The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by William Seil

Author:William Seil [Seil, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780857687128
Publisher: Titan
Published: 2011-03-13T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

THE EARLY MORNING OF SATURDAY 13 APRIL 1912

Those of you who have read my work know that I am a man of few complaints. Indeed, I considered myself to be most fortunate to take part in the maiden voyage of this magnificent liner. But I must say that sea travel holds little appeal for me. I missed the comfort of my home in London and the company of my books. Perhaps even more, I missed long walks down London streets, watching people from all walks of life going about their daily routines. And, of course, there were the street urchins, those delightful little adventurers who were so full of energy and dreams, despite their poverty and limited prospects for the future.

I particularly remember the day I caught one of these enterprising tykes, all of eight years old, attempting to pick my pocket. I told him that I would not send him off to jail if he would accompany me to visit a friend. The friend in question was Inspector Wiggins of Scotland Yard, who was once himself a child of the streets. It just so happened that when the attempted theft occurred, I was on my way to have tea with the inspector.

We met at a small café along the Victoria Embankment. Wiggins was not in uniform, but the boy was quite skilled at identifying police officers. I thought for a moment that the young man was about to bolt. But a smile from Wiggins and the offer of a custard pastry encouraged him to give us a little more time from his busy day.

After tea, and second helpings of pastry, Wiggins took the boy for a walk along the Embankment. I do not know what was said during that conversation but I do know that the boy has stayed out of trouble. I know this because Wiggins looks in on him from time to time.

These things occurred to me as I stood in my cabin, preparing to meet Futrelle for breakfast. At Holmes’s suggestion, I had knocked on the writer’s door before retiring for the evening. He gladly accepted my invitation to assist in the investigation. His wife, after three full days of activity, had expressed a desire to sit quietly, reading. She willingly gave him permission to play the detective, provided he returned in time to dress for dinner.

Futrelle and I were to spend the day in the second- and third-class sections of the ship, making discreet inquiries. Our orders from Holmes were simply to ‘go everywhere, see everything, and overhear everyone’. Admittedly, our prospects for gleaning useful information were limited. But then, where better to hide the documents than a place far removed from the area where they were stolen? There was also Futrelle’s earlier sighting of Brandon unlocking a gate and entering the third-class section. The captain had said this was completely unauthorized and threatened to place Brandon under arrest. But at Holmes’s request, he agreed simply to assign a crew member to keep Brandon under observation.

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