The Ghost of Sherlock Holmes by Paul Voodini

Author:Paul Voodini
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sherlock Holmes, mystery, crime, british crime, sherlock holmes fiction, sherlock holmes novels
ISBN: 9781780929842
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2016
Published: 2016-10-27T00:00:00+00:00

The Sherlock Holmes Personality Profiling System

I produced a regular, average deck of cards and introduced them to my guests.

“We have used playing cards already tonight, and you might recall that I have already commented on the strange nature of these items. How they can be regarded as instruments of the devil, how they can become imbued with human emotion, how they are used for gambling and fortune telling. But playing cards can also be used as windows into the very human soul.”

“How so?” demanded Jones, the undertaker, looking decidedly unconvinced.

“Well,” I said, “you will have, I’m sure, heard of the work of Sigmund Freud and his associates? His work into psychoanalysis, an attempt to understand and interpret the unconscious mind, dreams, and anxieties?”

Jones harrumphed to indicate that although he had indeed heard of Freud, he did not altogether approve of him. De Ruysscher smiled and nodded his head vigorously, letting me know that he was well aware of Freud’s work and looked upon it more favourably than perhaps Jones did.

“I am sure that Dr Joseph Bell, up until his sad demise in 1911, would have been most fascinated by the work of Freud, and I am certain that Holmes, had he been an actual person rather than a figment of Doyle’s imagination, would have been only to keen to incorporate Freud’s work into his own.

“Let us examine these playing cards, for instance,” I continued. “Such a simple design, and yet what secrets could be hidden within the four suits, the fifty-two cards, and their numbers?”

I handed the deck to Miss Carriger.

“Please,” I said, “if you would be so kind, could you fan through the cards and pick out one card from each suit. One heart, one spade, one club, and one diamond. Do this quite at random, do not think too deeply about it, but ensure that you look at all fifty-two cards before making your decision.”

Miss Carriger duly took the cards in her hands and looked through them. She fumbled on occasion, excusing herself for being so clumsy, but I reassured her and she went about her task with enthusiasm. After a few moments she placed down four cards upon the title, one card from each suit, a Heart, a Spade, a Club, and a Diamond. I placed the cards, face up in a line upon the table so that all could see them quite plainly.

The cards chosen were the Queen of Hearts, the 2 of Clubs, the 9 of Diamonds, and the 10 of Spades.

“Quite fascinating,” I whispered.

“How so?” enquired Miss Carriger, a gentle smile quivering across her lips.

I looked around the table at my assembled guests and I smiled.

“I asked Miss Carriger to choose four cards, one from each suit, completely at random. But the fact of the matter is that there is no such thing as a random act. At all stages the unconscious mind is at work, directing our actions, influencing us in ways that we are only just coming to understand. Miss Carriger’s conscious

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