Book Read Free

Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery Writer

Page 10

by Fred Thursfield


  Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London’s East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan’s church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road. The area built up rapidly in the 19th century, mainly to accommodate immigrant workers and displaced London poor, and developed a reputation for poverty, overcrowding, violence and political dissent

  Chapter 37

  I had been awake for about an hour enjoying the last part of a light breakfast while appreciating the early morning view out of the balcony doors of my hotel room (the Lancaster Gate Hotel) when I heard a soft knock on the door. When I went to open it there stood a smartly dressed young bell hop holding a silver tray in his right hand. “A message for you Miss” I smiled at his assumption removed the envelope and then left a gratuity in its place. Assuming that I was going to open the envelope and read the note in his presence...he inquired “Will there be an answer?”

  Remembering Mycroft’s cautioning in his telegram to me I politely said “no” and continued “if there is I will leave it at the front desk to be delivered.”

  Thanking the messenger and closing the door I carried the envelope and went back to my breakfast. While drinking the last of my morning coffee I looked at the place setting in front of me hoping to find something suitable that could be employed as a letter opener. Cleaning the butter knife with a napkin I slit open the envelope curious as to the identity of the sender. As soon as I unfolded the note inside I realized from the hand writing that the correspondent was Sherlock.

  Mary:

  It seems that I have had to leave my bees to their own devices yet again having received a message from Mycroft. I arrived in London from Doncaster yesterday afternoon. I contacted my brother last night and you and I have an appointment with him today at (here Sherlock gave the time). To this end I have arranged for a motor taxi, with destination instructions previously relayed to the driver, He will be waiting to take you from your hotel to the address that houses Mycroft’s office where you and I shall meet.

  I was shocked to learn from Mycroft that Miss Jeffery has been abducted. I fear for her safety when it is discovered that she does not have the Survivors list with her. There is however some good news in all of this. Two persons in the employ of my brother witnessed Miss Jeffery in the company of a distinctive looking man and an attractive young woman leaving the Gravesend train at the St. Pancreas station and making their way from the station concourse to a street exit.

  There is a reasonable chance with the descriptions provided that Mycroft may know the identity of at least one or possibly both of the persons involved and if that is the case, this evidence should provide a suitable lead which will be pursued. Be assured that both Mycroft and I will pool all of our resources to rescue Miss Jeffery and have her safely returned unharmed to Gravesend.

  Sherlock

  Chapter 38

  There were not any witnesses in the area when a motor taxi stopped in front of WH Matthews & Co which presented its self as a Residential Conveyancing office located at 109 Old Street, Stepney, and London. Three passengers silently left the vehicle and entered the building.

  Here I would like to include Winifred’s account of details of her abduction.

  Although I suspected this abduction had a great deal to do with the survivors list I had no way of confirming this information much less who my abductors were. My confusion became greater as the three of us left the motor taxi which had transported us from the train station. We now entered an unlit office. Every surface in the entire area including papers, documents, chairs, desks and filing cabinets were covered in a thick layer of dust which filled me with a sense of foreboding.

  Walking through the abandoned workplace felt as if we might be disturbing long departed ghosts. We then entered via a door at the rear of the office and transitioned from a room of neglect to a well lit, dark oak panelled room with a mahogany table and seating for what looked to be approximately twenty four persons.

  My captors remained stationary and silent as if they had completed their task and were awaiting further instructions. About a minute later a distinguished looking man (who did not introduce himself) entered the room assessed the situation then said “Thomas and Ashley well done. You may leave now. Your payments will be deposited in the usual manner tomorrow morning.”

  With the dismissal of my abductors and realizing that I was alone the gentleman in front of me gave me a cold look as he said “Miss Jeffery” here he indicated a seat next to me “please be seated. It has come to our attention that you have come into possession of a document that does not belong to you and we would like to have returned” I felt as if all of the blood in me had just drained to my feet.

  Chapter 39

  That afternoon at the time Sherlock had appointed in his note, I left the motor taxi and met him on the front steps of the building that housed his brother’s office. Sensing my urgency we dispensed with polite small talk and hastily made our way to Mycroft’s chambers.

  In the outer office we were met by a male secretary who introduced himself to us as “Arthur”. “I will let Mr Holmes know you have arrived.” Getting up from his desk he went to the door that lead to the inner office, knocked softly and announced “Sir, Mr Holmes and Mrs Watson to see you.”

  The sound coming from the other side of the door indicated someone rising from a chair. Sherlock heard the familiar sound of his brothers voice say “Show them in Arthur.” As we were being lead into the inner office I was impressed by the scale of the room, indicating to me that the elder Holmes must be a man of great power, importance and influence.

