of her, murmured in a voice that was barely audible.

"How did I overlook such an obvious fact?"

After Adler's shocking revelation, Professor Moriarty, who had been left alone and had sat in a daze while thinking intensely for a while, finally realized what she had missed.

She had made the same basic, foolish mistake that the silly detective behind her had made.

"........"

And now, she was on her way to correct that mistake.

Not with her usual smirk, but with a serious expression donned on her face for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

At the same time, she felt a mix of unease and impatience— feelings she had never experienced before in her life.

"............"

As Moriarty quietly moved further down the corridor, Charlotte stared intently at her retreating figure while grinding her teeth.

"What did I miss?"

However, just thinking about it didn't improve the situation for her. Hence, she soon closed her eyes and deeply lost herself in her thoughts.

"There's definitely... something wrong... somewhere..."

Thus began her deep meditation.

In the past, it was a state she could only reach through intense experiments or with the use of narcotics or other drugs, but now... if there was any matter related to him with that man she could easily reach this state.

"...Hmm."

However, despite reaching her most optimal state, there were no signs of the situation getting any better.

Even though she tried to find a flaw in her deductions there wasn't a single conclusive point for her to chase.

It felt like revving an engine without moving the vehicle, just straining it for no reason.

"........."

This stagnation continued for quite a while.

"Um, Holmes. Come to think of it, there's something strange..."