Die Again, Mr. Holmes by Anna Elliott & Charles Veley

Author:Anna Elliott & Charles Veley [Elliott, Anna & Veley, Charles]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wilton Press
Published: 2019-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

37. NEWGATE, REVISITED

London, Tuesday, January 11, 1898

WATSON

Holmes and I returned to Newgate Prison the morning after our meeting with Jack Kelly. Holmes had spent much of the intervening time out of my company. Today he had obtained a copy of the visitor’s log and was prepared, he said, for a more productive interview with Thomas Newman.

The large wall clock at the prison entrance read exactly ten o’clock when we descended the stone steps. The uniformed guard outside the corridor leading to Newman’s cell recognized us immediately.

“Just ’ad his breakfast,” he said.

“Any visitors today?”

“Just the clergyman.” The guard knocked on the metal door. “Your visitors.”

There was no answer. The guard opened the small window hatch. “Sleepin’, looks like.”

“Open the door,” Holmes said.

The heavy cell door swung open with a metallic clang to reveal the rotund figure of Thomas Newman lying on his bunk with both hands folded across his belly. A beatific smile softened his pig-like features, as though he were having a beautiful dream.

After a moment, I realized he was not breathing.

Holmes stepped quickly inside the cell and pressed his fingertip beneath the base of Newnan’s ear.

“No pulse,” he said. “Dr. Watson may wish to verify.”

I did so.

As I stood up, I noticed a small piece of paper in Newman’s clasped hands. Making certain that Holmes and the guard were watching, I pulled at a corner of the paper. It slipped out easily.

On the paper three words were written in smudged black ink, in the same crude block capitals I had seen on the note found in St. Philip’s Church.

This note read: NOW I’M DONE.

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