“Well, now, mademoiselle,” I said. “What now are your plans? I hope they do not involve any more executions, deserved or otherwise.”
She beamed a radiant smile at me and then replied in her broad Texan accent.
“Oh my, Doctor Watson. Why, I do believe that your Mademoiselle Jeanne d’Arc has departed. She must have gotten on the train with the terribly unpleasant policeman.”
“Did she now? Well then, Miss Annie, what are your plans?”
“Oh my, Doctor Watson. I do believe that my gallivanting around the earth is over and done and I shall return to Houston and settle down. I will just have to find me an upright, fine young eligible gentleman with excellent prospects and a rich daddy and see to it that he marries me. I do not fancy living on a ranch with a thousand cows, but I reckon that a railway or a mining tycoon with a lovely home in the city would suit me real fine. Don’t you agree, Doctor.”
I laughed out loud. “I believe, miss, that you have to find that man first. The competition is quite stiff on the frontier.”
“Oh, my goodness gracious, doctor. That will not be at all difficult. Men really are such simple creatures. All a gal needs to do is make the poor fools feel utterly wonderful about themselves when they are with you, and they will never leave you. I shall send you a wedding invitation within six months. Mark my words,” She laughed loudly and infectiously.
“Young lady,” said Holmes. “I may not be able to fault you for your past actions, but I would hope that you would have sufficient integrity to warn whoever you plan to marry that your mind is unstable and that you are prone to hearing voices instructing you to engage in violent deeds.”
The smile vanished from her face, and she looked directly at Sherlock Holmes
“Yesterday, sir, when poor Mr. Sheridan was telling you about what took place seventeen years ago, the voices inside my head were screaming until I thought my head would burst. But then they went silent. This morning I woke up and I knew that I had passed the first night in a decade in which no voice spoke to me. When I looked in the mirror, the only person who was there was Annie Morrison of Houston. Mademoiselle Jeanne d’Arc had departed. St. Michael has returned to heaven. He is no longer with me.”
“Has he now? And your voices?”
“Mr. Holmes, my voices are gone.”
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Historical and Other Notes
The primary historical background to this story is the war between France and Germany – the Franco-Prussian War – of 1870-1871. Historians debate as to what started it. Some claim it was French foolishness; others suggest that Bismarck deliberately enticed them into a war so that he could use it as a pretext for uniting the independent German states. The Prussian army, reputed to be the best fighting machine in the world at the time, trounced the French and ended up annexing the French provinces of Alsace and Lorraine.
Metz is one of the major towns in Alsace. It was attacked by the Prussian troops early in the war, but held out for several months before surrendering, an event known as the siege of Metz. Saint-Avold is a lovely historical town in Alsace, very close to the German border. It was one of the first places in France that was occupied by the Prussian troops. Other towns and cities, including Paris, endured long sieges, resulting in high numbers of civilian deaths. An estimated 750,000 deaths, combined military and civilian, are attributed to the war.
Although the war was shorter and more contained than the world wars of the twentieth century, it was a very significant historical event for several reasons:
It demonstrated that a conscript army (the Prussians), supported by highly superior preparation and logistics, could defeat a professional army that had better arms (the French);
It was one of the first times that the Red Cross played an extensive role in the treatment of the wounded and in attempts to enforce some degree of agreed upon rules of warfare. These would later be codified into a re-draft of the Geneva Conventions;
Informal guerilla resistance units were organized by the occupied French and were somewhat effective in asymmetrical warfare. Violent and brutal reprisals against civilians were launched in response to resistance actions;
The defeat of the French and the fall of the Second Republic led to the short-lived Paris Commune. The iconic status of the Commune and the bloody crushing by the national government became seminal events in the development of world Communism;
The annexation of Alsace and Lorraine by Germany made certain that animosity between the French and Germans would continue for decades after the end of the war. It led, in part, to the chain of events that culminated in World War I;
It was the first war that was followed by the ‘cult of the war dead’ wherein soldiers who died in battle were buried in special cemeteries, cenotaphs erected, and remembrance ceremonies instituted.
