Mrs. Hudson in New York by Barry S Brown

Author:Barry S Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sherlock Holmes, mystery, crime, british crime, sherlock holmes novels, sherlock holmes fiction
ISBN: 9781780927893
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2015
Published: 2015-08-26T00:00:00+00:00

8. Sanctuary

Having received reports of the morning’s interrogations from Holmes and Watson, Mrs. Hudson settled herself in the deepest easy chair in her parlor and began a leisurely review of Dr. Watson’s meticulous notes and Holmes’ informative, but rather less detailed account. An opinion was forming as to Morgan’s attacker, but she wasn’t one to rush things. Nor was she feeling any pressure to do so. Wilson was safely, if uncomfortably confined in New York’s detention facility, giving her time to consider at length all those who could be seen as suspects. She had read as far as McIlvaine’s arms collection when there was a rapid knocking on her door. It was too loud to be Holmes and too frenzied to be Watson. It came a second time before she had worked her way out of her easy chair, and a third time before she had crossed the room. By the time she reached the door she knew who stood on its other side. The frequency of the staccato pounding signaled an emergency, and there was only one person in New York she had encouraged to contact her in case of emergency. Opening the door, she was unsurprised to see that person; the man in the ill-fitting grey wig was a surprise - and an unwelcome one.

They hurried inside, Wilson searching the room as if satisfying himself none of their pursuers had preceded them. Caroline embraced Mrs. Hudson, clinging to her with relief as much as affection. She stepped back finally to make the proper, if unnecessary introduction.

“Auntie, this is William Wilson who I’ve been telling you about.” The baseball pitcher managed a tentative smile. Mrs. Hudson nodded her own cautious greeting.

“I’m sorry, Auntie. We had nowhere else to go. William escaped from jail less than an hour ago. Of course, you know he’s innocent.”It was the fundamental truth Caroline saw as justifying their presence in Mrs. Hudson’s hotel room.”We planned to take the train to get away, but there were police all around the station.” Caroline looked her most pitiable.”Can you help us, Auntie?”

Mrs. Hudson was aware they had already gotten help. Someone had transported them first to the station and then to the hotel; that person had undoubtedly provided him the weapon causing the bulge in his jacket pocket. And Mrs. Hudson had a good idea who that person was.

“Of course, I’ll do what I can. Tell me first, ‘ow did you know which room was mine?”

“I asked at the reception desk.”

“And was the clerk a short, heavy-set man wearin’ rimless glasses that kept slidin’ down ‘is nose?”

“That’s him, Auntie, that’s the man exactly.”

“Then we’ve no time to lose. We must go see Mr. ‘Olmes at once.”

Caroline and William assumed that Mrs. Hudson felt the need to call on the great detective to extricate them from their situation. In fact, Mrs. Hudson felt the need to leave her suite before her Pinkerton shadow arrived in response to the call his hotel informer would have made to him. Before

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