Basil Copper
The Further Adventures of Solar Pons
#01 REGARDING SHERLOCK HOLMES
#02 THE CHRONICLES OF SOLAR PONS
#03 THE MEMOIRS OF SOLAR PONS
#04 THE CASEBOOK OF SOLAR PONS
#05 THE REMINISCENCES OF SOLAR PONS
#06 THE RETURN OF SOLAR PONS
#07 MR. FAIRLIE'S FINAL JOURNEY!
#08 THE DOSSIER OF SOLAR PONS
#09 THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SOLAR PONS
#10 THE SECRET FILES OF SOLAR PONS
#08 THE DOSSIER OF SOLAR PONS
#09 THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SOLAR PONS
#10 THE SECRET FILES OF SOLAR PONS
#11 THE UNCOLLECTED CASES OF SOLAR PONS
#12 THE EXPLOITS OF SOLAR PONS
#13 THE RECOLLECTIONS OF SOLAR PONS
#14 SOLAR PONS-THE FINAL CASES
The Adventure of the Shaft of Death
1
"You are up early this morning, Parker?"
"Indeed, Pons. In fact I have been up all night on a difficult case and have only just come in."
"Ah, that accounts for the mud on your boots for it has only started raining within the last half-hour."
Solar Pons was in genial mood as he faced me in the sitting-room of our cosy quarters at 7B Praed Street, despite the rawness of the morning and the earliness of the hour. He waved me into a chair in front of the fire which Mrs Johnson had already lit.
"You look all in, my dear fellow. Breakfast will be ready shortly."
"I shall do justice to it, Pons," I said. "You have something afoot, if I am not mistaken?"
"The conclusion of a small affair, Parker. The addition of a full-stop to a sentence as it were. I expect one call from Bancroft and if it gives me the news for which I have been waiting — that Karl Voss has been arrested in Holland — then I shall be satisfied."
He turned to the darkened window of the sitting-room, where the feeble rays of the street lamps were slowly being dispelled by the dawn, and tamped fresh tobacco into the bowl of his pipe.
"Though it means that I shall be at liberty again. And
I confess that I find London confoundedly dull without the excitement of the chase."
"A little rest would do you good, Pons," said I. "You have been promising to accompany me to Scotland for some time."
"Pshaw, Parker, just look at it!"
Pons could not keep the disgust from his voice as he spread his hands to indicate the dismal sheets of rain falling outside the window.
"November is entirely the wrong time of year. And I prefer the capital. The sniffing out of evil-doing is holiday enough."
I closed my eyes and held out my hands to the warmth of the fireplace.
"I must confess that November is not the best time, Pons, but as your medical adviser as well as your friend, I must say you have been heavily overworking of late."
Solar Pons chuckled.
"Physician, heal thyself! I know you have the best intentions, my dear fellow, but just look at yourself this morning, grey with fatigue. If anyone overworks it is your average medical man. Why, I do not suppose you have had three straight days off in a row in the past year."
I snorted indignantly and opened my eyes. Solar Pons was standing in front of me, looking down with a whimsical expression on his face.
"If anyone needs a holiday it is you, Parker. My prescription for you is a fortnight at some Continental Spa. Or perhaps the winter sunshine of Nice."
"You are no doubt right, Pons," I grumbled. "And it is true that I do need a holiday. But who is to pay for such a luxury as you describe is beyond my humble powers of ratiocination."
Pons smiled broadly.
"The King of Bavaria was unusually lavish in that little matter in which I was able to assist him, Parker. It was my intention that you should be my guest."
"It is extremely generous of you, Pons," I mumbled. "But I could not possibly permit it."
Solar Pons sat down at the breakfast table and looked at me musingly as I sprawled in the armchair.
"Well, if Scotland does not suit me and Monte Carlo does not suit you, we must content ourselves with some more modest programme of relaxation."
He broke off as Mrs Johnson's well-scrubbed face with its heavy coils of hair looked interrogatively round the door. A pleasing aroma of fried bacon and hot coffee rose from the covered tray she carried.
"Come in, Mrs Johnson, come along in," said Pons briskly, rising swiftly and opening the door for her. "You are indeed welcome this inclement November morning. Dr Parker here is almost exhausted with his night's work. I have been trying to persuade him to take a brief holiday."
"I have been telling Dr Parker that for months," said our good landlady, bustling about the table.
I rose from my position by the fire and swiftly retired to wash my hands. When I regained the sitting-room Mrs Johnson had finished her preparations and Pons was pouring coffee for us from the silver-plated pot.
"Mrs Johnson's diagnosis — and it is one with which I entirely concur — is a week at one of our spa towns, to be taken before the end of the month," said Pons decisively.
Mrs Johnson smiled as I seated myself opposite Pons and reached for the toast.
"It is very good of you both to take such trouble over my health," I said mildly. "My locum would be quite agreeable, I have no doubt, and I am open to suggestions."
"Ah, we progress, Mrs Johnson," said Pons briskly, rubbing his hands together. "This began with Parker trying to pack me off to Scotland in the current abominable weather and now we are prescribing for him."
"If you ask me, you are both in need of a holiday, Mr Pons," said our landlady, quitting the room.
Pons looked quizzically after her as she closed the door and waited until she had descended the stairs.
"That admirable woman is right, you know, Parker," he said after a few minutes given over to the heaped plateful of food in front of him. "What say you to a modest jaunt?"
I put down my coffee cup in exasperation.
"It was I who suggested the holiday, Pons," I began with some asperity. "But I cannot really see us sitting in some dismal spa with a string orchestra playing, surrounded by gouty old gentlemen."
Solar Pons stroked his chin, little lines of humour showing at the corners of his mouth.
"You are right, Parker," he said. "You paint an horrific picture. We shall have to choose our venue with care."
And he said nothing further on the matter that morning. My medical duties took me out again after lunch and it was not until tea-time that I again set foot in our comfortable quarters. Pons was sitting in his mouse-coloured dressing gown and Mrs Johnson had laid an occasional table up near the fire for high tea. I caught sight of crumpets, toasted teacakes, bread and butter and Madeira cake in my first glance and the expression on my face drew a dry chuckle from my companion.
"I told Mrs Johnson you would no doubt be extremely weary by the time you came in, Parker, and I think that on this occasion she has excelled herself."
"Indeed, Pons," I said, sinking into an easy chair and allowing him to press a plate heaped with delicacies on me.
"You seem in ebullient mood," I added, when the keen edge of my appetite had been blunted.
"I have reason, Parker. I have just heard from Bancroft that Karl Voss was taken in Amsterdam early this morning. The case is closed."
"Congratulations, Pons. You will be free to take Mrs Johnson's advice, then?"
"Why not, Parker? We have still to select a destination in which boredom may be safely kept at bay. If nothing in London intervenes, I shall be ready by Monday of next week."