The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part II

by David Marcum

  The gentleman to my right held my arm, saying, “Be silent sir, it is the brandy talking!”

  The Major’s eyes burned as he rubbed his hands together as if he were washing them. “Let him be! He has made the wager and we have all heard it. It will stand.” Turning to Mycroft, the Major demanded, “Is he good for the money, should he lose?”

  Mycroft nodded. “I will stand guarantor for the amount, Major... if need be.”

  It was at that moment that the slightest shadow of doubt passed over the Major’s face. He shook his head as though to clear it and then looked once more supremely confident. I, however, was trembling like a leaf. If, somehow, Holmes’s plan had failed, then Mycroft would stand to lose twenty thousand guineas and I would be ruined.

  For the next few minutes, the atmosphere in the room was stifling. I finished my brandy and found that I was still shaking. Several of the other members were easing their collars and mopping their brows waiting, as we all were, for the knock on the door that announced the arrival of the messenger boy with the envelope of results.

  Suddenly, there was the knock and the Major moved to open the door, but his progress was blocked by Sir Terence, saying, “I think, Major, given the high stakes, an independent person should open the envelope.”

  Major Cooke’s face was puce, but he kept control and managed to stammer, “Yes, yes... of course, Sir Terence.”

  The Major stood back and Sir Terence opened the door. Framed in the doorway was a uniformed messenger boy holding out an envelope. This Sir Terence took and, sliding his finger beneath the sealed flap, he opened it. There was a collective intake of breath as he withdrew the single sheet of paper from within it. Clearing his throat, he announced, “York, three thirty, First... number five, second... number eight, third... number twelve.”

  Major Cooke lunged forwards, tearing the telegram from Sir Terence’s grasp and reading it again to himself. “This is not possible! It is a trick!” Turning towards me, he screamed, “You are a ch-”

  Sir Terence placed his hand firmly on Major Cooke’s chest before he could say more. “Have a care what you say, Cooke! The libel laws in England are punitive, and I would happily represent any one of these gentlemen, for no fee, should you venture to tarnish his reputation. Be sure to leave a cheque for the full thirty thousand guineas in my office before you leave. Your membership of Bairstow’s has been revoked.”

  Major Cooke glared malevolently at me and then at Sir Terence before storming from the room. The other members were still sitting open mouthed, unable to comprehend what had occurred. In truth, I would not have been able to enlighten them.

  A few moments later, a familiar voice called out to me from the open doorway, “Ah, Watson! I understand that you are now a very wealthy man!”

  Holmes laughed heartily and clapped me on the back. From across the room a figure approached with his hand outstretched. It was Anthony Stewart. Shaking Holmes’s hand, a very grateful Stewart said, “Thank you, Mr. Holmes. I am forever in your debt and I swear never to gamble again.”

  Holmes’s face was without emotion as he replied, “I will take you at your word, Mr. Stewart.”

  Holmes nodded towards Mycroft and Sir Terence, and I reached for my cheque book to pay the twenty guineas I had wagered. The gentleman who had been sitting to my right picked up the slip I had signed and, with a wink, he tore it up.

  VII - A Pair of White Gloves

  Taking Anthony Stewart by the arm, Holmes led the way out of Bairstow’s, hailed a cab, and together we returned to Baker Street. I must admit I wanted to know everything, but Holmes would say nothing until we all were sitting with a steaming cup of tea.

  Sitting back, I ran through my mind all that had happened. “Tell me, Holmes, how was this achieved?”

  Holmes sipped his tea and began thus, “I became suspicious of the Major when I detected, in his jacket pocket, what appeared to be a small telescope. Now, why would one carry such a thing to a gentleman’s club? Whilst Bairstow’s is located on the banks of the Thames, it does not face it... except for one side... and why would a seemingly healthy man suddenly, and so predictably, have to make use of the club’s facilities?”

  I thought back to our first visit to the club, and how Holmes had questioned the washroom attendant. “Whilst in the washroom, you left Sir Terence and me whilst you investigated further. What did you discover, Holmes?”

