Fic for kathie_d: The Disappearing Case
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acdholmesfestTitle The Disappearing Case
Recipient![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kathie_d
Authorthesmallhobbit
Rating PG
Characters, including any pairing(s): Mr Sherlock Holmes, Dr John Watson, Inspector Lestrade
Warnings: Nothing other than the odd bruise, bit of blood
Summary There is more to a case than Sherlock Holmes initially realises when Inspector Lestrade consults him about the death of a paper wholesaler's salesman.
Author's Notes: Thanks to my beta, [redacted].
The weather, which had been rather spring-like for the past few days, had taken a turn for the worse, and I had therefore resolved to remain indoors that morning. I had found that, as I got older, aches and pains that I would have shrugged off in my youth made more of an impression on me now, and it behoved me to take care of myself. Although I did not have a practice of my own I had sufficient locum work to maintain myself in the style of living that I wished and at the same time allowed me the luxury of not going out when the weather turned inclement.
Holmes, of course, did not permit a minor detail of cold, persistent rain to deter him and he had left some hours earlier, to pursue various lines of enquiry. These were not major cases, but more in the way of puzzles, which he took delight in solving and which provided him with not only the necessary mental stimulus but also a regular income.
Accordingly, with Holmes out of the way, and with nothing major to distract my attention, I was reading the newspaper rather more thoroughly than was my usual custom. It was thus that I noticed a brief article mentioning the expected arrival later in the week of the RMS Valia, which included a long list of passengers, one of whom was Victor Trevor. I made a note in my pocket book of the name of the ship and when it was due to dock, but thought no more of it, because I expected Holmes himself to notice it when he read the paper on his return.
I should at this point explain about the maids that Mrs Hudson was currently employing. It had come to her notice that there were a number of young girls, several of whom were sisters of Holmes’ Irregulars, who were in need of work and could obtain employment as maids, except for one condition: they had no experience. Most maids would be recommended by a relative, but for many of these girls there was no suitable relative to promote them. Accordingly, Mrs Hudson would take on a girl for a period of approximately three months, after which she would provide a reference, which would enable them to take the first step in their employment in service.
The system worked very well. I was happy with the arrangement, especially as it meant that the girls were able to avoid certain alternative occupations that were considerably more hazardous, as well as being illegal. Holmes hardly seemed to notice the change, except that he would occasionally make some remark to me about the latest maid’s parentage not being what the girl herself believed, which I would ensure that went no further than between the two of us. There were however a few girls who were not cut out to be maids, and for them Mrs Hudson would endeavour to find a suitable alternative.
Unfortunately, Maisie, our current maid, was one of the latter and therefore, Holmes was destined not to read the article concerning the RMS Valia, because Maisie managed to use the paper to light the fire in our rooms. I had left the paper on the floor after reading it and it appeared that Maisie had assumed it was laid out ready for her to use when Mrs Hudson sent her up to light the fire shortly before lunchtime. There was no point in making a fuss once the error had been made, but I did mention it to Mrs Hudson, who told me that she had recommended the girl, who was a good needlewoman, to a lady she knew who was expanding her dress making business.
In the ordinary way, I should perhaps have mentioned Trevor’s return to Holmes over lunch, but just as we sat down to eat, we were interrupted by Inspector Lestrade, who had come to ask for Holmes’ assistance in a rather perplexing case. Holmes called down to Mrs Hudson for a third plate and Lestrade gave us the details whilst we ate.
Once Lestrade had finished talking Holmes was silent for a few minutes, before leaping up and exclaiming, “Of course, it might just be possible. But I shall need to try it out.”
He strode out of our rooms, leaving Lestrade and myself to follow in his wake. We made for St Pancras station and from there through some of the back alleys to the paper wholesaler’s that Lestrade had mentioned when describing the case. Once there Holmes proceeded to study the main storeroom in minute detail. Since there was nothing for me to do, I took the opportunity to write a brief note to Victor Trevor, to await arrival of his ship, in which I provided our address and the suggestion that should he wish to call upon us, Holmes would be very pleased to see him again.
I had intended to mention my note to Holmes, but not being certain of Trevor’s reaction, I decided against it. I was certain that Holmes would be happy to meet his university friend once more, because on the odd occasion when he mentioned Trevor’s name there was a certain wistfulness in his voice, but I did not know what Trevor’s movements would be, and it seemed cruel to raise Holmes’ hopes if there was to be no meeting.
By the time I had paid a boy to deliver the message Holmes had finished his investigation. He called out to Lestrade and the inspector and I joined Holmes in the storeroom.
“It is as I had conjectured,” Holmes began. “The man you called White was involved in an attempt to outwit a bookmaker. He would arrive by train and hurry here, where he would be met by another man who would hasten to place a bet, before the bookmaker had received the results of the race. They would then share their winnings between themselves.”
“And you think that the bookmaker found out and had White killed?” Lestrade asked.
“It could possibly have been the bookmaker, although I suspect his men would have waited for White to leave this place before attacking him. I think it is more probable that it was White’s confederate, who believed White had been passing information to someone in addition to himself. From the state of this room I do not think White’s death was intended, but that the blows that were administered had an unforeseen effect.”
“Do you have any idea who White’s confederate might be?”
“White was a salesman, which is why he was able to come and go apparently at will. No regular employee would be in that position, so we should be searching for someone else who occupied a similar position.”
