The Trials of Sherlock Holmes by James Moffett

Author:James Moffett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sherlock holmes, mystery, crime, british crime, sherlock holmes fiction, sherlock holmes novel
ISBN: 9781787051362
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2017
Published: 2017-05-11T00:00:00+00:00

The General’s Dilemma

Over the months following the somewhat abrupt conclusion to the Kensington case, I detected an unusual reclusiveness in my friend, Sherlock Holmes. He took to carrying out experiments in his own room, which was kept securely locked and inaccessible. This placed a further strain on our friendship following my marriage to Mary Morstan and my departure from Baker Street. In the several instances when I visited our old lodgings at 221B, the lack of new cases being brought forward was exemplified by Holmes’ persistence in spending entire days behind closed doors. He would not venture out except for his evening dinner, and whilst he said nothing of his behaviour, I could not help but wonder whether his mind was wholly occupied by the singular discovery of the printed mark on a burnt envelope found at the Ashmore house in Vicarage Gate. A case was the only thing that brought us back to work together, when I was summoned away from my medical practice and my wife in order to join my friend in his singular profession.

It was on a particular morning towards the end of September, 1888 that I received a telegram from Sherlock Holmes himself.

Watson,

New Case. Assistance Required.

2 Days at the most.

– S.H.

Holmes’ message was in his typically cold and precise manner. Yet, the summons was a welcome change since my practice had been lacking in patients, and my wife happened to be visiting relatives in the country.

Following a hurried breakfast, I made my way eagerly towards 221B Baker Street where I was greeted by a concerned Mrs Hudson.

“What have we come to?” she moaned, as we ascended the staircase. “Were it not for the almost empty plates I find littering the rooms, one would think nobody lives here anymore.” Heading for Holmes’ door, she grasped the handle and attempted to push, but it failed to open. Grumbling, she tried again without much success. The door opened a fraction, allowing some light from inside to emerge. I myself attempted to gain access to my friend’s lodgings, and after a considerable thrust at the sturdy wooden door we managed to make our way inside. Two large piles of newspapers which seemed to have been stacked behind it had toppled over, clearly outlining the cause of our previous predicament.

“Blast it! Such a horrible mess!” cried Mrs Hudson as she quickly made her way back downstairs. On other days, I would have considered the behaviour of the landlady to be overly theatrical at best. Yet, as I stood in that sitting-room I could hardly agree more with her. Documents, books and all sorts of newspaper cuttings lay strewn across the entire length and breadth of the room. I found myself wading through ankle-deep heaps of paper. It was impossible not to avoid stepping on some headline reporting a political scandal or a neatly handwritten letter, as many of these had seemingly fallen from the top of the stacks and covered the now-concealed maroon carpet adorning the sitting-room, all the while as the sounds of crinkled paper invaded the silence.

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.