Part 33 (1/2)
”Turns out Melvin Jacobs was entirely innocent He just had a hankering for a piece of white-spotted char,” said Hol to Lestrade, two French criminals broke into Lady Morris's hotel and stole her jewels They were later seen trying to steal fish from a warehouse They were chased by the staff and ot packed up and sent to England It was sheer coincidence that Jacobs bought that particular fish”
”I enius,” said Watson
Holic and deduction”
”I think this calls for a drink,” said Watson ”Doubles?”
Holmes inclined his head ”Entirely appropriate, Watson” He paused ”It was a shaland Either the thieves kept hold of so transit A diamond and a ruby, apparently Still, Lady Morris had them insured, I understand”
Mrs Hudson se was particularly careful how he disposed of those jewels, the staff of the Morris household should be kept in wages for soht and proper but well It wasn't as though anyone had been hurt, was it?
A week later, with the latest nuazine laid out on the butcher's block work-surface, Mrs Hudson carefully cut the pages bearing Dr Watson's lively fictionalised account The fish had becoems a blue carbuncle and the action bore little relation to real life Still, it was a reminder for her scrapbook
”Busy, Mrs Hudson?” said Hol his hawkish head around the kitchen door ”Ah keeping our adventures for posterity, I see”
She s ”Well, better get on with the dinner, Mr Hol, the silvernoisily, three tiet that, Mr Holently ”A woman's work is never done, eh, Mrs Hudson? A woman's work is never done”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Barnett is the author of the Gideon S fro with Gideon Sust 2013 He is the author of several other novels, including popCULT! (Pendragon Press, 2011), and has been a journalist all his working life Born in Wigan, he is married to Claire and they have two children, Charlie and Alice
THE FALLEN FINANCIER
BY JAMES LOVEGROVE
Watson,” said Sherlock Hol the pro a sociable silence of soulf lies bethat people seem to be and what they are?”
”I suppose we all project a persona,” said I ”We wish others to see us as ould wish to be seen”
”True,” said Holmes, ”but I meant that however someone appears to the world, the reality of his situation is invariably much different and incouple for instance They bill and coo like turtle doves They are the very picture of love's young dreaer be together, indeed will have ceased to be on speaking ter”
”Really, Holmes!” I ejaculated ”You are dashed cynical at ti?”
”Easily, my dear doctor Look closer They are quite clearly fro Her dress, her coiffure, her h he affects to a high station in life, is of common stock Note the worn ri on the sleeve of his jacket-sartorial deficiencies which a true gentleman, with a valet at his disposal, would never suffer Note, too, how his trousers have had to be lengthened at the cuffs and still do not quite fit He has littleevery effort to appear that he does She, his paramour, has discerned as much but it does not trouble her-for now She is, as they say, 'slu his attentions and is happy for hie, as he will do soon, that is when matters will take a turn for the worse”
”How do you know he is going to propose?” I demanded ”Surely that is pure supposition”
”Watson, how often have I told you that you see but you do not observe?” said reat number of times,” I replied
”But still you do not take the lesson to heart Behold the young e? What can that be but a box containing an engage up the nerve to pop the question Perhaps not today, but certainly by the end of the week, he will have found the courage That is the point at which his intended will have to reject hiht up to expect to ood prospects”
”It could be that she genuinely loves him, Holmes Have you considered that? Men and women of different classes do fall in love, you know Or perhaps you don't”
He ignored entlemen perched on a bench over there What do you make of him?”
I studied the man He was in his seventies, I estin ht with his hands clasping the handle of his walking cane, gazing contemplatively seaward, beyond the shallohere bathers cavorted, all the way to the hazy horizon
”An ex-soldier like h he would have had to have enlisted when he was fairly young The Boer conflicts too Ain his life”
”Indeed?” said Holmes wryly ”Yet neither his boots nor those decorations he so proudly sports are polished to a gleam I would suber Rather, he haunts the tearoo strangers with tales of bogus herois-do, after which he importunes theh patch'”
”Shame on him if that is so,” I said, ”and shame on you, Holmes, if it isn't”
My friend s towards us How blissful they look Father,newborn within A very idyll of prosperity and fecundity What could be sweeter?”
”Now you're going to tell me one of them is an axe murderer or soards they are as respectable as you or I Then again, the nanny is wearing a silver charm bracelet that is far more expensive than one with an income such as hers could nor to her rather shapely form whenever his wife's attention is elsewhere”
”Are you i I infer that his relationshi+p with the nanny is anything but that of employer and household servant See how his wife has her ars to hi is afoot It is likely she even knows the truth Wives are not easy to hoodwink, especially when it comes to infidelity For the sake of her baby, however, and her future, she has elected to turn a blind eye”
Holmes tipped his hat to the family as they passed us They in return nodded, s
As alked on I said, ”Honestly, Holhtful su an oppressive shadow over everything Can you only ever see the worst in people? Is there not a part of you that looks for the good in us?”
”Always, Watson, always Alas, so often in vain But hullo, what's this?”
A lady was rushi+ng towards us along the promenade, froitation, her colour up, her stride purposeful She was only in her thirties but her face was so haggard and drawn as to give the i considerably older
”Mr Holmes!” she cried ”It is you, isn't it? I heard you had ht You are the Sherlock Hol detective?”
”Retired consulting detective, madam,” said Holmes ”Those years are behind me But yes, I am he”
”Oh thank the Lord,” said the lady She threw herself athis lapels ”Surely you can helpe rieve for him, to be aAnd yet I know he is still alive I know it in my heart”
”My dear woman,” said Holmes, ”pray compose yourself Your husband is dead, you say?”