We went to enquire of the proprietor who his other salesmen were. It transpired that there were only two who were based in London, White and a man named Mitchell. The other two were based in the north of the country and could therefore be safely eliminated. Lestrade took the details of Mitchell’s address and we left him to apprehend the man, whilst we returned to Baker Street.
***
It was late in the afternoon of the following day that a rather despondent Lestrade appeared at our rooms. It was once again raining heavily and the inspector gave the appearance of having been outside for a large part of the afternoon.
“It took us a while to locate Mitchell,” he said, once he was seated with a glass of brandy in his hand. “And unfortunately, when we did, he was floating, face down, in the Royal Victoria Dock.”
“I presume that you do not believe that Mitchell was overcome with remorse at his actions and threw himself in the river,” Holmes said.
“Not with a knife wound in his back,” Lestrade replied grimly.
“There is clearly more to the betting operation than I had anticipated. I shall have to make further enquiries. Rest assured, Lestrade, I shall let you know, once I have made some progress.”
Holmes said no more about the case that evening, spending most of his time in his chair, with his eyes shut and his hands steepled in the familiar pose he adopted when considering a case. Occasionally he would rise and refer to one of his journals, before he retired to his room, where from the sound of a trunk being manoeuvred I presumed he was making preparations for further investigation the following day.
***
I was not surprised to find that Holmes had already departed when I came down to breakfast in the morning. He had left me a note to say that he expected to return in time for a late luncheon. I relayed the message to Mrs Hudson, who nodded and said it would give her time to begin instructing Annie, the new maid, on the ways of the household.
Shortly after breakfast a message from Victor Trevor was delivered, which said that he had received my note and would call round at three o’clock that afternoon. I was delighted, although slightly concerned that Holmes would be delayed and not arrive home until after Trevor had called.
My worries were needless, because Holmes returned shortly before two. He noticed that I was showing signs of some excitement, but when he enquired if I had some news to impart, I was able to assure him that it was nothing that would not keep until he had washed and changed and we had eaten. He was wearing the garb of a docker and I did not wish for Trevor to find his old friend so attired on his first visit.
It was slightly before three and I had just told Holmes that we should be expecting a new caller shortly, when we heard the doorbell ring. I had to admit that there was a small smile on my face when I heard it, which clearly piqued Holmes’ curiosity, but he seemed content to wait to see who it was that entered our rooms.
Holmes’ expression when Victor Trevor walked in was one I will cherish for a long time. Trevor’s years in Terai had taken their toll but they vanished from his face on seeing the joy in Holmes’ eyes as he realised he was back. I tactfully retreated to my room, to allow the two old friends to make their re-acquaintance in peace.
After about half an hour had passed, I heard Holmes call out to Mrs Hudson to provide tea and crumpets, following which he called to me to join them. Holmes formally introduced me to Trevor, and then asked him to repeat what he had said before I joined them.
Trevor smiled. “I have been telling Holmes about the surprising actions of one of my fellow passengers. He only joined us in Marseilles, which seemed strange of itself, for there are quicker ways of making the last part of the journey than by steamship. But then, when we docked in London, the man did not appear to disembark, although his luggage was waiting for him. By the time I had found a carter for my own luggage, my mystery man’s cases had vanished, although I saw no sign of the man.”
“Could he have arranged for someone to collect the cases on his behalf?” I asked.
“That is possible, although what I failed to mention to you, but Holmes knows, is that my own luggage was in the place where that of the other had been. So someone had moved it.”
“And you were sure of where you had left your luggage?” Holmes interrupted.
It seemed an odd question, Trevor did not strike me as the sort of man who would make a mistake is such a matter.
“Most assuredly. I had to look round for it when I returned with the carter. My trunk was not light, so it would have taken two men to move it.”
“Had your luggage been tampered with?” Holmes continued his questioning.
“No. I checked that immediately. It had purely been moved about ten feet.”
“Most steamships dock at the Royal Victoria Dock,” Holmes said. “Was that the case with your vessel too?”
“Yes, it was. Is this significant?”
“I was there, this morning.” Holmes glanced across at me and I could not resist a half-smile as I recalled Holmes’ garb. Had Trevor returned to the dock that morning he would not have recognised Holmes. “Can you describe your fellow passenger?”
The description that Trevor gave was sufficiently accurate that I could understand why Holmes would have enjoyed his friendship. He had a keen eye for detail and a good memory, such that my own abilities would have been put to shame.
Holmes made copious notes and when he had finished said, “I believe it would be worth a further visit to the dock in the morning. I would like to see what information the shipping agent can provide.”
Trevor looked enthusiastic. “Would it be possible for me to accompany you?” he asked.
“Capital idea,” Holmes said. I was beginning to feel slighted, when Holmes added, “We should all three go. Can you be ready if we call for you at your hotel at nine o’clock tomorrow morning?”
Trevor assured us that he would be ready and we shook hands before he departed.
***
The following morning we had breakfasted and were preparing to go out when we heard the sound of a fist pounding on the front door. Whilst Holmes’ clients might ring or knock in a somewhat peremptory fashion, hammering on the door could mean only one thing. I found my bag and was halfway down the stairs before Mrs Hudson had time to call out to me.
