by Ashton, Hugh
“ Cannot tell us, or will not tell us ? ” he bellowed.
I was about to answer, when from Holmes’ bedroom came the sound of three sharp blasts on a police-whistle. The three intruders froze in their tracks, and I slipped hastily to the desk and withdrew my Army revolver from the drawer. By the time the three had noticed my movement, the pistol was trained on their leader.
“ Drop your sticks,” I commanded, as the triple blasts on the whistle sounded again, louder and more confident this time.
“ And if we don’t ? ” sneered one of the accomplices.
“ Then I shall shoot you,” I told him, as calmly as was possible under the circumstances.
“ You would never dare,” replied the bruiser, moving forward, stick in hand.
As a doctor, I am sworn to protect the life of others. As a human being, I am obviously anxious to protect my own life. And as a friend of Sherlock Holmes, I was never more determined to protect his well-being than at that moment. I fired my revolver, and the wretch dropped his weapon, clutching at his arm with a sharp cry.
“ You ______ ! ” he exclaimed, letting loose an obscenity which I will not repeat here.
The other accomplice moved forward, but his leader held him back with a motion of his hand. “ Stay back, Jim. This one looks as though he means business.”
“ Drop your sticks,” I commanded once more, and this time was rewarded by the sound of the two remaining sticks falling on the floor. “ Now move to the door, with your hands above your heads,” I ordered.
As they moved, the whistle sounded once more.
“ Confound him ! ” complained the leader. “ He’ll have the law on us if he continues.”
“ I rather fancy that is his purpose,” I remarked.
“ Come on, lads, let’s run for it ! This cove’s too much of a gentleman,” he sneered at me, “ to try and shoot us in the back.”
Of course, he was correct in his estimate as to my character, and I could only stand mutely as they raced down the stairs and let themselves out into the street, banging the door behind them. Shortly after the echo of the slammed door had died away, Mrs. Hudson emerged from the kitchen and called up to me, enquiring whether Holmes and I required assistance. I was able to assure her that although we had suffered the loss of a coffee cup and saucer, our bodies were as whole as they had been before the invasion.
I hurried into Holmes’ bed-room, to find him sitting in bed, seemingly a little refreshed, with the police-whistle still in his hand.
“ You played the game superbly, Watson,” he said with a faint smile. “ If it were not for your courage just then, I am certain that I would be a dead man by now.”
“ Those men would have killed you ? ”
“ I have little doubt of it. You heard him say that he owed me a debt ? The black eye and other bruises—I do believe I cracked two of his ribs—and the injuries I inflicted on his friends would provide sufficient justification for my death in their eyes, I fear.”
I shuddered. “ And the debt they claim from you ? ”
Holmes smiled, and for answer reached under his pillow, withdrawing a tobacco tin, and wordlessly handing it to me.
“ Handle the contents with extreme care,” he told me.
I did as he bade me, revealing a linen handkerchief wrapped around a flat object. I carefully unfolded the cloth, and could not suppress a gasp of astonishment as I withdrew one of the most beautiful objects it has ever been my privilege to handle. It was obviously the head of Our Lord as represented by a true master of artistic creation. The workmanship was exquisite, and the expression on the Face on the cameo was all that we may imagine that of our Saviour to have been—a Face of love and compassion, mixed with an other-worldly strength. I stood in silence, lost in wonder, until I heard a knocking at the door to the rooms.
I passed the cameo back to Holmes, who rewrapped it in the handkerchief and replaced it in the tin. I then moved to the door.
“ Who is there ? ”
“ Sergeant Harris and Constable Wells of the Metropolitan Police. We are responding to the whistle that we heard earlier.”
“ Enter,” I bade the two officers, opening the door to them.
“ We believe there was a gunshot fired, sir,” the sergeant said to me. “ Can you explain this ? ”
“ Certainly. I fired in self-defence. I was being threatened by three men who had entered uninvited.”