  Dismissing the secretary and taking the initiative towards formal greetings Mycroft moved in my direction extended his hand and while gentle shaking it stated “It is a pleasure to meet you Mrs Watson I do however wish it was under better circumstances.” To his younger brother there were no words of greeting but only of fact. “Sherlock I believe I have been able to make a connection between Miss Jefferies abductors and the Survivors list.”

  “Please be seated” he indicated the two chairs in front of his desk. Before Mycroft resumed he went to the desk opened a drawer and removed a document. “This record...this Survivors list” Mycroft retrieved the document from the drawer “if it was to fall in the wrong hands could undo the relative peace the world has enjoyed since the end of the war. It could also expose why certain countries who claimed neutrality at the start and during the hostilities entered into a conflict that in no way affected them.”

  “It could call into question the leadership and government of certain countries and cast doubt on whose best interest they were acting.” “Not to mention” Mycroft continued “the actions and motives of industries and businesses of these countries. Those who stood to benefit and make a profit from the fighting. I think with this information that you both would agree that it was important enough and sensitive enough to protect at all cost.” I nodded in agreement. Sherlock showed little reaction to this revelation and it made me wonder if he had faced a situation like this before.

  Sitting down at his desk Mycroft continued “We now have the what, now as to the matter of the who. During the war I placed teams of operatives in all of the major train stations to keep a watch on arriving out of town passengers to see whether their actions or interactions warranted further attention and follow up.

  This how I knew of the arrival of a young patent clerk who had come to London seeking your help Sherlock during the war before Doctor and Mrs. Watson had.” I momentarily flashed back to the first meeting the three of us had with Mr. Einstein and was impressed with Sherlock’s brother for site and talent. Obviously the brothers had more than a last name in common and I felt he could bring about a rescue for Winifred.

  Returning the Survivors list to a drawer Mycroft continued. “Despite the war being over and considering the terms of the armistice that was applie
d to certain countries I felt it was prudent to continue the surveillance. Why? Because I felt there would always be governments and countries that might remain hostile to the United Kingdom and might want to do some harm or redress old perceived injuries. It was this thinking that allowed me to pass along the information concerning Miss Jeffrey.”

  “My two operatives at St. Pancreas station had recognized Miss Jeffery from her books and took down great detail of the man and women she was seen leaving the train and station with. The man from their description is Thomas Malone Prescott, 33 years of age. Although they only had a short time to observe him they described him as tall, lean and wiry, malevolent looking man with shocking red hair and beard. From previous information gathered we know he is a skilled expert in weapons and the use of explosives.”

  “It has always been noted that anyone who had fought him and lived should consider them selves most fortunate, for some of his competitors never experienced that good providence. We believe because of his skills that Mr. Prescott is the prime suspect in the two murders that took place in Gravesend and the one that took place in Brixton Market here in London.”

  Like a hound that had just caught the possible scent of the fox Sherlock asked “where does this Mr. Prescott reside?” “Number 22, Margate Road, Brixton and he has been seen in and around the area of the East India Docks.”...“and the lady?”

  “Ashley Laurinda Taggart, 27 years of age, has a petite build and short stature with long raven black hair. Of the two, she is the most dangerous because she possesses a devious mind...she has a terrifying presence when angered...dispatches victims with little or no conscience...much the way any one would dispatch an insignificant insect. She started off her criminal career at a young age by removing small goods from the shops without the inconvenience of paying for them and later graduated to being a competent pick pocket and a semi professional forger.” I suddenly realized that my fateful distraction from Winifred that day on the high street in Gravesend now had a name and a form.

  Watching Sherlock eagerly rise from his seat as if to start the pursuit Mycroft stopped him by stating “I should tell you Sherlock that the two persons I have described are merely the people who were hired to abduct Miss Jeffery and deliver her to London for questioning. It is the people that hired them that we have to worry about.”

  Not sure where this was going I asked “What do we (meaning Sherlock and I) do next?” Mycroft never having dealt with these matters as his brother had looked to Sherlock for direction. Smiling assuredly, Sherlock stood up gestured toward me and confidently stated “I believe Mrs. Watson has exhibited considerable detective skills in Gravesend while conducting a preliminary cause of death and would be most suited to find out more about Miss Taggart.

  Chapter 40

  I tried my best to maintain my composure as I calmly replied “what document do you mean?” The man then closed the distance between us so that he was standing uncomfortably next to me. Shaking his head and giving me a look that one might give to a difficult child he continued impatiently “Miss Jeffery my colleagues and I do not have the time or patience to play games.

  We know some time ago that you and a small group of people had entered the damaged interior of the St. Peter and St. Paul church to assess the damage. We also know that one of your party entered the sacristy, found the document in question and removed it. By the process of elimination (of course I knew he meant the death of Stan and Charles) and a somewhat botched and fruitless examination of your home we believe it is you who has the list and thus the reason for your being here.”