I recognised the boy as the one who worked for Spencer’s, the high-class butchers. He briefly gave me to understand that his mistress was struggling to breathe and had sent him to Dr Collins for assistance. Unfortunately, the doctor was already out with another patient, so Mrs Collins, appreciating the severity of the matter, had sent the boy on to me. I hailed a cab and we were soon on our way.
As we journeyed I had a few moments to regret my inability to accompany Holmes and Trevor on what had the makings of an intriguing puzzle. But I knew that this regret was far less than that which I would have experienced had I refused to attend a patient.
There was not much I could do except make Mrs Spencer a little more comfortable. When I had finished treating her, her husband had returned home and I was able to give him my prognosis, together with some suggestions as to the best way to ease the pain. I promised that I would return later that day to check on her.
As I left the Spencer’s house, I was accosted by a boy, who called out to me, “Are you Dr Watson?”
When I answered in the affirmative, he added, “Mr ‘Olmes gave me a message for you.”
I asked him what it was and he told me that I was to meet Holmes as soon as possible and gave me an address. I was concerned at this message. Holmes’ Irregulars all knew me by sight and I was fairly confident that I would recognise them; but this boy was a stranger to me. Therefore, I thanked the boy and said that I would come as soon as I had finished with my patient. He departed, saying he would let Holmes know.
Having bought myself a little time, I wrote a note for Lestrade, and returned to ask Spencer if one of his boys could deliver it for me. He agreed readily, saying it was the least he could do for me.
I then took a cab to the end of Royal Victoria Dock Road and walked up it until I found the house where I had been told Holmes would be waiting for me. A young girl answered the door when I rang the bell. I recognised her as being one of Mrs Hudson’s previous maids.
“Good morning, Lily,” I said. “I understand Mr Holmes is here already.”
“Oh no, Doctor Watson,” she replied. “I ain’t seen ‘im this morning.”
I was not entirely surprised by this statement. Whilst I was used to Holmes summoning me at all hours to all sorts of places, I knew that if he had an urgent requirement for my presence, he would insist that his messenger remain to guide me to my destination rather than find my own way. Of course, a substantial house on the Royal Victoria Dock Road would not be difficult to find, but nevertheless, Holmes’ departure from his normal behaviour had led me to be on my guard.
“Oh!” I said and then raised my voice. “Go and get me a glass of water, girl. I rushed here and am in need of one.”
Lily had always seemed to me to be an intelligent girl and I was pleased to see that my judgement was correct.
“Certainly, sir,” she said loudly. “At once, sir.”
She headed towards the kitchen and I followed her a little way. Once we were away from the stairs I whispered to her, “Is there another way out?”
She pointed to a side door. “That’s the servants’ entrance.”
I thanked her and slipped out of the side door, while she went to fetch the glass of water I had requested. Once I was away from the house I hurried towards the dock and was only about twenty yards from the main entrance when I heard a loud explosion. I immediately began to run in the direction from which the sound had come.
As I entered the dock it was obvious where the explosion had occurred. Already a crowd had started to gather, but I pushed my way through until I was stopped by two very large dockers who were refusing to let anyone onto the scene.
“Let me through,” I shouted, “I’m a doctor.”
They were inclined not to believe me, but I waved my bag at them and reluctantly they let me past.
A shed, which I presumed had been used for storage, had been completely demolished by the explosion. I could see that four men, of whom two were policemen, were knelt on the ground in front of the debris trying to assist two bodies. I hurried over. My fear was that it would be Holmes and Trevor, but whoever they were, they were in need of my assistance.
As I arrived the first person was trying to sit up, whilst one of the policemen was telling him not to move. It was indeed Holmes. I knelt down beside him to take stock of his injuries.
He saw me and said, “Watson, thank goodness you are here. Leave me, I shall be fine; just a few cuts and bruises. Attend to Trevor.”
I moved to assist the other man. He was unconscious, but I could feel that he had a pulse. I began to assess his other injuries.
Holmes spoke. “Watson, how is he? I shall never forgive myself if I have caused him harm. Victor, Victor, speak to me.”
“He’s alive, Holmes,” I said, “but has taken a blow to the head.”
Holmes struggled to his feet and limped the few feet to join me. At that moment Trevor started to cough and then move his arm around. I turned my attention back to him.
“Lie still,” I said. “I need to examine you.”
“Sherlock? Is he alright?”
“Yes,” I hastened to reassure him. “And in a better state than you are.”
“Good.”
Once reassured Trevor lay back down and permitted me to assess his injuries. My examination, although not as thorough as I would have liked, showed that Trevor had not suffered any major injury and I was hopeful that the blow to the head would have no lasting effect. I was not, however, happy with the way that Trevor continued to cough.
He noticed my concern and smiled wanly. “I’m afraid my years in India have taken their toll on my lungs,” he said. “It does not take much to start me coughing and I have been exposed to rather a lot of dust.”
“In which case,” I said, “it would be best if I took you back to Baker Street. Holmes can follow when he has finished here.”
Holmes took me by surprise when he said that he would come back with us. I had been too engaged with treating my patient to notice the arrival of Lestrade, but Holmes had, of course, seen him. He went to speak with him and then, leaving the inspector to make further enquiries regarding the explosion, Holmes joined us as we stepped into the cab one of the policemen had called for us.
