Fic for capt_facepalm: The Case of Lady Whitfield's Diamond

[methylviolet10b]

Title: The Case of Lady Whitfield’s Diamond
Recipient:  capt_facepalm
Author: thesmallhobbit
Rating: PG
Characters: Mr Sherlock Holmes; Dr John Watson; appearances by Inspector Lestrade and Mrs Hudson
Warnings: None
Summary: . Holmes is bored but the theft of Lady Whitfield’s diamond promises some entertainment for him.

For the last three hours Holmes had been pacing around our rooms. He abhorred inactivity and it seemed that his options were either behaving like a caged lion or resorting to more drastic remedies. I was attempting not to comment on the pacing for fear that he should be driven once more to artificial stimulants.

Holmes did, in fact, have two cases that he was working on. However, one client was on a visit to the West Country, and although Holmes expected to have further information on his return this was unlikely to be for another few days. As to the other case: we had heard nothing from Mr Ventris regarding the potential criminal activity of his tenant and, as Gregson had said, with neither actual crime nor evidence of criminal intention there was nothing to pursue.

The previous day I had been out of our rooms, tending to the patients of a nearby doctor who had been on his quarterly visit to an elderly aunt. I find the opportunity to assist my colleagues in this way beneficial in keeping up with current medical practice. I have to admit that the extra income also funds my support of the horse racing industry without disturbing my capital. Unfortunately, I was not required to deputise for anyone today and had resigned myself to trying to concentrate on reading my novel whilst Holmes prowled round the rooms.

It was therefore with great relief that I heard the footsteps of Inspector Lestrade on the stairs.

“Ah, Lestrade, what brings you here?” Holmes’ question demonstrated that I wasn’t the only one grateful for the distraction.

“No doubt you have heard about the loss of Lady Whitfield’s diamond?”

“Indeed I have. And according to the newspapers the culprit was known to the police and was shortly to be arrested. You cannot be here to tell me that they were mistaken.”

“Oh no, Mr Holmes. We are quite certain who stole the diamond. However, when we went to arrest the thief first thing this morning we discovered him dead in his bed. He had been strangled.”

“And the diamond?”

“We could not find it.”

“So you have concluded that whoever strangled your thief also took the diamond.”

“That is correct. And that is why I have come to see if you are able to assist us. I can take you to the room where the dead man was.”

“That will not be necessary. I believe we can conclude that the diamond was stolen for a reason. It is too well known for someone to steal it and then seek to sell it on. Someone wanted that diamond in particular. If I can establish who that is then I think we should be in a good position to recover the diamond.”

“So you do not wish to visit the man’s room?”

“I suspect that whoever strangled him was chosen for that very purpose. I should probably find clues as to the strangler, but that would not bring me any closer to knowing who sent him to do the deed.”

“But you are willing to help us with this case?”

“Oh indeed. I shall, however, commence my enquiries at the hotel where Lady Whitfield is staying.”

Once the inspector had left Holmes turned to me. “Well, Watson, it would appear that we shall have much to occupy ourselves over the next few days. I fear that you cannot assist with this case at the moment. However, it might be as well if we were prepared for when Sampson returns from his travels in the west. I had intended collecting certain documents later this week, but in the circumstances I wonder if you could go for them this afternoon.”

“Gladly,” I said. “You have but to provide me with the addresses and I shall go at once.”

It transpired that the various documents could only be collected at certain hours, so I spent most of the afternoon going to and fro. When I returned to Baker Street with the first of the three documents I noticed a working man exiting our front door, but I paid him little attention, being used to the number and variety of those who performed various tasks for Holmes.

When I finally returned to our rooms with the last document I found that Holmes was back and looking extremely pleased with himself.

“You have had a successful afternoon?” I asked.

“Yes,” he chuckled. “I have lost a number of sixpences in playing cards with a commissionaire, but in return I have obtained much information, so I consider my losses as merely payment to him.”

“You seem particularly taken with this man.”

