The Return of Moriarty by John E. Gardner

Author:John E. Gardner [Gardner, John E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Suspense
ISBN: 9780297768272
Publisher: Weidenfeld and Nicolson
Published: 1974-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

21,000 times have I walked round this cell in a week

Another, his remand obviously over and sentence passed, had chipped out

Good-bye, Lucy dear,

I’m parted from you for seven long year

BILL JONES

Below, some cynic had added

If Lucy dear is like most girls,

She’ll give few sighs and moans,

But soon will find among your pals

Another William Jones

Nothing. No scratched messages by Colonel Moran, no hints or traces. Only the stale smell of humanity thinly disguised by the pervading reek of disinfectant.

Crow returned with his heavy batch of papers to Scotland Yard, where, more from irritation than conscientiousness, he instructed his sergeant to see if there were any old reports or documents relating to the name Druscovich. The sergeant did not return to the office until nearly four o’clock, this time not only with papers referring to Druscovich but also to several other names—notably those of Palmer and Meiklejohn.

Crow cursed aloud and with some profanity. He had not been able to see the wood for the trees. Druscovich—he knew the name as well as his own, and it must have been a pretty dull copper who had put in his beat report without connecting the names, and an even duller sergeant. He could only presume that no senior officer had even looked at it.

Nat Druscovich: Chief Inspector Nat Druscovich. Chief Inspector Bill Palmer, and Inspector John Meiklejohn—the three members of the detective force who were sent down in 1877. All of them had got a two-stretch for complicity in the de Goncourt scandal, which had brought shame upon the whole force.

“Tanner,” he bellowed to his sergeant, “there has to be a comprehensive file under the name de Goncourt. I want it here within the half hour, then you’re in charge until I’ve taken it home and read it.”

If Nat Druscovich had mentioned on his deathbed that someone called Moriarty was behind that swindle, then chances were it was true; and if that Moriarty were one and the same man as the Professor, then there could just be a small gleam among the darkness. Meiklejohn and Palmer were, presumably, still alive; and if one or both could confirm, then maybe some of the wild stories might possibly be true. Get Moriarty on an old score and who knew what walls might tumble down.

“You’re a lying bastard!”

The blow that accompanied the spat statement caught Spear in the mouth. He went down, feeling the blood running from his lip on the scarred side.

Butler, who had come in behind Green, reached forward and pulled Spear to his feet. Two of the other men—Bovey and Gibbs, Spear thought they were called—climbed through the trap and ranged themselves behind Michael Green.

Green’s face was flushed with anger. He had struck with his right fist, the left crumpling a piece of paper on which there was writing.

“Bleedin’ liar, Spear.”

“I never claimed to be Saint Peter.”

“Your plan—your plotting to control Moriarty’s mob: you and Paget and Ember and the Chink, Lee Chow. An actor hired to be the Professor.”

Sarcasm etched Green’s words, like drawing a grater over nutmeg, all punctuated by short heavy blows to the side of Spear’s head.

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