Once back at Baker Street I suggested that Trevor have a wash and I treated the cuts that he had sustained in the explosion. The wound on his head was not as bad as I had feared and when he refused to wear a bandage round his head I agreed that it would not be necessary. Once satisfied that I had done all that needed doing I lent him one of my clean shirts, since his had been ripped and was blood-stained. He continued to cough, but Holmes had requested Mrs Hudson provide something to ease his chest and shortly afterwards she arrived with a hot drink that smelt of honey, together with the rest of the jar in case Trevor had need of it.
I was not surprised when Holmes did not expound on the case, since I presumed he was waiting for the information from Lestrade. Accordingly, I took the opportunity to make a second call on Mrs Spencer as I had promised her husband I would.
On my return from the Spencers’ house, where I was pleased to note that Mrs Spencer seemed more comfortable, I met Lestrade as he walked along Baker Street. We ascended the stairs together to be greeted by Holmes, who noted that we both looked pleased with the outcome of our days.
Trevor, too, had a better colour than when I had left him. He smiled at me, and said that an hour’s nap on our sofa had left him feeling much refreshed.
“You are not the first to express that view,” Holmes said. “The inspector has had similar experiences on occasion. And now, what news, Lestrade?”
I poured a glass of brandy for each of us and settled back in my armchair to listen to Lestrade.
“We arrested three members of the gang when we went to the address Dr Watson provided for us. Two others had escaped, but the maid was able to provide us with clear descriptions of them.”
“Is she safe?” I interrupted Lestrade, for I had no wish for the girl to come to any harm for helping either myself or the police.
“Oh yes. The householder himself was not aware that his brother was involved in this business. He is a stalwart of his local church and was horrified to learn of the planning that had happened on his premises. It would appear that the brother was making use of his good name as a cover for the enterprise. Furthermore, the description the maid gave tallied with those of Ferguson and Briers, who you may have heard of, Holmes.”
“Ostensible business men, trading in guns and munitions, always selling to those who offer the highest price, with no concerns as to their purpose,” Holmes agreed.
“Indeed. I have members of the force looking for them now and I am hopeful that they will soon be found. We have had our suspicions of these two men for a while, but not been able to prove anything. The men we arrested are ready to provide information that should give us the proof we need.”
“Was one of the men you arrested the proprietor of the paper wholesaler?” Holmes asked.
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I was right about the betting operation, but with the death of Mitchell it became obvious that there had to be at least one more person involved. The proprietor was the obvious person. I believed that the operation was a means of obtaining money, which was then being used for further illegal activity. I had begun to make my enquiries at the docks and had discovered that something was happening, but my informants could give me no specific details. Then, when Trevor told me about the mysterious man with his equally mysterious luggage I became suspicious. Why should anyone choose to take a slower route? But if this person had a significant amount of luggage then it began to make sense. Land amongst passengers who are carrying a single case, when you have brought a trunk and various boxes, you might well be noticed; disembark from a steamer from India with such luggage and no-one would look at you twice.”
Lestrade grunted his agreement.
“I now believe the passenger to have been Briers, who would not wish to announce his arrival, which was why he had conveniently disappeared. Equally, it was important that as few people as possible noticed the luggage, so by moving Trevor’s trunk and cases into the place where it had been, it was likely that no-one would remark on it.”
“And had I not mentioned it to Holmes, they would have been completely successful,” Trevor added.
“Accordingly,” Holmes continued, “Trevor and I went to call on the shipping agent this morning on the pretext that Trevor was missing a small box and wondered if it had been accidentally collected by one of the other passengers. The agent said that there was an unclaimed box, but the label had been lost. He gave us directions to where it was being held.”
“And presumably the agent also told someone else that we were on our way,” Trevor added with a wry smile.
“Indeed. Because the next thing we heard was someone saying ‘We don’t need you round ‘ere poking your nose in, Mr ‘Olmes’, before we were rendered unconscious by the use of chloroformed cloths. Fortunately, the effect did not last as long as they had hoped and we had recovered in time to make our way towards the door before the building blew up.”
“I am surprised that you were not tied up,” Lestrade said.
“I believe our deaths were supposed to look like an accident, which would not be the case had we been tied. The original intention had been to destroy the building and thus the evidence it contained. Our deaths, whilst convenient, were merely a serendipitous addition.”
“But why send a message to me purporting to ask me to meet you?” I asked.
“I imagine they were afraid of how much you knew and had decided that it would be safer to kill you too.”
“Even more reason for me to be grateful to Lily,” I said.
Lestrade nodded. “I think that tells me all that I need to know. I shall keep you informed of any further developments, Holmes.”
With that he stood up, nodded again, said “Good evening, gentlemen,” and departed, happy with the resolution of the case.
Shortly afterwards Mrs Hudson produced dinner and Holmes, Trevor and I continue to talk. Trevor told us about his life in Terai and then I asked him about his future plans and whether he intended to stay in London.
“No,” he replied. “As you are aware, doctor, my lungs are damaged and I fear the London smogs would be disastrous for my health. I saved sufficient funds whilst working in Terai to ensure that I could buy myself a property on my return to this country. I have purchased a cottage on the Sussex Downs and once I have made the final arrangements I shall be moving down.”
I looked across at Holmes, wondering what his reaction would be.
“Trevor has already told me that I am welcome to stay with him whenever I wish for a change from city life,” he said with a smile. “He has plans for installing beehives and I have offered him my assistance with their upkeep.”
