The Wilhelm Conspiracy (A Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery) by Charles Veley

Author:Charles Veley [Veley, Charles]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781503940352
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2016-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

PART THREE

HITHER AND THITHER MOVES

31. PERIL BY NIGHT, PERIL BY DAY

Many questions raced through my mind as I tried to understand what had happened, and why Holmes had acted as he had done. Why had he spoken of the one million pounds in bearer bonds? Would not the reference to the failed assassination have been highly offensive to Wilhelm? Was it Holmes’s way of throwing down a gauntlet, of showing Wilhelm that we knew of his treachery?

Or was it a way to prove that, just possibly, Wilhelm himself had been unaware of a plot that his subordinates had instigated? If so, I thought, that might lend credibility to Wilhelm’s vision of our two nations working together in an alliance, based on mutual cooperation to develop Kerren’s weapon. But did Holmes really believe that Kerren had sold his invention to the Germans? And once Holmes had identified the thief and recovered the jewel box, what was to prevent the Kaiser from extracting vengeance? Or did Holmes already have some protective measures in his far-seeing mind?

Lucy’s voice interrupted my musings. In a tone of voice that I thought was unusually clear and distinct, she said, “I don’t understand why Mr. Holmes would do such a thing to me.”

“At least they are not aware—” I began, in an attempt to offer some encouragement, but she motioned for silence, drawing her index finger across her throat and then pressing it to her lips. She cut her eyes towards the bellpull that hung to one side of the throne. Alongside the wall beside the braided silken rope was a speaking tube. From the end of the tube a cork stopper dangled from a short cord. I realized that everything said in the room could be overheard by anyone at the other end of the open tube. To my horror, I realized that I had very nearly disclosed to the Germans the secret that Lucy was Holmes’s daughter.

“I will not accept this treatment,” Lucy was saying. As she spoke, she walked slowly and quietly around the perimeter of the throne room, pausing only to look behind the large hanging tapestries, one by one. “It is intolerable for a lady to be dealt with in such a fashion. We have another performance tomorrow. I shall demand to speak with Mr. Carte. He will know what to do.”

She beckoned me to where she stood, beside a tapestry on the wall to the left of the throne. Lifting the heavy fabric, she pointed to the wall behind, where I could discern the outlines of a tall window amidst the shadows. She pointed at me, then mimed the opening of the window, then put her finger to her lips once more. I nodded and stepped between the curtain and the wall.

I groped along the window frame to find the latch. Behind me, I heard her voice, muffled by the thick tapestry, continuing her litany of complaints. “Surely someone will be along any moment to escort us to a proper place for us to wait.

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