  Holmes smiled, “Tell me, Watson. Where in a gentleman’s club might you be sure not to be disturbed and have perfect privacy... especially if you feigned to have an intestinal problem?”

  It took me but a moment to realise. “Of course! In the lavatory!”

  Holmes nodded, saying, “Quite so, Watson. I discovered that the rear wall of the toilet cubicles face the Thames, and have small, frosted, sash windows. I opened one briefly and had a most excellent view of the Thames and the bridges crossing it. Do you recall our cab ride to Westminster Bridge, Watson?”

  I nodded and waited for Holmes to continue. “As I stood at the centre of the bridge with my field glasses, I was able to see clearly the frosted glass of the lavatory windows of Bairstow’s. Therefore, a person in Bairstow’s would have a similarly clear view of the centre of Westminster Bridge.”

  I scratched my head, as I was still unsure how this discovery could benefit the Major. “Tell me, Holmes, how does this observation relate to the intelligence from young Wiggins?”

  Holmes began to fill his pipe, asking, “Do you also recall the conversation with Sir Terence when we sought information on the background of the Major? Sir Terence thought the Major had developed his liking for a wager through his family connection to horse racing. Bookmakers who take wagers at a race course have to ensure that they can communicate with each other to ensure that they are all offering similar odds. They often have to do this over a distance of a hundred yards or more. How then is this achieved, Watson?”

  I thought back to a race meeting I had attended at Epsom and suddenly remembered. “Hand signals! They communicate by some strange system where they wave their hands and pat the top of their heads... and... and they wear white gloves! Ha! The opera gloves! But why, Holmes?”

  Holmes drew contentedly upon his pipe and blew out a thin stream of blue smoke. Pointing his pipe stem in my direction, he asked, “Why does a Robin have a red breast? To be seen, Watson! To be seen! The white gloves show up clearly against a dark background and the hand signals can be read over a long distance. Young Wiggins observed a man leave the telegraph office on Bridge Street, just as a messenger boy was leaving. The fellow ran to the centre of Westminster Bridge, where he was seen to wave his arms wildly in the air whilst wearing white gloves. Wiggins thought the poor man to be demented!”

  I had almost forgotten about our guest until he suddenly shouted out, “So that was how it was done! Somebody received the results of the race from the telegraph office and then conveyed them, using hand signals, to the Major, who was using his telescope to observe from the lavatory window at Bairstow’s!”

  Holmes nodded, saying, “Precisely! That ‘somebody’ was a servant in the Major’s employ. Wiggins followed him back to a house in Wimbledon which had the name ‘Major T. Cooke’ emblazoned above the bell-pull at the front door.”

  I was still puzzled. “But... but... that does not explain how you were able to deceive the Major today.”

  Holmes wagged his finger, saying, “Not so, Watson. Wiggins had described this fellow to me, and I determined that we were of similar height and stature. My telegram to Lestrade ensured that when this fellow appeared at the telegraph office and collected the results, a somewhat burly constable detained him. When I questioned him, he quickly told all. I had studied the bookmaker’s code and from a distance of over a hundred yards, I would be indistinguishable from the Major’s man. At any event, the Major would be concentrating hard upon my hand movements, not my
identity. It was a simple matter to ensure that the number of the winning horse was changed in my message to him.”

  Anthony Stewart clapped his hands in delight. “Wonderful! Whilst Mr. Holmes was away from you this morning, Doctor, he tracked me down at my lodgings in Putney. He kindly offered me the chance of rebuilding my life by regaining all the losses I had made to the Major. He informed me of the part I was to play but, like you, I had not the slightest idea as to how the deception was to be accomplished.”

  Holmes leant forwards slightly towards me, saying, “I am indeed sorry that I was unable to tell you all, Watson. It was imperative that the Major’s suspicions were not aroused by anything that you might inadvertently let slip. It was vital that you made the wager as though you believed it to be genuine and, it appears, you played the part perfectly!”

  I shook my head. “Holmes, you will never comprehend how real that wager was to me. The prospect of being indebted to your brother for the rest of my life hung over me like the sword of Damocles.”