Recipient
kathie_dAuthor
thesmallhobbitRating PG
Characters, including any pairing(s): Mr Sherlock Holmes, Dr John Watson, Inspector Lestrade
Warnings: Nothing other than the odd bruise, bit of blood
Summary There is more to a case than Sherlock Holmes initially realises when Inspector Lestrade consults him about the death of a paper wholesaler's salesman.
Author's Notes: Thanks to my beta, [redacted].
The weather, which had been rather spring-like for the past few days, had taken a turn for the worse, and I had therefore resolved to remain indoors that morning. I had found that, as I got older, aches and pains that I would have shrugged off in my youth made more of an impression on me now, and it behoved me to take care of myself. Although I did not have a practice of my own I had sufficient locum work to maintain myself in the style of living that I wished and at the same time allowed me the luxury of not going out when the weather turned inclement.
Holmes, of course, did not permit a minor detail of cold, persistent rain to deter him and he had left some hours earlier, to pursue various lines of enquiry. These were not major cases, but more in the way of puzzles, which he took delight in solving and which provided him with not only the necessary mental stimulus but also a regular income.
Accordingly, with Holmes out of the way, and with nothing major to distract my attention, I was reading the newspaper rather more thoroughly than was my usual custom. It was thus that I noticed a brief article mentioning the expected arrival later in the week of the RMS Valia, which included a long list of passengers, one of whom was Victor Trevor. I made a note in my pocket book of the name of the ship and when it was due to dock, but thought no more of it, because I expected Holmes himself to notice it when he read the paper on his return.
I should at this point explain about the maids that Mrs Hudson was currently employing. It had come to her notice that there were a number of young girls, several of whom were sisters of Holmes’ Irregulars, who were in need of work and could obtain employment as maids, except for one condition: they had no experience. Most maids would be recommended by a relative, but for many of these girls there was no suitable relative to promote them. Accordingly, Mrs Hudson would take on a girl for a period of approximately three months, after which she would provide a reference, which would enable them to take the first step in their employment in service.
The system worked very well. I was happy with the arrangement, especially as it meant that the girls were able to avoid certain alternative occupations that were considerably more hazardous, as well as being illegal. Holmes hardly seemed to notice the change, except that he would occasionally make some remark to me about the latest maid’s parentage not being what the girl herself believed, which I would ensure that went no further than between the two of us. There were however a few girls who were not cut out to be maids, and for them Mrs Hudson would endeavour to find a suitable alternative.
Unfortunately, Maisie, our current maid, was one of the latter and therefore, Holmes was destined not to read the article concerning the RMS Valia, because Maisie managed to use the paper to light the fire in our rooms. I had left the paper on the floor after reading it and it appeared that Maisie had assumed it was laid out ready for her to use when Mrs Hudson sent her up to light the fire shortly before lunchtime. There was no point in making a fuss once the error had been made, but I did mention it to Mrs Hudson, who told me that she had recommended the girl, who was a good needlewoman, to a lady she knew who was expanding her dress making business.
In the ordinary way, I should perhaps have mentioned Trevor’s return to Holmes over lunch, but just as we sat down to eat, we were interrupted by Inspector Lestrade, who had come to ask for Holmes’ assistance in a rather perplexing case. Holmes called down to Mrs Hudson for a third plate and Lestrade gave us the details whilst we ate.
Once Lestrade had finished talking Holmes was silent for a few minutes, before leaping up and exclaiming, “Of course, it might just be possible. But I shall need to try it out.”
He strode out of our rooms, leaving Lestrade and myself to follow in his wake. We made for St Pancras station and from there through some of the back alleys to the paper wholesaler’s that Lestrade had mentioned when describing the case. Once there Holmes proceeded to study the main storeroom in minute detail. Since there was nothing for me to do, I took the opportunity to write a brief note to Victor Trevor, to await arrival of his ship, in which I provided our address and the suggestion that should he wish to call upon us, Holmes would be very pleased to see him again.
I had intended to mention my note to Holmes, but not being certain of Trevor’s reaction, I decided against it. I was certain that Holmes would be happy to meet his university friend once more, because on the odd occasion when he mentioned Trevor’s name there was a certain wistfulness in his voice, but I did not know what Trevor’s movements would be, and it seemed cruel to raise Holmes’ hopes if there was to be no meeting.
By the time I had paid a boy to deliver the message Holmes had finished his investigation. He called out to Lestrade and the inspector and I joined Holmes in the storeroom.
“It is as I had conjectured,” Holmes began. “The man you called White was involved in an attempt to outwit a bookmaker. He would arrive by train and hurry here, where he would be met by another man who would hasten to place a bet, before the bookmaker had received the results of the race. They would then share their winnings between themselves.”
“And you think that the bookmaker found out and had White killed?” Lestrade asked.
“It could possibly have been the bookmaker, although I suspect his men would have waited for White to leave this place before attacking him. I think it is more probable that it was White’s confederate, who believed White had been passing information to someone in addition to himself. From the state of this room I do not think White’s death was intended, but that the blows that were administered had an unforeseen effect.”
“Do you have any idea who White’s confederate might be?”
“White was a salesman, which is why he was able to come and go apparently at will. No regular employee would be in that position, so we should be searching for someone else who occupied a similar position.”
