‘Oh, Edward!’ she screamed. ‘How could you, your own father?’
Before Lomas could reply, Fowler finished hauling him out of the room and I raced to the girl’s side to guide her over to a chair, for she could now hardly stand.
Then, to my great surprise, Holmes crouched down before her and took her by the hand.
‘My dear young lady, I assure you that I take no satisfaction from the conclusion of this case. My great regret is that on the very night that I have been able to restore your father to you, I have been compelled to remove your brother.’ As the girl’s tears began to fall on Holmes’s hand, he became momentarily embarrassed and, inevitably, it was left for me to comfort her.
An interesting postscript to the events just described was our discovery of the fate of Captain Johnson’s crew. Apparently they had been sufficiently rewarded by Garside to have been able to buy a small fishing vessel of their own, which they operate successfully out of Grimsby. Their escape from the Alicia was achieved by virtue of a small dinghy, attached to the larger craft. Its towline had been severed by a knife … with a serrated edge!
THE ADVENTURE OF THE RED LEECH
‘… I see my notes upon the repulsive story of the red leech and the terrible death of Crosby, the banker …’
(The Adventure of Golden Pince-Nez by A. Conan Doyle)
‘Well, well, friend Watson, I perceive that a matrimonial fracas, at “Castle Watson” has brought you to my door this morning.’ Holmes mischievously observed one bright spring morning, during the years of my marriage to my beloved Mary.
As a result of my long association with Sherlock Holmes I had been witness to many examples of my friend’s extraordinary powers and yet he had still not lost the ability to surprise me. I had just taken to my old familiar chair by the fireside and was slowly unfolding my unread morning paper as Holmes greeted me with this amazing statement. My paper fell from my grasp, for I knew from past experience that this was neither guesswork nor conjecture on his part.
My mood and disposition were such that on this occasion I had no great desire to express my amazement. ‘Evidently I have not been altogether successful at concealing my frame of mind this morning!’ I snapped whilst reclaiming my paper from the floor.
‘On the contrary, my dear fellow, I merely reached my conclusion from the fact that the redoubtable Mrs Watson would not, under normal circumstances, allow you to leave the house wearing unpolished shoes and both a brown and black stocking,’ Holmes remarked with some amusement.
I glanced down to confirm that I was, indeed, wearing a different colour on each foot.
Ignoring my embarrassment, Holmes continued: ‘On the only other occasion that I have observed such a sartorial calamity, Mrs Watson had taken herself away for a few weeks to visit her people. I recall your lamenting such a visit barely a month ago, so she is patently not due for another for some time to come. Therefore there must be another reason for her apathy towards your appearance this morning. Your early arrival and your undoubtedly grouchy demeanour merely confirm my simple deduction!’ With a dramatic, self-congratulatory wave of his arms Holmes sank back into his chair once more.
‘Merely a trifle,’ I responded quietly. ‘Just a trifle. However I observe that there may be a means for you to put your powers to more productive use and an explanation for your own light mood.’ I remarked whilst pointing towards a small piece of paper on the arm of Holmes’s chair.
‘Well then, pour your nervous energy into providing me with your conclusions regarding this!’ Holmes leapt up from his chair and tossed the note into my lap on his way to the mantelpiece, where he filled his pipe from the Persian slipper.
My newspaper now forgotten, I hurriedly unfolded what was, potentially, the road to a new adventure.
‘Why, there is nothing here at all!’ I exclaimed with much disappointment.
The note was a simple one:
I would appreciate a consultation, any time after sunset on the 14th. Yours, RANDELL CROSBY.
‘Watson! After all that you have observed and chronicled of my methods over the years you seem to have learnt nothing. Do not merely read the words of the note. Deduce!’
Somewhat put out, I filled a pipe of my own, while formulating my observations. ‘Evidently the matter is of some importance, for today is surely the 14th, besides which, the brief, untidy nature of the writing seems also to indicate urgency. It is almost as if the note was written off the cuff because the paper used has surely been torn from a larger sheet and the tool used was a most blunt pencil. Other than these points, I can deduce nothing.’
Holmes clapped his hands together gleefully. ‘Excellent Watson! Evidently your domestic dramas have sharpened your faculties. However, valid as your observations undoubtedly are, your conclusions are somewhat wide of the mark. For example, if Mr Crosby’s situation was as dire as you presume it to be why does he request an evening consultation? I would have been more persuaded of its urgency had he arrived here before you! Furthermore, I am convinced that the ragged state of his writing materials is due more to his impoverished position than to any lack of thought. See here the black thumbmark on the bottom right-hand corner. Of course none of this means that there is no urgency involved, but there are certainly other factors to be taken into consideration.’
I nodded gravely. ‘Why should he be so insistent on arriving after sunset? It is a most unusual turn of phrase.’
‘For the answer to that we shall have to await the evening,’ Holmes replied.
‘We?’ I queried his assumption.
‘I had hoped that you would be prepared to spend the day in my company. I am certain that Mrs Hudson is well able to double the rations of supper, and perhaps you might aid me in my interview of the nocturnal Randell Crosby. Unless, of course, you have some more pressing matters elsewhere?’
‘Not at all.’ I smiled. ‘I should be delighted!’
‘Ha! That is more like the Watson of old.’ Holmes laughed.
As it turned out, Mrs Hudson was well able to accommodate me for both luncheon and supper and to my great surprise Holmes was only too willing to help me collate the notes of our most recently completed case. Normally he took little interest in my ‘humble scratchings’, however the Adventure of the Aspiring Architect had proved to be such a personal triumph for Holmes and his seldom reported ability of transposing himself into the place of the criminal by way of meditation, that he wished to ensure that the story was laid out correctly.
Although I was subsequently duty bound to embellish the story with sufficient dramatic content to satisfy my public, by the time the supper things had been removed and the sun had gone down, we were both reasonably satisfied with the results of our labour. It had soon become quite dark outside and we now prepared ourselves for the visit of Randell Crosby.
Alas, even upon our first glance at the poor fellow, Holmes’s assessment of Crosby’s impecunious circumstances was confirmed. Holmes, of course, thought nothing of such things, but I was certain that Mrs Hudson, had she been present, would have taken pains to cover her chair before allowing Crosby access to it.
Crosby shuffled slowly into the room, his gait that of a man twenty years his senior, although, as we learned later he was only thirty-five years of age. He was of average height, although his stoop rendered him shorter. He wore an old greatcoat, two sizes too large for him and caked in grime, a dusty bowler, and a long scarf that covered most of his pale unshaven face. When he spoke it was in a surprisingly modulated tone, albeit at a volume so soft that he was barely audible.