“He had lost an arm in the Afghan war and yet he still managed to cheat quite effectively. He deserves to do well.”

At this point Mrs Hudson arrived with a light supper for us. While we ate Holmes told me what he had learnt.

The commissionaire worked at the hotel where Lady Whitfield was currently staying and where the theft had taken place. Holmes had enquired whether there had been any other thefts and had learnt that a few days earlier she had spoken of having lost a ring, although on reflection she hadn’t been certain whether in fact she had brought the ring with her, or whether she had left it at her home. In addition he discovered that just before Lady Whitfield had travelled to London her maid had been accused of stealing an emerald necklace and matching bracelet. The maid was no longer in her employment, but nothing was known as to her current whereabouts.

I could see that Holmes had a theory, but he refused to enlighten me and after suggesting that I got some sleep as the following day would be busy, he returned to making notes on some experiments he had conducted earlier in the week.

When I rose the following morning I found that our landlady had provided breakfast and that Holmes had already eaten and departed. Whilst I was finishing my toast Mrs Hudson brought up Mr Ventris, who was clearly in an agitated frame of mind.

“Dr Watson,” he began as soon as he had entered the room, “I had hoped to find Mr Holmes here. My tenant has returned. He made no explanation as to his absence and when I tried to remonstrate with him, he quite rudely pushed me back into my own corridor. I am almost certain that shortly after that another man followed him in, but I was unable to ascertain who it could be.”

“Would it help if I were to come over?” I asked.

“I would be very grateful if you could,” Ventris replied. “I am not returning immediately, but if you were able to come in about an hour’s time this would relieve my mind.”

Ventris departed and I was able to enjoy my coffee in peace. I left a note for Holmes to let him know where I was going and then set out for Lambeth. I took an omnibus for part of the journey and then since the weather was fine I completed it on foot. It was a glorious day, right at the start of autumn, when although the sun is no longer hot it is still bright and the air is fresh. By the time I reached Ventris’ residence I was in an extremely good mood, having walked away my vexations at the interruption to my breakfast.

I knocked on his front door and the maid answered it. I followed her down the corridor towards the part of the house that Ventris inhabited. At that moment I heard a man’s voice saying “I warned you not to get anyone involved” and I started to turn to face the speaker.

I knew no more until I heard the gravelly voice of a man I presumed to be a cabbie saying, “Do you want me to take this geezer off somewhere else? I can drop ‘im off not far from one of them gentlemen’s clubs, ‘e’ll just be taken as being in ‘is cups. Better that than ‘ave someone find ‘im ‘ere.”

The answer was presumably in the affirmative, because I felt the man (definitely a cabbie, he smelt strongly of horse) lifting me and half carrying, half dragging me to his cab. Once in the cab I must have subsided into unconsciousness again, because the next I knew I was on the sofa in Baker Street with Mrs Hudson bustling around in consternation and Holmes saying “Please do not fuss, Mrs Hudson. He has survived worse knocks than that in the past.”

I forced myself to sit up. “Indeed Mrs Hudson, please do not disturb yourself. I am almost myself again, although I fear I can still smell horses.”

“I am very glad to hear it, Doctor Watson. I too can smell horses, and for that we have Mr Holmes to thank. I trust that he will be airing his outer garments elsewhere very soon.” Mrs Hudson had raised her voice for her final comment and I heard an answering grunt in response.

The doorbell rang and Mrs Hudson bustled out to answer it. Holmes reappeared from his room and said “That will be Lestrade.”

The little inspector entered our room. “Mr Holmes, I understand you have information for me.”

“You will find the man you are looking for at 55 Kennington Road, Lambeth.”

Holmes noted my startled expression. “Yes, my dear Watson, Mr Ventris was quite right to be concerned about his tenant.”

“Can you be certain that this man is still there?” Lestrade asked.

“Most assuredly,” Holmes replied. “I was engaged to return at two o’clock to take the geezer and ‘is mate to Victoria railway station.”