We went to enquire of the proprietor who his other salesmen were. It transpired that there were only two who were based in London, White and a man named Mitchell. The other two were based in the north of the country and could therefore be safely eliminated. Lestrade took the details of Mitchell’s address and we left him to apprehend the man, whilst we returned to Baker Street.
***
It was late in the afternoon of the following day that a rather despondent Lestrade appeared at our rooms. It was once again raining heavily and the inspector gave the appearance of having been outside for a large part of the afternoon.
“It took us a while to locate Mitchell,” he said, once he was seated with a glass of brandy in his hand. “And unfortunately, when we did, he was floating, face down, in the Royal Victoria Dock.”
“I presume that you do not believe that Mitchell was overcome with remorse at his actions and threw himself in the river,” Holmes said.
“Not with a knife wound in his back,” Lestrade replied grimly.
“There is clearly more to the betting operation than I had anticipated. I shall have to make further enquiries. Rest assured, Lestrade, I shall let you know, once I have made some progress.”
Holmes said no more about the case that evening, spending most of his time in his chair, with his eyes shut and his hands steepled in the familiar pose he adopted when considering a case. Occasionally he would rise and refer to one of his journals, before he retired to his room, where from the sound of a trunk being manoeuvred I presumed he was making preparations for further investigation the following day.
***
I was not surprised to find that Holmes had already departed when I came down to breakfast in the morning. He had left me a note to say that he expected to return in time for a late luncheon. I relayed the message to Mrs Hudson, who nodded and said it would give her time to begin instructing Annie, the new maid, on the ways of the household.
Shortly after breakfast a message from Victor Trevor was delivered, which said that he had received my note and would call round at three o’clock that afternoon. I was delighted, although slightly concerned that Holmes would be delayed and not arrive home until after Trevor had called.
My worries were needless, because Holmes returned shortly before two. He noticed that I was showing signs of some excitement, but when he enquired if I had some news to impart, I was able to assure him that it was nothing that would not keep until he had washed and changed and we had eaten. He was wearing the garb of a docker and I did not wish for Trevor to find his old friend so attired on his first visit.
It was slightly before three and I had just told Holmes that we should be expecting a new caller shortly, when we heard the doorbell ring. I had to admit that there was a small smile on my face when I heard it, which clearly piqued Holmes’ curiosity, but he seemed content to wait to see who it was that entered our rooms.
Holmes’ expression when Victor Trevor walked in was one I will cherish for a long time. Trevor’s years in Terai had taken their toll but they vanished from his face on seeing the joy in Holmes’ eyes as he realised he was back. I tactfully retreated to my room, to allow the two old friends to make their re-acquaintance in peace.
After about half an hour had passed, I heard Holmes call out to Mrs Hudson to provide tea and crumpets, following which he called to me to join them. Holmes formally introduced me to Trevor, and then asked him to repeat what he had said before I joined them.
Trevor smiled. “I have been telling Holmes about the surprising actions of one of my fellow passengers. He only joined us in Marseilles, which seemed strange of itself, for there are quicker ways of making the last part of the journey than by steamship. But then, when we docked in London, the man did not appear to disembark, although his luggage was waiting for him. By the time I had found a carter for my own luggage, my mystery man’s cases had vanished, although I saw no sign of the man.”
“Could he have arranged for someone to collect the cases on his behalf?” I asked.
“That is possible, although what I failed to mention to you, but Holmes knows, is that my own luggage was in the place where that of the other had been. So someone had moved it.”
“And you were sure of where you had left your luggage?” Holmes interrupted.
It seemed an odd question, Trevor did not strike me as the sort of man who would make a mistake is such a matter.
“Most assuredly. I had to look round for it when I returned with the carter. My trunk was not light, so it would have taken two men to move it.”
“Had your luggage been tampered with?” Holmes continued his questioning.
“No. I checked that immediately. It had purely been moved about ten feet.”
“Most steamships dock at the Royal Victoria Dock,” Holmes said. “Was that the case with your vessel too?”
“Yes, it was. Is this significant?”
“I was there, this morning.” Holmes glanced across at me and I could not resist a half-smile as I recalled Holmes’ garb. Had Trevor returned to the dock that morning he would not have recognised Holmes. “Can you describe your fellow passenger?”
The description that Trevor gave was sufficiently accurate that I could understand why Holmes would have enjoyed his friendship. He had a keen eye for detail and a good memory, such that my own abilities would have been put to shame.
Holmes made copious notes and when he had finished said, “I believe it would be worth a further visit to the dock in the morning. I would like to see what information the shipping agent can provide.”
Trevor looked enthusiastic. “Would it be possible for me to accompany you?” he asked.
“Capital idea,” Holmes said. I was beginning to feel slighted, when Holmes added, “We should all three go. Can you be ready if we call for you at your hotel at nine o’clock tomorrow morning?”
Trevor assured us that he would be ready and we shook hands before he departed.
***
The following morning we had breakfasted and were preparing to go out when we heard the sound of a fist pounding on the front door. Whilst Holmes’ clients might ring or knock in a somewhat peremptory fashion, hammering on the door could mean only one thing. I found my bag and was halfway down the stairs before Mrs Hudson had time to call out to me.
I recognised the boy as the one who worked for Spencer’s, the high-class butchers. He briefly gave me to understand that his mistress was struggling to breathe and had sent him to Dr Collins for assistance. Unfortunately, the doctor was already out with another patient, so Mrs Collins, appreciating the severity of the matter, had sent the boy on to me. I hailed a cab and we were soon on our way.
