The Execution of Sherlock Holmes by Donald Thomas

Author:Donald Thomas [Thomas, Donald]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Suspense
ISBN: 9781605980058
Publisher: Pegasus
Published: 2007-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

2

Why Holmes or I should hear more of this hateful business was beyond me. The trial of William Gardiner for the murder of Rose Harsent came on before Mr. Justice Grantham and a jury at Suffolk Assizes in Ipswich, and neither of us received any summons to appear as a witness for either the prosecution or the defence. I had not even been called to give medical testimony at the inquest. Dr. Lay could say all that had to be said about such matters. It was Holmes who brought up the case six months later, after breakfast in Baker Street, on a dank November morning.

‘I trust, Watson, you have no pressing engagements for the next few hours. I believe we are about to have a visitor, and I should greatly appreciate your company.’

‘Oh, has someone made an appointment? I thought the day was free.’

‘No appointment has been made. Indeed, I and the gentleman in question are complete strangers.’

‘Then who the devil is he to come here in such a manner?’

‘His name is Mr. Ernest Wild and he is the author of a successful operetta, The Help, and a widely praised volume of verse, The Lamp of Destiny.’

‘My dear Holmes, perhaps you would tell me why in thunder this librettist and versifier, unmet by either of us, is to descend upon us unannounced. If he is to descend at all!’

My friend chuckled.

‘Because, Watson, Mr. Ernest Wild is also a young barrister of the Inner Temple and defence counsel to William Gardiner of Peasenhall in his trial for the murder of Rose Harsent. The famous Marshall Hall should look to his laurels, for Ernest Wild has already defended thirty murder cases and saved twenty-seven clients from the gallows.’

I was impressed by this and said so.

‘He did not, of course, obtain acquittals in all twenty-seven cases but, at the very least, murder was reduced to manslaughter and his client lived to fight—possibly to kill—another day. Mr. Ernest Wild is what they call a coming man.’

‘And why should he visit us?’

‘For a reason known to all the world but you, old fellow. I was up unaccustomedly early this morning and have had the advantage of reading the Morning Post long before you came down to your breakfast. Two trials of William Gardiner have come and gone. The result is that two juries could not agree upon a verdict and he must be tried again. The worst is that at present eleven jurors would hang him but one held out. Even that man did not think Gardiner innocent. However, he has a conscientious objection to capital punishment and has written to the paper to say so. Had I not a distaste for puns, I should say it is only thanks to that one man that Gardiner’s life still hangs by a thread rather than by a rope. Ernest Wild knows very well that the likely outcome of another trial will be the hanging of his client. As a defender, he has done almost everything within his power and it has been too little.

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