Part 16 (1/2)
”Very well,” I said ”I shall escort Mr Gray to Baker Street ie of the submersible ”But what of this?”
”Oh, don't worry yourself with that, Dr Watson I'll send for Sir Charles Bainbridge of Scotland Yard His men will knohat to do with the ree?” I said, with a smile ”Then we have a e al the Hans Gerber affair, and again on a nu years He was a good hed again ”I'll be sure to give hiards,” he said ”Now, Doctor Let us find you a cab It's late, and we still have much to do Our answers can wait until to Xavier Gray to his feet ”If you'll come quietly?”
Thehis head ”I will,” he said, h I kept my revolver close at hand, just to be sure
It was late e arrived at Baker Street, gone ht, but I was resolved to rouse Holmes from his bed We'd passed the journey across town in silence, with just the creak of the carriage wheels and the clatter of horse's hooves to punctuate our journey
Xavier Gray had rehout, as if the life had si pity for theI did not then know the nature of the horror that plagued hi an enormous burden upon his shoulders I decided not to press the matter, and respected his need for silence Toht I was close to exhaustion, and couldn't bring myself to coerce such a clearly disturbed man
It was a bleary-eyed Mrs Hudson who ca an exasperated expression ”Oh, Dr Watson It's you”
”Indeed it is, Mrs Hudson Please, forgiveyou at this unsociable hour”
Mrs Hudson gave ned look ”And you think I'ans, Doctor? You did, after all, live with Mr Holrinned ”Is he ho of her shoulders ”But I suppose you'd better couest looks as if he's about to catch his death”
I decided not to disabuse Mrs Hudson of the notion that Gray was uest It wouldn't do to concern her with the truth that I was leading a wanted man - and a criminal, at that - into her home
It soon became clear that Holmes was not, after all, at home Nevertheless, there was little I could do but wait I ushered Gray into the drawing room and convinced Mrs Hudson to return to her bed I pouredit would steady my nerves, and built up the fire in order to banish the chill
All the while I kept ely silent and subdued
We'd been there for less than half an hour when I heard a key scrape in the lock downstairs Footsteps followed on the creaking treads, acco melody, ”Tra, la, la, la, la” The footsteps halted outside the door ”hello, Watson!” said Holmes, breezily, before the door had even been opened
Of course, this was not a difficult deduction Holmes knew Mrs Hudson's habits well, and that she would already be in bed She would not have allowed anyone other than I to wait here for Holmes, and since it was evident that so rooht beneath the door -it had to beface appeared in the opening He rapped in a dark brown cape and earing a top hat ”Ah, I see you have a visitor?” he said, re boldly into the room
I stood ”Indeed I do” I indicated the sorry specimen crumpled in the chair opposite ”This, Holmes, is Mr Xavier Gray”
Holmes looked from one of us to the other with a wide-eyed expression ”I well is it really, Watson?”
Xavier Gray glanced up at Holmes ”Dr Watson is correct, Mr Holmes I am indeed Mr Xavier Gray,” he said, his voice low and moribund
”How extraordinary,” said Holenuinely surprised by this develophtfully ”This business with the unusual beast?” he asked, after a short moment of reflection
”Quite so,” I said, proudly ”You rong to dismiss it, Holmes It's proved to be the most remarkable of cases The beast was in fact a bizarre, a piloted by Mr Gray”
”Indeed?” said Holmes, without even a flicker of irony ”Well, perhaps I rong to be so dismissive, Watson If it wasn't for your tenacity”
”Don't mention it, Holmes,” I said, with a smile ”So what now? I' his rip of a severe case of shock”
Holood, Watson If I could prevail on for you for a short while longer, I'll send for Mycroft immediately Of course, you're welco, if you should wish it?”
The thought of my old bed reminded me of just how tired I was By this ti ”Thank you, Holratitude ”The spare room will be most appreciated”
I waited with Gray while Hole rather pleased with himself ”Mycroft will be here shortly Now, Watson, if you'd be kind enough to pour Mr Gray a brandy?”
”What was that?” I said, so off before the fire
”A drink for Mr Gray, Watson Make it a substantial one”
With a sigh, I pushed myself out of my chair and crossed to the sideboard When I turned back a lass in hand, I was annoyed to see Holmes had helped himself to my seat, opposite our visitor
”Mr Gray, I should like to talk with you,” said Holmes, his voice low and even
Gray seee with them
Holmes leaned forward in his - or rather, in my - chair ”I knohat became of your family, Mr Gray”
At this the other man's de his head to stare directly at Holmes, who smiled calmly and waved at me to deliver the brandy I placed it on the side table close to where Gray was sitting and retreated,round to stand behind Hol his teeth, and I was startled to see tears for in the corners of his eyes as he spoke His fists were bunched so hard by his sides that his nails were digging into the flesh of his palht say I only wanted to protect them”
”I believe you,” said Hol their remains that you were not to blaanisation, a network of thieves and robbers known as the Order of the Red Hand All of their typical hall up his oords ”I'ht
Xavier Gray reached shakily for the tumbler of brandy I had provided for hi as the alcohol did its work He returned the e his mouth with the back of his hand ”I tried to save them,” he said, and his eyes implored us to believe hih I couldn't stop them They held an to weep openly then, tears trickling down his pale cheeks ”And all for what? For a few measly pounds I only wish they'd killed me, too Then I wouldn't have to live with the melass and poured hi before me was not at all what I had expected
”And so you decided to takeback in his chair and ers
”I didn't knohat else to do,” said Gray between sobs ”It was all I could think of All of those e, covered in dusty tarpaulin No one would know Those ruffians needed to pay for what they'd done”
Confused, I glanced at Holmes, who shook his headwith any questions
”So you took the sub for the perpetrators of the crime?”
Gray nodded ”Yes I knew they wouldn't lie low for long People like that never do And so Ito find them”
”In the very same location where your own family perished at their hands?”
Gray nodded ”Cheyne Walk That's where they set upon us I pleaded with theive the if only they would spare the lives ofa few pounds in my wallet They wanted to make me pay, one way or another And so I wanted to make theh,” said Holmes ”You would never have been able to live with yourself”
”You think I can live withhis face in his hands ”I have nothing left to live for”
I hardly knehat to say or do I'd seen rave loss It was clear that Gray had been driven to do what he had because of grief, and that te madness it inspires