The Death of Cardinal Tosca by Hugh Ashton

Author:Hugh Ashton
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: detective, mystery, SSC, Sherlock Holmes
Publisher: Inknbeans Press
Published: 2013-11-11T00:00:00+00:00

Part II – The Willows, Windsor

Mr. James Alderton – Baker-street, London

It was some three or four months after this that the following incidents took place. At that time it was still necessary, for reasons connected with my practice, for me to live away from the lodgings in Baker-street which I had at times shared with Holmes. However, our friendship continued at the same warm level that it had always enjoyed, and my first port of call, accordingly, on my return to the metropolis was at the well-known door of 221B Baker-street, and the seventeen steps leading to the rooms that were so familiar to me.

On being admitted to the room, I beheld Holmes studying a sheet of paper which he held in one hand. With the other, he waved me nonchalantly towards my accustomed armchair before passing the paper over to me with a chuckle.

“What do you make of this?” he asked me.

I took the proffered paper, and read aloud. “ ‘Dear Mr Holmes, I have been informed that you extend your help to those faced with problems of an unusual nature. I therefore propose to call on you at half past three tomorrow afternoon in order to explain to you such a problem concerning our domestic servants, which I feel will be of interest to you. Yours sincerely, James Alderton.’ ”

“So now I am to advise the general public on the hiring and dismissal of kitchen maids and cooks, it would appear,” Holmes laughed.

“It would certainly seem to be something in this line.” I pulled out my watch. “It is now twenty-five minutes after the hour. Your client will be with you in five minutes. Perhaps I should go?”

“No, no. As always, you are welcome to share whatever points of interest that this case may bring us, though I fear such will be sadly lacking here. I trust, by the way, that your trip to Bedfordshire was satisfactory?”

“Indeed it was,” I assured him, and was about to expound further when I was interrupted by the voice of Mrs Hudson announcing the arrival of James Alderton. When our visitor was admitted to the room, his eyes fell on me, but quickly passed to Sherlock Holmes, to whom he presented a card.

“Who is this?” he asked in an abrupt tone. “I trust that my private affairs about which I consult you may be regarded as confidential?”

“This is my colleague, friend, and occasional biographer, Dr Watson,” Holmes introduced me. “Anything you say before me may also be safely said before him.”

“In that case, I am content to take your word for it.”

“But please, Mr Alderton, or perhaps I should address you as Major Alderton, do sit down and take this chair near the fire. I fear that our English climate must come as an unpleasant surprise to you after the heat of Burma.”

Our visitor displayed some visible surprise at Holmes’ words. “How in the world did you come to know my Army rank, and how did you guess that I have been in Burma?”

“There was no guessing involved, sir.

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