The Widow of Dartmoor by Warwick Downing

Author:Warwick Downing
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sherlock, Holmes, mystery, crime, british, novel, fiction, Hound of the Baskervilles
ISBN: 9781780926025
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2014
Published: 2014-04-16T00:00:00+00:00

‘Take us through your activities in connection with this matter on twenty-eight September, if you will, Mr Longstreet,’ Jeremy said.

The detective had picked up Lady Russell at her home in Kensington at 9:30 A.M. She was driven to her boutique by her chauffeur, arriving at 10:25 A.M., entering through the main door, as was her habit. Once inside, the detective waited for her to show herself. He positioned himself at the north end of Marylebone Lane, in such a way that he could see the main door of the boutique clearly, as well as the entrance to the alleyway behind. There was construction in the alleyway, obstructing the passage of anyone who might wish to go out the south end. Though Longstreet could not see the back exit of the store, anyone leaving the alleyway must come out the north end, thus he was in a position to see them.

He did not see Lady Russell again until a richly-appointed carriage pulled up in front, out of which jumped a fine-looking gentleman. The man had not waited for the chauffeur to open the carriage door. ‘The toff tapped with his knuckles on the door of the business and Lady Russell opened it up, she did, and let him inside.’

‘And you saw her then?’ Jeremy asked.

‘I did.’

‘At what time did that occur?’

‘’Twas ten minutes after seven P.M.,’ the witness said.

‘Then earlier that evening, you had watched Professor Vandeleur let himself in?’ Jeremy asked.

‘Correct, Mr Holmes.’

‘What time did Professor Vandeleur go inside?’

‘Quite close in time it was. Perhaps ten minutes before the coach stopped there.’

‘Then at least three people were inside the boutique while the carriage stood in front of it?’ Jeremy asked.

‘They was indeed, Mr Holmes. There was three inside.’

‘The gentleman was not inside for long, was he?’

‘No,’ was the reply. ‘A minute or two.’

‘Then he drove away?’ Jeremy asked.

‘He did, sir.’

‘Was he alone in the carriage when he drove away?’ Jeremy asked.

‘No sir,’ Longstreet said. ‘A woman was there. She climbed on top of him, one might say, when he was in. Most anxious she was to embrace him.’

‘Most anxious, was she?’ Jeremy asked.

‘Indeed she was, sir.’

‘You told Sir Guthrie that you had seen a light go on in the bedroom above the boutique,’ Jeremy said, ‘and that it was on a minute or two. When was that?’ Jeremy asked.

‘I made no note of the time, but it was later in the evening,’ the detective said. ‘The lamps on Marylebone Lane had been lit by then, and it was dark outside.’

‘Then it was perhaps half an hour after the gentleman in the carriage, under a woman who had climbed on top of him, had gone?’

‘I should say it was at least that.’

When asked if Peter, Lord Russell, had engaged the solicitor who hired Fleet Street Investigations, the detective said he had no knowledge of that. He gave his reports to the solicitor who had instructed him, and had no interest in who had engaged the solicitor.

Was his partner Madan Asan stationed in front of the business, when the carriage pulled up? Jeremy inquired of the witness.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.