  On hearing this, Holmes slapped the arm of his chair and roared with laughter. After finishing our tea, we said goodbye to Anthony Stewart and earnestly hoped that he would honour his solemn promise to never gamble again.

  Of the Major, we heard no more except for a mention in a note from Mycroft confirming that the cheque the Major had lodged on leaving Bairstow’s had been honoured. Sir Terence had used the funds to make good the losses of the other members and, as a result of the Major’s ‘excesses’, gambling was now prohibited at Bairstow’s.

  It was one morning, perhaps a week or so later, as I began to record this case in my notebook, that I remarked to Holmes that saving a man’s life and bringing him back to his family was something of which to be proud. I noticed that Holmes almost blushed as I said this.

  He shook his head, saying, “No, Watson. I take no pride in this. I saw it as my moral duty, for I, too, have been to the edge of the abyss on occasions... and, in any case, we have been amply rewarded for our endeavours. See what came in this morning’s post!”

  Holmes tossed an envelope to me and on opening its contents I read, “Dear Mr. Holmes, I am most grateful for your recent assistance. In recognition of this, it is my privilege, as Chairman of Bairstow’s, to offer both you and Doctor Watson a lifetime’s membership of the club for the great service you have rendered.” The letter was signed, Terence Walters.

  “I trust that you will accept, Holmes?” I asked.

  Holmes’s eyes twinkled. He appeared to consider my question for a brief moment before replying, “Yes, I believe so... if only to spite Mycroft!”

  About the Contributors

  The following authors appear in this volume

  The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories

  Part II - 1890-1895

  Matthew Booth is the author of Sherlock Holmes and the Giant’s Hand, a collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories published by Breese Books. He is a scriptwriter for the American radio network Imagination Theatre, syndicated by Jim French Productions, contributing particularly to their series, The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Matthew has contributed two original stories to The Game Is Afoot, a collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories published in 2008 by Wordsworth Editions. His contributions are “The Tragedy of Saxon’s Gate” and “The Dragon of Lea Lane”. He has provided an original story entitled “A Darkness Discovered”, featuring his own creation, Manchester-based private detective John Dakin, for the short story collection Crime Scenes, also published by Wordsworth Editions in 2008. Matthew is currently working on a supernatural novel called The Ravenfirth Horror.

  J.R. Campbell is a Calgary-based writer who always enjoys setting problems before the Great Detective. Along with his steadfast friend Charles Prepolec, he has co-edited the Sherlock Holmes anthologies Curious Incidents, Curious Incidents 2, Gaslight Grimoire: Fantastic Tales of Sherlock Holmes, Gaslight Grotesque: Nightmare Takes of Sherlock Holmes, and Gaslight Arcanum: Uncanny Tales of Sherlock Holmes. He has also contributed stories to Imagination Theater’s Radio Drama The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and the anthologies A Study in Lavender: Queering Sherlock Holmes and Challenger Unbound. At the time of writing, his next project, again with Charles Prepolec, is the anthology Professor Challenger: New Worlds, Lost Places.

  Peter Calamai, BSI, a resident of Ottawa, was a reporter, editor and foreign correspondent with major Canadian newspapers since 1966. For half those years he has worked five minutes’ walk from the Rideau Canal and the Commissariat Building. When editor of the Ottawa Citizen’s editorial pages, Calamai had the good fortune to spend an afternoon interviewing canal historian Robert Legget. He has been an active Sherlockian since the mid-1990’s, concentrating on Holmes and the Victorian press. Honours include designation as a Master Bootmaker by Canada’s leading Sherlockian society and investiture in the Baker Street Irregulars as “The Leeds Mercury”, a name taken from The Hound of the Baskervilles.

  Bert Coules wandered through a succession of jobs from fringe opera company manager to BBC radio drama producer-director before becoming a full-time writer at the beginning of 1989. Bert works in a wide range of genres, including science fiction, horror, comedy, romance and action-adventure but he is especially associated with crime and detective stories: he was the head writer on the BBC’s unique project to dramatise the entire Sherlock Holmes canon, and went on to script four further series of original Holmes and Watson mysteries. As well as radio, he also writes for TV and the stage.

