Part 5 (2/2)

The three of us walked back towards the main door of the school Hollad to see he was there, for it was still raining heavily

'The school does you credit,' Holmes said 'I find it remarkable how quiet and well disciplined the boys seerateful to you,' returned Fitzsienial self 'My methods are very simple, Mr Holmes The stick and the carrot quite literally so When the boysthem But if they work hard and abide by our rules, then they find that they are well fed In the six years that my wife and I have been here, two boys have died, one with congenital heart disease, the other of tuberculosis But Ross is the only one who has run away When you find him, for I am sure that you will, I hope you will prevail upon him to return Life here is not as austere as it may seem in this vile weather When the sun shi+nes and the boys can run wild in the open air, Chorley Grange can be a cheerful place too'

'I a opposite That is part of the school?'

'Indeed so, Mr Holmes When we first came here it was coach-builder's factory but we have adapted it to our own needs and now use it for public performances Did I mention to you that every boy in the school is a member of a band?'

'You have had a perforo You have doubtless noticed the many wheel tracks I would be honoured if you came to our next recital, Mr Holht you consider beco benefactors of the school? We do the best we can, but we also need all the help that is available'

'I will certainly consider it' We shook hands and left 'Weof Nails, Watson,' Holmes said the moment we had climbed into the cab 'There is not a second to be lost'

'You really think ?'

'The boy, Daniel, told us what he had refused to tell his ht we could save his friend For once, Watson, I auided by my instinct and not by ives me such cause for alarm? Whip the horses, driver, and take us to the station! And let us just pray that we're not too late'

SEVEN

The White Ribbon How differently things ht have turned out had there not been two public houses in London with the nae Lane in the heart of Shoreditch and, believing this to be a likely place of employment for the orphaned sister of a penniless street child, made our way directly there It was a small, squalid place on a corner, with the stink of old beer and cigarette s out of the very ork, and yet the landlord was ae hands on a soiled apron as he exa in this place,' he said, after we had introduced ourselves 'Nor has there ever been What ht find her here?'

'We're looking for her brother, a boy called Ross'

He shook his head 'I know no Ross, neither You're sure you've been directed to the right place? There's a Bag of Nails over in Lambeth, I believe Maybe you should try your luck there'

We were back out in the street i London in a hansom, but already it was late in the day and by the time we reached the lower quarter of La of Nails wasthan the first, but conversely, its landlord was less so, a surly, bearded felloith a broken nose that had set badly and a scowl to match

'Sally?' he demanded 'What Sally would that be?'

'We know only her first naer brother, Ross'

'Sally Dixon? Is that the girl you want? She has a brother You'll find her round the back but you'll tell me what you ith her first'

'We wish only to speak with her,' Hol within hiy and drive that propelled hih his every case There was never a man who felt it more when circumstances conspired to frustrate him He slid a few coins onto the bar 'This is to recompense you for her time'

'There's no need for that,' returned the landlord but he took the money anyway 'Very well She'll be in the yard But I doubt you'll get very et better co a , its stones still wet and glistening from the rain It was filled with scrap of every description, the different pieces rising high up the walls that surrounded the place, and I could not help but wonder how it had co horse, a birdcage, several bicycles, half-chairs, half-tablesallwhole A pile of broken crates stood on one side, old coal bags stuffed with Lord knohat on the other There was sments of metal and, in the middle of it, barefoot and in a dress too thin for this weather, a girl of about sixteen, sweeping what space was still available, as if it would nised in her the saer brother Her hair was fair, her eyes blue and, but for the circumstances in which she found herself, I would have said she was pretty But the cruel touch of poverty and hardshi+p was also evident in the sharp line of her cheekbones, the arrime embedded in her hands and cheeks When she looked up, her face showed only suspicion and conte her here?

We stood in front of her, but she continued with her work, ignoring us both

'Miss Dixon?' Holmes asked The brushes of the broom swept back and forth, the rhythm unbroken 'Sally?'

She stopped and slowly raised her head, exa us 'Yes?' I saw that her hands had closed around the broo it as if it were a weapon

'We don't wish to alarm you,' Holmes said 'We mean you no harm'

'What do you want?' Her eyes were fierce Neither of us was standing close to her We would not dare to

'We wish to speak to your brother, to Ross'

Her hands tightened 'Who are you?'

'We are his friends'

'Are you from the House of Silk? Ross is not here He has never been here and you will not find him'

'We want to help hi you, he's not here You can both go away! You lanced at irl I had thought I would reassure her but I had rievous mistake I am still not sure what happened I saw the brooirl see white hot slice across ainst the front ofbetween ers So shocked was I, it took me a moment to realise that I had been stabbed, either with a knife or a shard of glass For a irl stood in front oflike an anirimace Holmes rushed to my side 'My dear Watson!' Then there was aon here?' The landlord had appeared The girl let out a single, guttural howl, then turned and fled through a narrow archway leading out into the street

I was in pain, but I already knew that I had not been seriously injured The thickness of my coat and my jacket underneath had protected ht have achieved, and later that evening I would dress and disinfect a relativelyback now, I remember that there would be another occasion, ten years later, when I would be hurt while in the coh it ratitude towards bothdid at least reat man and that he was not as coldly disposed towards me as he so Holmes A scratch'

'What's happened?' the landlord de at my bloodstained hands 'What did you do to her?'

'You h even in the shock of the moment I was unable to feel any rancour towards this poor, malnourished child who had struck out at me in fear and incomprehension and who had not really wished htened,' Holmes said 'Are you sure you are not hurt, Watson? Come inside You need to sit down'

'No, Holmes I assure you, it is not as bad as it seems'

'Thank heaven for that We irl's brother that we came here to find A boy of thirteen, fair-haired also, shorter than her and better fed'

'You mean Ross?'

'You know hi here with her You should have asked for him in the first place'

'Is he here now?'

'No He ca a roof above his head I said he could share with his sister in return for work in the kitchen Sally has a room beneath the stairs and he went in with her But the boy was more trouble than he orth, never around when he was needed I don't knohat he was up to, but he had some sort of business in his mind, that I can tell you He hurried out just before you arrived'

'Do you have any idea where he went?'

'No The girl one too'