Sherlock Holmes by Lyn McConchie

Author:Lyn McConchie
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: mystery, sherlock, holmes, detective, sleuth
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
Published: 2016-04-27T04:00:00+00:00

6

I must admit that I saw our investigations at a standstill. We knew Ben Jarvis to be a murderer, a liar, a cheat, and a thief, but we could prove little of the latter indictments, and one by one we were eliminating those who would have wished to harm him. It was asked of us that we find a way, moreover, to see his sister into her inheritance under such circumstances as would allow her to accept that with a clear conscience. I sighed. That would not be easy. I turned to my friend and said so.

“No,” Holmes agreed. “Yet I am rarely beaten, Watson. We still have to investigate his acquaintances from the time he was Wimbledon of Mayfair.”

“Then,” I said resolutely, “despite Harrison’s superior saying sleeping dogs should be allowed to lie—as Harrison expected—let us go and see some of those defamed in the diaries. It may be that they can shed some light either on events or the man’s character.”

We chose first to see the four men—the fourth having just returned from France—who had been the true foundation of Wimbledon’s fortune; those who had forced his sale of the apartment building. We chose to see them one by one.

Holmes explained to me. “Let us see what each has to say, and after that we can balance their tales each against the other.”

They were from good families; none titled but related to those who were. Those families had spoken with Purdon so that he was reluctant to make accusations or to even question the men too severely. I wondered how Holmes would approach this, for while he dealt with all without fear or favor, he could not force them to speak. I was to find out.

* * * *

On our meeting with the first, a Major Tilden, we found him at his rooms—in a pleasant location, on a tree-lined avenue, and within the rooms all was well-furnished in a masculine manner, with dark brown carpets, and solid furniture of a generation or two ago. His surroundings were not lavish, but such as emphasized his background as a man of good family and comfortably off. Holmes spoke quietly to the man, but in a way that left no doubt he had all the facts of the matter.

“Major, I accepted this case with reluctance, but I must tell you I have been retained by a lady related to the man who sold the apartment block to you and your friends. The previous owner of this building was found buried in Wimbledon’s garden.” From the man’s changing expressions I could see that while he knew of the body, he knew nothing of an heir. “Yes,” my friend continued. “The lady is a third cousin of the victim and she is entitled to the money Wimbledon stole. If I fail to recover that, she plans to apply to the courts for leave to bring a claim against you.”

Here Major Tilden started from his seat. “Against me? Why? We purchased the building from Wimbledon, but we had nothing to do with a murder, nor did we do anything but pay for the building.

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