  Catherine Cooke BSI is a Librarian with Westminster Libraries who divides her time between maintaining and developing the Libraries’ computer systems and the Sherlock Holmes Collection. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, Joint Honorary Secretary of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, and of the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes. She won the Baker Street Irregulars’ Morley-Montgomery Award for 2005 and the Sherlock Holmes Society of London’s Tony Howlett Award in 2014.

  Bill Crider is a former college English teacher, and is the author of more than fifty published novels and an equal number of short stories. He’s won two Anthony awards and a Derringer Award, and he’s been nominated for the Shamus and the Edgar awards. His latest novel in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series is Between the Living and the Dead. Check out his homepage at www.billcrider.com, or take a look at his peculiar blog at http://billcrider.blogspot.com.

  Carole Nelson Douglas is the author of sixty New-York-published novels, and the first woman to write a Sherlock Holmes spin-off series using the first woman protagonist, Irene Adler. Good Night, Mr. Holmes debuted as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Holmes and Watson have been Douglas’ “go-to guys” since childhood, appearing in a high school skit and her weekly newspaper column. Seeing only one pseudonymous woman in print with Holmes derivations, she based her Irene Adler on how Conan Doyle presented her: a talented, compassionate, independent, and audacious woman, in eight acclaimed novels. (“Readers will doff their deerstalkers.” - Publishers Weekly) Those readers pine in vain for a film version of the truly substantial and fascinating Irene Adler that Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle admired as “The Woman.” Now indie publishing, Douglas plans to make more of her Irene Adler stories available in print and eBook. www.carolenelsondouglas.com

  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) Holmes Chronicler Emeritus. If not for him, this anthology would not exist. Author, physician, patriot, sportsman, spiritualist, husband and father, and advocate for the oppressed. He is remembered and honored for the purposes of this collection by being the man who introduced Sherlock Holmes to the world. Through fifty-six Holmes short stories, four novels, and additional Apocryphal entries, Doyle revolutionized mystery stories and also greatly influenced and improved police forensic methods and techniques for the betterment of all. Steel True Blade Straight

  Steve Emec
z’s main field is technology, in which he has been working for about twenty years. Following multiple senior roles at Xerox, where he grew their European eCommerce from $6m to $200m, Steve joined platform provider Venda, and moved across to Powa Technologies in 2010. Steve is a regular trade show speaker on the subject of mobile commerce, and his time at Powa has taken him to more than forty countries - so he’s no stranger to planes and airports. He wrote two novels (one bestseller) in the 1990’s and a screenplay in 2001. Shortly after he set up MX Publishing, specialising in NLP books. In 2008, MX published its first Sherlock Holmes book, and MX has gone on to become the largest specialist Holmes publisher in the world, with around one hundred authors and over two hundred books. Profits from MX go towards his second passion - a children’s rescue project in Nairobi, Kenya, where he and his wife, Sharon, spend every Christmas at the rescue centre in Kasarani. In 2014, they wrote a short book about the project, The Happy Life Story.

  Lyndsay Faye, BSI, grew up in the Pacific Northwest, graduating from Notre Dame de Namur University. She worked as a professional actress throughout the Bay Area for several years before moving to New York. Her first novel was the critically acclaimed pastiche Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H Watson. Faye’s love of her adopted city led her to research the origins of the New York City Police Department, as related in the Edgar-nominated Timothy Wilde trilogy. She is a frequent writer for the Strand Magazine and the Eisner-nominated comic Watson and Holmes. Lyndsay and her husband, Gabriel Lehner, live in Queens with their cats, Grendel and Prufrock. She is a very proud member of the Baker Street Babes, Actor’s Equity Association, Mystery Writers of America, The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, and The Baker Street Irregulars. Her works have currently been translated into fourteen languages.

  Wendy C. Fries is the author of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson: The Day They Met and also writes under the name Atlin Merrick. Wendy is fascinated with London theatre, scriptwriting, and lattes. Website: wendycfries.com.