As we journeyed I had a few moments to regret my inability to accompany Holmes and Trevor on what had the makings of an intriguing puzzle. But I knew that this regret was far less than that which I would have experienced had I refused to attend a patient.
There was not much I could do except make Mrs Spencer a little more comfortable. When I had finished treating her, her husband had returned home and I was able to give him my prognosis, together with some suggestions as to the best way to ease the pain. I promised that I would return later that day to check on her.
As I left the Spencer’s house, I was accosted by a boy, who called out to me, “Are you Dr Watson?”
When I answered in the affirmative, he added, “Mr ‘Olmes gave me a message for you.”
I asked him what it was and he told me that I was to meet Holmes as soon as possible and gave me an address. I was concerned at this message. Holmes’ Irregulars all knew me by sight and I was fairly confident that I would recognise them; but this boy was a stranger to me. Therefore, I thanked the boy and said that I would come as soon as I had finished with my patient. He departed, saying he would let Holmes know.
Having bought myself a little time, I wrote a note for Lestrade, and returned to ask Spencer if one of his boys could deliver it for me. He agreed readily, saying it was the least he could do for me.
I then took a cab to the end of Royal Victoria Dock Road and walked up it until I found the house where I had been told Holmes would be waiting for me. A young girl answered the door when I rang the bell. I recognised her as being one of Mrs Hudson’s previous maids.
“Good morning, Lily,” I said. “I understand Mr Holmes is here already.”
“Oh no, Doctor Watson,” she replied. “I ain’t seen ‘im this morning.”
I was not entirely surprised by this statement. Whilst I was used to Holmes summoning me at all hours to all sorts of places, I knew that if he had an urgent requirement for my presence, he would insist that his messenger remain to guide me to my destination rather than find my own way. Of course, a substantial house on the Royal Victoria Dock Road would not be difficult to find, but nevertheless, Holmes’ departure from his normal behaviour had led me to be on my guard.
“Oh!” I said and then raised my voice. “Go and get me a glass of water, girl. I rushed here and am in need of one.”
Lily had always seemed to me to be an intelligent girl and I was pleased to see that my judgement was correct.
“Certainly, sir,” she said loudly. “At once, sir.”
She headed towards the kitchen and I followed her a little way. Once we were away from the stairs I whispered to her, “Is there another way out?”
She pointed to a side door. “That’s the servants’ entrance.”
I thanked her and slipped out of the side door, while she went to fetch the glass of water I had requested. Once I was away from the house I hurried towards the dock and was only about twenty yards from the main entrance when I heard a loud explosion. I immediately began to run in the direction from which the sound had come.
As I entered the dock it was obvious where the explosion had occurred. Already a crowd had started to gather, but I pushed my way through until I was stopped by two very large dockers who were refusing to let anyone onto the scene.
“Let me through,” I shouted, “I’m a doctor.”
They were inclined not to believe me, but I waved my bag at them and reluctantly they let me past.
A shed, which I presumed had been used for storage, had been completely demolished by the explosion. I could see that four men, of whom two were policemen, were knelt on the ground in front of the debris trying to assist two bodies. I hurried over. My fear was that it would be Holmes and Trevor, but whoever they were, they were in need of my assistance.
As I arrived the first person was trying to sit up, whilst one of the policemen was telling him not to move. It was indeed Holmes. I knelt down beside him to take stock of his injuries.
He saw me and said, “Watson, thank goodness you are here. Leave me, I shall be fine; just a few cuts and bruises. Attend to Trevor.”
I moved to assist the other man. He was unconscious, but I could feel that he had a pulse. I began to assess his other injuries.
Holmes spoke. “Watson, how is he? I shall never forgive myself if I have caused him harm. Victor, Victor, speak to me.”
“He’s alive, Holmes,” I said, “but has taken a blow to the head.”
Holmes struggled to his feet and limped the few feet to join me. At that moment Trevor started to cough and then move his arm around. I turned my attention back to him.
“Lie still,” I said. “I need to examine you.”
“Sherlock? Is he alright?”
“Yes,” I hastened to reassure him. “And in a better state than you are.”
“Good.”
Once reassured Trevor lay back down and permitted me to assess his injuries. My examination, although not as thorough as I would have liked, showed that Trevor had not suffered any major injury and I was hopeful that the blow to the head would have no lasting effect. I was not, however, happy with the way that Trevor continued to cough.
He noticed my concern and smiled wanly. “I’m afraid my years in India have taken their toll on my lungs,” he said. “It does not take much to start me coughing and I have been exposed to rather a lot of dust.”
“In which case,” I said, “it would be best if I took you back to Baker Street. Holmes can follow when he has finished here.”
Holmes took me by surprise when he said that he would come back with us. I had been too engaged with treating my patient to notice the arrival of Lestrade, but Holmes had, of course, seen him. He went to speak with him and then, leaving the inspector to make further enquiries regarding the explosion, Holmes joined us as we stepped into the cab one of the policemen had called for us.
Once back at Baker Street I suggested that Trevor have a wash and I treated the cuts that he had sustained in the explosion. The wound on his head was not as bad as I had feared and when he refused to wear a bandage round his head I agreed that it would not be necessary. Once satisfied that I had done all that needed doing I lent him one of my clean shirts, since his had been ripped and was blood-stained. He continued to cough, but Holmes had requested Mrs Hudson provide something to ease his chest and shortly afterwards she arrived with a hot drink that smelt of honey, together with the rest of the jar in case Trevor had need of it.
