Amanda Lester and the Black Shadow Terror by Paula Berinstein

Author:Paula Berinstein [Berinstein, Paula]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781942361244
Publisher: The Writing Show
Published: 2019-04-30T16:00:00+00:00

Nick ran from Scotland Yard to Baker Street as fast as he could. He was certain Holmes wouldn’t mind the hour. If the case was interesting enough he’d probably accept visitors at 3:00 in the morning, although Mrs. Hudson wouldn’t be pleased. As he approached the corner of Baker and Weymouth, however, he saw something that stopped him in his tracks. One of the shadow monsters, fog swirling around it, was menacing a rich-looking couple—a man and a woman—and the man was lying on the ground. The smell was horrendous.

Nick sprang into action. He ran at the monster and kicked, but his foot went right through it and the specter grew larger. The woman screamed and he yelled, “Run!”

She glanced from Nick to the monster to the man. “But Efrem!” she cried.

“He’ll be all right,” Nick said. “Go!”

That was easier said than done. The woman’s high heels made it difficult to run, let alone walk, and she kept stumbling. Finally, after a few more futile kicks, Nick picked her up and carried her.

“My husband!” she cried.

“I’ll get him,” Nick said looking around. The monster was nowhere to be seen so he put her down. “Stay here,” he instructed her.

He ran back to the man but the monster was gone. He bent down and felt the man’s pulse. He was alive. He picked the man up—much more difficult to do than the woman—and was beginning to carry him out of the street when he stirred.

“Who are you?” he said, coughing. “Where’s Daisy?”

Nick put the man down gently. He was a bit wobbly but otherwise seemed fine.

“Efrem!” came the wife’s voice as she jerkily made her way to them.

“Daisy!” cried the man, hobbling to her. “What’s happened? Who is this man?”

Daisy ran into her young husband’s arms and he held her tight.

“He saved us,” she said, smiling at Nick. “It was the shadow monster.”

“I didn’t see anything,” said Efrem.

“They destroy people’s memories, remember?” she said. She stepped out of his arms and began to wipe off his clothing, which had gotten all kinds of icky stuff on it. He was so dazed he didn’t seem to notice.

“You saw it then?”

“I did. It was awful. This nice fellow tried to fight it. He carried me to safety.”

Efrem turned to Nick and with a rather wet hand of his own, shook his hand.

“Thanks very much,” he said. “You saved our lives.”

“And our valuables,” said Daisy. “Everything is still here.”

Efrem dug into his pockets. “Here too. Well, er, uh . . .” He looked at Nick helplessly.

“Muffet,” said Nick. “Nicholas Muffet.”

“Well, Mr. Muffet,” said Efrem. “I can’t thank you enough. I don’t suppose you would accept a reward.”

Nick desperately wanted to but didn’t feel right taking the couple’s money.

“Thanks, but no,” he said. “However, you could do me a favor if you’d accompany me to see Mr. Sherlock Holmes and tell him your story.” Why not? Two interesting mysteries would intrigue Holmes more than one and the couple could provide eyewitness detail.

“We’d be delighted,” said Efrem, who seemed to be recovering his upper-class manners.

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