It was the voice of my presumed cabbie. Holmes chuckled at my look and continued in his normal voice “Please do not be concerned Watson; I was paid handsomely to drop you off elsewhere and Baker Street seemed the ideal destination for you.”

Any attempt I might have made at a reply was interrupted as Lestrade said, “That does not give us much time to forestall him.”

“If you took the cab I have hired for the day you could arrive at two o’clock without arousing his suspicion. And if the cab were to contain two or three strong policemen I do not believe you would find any difficulty in restraining him.”

“That is an excellent idea Mr Holmes. I shall depart immediately and set your plan in motion. You do not wish to join us?”

“No, I am expecting another visitor in about a quarter of an hour.”

Lestrade left our rooms and we were left with just sufficient time for Holmes to provide further details of his morning activities before the doorbell rang to announce the arrival of his anticipated visitor.

Hearing footsteps on the stairs Holmes called out, “Do come in Lady Whitfield.”

The lady entered the room and looked around disdainfully. In her youth she must have been attractive, but her features now reflected an aloofness that was not appealing.

“I’m not sure why I have come,” she began. “Your note was intriguing and I thought meeting such a famous detective might provide a quarter of an hour’s entertainment.”

Holmes smiled at her, but his eyes were serious. “Before you say any more my lady, I should inform you that at this very moment Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard is on his way to arrest Major Moule for his part in the murder of the thief who stole your necklace.”

Lady Whitfield blanched and sank into the nearest chair.

“Quick Watson, some brandy.”

I poured a small glass, but she had recovered sufficiently to wave the drink away.

“Mr Holmes, I do not know what you are talking about,” she said.

“I am sure that is not the case. I believe that you and Major Moule were planning to leave the country together. You wished to take your jewellery with you and although Lord Whitfield would probably not have pursued you for the jewellery you had inherited from your mother, there are certain pieces that are his family heirlooms which he would consider to be held in trust for his descendents. These he would not countenance you having.”

Lady Whitfield remained silent, so Holmes continued. “So, in order for you to keep the jewellery you and the major came up with a plan to steal certain pieces so that Lord Whitfield would be unable to demand they be returned to him. Only something went wrong after the diamond was stolen and Moule arranged to have the thief killed.”

“I had nothing to do with that. It was never my intention that anyone should be hurt.”

“I believe you. I presume he was paid to steal the diamond.”

She nodded. “I gave Jack, that is, Major Moule, the money. He said he would arrange it all. I did not know the name of the man that he hired to do the robbery.”

“In which case it is quite possible that he planned all along to kill the thief and keep the money for himself.”

“What am I to do, Mr Holmes? If my name is brought into this I shall be ruined.”

“I expect Lestrade to find that Moule has the diamond. We do not know what he will choose to say in his defence, but it is unlikely that anyone will believe him if he claims that you instructed him to steal your own diamond. You should therefore return to your husband and put behind you all plans of leaving him.”

It was clear that the idea was not appealing to Lady Whitfield, but nevertheless she nodded in a resigned fashion. “I would have been happy just with the emeralds, but Jack was insistent that we have the diamond as well. And now the police will no doubt return the diamond, but I will not have my emeralds.”

“I presume you paid your maid to take the emeralds abroad.”

“Yes. She wished to return to her family home so we had arranged that she would take the emeralds and I would collect them from her in a few months time.”

“It may be possible for a third party to arrange the collection if you were able to offer a financial reward to the maid for her assistance. I imagine that Lord Whitfield could be persuaded not to make further enquiries if the jewellery was to return intact.”

Lady Whitfield nodded and stood up. “In which case, Mr Holmes, I shall return to my husband.”

She turned and headed towards the door.

“One last thing, Lady Whitfield,” Holmes said. “The missing ring?”

“I am sure I shall find that at home.” With that she swept through the door and we heard her footsteps descending the stairs.

Holmes looked at me and smiled. “I think, dear fellow, we should go out to dinner to celebrate the successful conclusion of another case.”