Sherlock Holmes: Before Baker Street by David Marcum (books to read to be successful TXT) 📗

show their faces throughout the afternoon. I’m sure the uncle even called down to his nephew a few times, maybe mentioned to some customers something about Mrs. Hodges. They did enough to plant seeds in the minds of the customers which would sprout, after the tragedy, and allow them to claim they had seen all of the witnesses, even if not all of them were present at the time. I assure you, Inspector, that if you search the bakery, you will find Lady Marianne hidden in a closet or locked in the basement!’

“Lestrade’s face had become white at the realization that what I had explained made perfect sense. In almost a whisper, he asked, ‘But why? Why would Mrs. Hodges commit such a crime? Why would she do such a thing to her Lady? The staff is well paid by the Lord, better than most.’

“I spoke harshly to him. ‘For revenge, Inspector, revenge. Mr. Thorne clearly feels slighted at his dismissal. I would assume that he was somehow involved with the cook, who also felt that he had been wronged. I’m certain that the original plan was to collect the ransom money, release Lady Marianne – who would have remained blindfolded and never have known her true whereabouts. After she was released, then the police would become involved, and they would conclude that Mr. Able was the guilty party. From your actions, you can see that you, yourself, would have fallen into their trap. Indeed, you already have.’

“Lestrade scowled and moved his lips around, as if the story I told was in his mouth, and he had to take little bites of it so that he was able to digest it.

“‘I admit that there is the chance possibility that what you speak is the truth.’

“Watson, I stood from my seat at this most pompous of statements, and I believe my patience was at such an end that my hands were balled into fists. I spoke harshly through clenched teeth.

“‘You are a complete and utter buffoon, Lestrade. Don’t you see that you must act swiftly? The original kidnapping plan has become ensnarled since the police became involved. The criminals are now scared. They have the Lady, but they have not sent a follow-up note with directions on collecting the ransom money. They know Mr. Able has been arrested. They are currently above suspicion. However, if they return the Lady Marianne, it will be clear that Mr. Able is innocent and the police will widen their search.

“‘Most likely, someone in London will remember seeing the baker’s carriage outside the apothecary, and the force will turn their attention to the real culprits. They have probably already concluded this and have realized that the only way to save themselves is to kill the Lady and dispose of the body. No one would ever know what had occurred, and either Mr. Able or the apothecary would hang for the crime, or they would be released and the vanishing of Lady Marianne would always remain a dark mystery. Fortunately, there is time to save her!’

“‘You – you mean they will . . . are you sure . . . and the driver . . . ?’ Lestrade asked in a whimper.

“‘Stop blithering and get down to that bakery!’ I stormed. ‘Thankfully, the abductors are not cold blooded criminals. This has taken a dark turn, and most likely none of them has had the stomach to kill the lady. But eventually, one of them will carry through. As idiotic as your force has been, they can redeem themselves. Go, Lestrade! Go now! Find the Lady Marianne and you shall see that the lady was saved through the grace of your involvement.’

“‘I still don’t see . . . and why the cook . . . .’ the inspector puzzled.

“‘There’s no time for this!’ I raged. ‘As I said, Lestrade, all shall be revealed when you rescue the lady and arrest the real criminals. Now go!’ I held my fist aloft, ready to strike, and it was enough to snap the inspector to attention. He pulled himself out of his seat, told me he would be in touch the next morning, and then darted out of my room and into the streets of London.”

“And did they rescue the Lady?” I asked. I had become so fascinated with Holmes’s story that I found my pulse raised in fear that the Yarders would be too late.

“Yes, as fortune would have it,” Holmes explained. “The next morning, I read in The Times that the Lady Marianne had been saved, the driver and the apothecary had been released, and that Mr. Thorne and his accomplices had been arrested. The Times made it a point to thank the wonderful work of the Yard, and boldly claimed that all of London could rest easy knowing that men such as Inspector Lestrade were tirelessly fighting crime on the city streets.”

I burst out laughing at such a statement. “So,” I asked, while wiping my eyes from guffawing so loudly, “did the inspector come and apologize the next day?”

“No, my dear Watson, I had a most unexpected visitor in his stead.”

Holmes had paused in the telling of his story to start a small fire in the fireplace. As the evening wore on, the temperature had dropped, and even the warmth of our pipe smoke was not enough to stave off the cool humid air. We had another glass of brandy, and Mrs. Hudson surprised us with a dessert of fig pudding. After our bodies were warmer and bellies fuller, and we concluded a discussion about upcoming operas we should attend, we returned to Holmes’s tale from his time in Montague Street.

“‘The next day, after reading The Times, I started my daily exercise regimen. I completed my bodily training in the confines of my room, for though I was in peak physical form, I was becoming more and more like