Of course, questions bombarded my poor befuddled brain, but fortunately I managed to preserve my silence as the quickest means of learning what had been going on.
Puffing furiously on his pipe, Holmes finally broke the silence.
"Your deus-ex-machina appearance was most fortunate for Doctor Watson and myself, Gilligan. Our thanks."
The former safecracker gestured aimlessly with one of his abnormally long and thin arms, as though rescues from rooftops were a daily occurrence.
"I knew you was on the lookout for me, Mr. 'Olmes. When Billy told me you was investigatin' the Nonpareil Club, I figgered there moight be a little excitement so ol' Slim sneaked up on the locale—-sorta. I was a little leery, you see, because of that Barker fella."
"He contacted you?" asked Holmes.
"By post. Kinda caught me off guard 'cause I didn't really know the cove."
"He's dead," stated Holmes flatly.
A nod was Gilligan's response. He passed a sealed envelope to Holmes.
"Some light is coming to dark places," said the sleuth. "Barker sent you a letter for delivery here. He also left a communique for me in his lodging. Let me hazard a guess that when I consider this letter in connection with the one already received, the true message that Barker intended will be revealed."
Gilligan's brow was furrowed. "But why would 'e given a message to me iffen I never even knew 'im?"
"Strangely enough, Watson here is the answer to that. Barker was one of his devoted readers. The letter he left me was full of references to those cases that Watson has recorded for the reading public. Obviously, the late investigator from Surrey knew of our close association, Gilligan."
He showed good sense there, I thought, for Slim Gilligan was one of the staunchest of Holmes's allies. The safecracker's head was now nodding in understanding.
"I will study this communique later," continued Holmes. "For now other vistas beckon. Have you ever heard of an object called the Golden Bird?"
The name meant nothing to Gilligan and he indicated as much.
"It is an ancient art object, a statue of solid gold."
Gilligan's lips pursed in a silent whistle. "Iffen something like that was 'round, I should 'ave 'eard of it."
"It is but recently in England," said Holmes. "That is not just a rumor, for Watson and I saw the object tonight. Let us try another tack, Slim. Has there been any unusual robbery or incident lately that comes to your mind?"
"Well, sir, always there's somebody tryin' to take somefing from some other bloke. But wiv most of the stuff wot's 'appened, I could make a fair guess as to 'oo is involved."
"As could I," said Holmes. "So let us consider a minor incident, something with an unusual twist but seemingly unimportant."
Gilligan's eyes narrowed in thought. "There was that Chinaman off the Asian Star."
"Chinaman?" I said, instinctively. "We were knee-deep in Orientals tonight."
Holmes's questioning eyes remained glued to Gilligan.
"This 'ere Chinee got 'isself knifed. Nothin' unusual about that. Them 'eathens gamble for fair and they got Tongs and feuds wot we don't know nuffin' abaht. The reason the story comes to moind is that there was a fuss abaht 'is belongin's after 'e got 'isself killed. Seems 'e 'ad this 'ere idol. 'E was a common seaman on the Asian Star and 'is fo'c'sle mates' remember it right enough. But the bloomin' thing disappeared. Couple o' slant eyes turned up claimin' the seaman was a relative and the idol belonged to their family. Well, one Chinee looks pretty much like another. Maybe these blokes was 'is relatives 'n' maybe they wa'n't."
"Was it by chance an image of Buddha?" questioned Holmes, his eyes alight with excitement.
"That's the nyme, Mr. 'Olmes. You 'eard abaht it, eh?"
"No," admitted the sleuth, "but it is common for those of the Buddhist faith to carry an image of their god with them."
He sprang to his feet crossing to the bookshelf. "I believe we have a lead here."
Holmes subscribed to a number of periodicals of a specialized nature, and I noted that he selected the latest "Lloyds' Shipping Guide" from a shelf. As Gilligan and I exchanged puzzled glances, my friend leafed rapidly through the pages, then read intently for a moment before turning to us with a triumphant smile.
"This tells a story. Asian Star out of Hong Kong. Ports of calclass="underline" Colombo, Alexandria, Constantinople, Trieste, Venice, Lisbon, and London. Constantinople is the clue, of course, since it was the last-known locale of the Golden Bird until it appeared here in London."
"You associate a common seaman with the theft of the Bird?" I fear my voice and expression registered disbelief, a fact that did not bother Holmes.
"My dear Watson, reproductions of the god Buddha can be considerable size. Being a religious piece, it would arouse no suspicions, especially from customs. But suppose within this Buddha figure was the relatively small Golden Bird?" "
Holmes's logic had an immediate appeal. "Of course, the Oriental seaman was but the means to bring the Bird into this country." Then another thought forced itself upon me. "But what is the significance of the Chinaman, especially since Dowson's gaming house suffered a full-scale attack from Orientals?"
"Let us construct a hypothetical situation," said Holmes, rather smugly I thought, "though I'll wager it turns out to be very close to the truth. The Golden Bird was stolen in Constantinople at the same time that the Asian Star was in port. The Bird, secreted within the Buddha, came by sea, a trip that would require considerable time. We must assume that the robbery was engineered by an Oriental or someone who employs Orientals. When the Asian Star arrives in Southhampton, another factor is introduced. The messenger is murdered and the Buddha disappears."
"Dowson's gang," I exclaimed.
"Employed by someone else, also after the art object."
"The man with the lisp?"
Even the imperturbable Gilligan registered surprise at this remark of mine.
"I doubt it," responded Sherlock Holmes. "I rather picture him as an emissary. He was in Dowson's headquarters with a large sum of money and the possibility of double-dealing is to be considered. As an employee, if mischance befell him Dowson and his crew would be open to retaliation. But that's is not of importance. What does seem obvious is that the original instigator of the robbery in Constantinople learned that it was Dowson's gang that had hijacked the Bird. Hence, the attack on Dowson's establishment."
"You've got it, Holmes," I stated with pride. "Two gangs are involved in this affair."
"There's little doubt about that," admitted my friend. "But again the haunting question. Such elaborate machinations. So much planning and manpower involved. Why? I will admit that twenty-five inches or so of solid gold is worth a tidy sum, but surely not enough to warrant the efforts so far expended. Dowson's organization is for hire but they command a heavy price."
Remembering the valise full of currency on the Baron's desk, I could well agree with that statement.
Holmes continued and I sensed his mercurial brain was racing ahead of his words.
"It was a small scale war we were involved in tonight. Surely there were thirty or so Orientals in action. The whole affair was much more reminiscent of an American criminal conflict than anything we are familiar with in England. What is the unknown value of this product of an ancient goldsmith's art that prompts such actions?"