“ This would be the weapon in question sir ? ” indicating the revolver, which still lay on the table. I nodded, and he continued, “ And this here ? ” as he pointed to the pieces of china scattered on the floor that formed the remains of the coffee cup.”
“ That is the handiwork of the intruders.”
“ Did these men give any indication of what they wanted, sir ? Is there any reason for this attack, do you know ? ”
“ They mentioned something about a debt or debts between them and a friend of mine who is sick in the other room.”
“ I see, sir. May we have the name of your friend ? ”
“ My name is Sherlock Holmes,” came his voice from behind us. “ I remember you, Sergeant, do I not ? I recall you were assisting Inspector Lestrade on a case some time back.”
“ Well bless me, sir,” said the sergeant, obviously delighted at the recognition. “ Indeed so, sir. It was an honour to work with you then, and it is an honour to be talking with you now, though I am sorry that it is under such circumstances. Wells,” he said, turning to the constable, “ take good note of this man. You are looking at the finest detective that England, if not the world, has ever produced. If you ever have the good fortune to work with him, you will learn more from him in five minutes than you will learn from five years in the Force.”
“ An honour to meet you, sir,” replied the constable, who had not spoken until then.
Holmes bowed slightly. “ You flatter me, Harris. I am delighted to see you as a sergeant.”
“ Six months ago, sir, and if I may say so, it was all due to one or two things I picked up from watching you.”
“ May I ? ” asked Holmes, sinking into an armchair. “ As Doctor Watson just mentioned, I am somewhat indisposed, and I find it a strain to stand up.”
“ Of course, sir. Do you feel free to tell us more of the debt that the Doctor here mentioned just now ? ”
“ I am afraid that is not something that I am able to discuss freely at this time, Sergeant. I am sorry if this appears discourteous, but—“
“ No need for an apology, sir. We know that you have your own business at times, into which it might be unwise for us to enquire too deeply.”
“ I wish that your superiors would display some of your good sense in that regard,” chuckled Holmes. “ Watson, it is a cold and raw day. Maybe we should offer our guests some refreshment ? ”
“ Not while I am on duty, thanking you kindly, sir.” He turned to me. “ Will you be pressing charges ? If so, I must ask you to come to the station with me and provide a description.”
I looked at Holmes and raised an eyebrow, receiving an almost imperceptible shake of the head in return. “ No, thank you, Sergeant. I think we will let sleeping dogs lie for now.”
“ As you wish, sir.”
“ However,” interjected Holmes, “ if you could manage to pay more than the average amount of attention to this building on your beat, and pass the word to the others of your colleagues, it would be much appreciated.”
The sergeant touched the brim of his helmet. “ I’ll see what I can manage, sir. Is there anything or anyone in particular we should be looking for ? ”
“ Any tall well-built men sporting a black eye and speaking with a Scots-Irish accent will repay further study, I believe.”
“ Very good, sir. I’ll pass the word. And a very good morning to both you gentlemen.”
“ Well ? ” I said to Holmes as the sound of police boots disappeared down the stairs. “ Should you not be returning to your bed ? ”
Holmes yawn
ed. “ In just a few minutes. Pray do not fuss over me. I shall live, I have no doubt. First, let me send a telegram to Pillstone.”
He scribbled a few words on a piece of paper and rang the bell. Billy the page entered, and Holmes gave him instructions to send the telegram from the post office.
“ And now,” he announced, “ if you would be good enough to wake me up when an answer arrives from Pillstone. I will go to bed again,” and suited his action to the words.
I did not have long to wait before the answer arrived. I knocked on Holmes’ door, and went in to him. “ He will visit us at half-past five, he says. There have been developments of which he will inform us, he says.”
“ Very good,” Holmes answered me, replacing his head on the pillow. “ I can see, Watson, that you are consumed with curiosity as to the circumstances that have placed me in this position. Rest assured that I will tell you all at the proper time, which is not, however, now.” So saying, he closed his eyes, and I tiptoed out of the room.