Alsace and Lorraine remained under German control until the end of World War I. They were occupied again under Hitler and formally annexed in 1941. Over 140,000 Alsatian and Mosellian men were conscripted into the German armed forces. The territories were returned to France in 1945.
About the Author
In May of 2014 the Sherlock Holmes Society of Canada – better known as The Bootmakers – announced a contest for a new Sherlock Holmes story. Although he had no experience writing fiction, the author submitted a short Sherlock Holmes mystery and was blessed to be declared one of the winners. Thus inspired, he has continued to write new Sherlock Holmes Mysteries since and is on a mission to write a new story as a tribute to each of the sixty stories in the original Canon. He currently writes from Buenos Aires, Toronto, the Okanagan, and Manhattan.
More Historical Mysteries
by Craig Stephen Copland
www.SherlockHolmesMystery.com
Click on links to look inside and download
Studying Scarlet. Starlet O’Halloran, a fabulous mature woman, who reminds the reader of Scarlet O’Hara (but who, for copyright reasons cannot actually be her) has arrived in London looking for her long-lost husband, Brett (who resembles Rhett Butler, but who, for copyright reasons, cannot actually be him). She enlists the help of Sherlock Holmes. This is an unauthorized parody, inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet and Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. http://authl.it/aic
The Sign of the Third. Fifteen hundred years ago the courageous Princess Hemamali smuggled the sacred tooth of the Buddha into Ceylon. Now, for the first time, it is being brought to London to be part of a magnificent exhibit at the British Museum. But what if something were to happen to it? It would be a disaster for the British Empire. Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and even Mycroft Holmes are called upon to prevent such a crisis. This novella is inspired by the Sherlock Holmes mystery, The Sign of the Four. http://authl.it/aie
A Sandal from East Anglia. Archeological excavations at an old abbey unearth an ancient document that has the potential to change the course of the British Empire and all of Christendom. Holmes encounters some evil young men and a strikingly beautiful young Sister, with a curious double life. The mystery is inspired by the original Sherlock Holmes story, A Scandal in Bohemia. http://authl.it/aif
The Bald-Headed Trust. Watson insists on taking Sherlock Holmes on a short vacation to the seaside in Plymouth. No sooner has Holmes arrived than he is needed to solve a double murder and prevent a massive fraud diabolically designed by the evil Professor himself. Who knew that a family of devout conservative churchgoers could come to the aid of Sherlock Holmes and bring enormous grief to evil doers? The story is inspired by The Red-Headed League. http://authl.it/aih
A Case of Identity Theft. It is the fall of 1888 and Jack the Ripper is terrorizing London. A young married couple is found, minus their heads. Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, the couple’s mothers, and Mycroft must join forces to find the murderer before he kills again and ma
kes off with half a million pounds. The novella is a tribute to A Case of Identity. It will appeal both to devoted fans of Sherlock Holmes, as well as to those who love the great game of rugby. http://authl.it/aii
The Hudson Valley Mystery. A young man in New York went mad and murdered his father. His mother believes he is innocent and knows he is not crazy. She appeals to Sherlock Holmes and, together with Dr. and Mrs. Watson, he crosses the Atlantic to help this client in need. This new story was inspired by The Boscombe Valley Mystery. http://authl.it/aij
The Mystery of the Five Oranges. A desperate father enters 221B Baker Street. His daughter has been kidnapped and spirited off the North America. The evil network who have taken her has spies everywhere. There is only one hope – Sherlock Holmes. Sherlockians will enjoy this new adventure, inspired by The Five Orange Pips and Anne of Green Gables. www.SherlockHolmesMystery.com http://authl.it/aik
The Man Who Was Twisted But Hip. France is torn apart by The Dreyfus Affair. Westminster needs Sherlock Holmes so that the evil tide of anti-Semitism that has engulfed France will not spread. Sherlock and Watson go to Paris to solve the mystery and thwart Moriarty. This new mystery is inspired by, The Man with the Twisted Lip, as well as by The Hunchback of Notre Dame. http://authl.it/ail