  Realizing that I had been found out and afraid of the fateful consequences of the discovery I decided to hold on to the faint chance that my disappearance had been discovered by Mary and Mr. Holmes and a rescue might be at hand. I cautiously repeated “what document do you mean?” I was unsure of his reaction to my continued denial the distinguished looking man (who had not introduced himself) turned and left the room to presumably discuss with others the next course of action leaving me alone to wonder what was next.

  The unexpected outcome of my abduction meant that an impromptu meeting was now taking place in the dusty and unused office. Although most of the conversation was muffled by the thick door I caught the occasional word indicating their confusion and lack of direction as to how they were to proceed in retrieving the Survivors list.

  After what seemed an eternity the barely audible conversation ended and the door opened. I was greeted with “Miss Jeffery you have placed us in a very awkward position. Having conferred with my colleges’ a number of options have been discussed as to how to precede. Due to your status as a mystery writer the first two suggestions have been dropped from the discussion for the time being. It has been decided that you remain our guest at a rooming house not too far from this location.

  Each day you will be brought from your lodgings to this room and you will be asked for your co operation in returning the document you claim to have no knowledge of. But I should warn you, if after a certain amount of time has passed you still choose not to co-operate... well you are the mystery writer and you should know how this story will end.”

  Chapter 41

  At this point in my narrative there were two paths to follow. It was decided that Sherlock would take up the trail of Thomas Prescott to see if he could lead us to where Winifred had been delivered. I in turn was to take up the trail of Ashley Taggart to see what she knew in connection with Winifred’s disappearance.

  To this end, Sherlock’s elder brother provided us both with as much information on the two suspects as he could. It wasn’t disclosed at that moment but some time later Sherlock revealed to me that Mycroft had expressed his doubts about my detective abilities. “Sherlock, merely being the wife of Dr. Watson is hardly qualification enough to pursue someone like Miss Taggart.” I was proud to hear that Sherlock’s response to this doubt was that although I was not as experienced as John given the opportunity, could soon be.

  After leaving Mycroft’s office and knowing that time was against us we formulated a plan of action. Each morning we would meet for breakfast at my hotel to calculate the likely locations (from Mycroft’s information) as to where we both might find our quarry. We would also return for dinner to pool what we had learned and gauge our progress.

  Chapter 42

  East Street Market known locally as ‘The Lane’, or ‘East Lane’, is a busy street market in Walworth in South London. It is large and vibrant and is good for vegetables, material and household goods. East Street is in the London Borough of Southwark and is between Walworth Road on the western side and the Old Kent Road on the Eastern side.

  The market runs down East Street from the junction with Walworth Road to Dawes Street. The main entrance to the market is from Walworth Road. There has been street trading in the Walworth area since the 16th Century, when farmers rested their livestock on Walworth Common before continuing to the city.

  During the industrial revolution, stalls lined the whole of the Walworth Road, but the market has only been officially running since 1880. The market today sells clothing, jewellery, cosmetics, household products, confectionary, fruit, and vegetables and for some it is a wealth of pockets and hand bags waiting to be picked.

  I entered the busy market from Walworth road not sure if I would even catch a glimpse of Miss Taggart in the constantly moving crowd of vendors and shoppers, much less apprehend and her force her to share what she knew of Winfred’s whereabouts.

  Trying to blend in and remain as inconspicuous as possible because I was sure she would remember my face from our encounter on the high street in Gravesend I feigned passing interest in all the goods around me all the time watching out for her.

  I had been walking back and forth through the market for about an hour without any success and was starting to be noticed by some of the vendors for not making any purchases when I witnessed a young lady generally
matching the description of Miss Taggart. It appeared she was on a collision course with an older gentleman who was finishing his transaction with a fruit vendor.

  I arrived just as Miss Taggart was backing away with a childlike expression upon her young face. She was apologizing innocently saying “excuse me sir I didn’t see you standing there.” The man smiling kindly was about to dismiss the accidental collision hoping that Miss Taggart had not been hurt, when I came up from behind.

  Placing my hand securely on the young ladies shoulders thus letting her know I knew what had just taken place I firmly announced “young lady you will return the gentleman’s billfold.” Up until this point, the three of us had just been part of the pedestrian traffic making its way through the market.

  It was at this point that the passers by stopped to see what my order was all about. I could detect a shared sense of disbelief. The gentleman who found his billfold had been skilfully removed from an inner pocket without his knowledge and from the female pick pocket who thought she would never be caught practising her craft.

  As Miss Taggart reluctantly returned the purloined item to its owner the older gentleman opened the billfold to make sure that all the contents were intact. Now recovering from his shock stated “we should call a constable and have this thief arrested.” Fearing that I might lose my one lead as to where Winifred may be located I assured him that once I had questioned her on some matters I would place the pick pocket into the care of the local constable.

 

‹ Prev