Chapter 41

## Chapter Chronology

**The Sign of Mary Act 2** (The Sign of Mary Act 2 四つの署名 第二幕, *The Sign of Mary Act 2 Yottsu no Shomei Dai Ni Maku*) is the 41st chapter of the MORIARTY THE PATRIOT manga series.

## Summary

Sherlock hears Mary mutter, "So the Treasures of Agra does exist." And so does John. The latter asks her about it without an ounce of subtlety, much to Sherlock’s alarm.

She explains that she thought so because the map she found from her father's notepad looked like a treasure map. John easily accepts her explanation, but Sherlock doesn't seem so convinced.

Curious, Thaddeus inquires about the map so Mary shows it to him. He is then alarmed when he sees the 4 cross symbols on the map, because he has seen them before prior to his father's funeral service.

Thaddeus then shares what he knows.

11 years ago, Thaddeus' father quit the military and started living at Pondicherry Lodge in Norwood. Apparently, he had great success in India and returned to Britain with a large amount of money and jewels, along with a couple of Indian servants.

However, his personality had completely changed. He was very scared of going out alone, and was especially fearful of men with artificial legs.

Then around six years ago, Sholto received a letter from India, seeming to be very shocked upon reading it. He fell very ill and had been bedridden since then.

When his condition became incurable, Sholto calls over his two sons to tell them his shocking last request.

The truth was, he became rich not because his business bloomed in India, but because he and his subordinate, Mary's father, just happened to obtain some treasure while he was still serving in the army. He kept it a secret from the army and returned to Britain with the treasure.

A year later, Mary's father also returned to Britain and came to Sholto's place to discuss how they were going to split the treasure. Out of greed, Sholto refused to do so and argued with Mary's father.

Mary's father had a heart condition which got aggravated by their argument. He had a seizure, hit his head on the treasure chest as he fell, and died on the spot.

Sholto was in turmoil. If reported the incident to the police, it would only look like he killed Morstan. What's more, he feared that the treasure would be found out if he did so.

While he was spending a long time panicking about it, his butler Lal appeared in the doorway to check on him. Sholto tries to convince him that he did not kill Morstan, and Lal tells him not to worry. After admitting that he heard the two of them arguing and Sholto *punching* Morstan, Lal tells him that he will definitely keep quiet about it. Since no one knows that Morstan came here anyway, he advises Sholto that there's no need to inform anyone that he has killed him.

His servant believed that the sound of Morstan's head bumping into the chest was the sound of Sholto punching him. Sholto even more sure that the jury would never believe that he didn't kill Morstan. So he and Lal hid the corpse.

After telling his sons about the incident, Sholto asked them to return the treasure to Morstan's daughter.

John condemned Sholto for what he had done, but Mary was very calm about it, saying it was inevitable.

Thaddeus continued on to say that just as Sholto was about to tell them the location of the treasure, Sholto suddenly panicked, shouting, "He's here!" However, when his sons looked at the window he was staring at, there was no one there. Then, when they looked back to their father, he had already passed away.

That night, while Sholto's sons were preparing for his funeral service, someone raided his room and searched all the cabinets and tables. Thankfully, nothing was stolen, but there was a slip of paper left on top of Sholto's corpse. It had the same symbols as the map Mary showed him. Thaddeus had no idea what those symbols meant, but believed that there must be a reason his father was afraid of it.

After that, the two brothers searched the whole grounds but couldn't find the treasure. All that was left was the pearl necklace that Sholto brought out from the treasure chest because he couldn't stop looking at it.

Thaddeus wanted to send it to Mary as his father requested, but his older brother became overcome with greed and initially refused. He was eventually able to convince him to send her a pearl every year since the incident. Because of that however, he and his brother now live apart.

Mary then tries to inquire about the treasure, but Sherlock interrupts her, saying that they have solved the case of her father's disappearance and the mystery of the pearls.

John protests, saying that they should solve all the mysteries, but Sherlock told him that it's better not to be involved any further. He brings Mary and John out of the room and explains that the treasure's origins seem to be sketchy, so Mary might might get arrested by the empire for treason if she takes that treasure.

Sherlock was trying to manipulate Mary into admitting her real aim. Just as Mary was about to, Thaddeus storms in and tells Mary that giving the treasure to Mary was his father's last request, so he really wants Mary to have it. She swiftly accepts his offer.

Sherlock was pissed that he didn't manage to squeeze the truth of her, but is now sure that getting the treasure of Agra has been Mary's real aim from the start.

They all then head to Ponticherry Lodge, where Thaddeus' brother lives. His brother has apparently found the treasure recently in a hidden attic there.

Thaddeus then notices that the lights in his brother's room were off when they arrived.

When they entered the house, Sherlock hears a woman crying, and it turns out to be the housekeeper. She explains that Thaddeus' brother Bartholomew wouldn't respond when she called out to him, so she peeked in the keyhole and saw on his face an expression she'd never seen him make.

Sherlock and John hurries to Bartholomew's room, forcefully opens the door and finds Bartholomew dead. A slip of paper with 4 crosses was near his corpse.