At five-thirty, the clocks were striking the half-hour at the precise time that the doorbell rang. Holmes had arisen and made his toilet some time before, and was attired in his usual garments. Nonetheless, the injuries he had sustained to his face were still apparent, and caused Pillstone to start when he noticed them.
“ Mr. Holmes ! ” he exclaimed. “ Are these injuries in any way the result of the enquiries you have been conducting on my behalf ? ”
“ I am sorry to tell you that they are.”
“ Please accept my most sincere apologies. When I retained your services, I had no idea that I would be placing you in any kind of danger or risk of violence.”
Holmes waved a deprecatory hand. “ No matter. Your telegram spoke of a development ? ”
“ Yes, a most extraordinary thing. McCoy, whom you will remember as my assistant, left work on the evening of the day that you visited the Museum, and has not been seen since then.”
“ You mean that he has not appeared at work ? ”
“ Not only that, but he has not even been seen at his lodgings in Camden. He left the Museum, according to the book where we all sign our names, at a quarter past six. When he did not appear at work the next day, I sent a messenger to see if he were ill. The messenger returned bearing the news that not only was he absent from his lodgings, but he had never returned that night. I sent the messenger to Camden again today, and he returned an hour before I left the Museum to come here, and informed me that McCoy had not been seen at all there.”
“ I am not surprised,” remarked Holmes calmly.
“ You do not suspect he had something to do with the theft and substitution ? I would be horrified to think that any member of the Museum’s staff could be guilty of such an action.”
“ I am convinced that it was he who was responsible for the actual removal and the substitution of the cameos. However, he was working with a dangerous group of blackguards, but whether his participation was voluntary or forced, I cannot, at this point, say.”
“ I am shocked beyond words, Mr. Holmes. I treated that young man with every consideration, and would definitely have recommended that he become my successor upon my retirement.”
“ Well, we all make our errors of judgement, Mr. Pillstone. I hope that the shock I am about to administer to you will prove a more pleasant one, however.” So saying, he withdrew the tin containing the linen-wrapped package that I had handled earlier, and offered it to Pillstone. “ Open it with great care, Mr. Pillstone,” he advised.
The curator demonstrated by his method of handling the object that he was accustomed to such practices, but the joy on his face when he discovered the cameo inside the tin was surely unique. “ How can I thank you enough ? This is, of course, the gem of the whole collection, and even if the other twelve were never to be seen again, this alone would almost be sufficient compensation.” He paused. “ I take it you have not recovered the other twelve Apostles, Mr. Holmes ? ”
“ Not at present. However, I have every confidence that with your assistance, we will be able to recover them.”
“ With my assistance ? ” cried our visitor, turning pale. “ Surely, Mr. Holmes, you are not accusing me of complicity in this appalling act ? ”
“ By no means,” Holmes answered. “ All that I meant was that we require your assistance as a member of the Museum staff in baiting the trap that we will set. I have a score or two to settle with these gentlemen, and it would give me the greatest pleasure to see them receive their just deserts in Court.”
“ Very well,” replied Pillstone. “ What would you like me to do ? ”
“ For the next few days, very little. Simply change the notice in your gallery to report that the cameos are being cleaned, or some such, and ensure that your colleagues know that there was some sort of problem in the packing of the cameos when they arrived from Rome which has necessitated this, and which you noticed only the day before they were due to go on display for some time.”
“ You wish me to give the impression that all the cameos are still in the Museum, but not on display ? ”
“ Precisely,” smiled Holmes. “ A certain amount of vagueness as to the exact location of the cameos is advisable, but the impression you must give to others is that they are all under your control, and that they will be exhibited in the near future.”
“ As it happens, I have already done that. Since I had hoped that your assistance would recover the gems quickly, I did not want to advertise the loss prematurely. I used the reason you have just suggested to explain the delay to their exhibition— that the cameos required a little work to be done before they were ready to be shown to the public.”