The Adventure of the Blue Belt Buckle. A young street urchin discovers a man’s belt and buckle under a bush in Hyde Park. A body is found in a hotel room in Mayfair. Scotland Yard seeks the help of Sherlock Holmes in solving the murder. The Queen’s Jubilee could be ruined. Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, Scotland Yard, and Her Majesty all team up to prevent a crime of unspeakable dimensions. A new mystery inspired by The Blue Carbuncle. http://authl.it/aim
The Adventure of the Spectred Bat. A beautiful young woman, just weeks away from giving birth, arrives at Baker Street in the middle of the night. Her sister was attacked by a bat and died, and now it is attacking her. A vampire? The story is a tribute to The Adventure of the Speckled Band and like the original, leaves the mind wondering and the heart racing. http://authl.it/ain
The Adventure of the Engineer’s Mom. A brilliant young Cambridge University engineer is carrying out secret research for the Admiralty. It will lead to the building of the world’s most powerful battleship, The Dreadnaught. His adventuress mother is kidnapped and he seeks the help of Sherlock Holmes. This new mystery is a tribute to The Engineer’s Thumb. http://authl.it/aio
www.SherlockHolmesMystery.com
The Adventure of the Notable Bachelorette. A snobbish nobleman enters 221B Baker Street demanding the help in finding his much younger wife – a beautiful and spirited American from the West. Three days later the wife is accused of a vile crime. Now she comes to Sherlock Holmes seeking to prove her innocence. This new mystery was inspired The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor. http://authl.it/aip
The Adventure of the Beryl Anarchists. A deeply distressed banker enters 221B Baker St. His safe has been robbed, and he is certain that his motorcycle-riding sons have betrayed him. Highly incriminating and embarrassing records of the financial and personal affairs of England's nobility are now in the hands of blackmailers. Then a young girl is murdered. A tribute to The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet. http://authl.it/aiq
The Adventure of the Coiffured Bitches. A beautiful young woman will soon inherit a lot of money. She disappears. Another young woman finds out far too much and, in desperation seeks help. Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson and Miss Violet Hunter must solve the mystery of the coiffured bitches and avoid the massive mastiff that could tear their throats out. A tribute to The Adventure of the Copper Beeches. http://authl.it/air
The Silver Horse, Braised. The greatest horse race of the century, will take place at Epsom Downs. Millions have been bet. Owners, jockeys, grooms, and gamblers from across England and America arrive. Jockeys and horses are killed. Holmes fails to solve the crime until… This mystery is a tribute to Silver Blaze and the great racetrack stories of Damon Runyon. http://authl.it/ais
www.SherlockHolmesMystery.com
The Box of Cards. A brother and a sister from a strict religious family disappear. The parents are alarmed, but Scotland Yard says they are just off sowing their wild oats. A horrific, gruesome package arrives in the post, and it becomes clear that a terrible crime is in process. Sherlock Holmes is called in to help. A tribute to The Cardboard Box. http://authl.it/ait
The Yellow Farce. Sherlock Holmes is sent to Japan. The war between Russia and Japan is raging. Alliances between countries in these years before World War I are fragile, and any misstep could plunge the world into Armageddon. The wife of the British ambassador is suspected of being a Russian agent. Join Holmes and Watson as they travel around the world to Japan. Inspired by The Yellow Face. http://authl.it/akp
The Stock Market Murders. A young man's friend has gone missing. Two more bodies of young men turn up. All are tied to The City and to one of the greatest frauds ever visited upon the citizens of England. The story is based on the true story of James Whitaker Wright and is inspired by, The Stock Broker's Clerk. Any resemblance of the villain to a certain American political figure is entirely coincidental. http://authl.it/akq
The Glorious Yacht. On the night of April 12, 1912, off the coast of Newfoundland, one of the greatest disasters of all time took place – the Unsinkable Titanic struck an iceberg and sank with a horrendous loss of life. The news of the disaster leads Holmes and Watson to reminisce about one of their earliest adventures. It began as a sailing race and ended as a tale of murder, kidnapping, piracy, and survival through a tempest. A tribute to The Gloria Scott. http://authl.it/akr
