The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories - Part XXX by David Marcum

Author:David Marcum [Marcum, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: anthology, detective, historical, holiday, mystery, Sherlock Holmes
ISBN: 9781787059368
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2021
Published: 2022-02-09T07:00:00+00:00

The Adventure of the Chained Phantom

by J.S. Rowlinson

(Illustrations also by J.S. Rowlinson)

Chapter I

“Well, Watson, what have you resigned to keep from me?”

That was how I was greeted by my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, upon my arrival. I was taken aback by his sharp challenge, as my visit to our old rooms at Baker Street had been quite unannounced. I had yet, even, to take my hand from the brass knob of the door.

“Good Lord!” I cried, “I haven’t even wished you a good morning.”

“Yes, well, good morning to you,” he replied, in a dreamy, languid voice, quite superseding his initial outburst.

I have, on several occasions, seen my friend deduce the habits, character, and whereabouts of diverse members of the public. However, I wasn’t yet fully past the threshold, and the door was barely open, before Holmes’s incredible supposition. He could see the perplexity upon my features and gave a little chuckle, sending up a string of small bluish puffs from his briar.

“My dear fellow,” he continued, closing his eyes and folding his hands over his chest, making him look remarkably catlike. “You paused twice on the stairs, both intervals were quite audible from behind this door. Now, you have scaled that staircase many times, and Mrs. Hudson isn’t renowned for her decorative variance, so there could have been nothing to catch your eye upon your ascent. I can observe by your insistence on wearing those plebeian Chelsea boots that neither were you tying up your shoelaces. Twin that with the heavy, muttering breath, which is most unlike you, and it doesn’t take one of my talents to deduce you had some cerebral bone to chew on, if you’ll pardon the expression. The first pause, I dare say, you were deciding whether or not to divulge your news. The second pause – and you were resolved against it, and that was confirmed by your pointed evasion of my eye when your head finally emerged. Content?”

The infernal peacock had hardly paused for breath, but he was quite right in every particular.

“So,” intoned Holmes, “what has taken so much deliberation upon the carpet? Pray, brush the snow off of your overcoat and come sit down.”

To continue the earlier feline metaphor, I felt entirely as would a mouse in the playful paws of a tomcat. Still mulling the thing over in my mind, I hung my coat, sat down in my usual chair on the opposite side of the fire, gave a knowing exhalation, and took the card (which I had picked up from the hallway table) from my waistcoat pocket. In an instant, Holmes had leapt up and snatched it from my fumbling hands, holding it delicately between thumb and forefinger.

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