Consulting Detective Vol 5 by Ron Fortier (ed)

Author:Ron Fortier (ed)
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: anthology, detective, illus, mystery, Sherlock Holmes, victoriana
Publisher: Airship 27
Published: 2013-12-08T07:00:00+00:00

“The cheap wood planking inside offers no conclusive trace of footmarks.”

“One was a sailor, then?” I checked.

“The former brand is no more restricted to seamen than the latter is to ladies, Watson. We shall continue our search.” He passed on to the toolbox where the gory bag had lain. His quick fingers easily found a hidden compartment with a rolled stash of bank-notes.

“The boy’s got to plan for ’is future,” old Spearer protested.

Holmes examined the wad. A rubber band enclosed a roll of seventy-two pounds. Four ten-shilling banknotes were separate from the rest, hastily stuffed away and abandoned.

“Those were the deposit offered for young Spearer’s services,” Holmes surmised. “When he demurred, the lady’s digit was produced to coerce his assent. He hurried to his workshop to assemble his kit and crammed his fee here by mere habit.” The detective meticulously copied down the issue numbers so that the money could be traced.

A series of letters in the night-stand proved to be billet-doux from Miss Claxton. I thought Holmes might take an interest in them, but after a brief glance at the ink he turned away. “Too old to be of relevance to our case,” he dismissed them. “The last written some five months ago, you observe? The relationship has progressed beyond the letter-writing stage.”

He rose from a futile scrutiny of Spearer’s rug and brushed his knees down. “There is nothing else to see here. We must seek a more obscure route.” To old Spearer he said, “Wire me at Baker Street should anything new come to light.” To me he added, “This case is of special interest, Watson.”

“Because a helpless and injured girl’s life is at hazard?” I suggested.

“Because of the uniqueness of our client.”

“You mean that Spearer is, or was, a criminal?”

“I was speaking of our true client,” Sherlock Holmes replied, but said no more.

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