I was not surprised when Holmes did not expound on the case, since I presumed he was waiting for the information from Lestrade. Accordingly, I took the opportunity to make a second call on Mrs Spencer as I had promised her husband I would.
On my return from the Spencers’ house, where I was pleased to note that Mrs Spencer seemed more comfortable, I met Lestrade as he walked along Baker Street. We ascended the stairs together to be greeted by Holmes, who noted that we both looked pleased with the outcome of our days.
Trevor, too, had a better colour than when I had left him. He smiled at me, and said that an hour’s nap on our sofa had left him feeling much refreshed.
“You are not the first to express that view,” Holmes said. “The inspector has had similar experiences on occasion. And now, what news, Lestrade?”
I poured a glass of brandy for each of us and settled back in my armchair to listen to Lestrade.
“We arrested three members of the gang when we went to the address Dr Watson provided for us. Two others had escaped, but the maid was able to provide us with clear descriptions of them.”
“Is she safe?” I interrupted Lestrade, for I had no wish for the girl to come to any harm for helping either myself or the police.
“Oh yes. The householder himself was not aware that his brother was involved in this business. He is a stalwart of his local church and was horrified to learn of the planning that had happened on his premises. It would appear that the brother was making use of his good name as a cover for the enterprise. Furthermore, the description the maid gave tallied with those of Ferguson and Briers, who you may have heard of, Holmes.”
“Ostensible business men, trading in guns and munitions, always selling to those who offer the highest price, with no concerns as to their purpose,” Holmes agreed.
“Indeed. I have members of the force looking for them now and I am hopeful that they will soon be found. We have had our suspicions of these two men for a while, but not been able to prove anything. The men we arrested are ready to provide information that should give us the proof we need.”
“Was one of the men you arrested the proprietor of the paper wholesaler?” Holmes asked.
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I was right about the betting operation, but with the death of Mitchell it became obvious that there had to be at least one more person involved. The proprietor was the obvious person. I believed that the operation was a means of obtaining money, which was then being used for further illegal activity. I had begun to make my enquiries at the docks and had discovered that something was happening, but my informants could give me no specific details. Then, when Trevor told me about the mysterious man with his equally mysterious luggage I became suspicious. Why should anyone choose to take a slower route? But if this person had a significant amount of luggage then it began to make sense. Land amongst passengers who are carrying a single case, when you have brought a trunk and various boxes, you might well be noticed; disembark from a steamer from India with such luggage and no-one would look at you twice.”
Lestrade grunted his agreement.
“I now believe the passenger to have been Briers, who would not wish to announce his arrival, which was why he had conveniently disappeared. Equally, it was important that as few people as possible noticed the luggage, so by moving Trevor’s trunk and cases into the place where it had been, it was likely that no-one would remark on it.”
“And had I not mentioned it to Holmes, they would have been completely successful,” Trevor added.
“Accordingly,” Holmes continued, “Trevor and I went to call on the shipping agent this morning on the pretext that Trevor was missing a small box and wondered if it had been accidentally collected by one of the other passengers. The agent said that there was an unclaimed box, but the label had been lost. He gave us directions to where it was being held.”
“And presumably the agent also told someone else that we were on our way,” Trevor added with a wry smile.
“Indeed. Because the next thing we heard was someone saying ‘We don’t need you round ‘ere poking your nose in, Mr ‘Olmes’, before we were rendered unconscious by the use of chloroformed cloths. Fortunately, the effect did not last as long as they had hoped and we had recovered in time to make our way towards the door before the building blew up.”
“I am surprised that you were not tied up,” Lestrade said.
“I believe our deaths were supposed to look like an accident, which would not be the case had we been tied. The original intention had been to destroy the building and thus the evidence it contained. Our deaths, whilst convenient, were merely a serendipitous addition.”
“But why send a message to me purporting to ask me to meet you?” I asked.
“I imagine they were afraid of how much you knew and had decided that it would be safer to kill you too.”
“Even more reason for me to be grateful to Lily,” I said.
Lestrade nodded. “I think that tells me all that I need to know. I shall keep you informed of any further developments, Holmes.”
With that he stood up, nodded again, said “Good evening, gentlemen,” and departed, happy with the resolution of the case.
Shortly afterwards Mrs Hudson produced dinner and Holmes, Trevor and I continue to talk. Trevor told us about his life in Terai and then I asked him about his future plans and whether he intended to stay in London.
“No,” he replied. “As you are aware, doctor, my lungs are damaged and I fear the London smogs would be disastrous for my health. I saved sufficient funds whilst working in Terai to ensure that I could buy myself a property on my return to this country. I have purchased a cottage on the Sussex Downs and once I have made the final arrangements I shall be moving down.”
I looked across at Holmes, wondering what his reaction would be.
“Trevor has already told me that I am welcome to stay with him whenever I wish for a change from city life,” he said with a smile. “He has plans for installing beehives and I have offered him my assistance with their upkeep.”
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no subject
Date: 2014-04-28 05:22 pm (UTC)And I am so tickled that he winds up in Sussex. Very neat!
no subject
Date: 2014-05-19 08:57 pm (UTC)