“ Truly excellent. You appear to have anticipated me in all respects. The fact that you can show a selected number of your colleagues the central point of the collection, which I have just given to you, will lend additional strength to your story.”
“ Indeed it will. I will communicate with you should there be any further developments in the field.”
“ And I with you. Good day to you, Mr. Pillstone. I do not mean to be discourteous, but,” Holmes pointed to his damaged face, “ I feel I need a little time for rest.”
“ Of course. Once again, my thanks to you for your work so far.” He gathered up the cameo in its linen wrapping, and left us.
“ And I must to bed again,” said Holmes. “ It is not often that I feel so fatigued, but the last few days have been exceptional in the toll they have taken on my system. Fear not, Watson, you will receive a full account in due course. I have high hopes that the results of this little adventure will be more far-reaching than the worthy Mr. Pillstone can imagine.”
zz
T
he next morning I was awake before Sherlock Holmes and was reading the morning newspapers, when a letter to the editor of the Morning Post caught my eye:
“ Sir,
“ It has come to my attention that the British Museum has recently received a gift of priceless cameos from the Bishop of Rome. I have it on good authority that these gems are intended as part-payment to our government for the country of Ireland, which is to be handed over to the Roman Catholic Church as a dependency to be administered from Rome, following the transfer of further works of art from the Vatican. London is to be excluded from any decisions regarding the country.
“ This move will undoubtedly spell the end of the United Kingdom, and I call on all true Britons to resist this treasonous betrayal of our nation.”
This was signed with the name of “ Sir William Ferguson”, a name which was somewhat familiar to me, but which I was unable for the moment to place precisely. I laid the Morning Post aside, marking the letter for future reference, and turned to another paper, where to my astonishment, I saw the following:
“ THEFT OF VALUABLE VATICAN RELICS
“ It was reported last night that thirteen priceless cameos of the 15th century, said to be carved by the master Giovanni Lavatelli, have been stolen from the British Museum
, where they were on loan by the courtesy of the Holy See. The authorities at the Museum, led by Mr. Avery Pillstone, the Visiting Curator, who has responsibility for these items, have so far failed to call in the police, fearing that the announcement of the loss of these items will lead to a rift in relations between the British Government and the Vatican.”
As I finished reading the piece, Sherlock Holmes walked into the room, fully dressed, appearing to be almost perfectly restored to his former healthy state, other than the bruises and cut on his face that he had sustained.
“ See this,” I invited, pointing him to the second article.
“ Ha ! ” he exclaimed, perusing it rapidly, and casting the newspaper to one side. “ Has this appeared in any other journal ? ”
“ Not that I have seen,” I said, “ but there is this.” I passed him the Morning Post.
“ Sir William at his tricks again,” he remarked.
“ Who is he ? The name is familiar, but I cannot place him.”
“ He is a strong Unionist who used to represent an Ulster constituency. He was defeated in the last election, and has been a thorn in the side of the Government since then. This is pure mischief-making, as is the other.”
“ To what purpose ? ”
“ They mean to force our hand, it would appear. They know that they have twelve of the thirteen cameos, and this is a challenge to us. Consider. If we fail to produce the cameos as an exhibit on loan from the Holy See, together with the official documentation certifying that they are indeed a loan and not a gift, this adds credence to Sir William’s claim that the cameos have been received secretly by the British Government as part of the payment for Ireland by the Catholic Church, or rather by the Vatican, which amounts to almost the same thing. Since he still has twelve of the cameos in this possession, he believes that he is safe in making this accusation.”
“ I still fail to see the purpose,” I objected.
“ Sir William entertains the hope that as a result of this story, his followers will rise up against the Irish Catholics, to whose Church, according to him, the island of Ireland has been sold by the British government. Indeed, his object is a civil war.”