Baker Street Beat: An Eclectic Collection of Sherlockian Scribblings by Dan Andriacco

Author:Dan Andriacco [Andriacco, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Mystery, Holmes, Short, Opium, Chrime, Watson, Moriarty
ISBN: 9781908218926
Publisher: MX Publishing
Published: 2011-06-14T14:00:00+00:00

Seldom have I seen my notoriously moody friend as melancholy as in the following twelve hours. He smoked prodigiously, scraped out mournful sounds on his violin, and scarcely acknowledged my existence.

“If you won’t tell me your conclusions about this case,” I said bitterly, “at least tell Stanley Hopkins.”

“Soon enough,” he replied tersely. “A few more days can’t hurt now.”

In this, however, Holmes was in error, as became apparent that evening with the arrival in our quarters of Miss Ophelia Harden.

“The police have made an awful mistake, Mr. Holmes,” she said. “They have arrested Paul – my friend, Mr. Herbert.”

Miss Harden was a handsome, full-figured young lady fashionably dressed in pale colours to accent her blonde hair and blue eyes. Though small, such was the force of her character that few would have labeled her “dainty.”

“This is grief piled upon grief, as if Father’s death were not horror enough,” she wailed. “You must do something!”

Holmes regarded her through half-lidded eyes. “Tell me, Miss Harden, by what idiotic logic did the police decide to arrest young Herbert?”

“He and Father had strong words in public.” She lowered her eyes. “They were arguing about me, of course.”

“Of course. Your father mentioned the altercation during our meeting. He also made it quite clear that he did not approve of your poetic friend.”

“Father thought Mr. Herbert too young, too brash, too immature and thoroughly lacking in prospects. And he was right on every point! Oh, Mr. Holmes, Paul needs the steadying hand of someone like me, even though I am two years the younger.”

“And your fiancé?”

“Mr. Winter is perfect in every way, I suppose. He is handsome, tall, wealthy, charming – and, of course, boringly respectable. He may desire my affection and my company, but he doesn’t need them the way Paul does. I am fond of him, but not nearly so fond as Father is – was. I was quite undisturbed at writing him about my developing feelings for Paul.”

Holmes threw up his arms. “Surely even the Scotland Yarders don’t find a murder case against your Mr. Herbert in all of this?”

“Well, there is one other thing against Paul, Mr. Holmes. It’s that bookshop where they found Father’s body. Paul works there.”

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