A Most Grave Ritual. In 1649, King Charles I escaped and made a desperate run for Continent. Did he leave behind a vast fortune? The patriarch of an ancient Royalist family dies in the courtyard, and the locals believe that the headless ghost of the king did him in. The police accuse his son of murder. Sherlock Holmes is hired to exonerate the lad. A tribute to The Musgrave Ritual. http://authl.it/aks
The Spy Gate Liars. Dr. Watson receives an urgent telegram telling him that Sherlock Holmes is in France and near death. He rushes to aid his dear friend, only to find that what began as a doctor’s house call has turned into yet another adventure as Sherlock Holmes races to keep an unknown ruthless murderer from dispatching yet another former German army officer. A tribute to The Reigate Squires. http://authl.it/akt
The Cuckold Man Colonel James Barclay needs the help of Sherlock Holmes. His exceptionally beautiful, but much younger, wife has disappeared and foul play is suspected. Has she been kidnapped and held for ransom? Or is she in the clutches of a deviant monster? The story is a tribute not only to the original mystery, The Crooked Man, but also to the biblical story of King David and Bathsheba. http://authl.it/akv
The Impatient Dissidents. In March 1881, the Czar of Russia was assassinated by anarchists. That summer, an attempt was made to murder his daughter, Maria, the wife of England’s Prince Alfred. A Russian Count is found dead in a hospital in London. Scotland Yard and the Home Office arrive at 221B and enlist the help of Sherlock Holmes to track down the killers and stop them. This new mystery is a tribute to The Resident Patient. http://authl.it/akw
The Grecian, Earned. This story picks up where The Greek Interpreter left off. The villains of that story were murdered in Budapest, and so Holmes and Watson set off in search of “the Grecian girl” to solve the mystery. What they discover is a massive plot involving the re-birth of the Olympic games in 1896 and a colorful cast of characters at home and on the Continent. http://authl.it/aia
The Three Rhodes Not Taken. Oxford University is famous for its passionate pursuit of learning. The Rhodes Scholarship has been recently established and some men are prepared to lie, steal, slander, and, maybe murder, in the pursuit of it. Sherlock Holmes is called upon to track down a thief who has stolen vital documents pertaining to the winner of the scholarship, but what will he do when the prime suspect is found dead? A tribute to The Three Students. http://authl.it/al8
The Naval Kna
ves. On September 15, 1894, an anarchist attempted to bomb the Greenwich Observatory. He failed, but the attempt led Sherlock Holmes into an intricate web of spies, foreign naval officers, and a beautiful princess. Once again, suspicion landed on poor Percy Phelps, now working in a senior position in the Admiralty, and once again Holmes has to use both his powers of deduction and raw courage to not only rescue Percy, but to prevent an unspeakable disaster. A tribute to The Naval Treaty. http://authl.it/aia
A Scandal in Trumplandia. NOT a new mystery but a political satire. The story is a parody of the much-loved original story, A Scandal in Bohemia, with the character of the King of Bohemia replaced by you-know-who. If you enjoy both political satire and Sherlock Holmes, you will get a chuckle out of this new story. http://authl.it/aig
The Binomial Asteroid Problem. The deadly final encounter between Professor Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes took place at Reichenbach Falls. But when was their first encounter? This new story answers that question. What began a stolen Gladstone bag escalates into murder and more. This new story is a tribute to The Adventure of the Final Problem. http://authl.it/al1
The Adventure of Charlotte Europa Golderton. Charles Augustus Milverton, was shot and sent to his just reward. But now another diabolical scheme of blackmail has emerged centered in the telegraph offices of the Royal Mail. It is linked to an archeological expedition whose director disappeared. Someone is prepared to murder to protect their ill-gotten gain and possibly steal a priceless treasure. Holmes is hired by not one but three women who need his help. http://authl.it/al7
Sherlock Holmes Never Dies - Collection Five: New Sherlock Holmes Mysteries - Second Edition Page 33