Sherlock Holmes: The Dark Reckoning by Ian Wright

Author:Ian Wright [Wright, Ian]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Tags: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense, Crime, Historical, Crime Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery; Thriller & Suspense
Amazon: B00EJSYLKY
Published: 2013-11-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

It was a bitterly cold morning, fog hanging in the air and no hint of sunshine, made for a miserable atmosphere. Frost lay thick on the ground, as Holmes and Watson left 221b Baker Street and walked over to a waiting Hansom cab on the opposite side of the road.

Holmes approached the driver and asked, “Would you be so kind as to take us to Scotland Yard?”

“Yes, Sir, I’ll take ya wherever ya wanno go,” answered the cab driver. The two gentlemen climbed into the small carriage and the driver shook the reins, instructing the horse to move along.

Holmes rubbed his gloved hands together and remarked, “My word, Watson, it is bitingly cold this morning. I believe this freezing fog will be with us for the entire day. It’s quite a contrast from yesterday morning when the sun shone so brightly.”

“Yes, old fellow. I shall not complain if we are to get anymore mornings like yesterday during the course of the winter.”

The two men made small talk until the carriage pulled up in Whitehall, opposite the archway leading to Scotland Yard. They noticed a crowd had assembled outside of the police station, so quickly disembarked from the carriage, after Holmes paid the driver.

Holmes turned to Watson and, with some urgency, beckoned, “Come, Watson!” as he started to run towards the crowd.

Holmes and Watson struggled to fight their way to the front of the crowd, where they found an area that had been cordoned off. Several police officers patrolled the area, preventing anyone from crossing the barrier.

Holmes caught the attention of one of the officers and said, “My name is Sherlock Holmes and it is imperative that I, and my associate, speak to Inspector Lestrade.”

“Mr. Holmes, Sir!” exclaimed the officer, recognising the great detective. He lifted the tape and continued, “Step under, gentlemen. Inspector Lestrade is inside the station.”

“Thank you, Officer,” acknowledged Holmes, as the two men stepped under the barrier. As they left the crowd, both men saw a pool of blood on the pavement under the archway. Holmes did not stop to look at the blood, which surprised Watson. Instead, he made his way straight to the police station.

As they approached the station, Holmes said, “I often find myself loathing peoples’ fascination with death. Look at that crowd, their insatiable curiosity driving them to look at a pool of blood.”

“You can’t blame people for being curious, Holmes.”

“You are right, Watson. I think my anger is directed more towards the fact that such crowds unwittingly obliterate vital evidence from crime scenes.”

The two men turned into Scotland Yard, climbed the few steps to the entrance and went inside. The desk clerk informed them that Inspector Lestrade was in his office, and suggested that the two of them should go straight in. As they made their way to Lestrade’s office, they met him walking towards them in a corridor.

“Mr. Holmes! Dr. Watson. Good morning to you both,” said the Inspector.

Not acknowledging Lestrade’s greeting, Holmes asked, “Lestrade, what happened under the archway?”

“We found the body of a young lady.

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