Sherlock Holmes: The Dark Reckoning

by Ian Wright

  “How many attackers were there?” asked Lestrade, with a slight hint of sarcasm, as he felt that Holmes could not possibly know the answer to that question.

  Holmes smiled wryly at the inspector, and explained, “It is my suspicion that two men were involved, the same two men the tramp described to me following the murder of Sir Charles Grey. Based on his description, one of these men is large. This man must also be especially strong if he cut the head of Sir Charles Grey off. As we know, it took but a few blows of the cleaver to cut through to the spine before the head was snapped off.”

  Lestrade looked puzzled and said, “I don’t know quite what you are getting at, Holmes.”

  “As the doctor just explained, Sally Spencer was hit twice from behind and suffered damage to her parietal bone. This suggests that her attacker was significantly taller than she was and very strong; possibly the larger of the two men the tramp told me of.”

  “I see. That makes sense. But how do you know there was another man involved in this particular murder?”

  “I am not absolutely certain there was, Lestrade. I can only present conjecture based upon the facts at hand. At this stage, it helps to visualise a possible sequence of events, in order to form a theory. More evidence is required to prove, or disprove, this theory, however. Shall I continue?”

  “Please do,” added the inspector, trying not to show that he was impressed with the way that Holmes’ mind could make such connections.

  “The second man that the tramp spoke of, the well spoken one, is probably who is responsible for removing Miss Spencer’s arm. If she regained consciousness whilst he was carrying out this atrocious act, he may now have some nasty scratches on his face.”

  “How do you know all of this, old fellow?” asked Watson.

  “Consider what we know, Watson. She was hit from behind and fell forwards, smashing her face into the kerb. We will probably find some of her missing teeth at the scene of this attack. Whilst laying face down on the kerb, she would not have been in a position to scratch anyone. She was, I suspect, loaded into a carriage and…” Holmes stopped, mid sentence.

  He turned to Dr. Death, and asked, “May I see her clothing?”

  Dr. Death fetched a small sack, and emptied its contents onto an examination table. Holmes sifted through the garments. Her cloak showed a scuff mark, where she had fallen, and there were a lot of blood stains upon her upper garments. Every item of her clothing had blood stained hand prints all over it. Most revealing, however, was that her blouse still had its left sleeve intact and the stitching around the shoulder was undamaged.

  Holmes continued from where he had left off. “When she had been dragged into the carriage, the smaller of the two men removed her clothing and started to saw her left arm off. At this point, the girl was not dead. The sudden pain she experienced, when he started sawing, caused her to regain consciousness. She struck her attacker with her right hand, and scratched his face. The print on her throat is from a shoe, or boot, and suggests that the man stamped on her, in reprisal for scratching him. It was probably at this time that, in his anger, he thrust his walking cane twice into her face. Judging by the size of the mark on her throat, left by the shoe, or boot, I would venture that the man is approximately 5 feet, 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall.”

  “That’s incredible, Holmes. But how do you know that it was the smaller, well spoken man that cut the girl’s arm off?” enquired Lestrade.

  “Firstly, the size of the print on the girl’s throat is far too small to belong to the larger of the men. Secondly, I suspect the well spoken man to be Stephen Wood. If so, he will have hired the larger man as his muscle, but will be compelled to carry out as many of the gruesome acts as possible. I believe that he will derive a twisted pleasure in conducting such mutilations.”

  “You mentioned that the killer is likely to have been scratched on his face, by Sally Spencer. What leads to believe that the scratch will be on his face?” asked Watson.

  “It was freezing cold last night, Watson. Anyone out in that weather would have been wrapped up in thick clothes. This leads me to think that the only parts of the killer’s anatomy not covered by clothing, would have been his face and, possibly, his hands. Since he was using his hands to saw off the girl’s arm, his face would have been in range of such an attack.”

  Holmes turned to Dr. Death, and asked, “May I examine the bodies to the two policemen?”

  “Of course,” replied the doctor.

  Holmes began to examine the two dead policemen, whilst the other three men looked on.

  After a short time, Holmes commented, “Both of these men appear to have been hit around the head with something like a shovel, moreover a clean shovel.” He pointed out the marks on the dead bodies to the three onlookers, and then drew their attention to a small pin prick in the left arm of each policeman. “It also appears that the policemen were injected with something, which may have caused them to convulse, violently. Look at all the bruises, especially around their feet, ankles, elbows and wrists,” he added.

  Dr. Death responded, “I also noticed those marks, Mr. Holmes. I can’t be completely sure, at this stage, but I think they may have been injected with strychnine. If a lethal dose of strychnine is given, it causes convulsions. Death is usually caused by asphyxia or sheer exhaustion from the intensity of the convulsions. The bruises you mentioned are consistent with somebody experiencing a violent fit of some kind.”

  “I agree,” said Holmes. “Let us move on to the trade marks of our killer. As you can see, P.C. Roach’s right arm and Sergeant Baxter’s right leg have been removed. Both appear to have been cut off with an axe, or similar instrument. The wounds show similarities, so I believe the same weapon was used in both cases. This mark appears on both wounds and was probably caused by a defect on the blade. Judging by the depth of the cuts, I would venture that Stephen Wood carried out this act, but it was the stronger accomplice that hit them with the shovel.”

  Nobody questioned the detective on what he had said, so he continued, “I believe that the girl was attacked between 11pm and 11:30pm last night, based upon the information her sister gave us. The policemen were probably killed some time after that.”

  “How do you know that?” questioned Watson.

  “The clue is in the use of strychnine on the policemen, Watson. If I am correct about Miss Spencer attacking Stephen Wood after he thought her to be dead, it would have scared him. In order to avoid any further occurrences, he got his accomplice to attack the policemen, on his behalf, with the shovel to make certain they would be rendered unconscious. After that, both were injected with strychnine to ensure that they were dead, before their limbs were removed. May I see their clothing please, Dr. Death?”

  Dr. Death showed the clothing to Holmes. As with the clothing of the other victims, nothing was damaged except for the blood stains. Holmes examined the garments, but didn’t discover anything of use.

  He turned to Lestrade and asked, “May we return with you to Scotland Yard to find out where the bodies were found?”

  “Of course you can, Holmes. Would you like to go there now?”

  “Unless Dr. Death has any further information to share, then I should like to go now.”

  Dr. Death shook his head and said, “At this point, I can’t tell you anymore than you already know. I may be in a position to give you more information later. Good day, gentlemen.”

  The three men bid the doctor farewell as they left, and returned to Scotland Yard. Just inside the entrance, a group of policemen were discussing their dead colleagues. They stopped talking when they saw Inspector Lestrade enter, with Holmes and Watson.

  The three men walked over to the group and Lestrade asked, “Were you just talking about the murders of Sergeant Baxter and P.C. Roach last night?”

  “Yes, Sir,” replied one of the officers. “It’s terrible, Sir! Things like that just shouldn’t happen. It could be one of us next!”

  The inspector addressed the group. “
Listen men. It is important that we continue to uphold the law. We can’t let something like this distract us from our duty. It’s a difficult time for all of us and we have to stick together. Can I count on you all?”

  The men all nodded in agreement.

  Holmes then addressed them. “May I ask where the policemen were found?”

  “They were both in a field, Sir. Sardinia Fields, just by Lincoln’s Inn,” answered one of the officers.

  “Yes, I know where that is. It’s about 4 miles to the west of Holborn Viaduct,” said Holmes.

  “That’s right,” commented Lestrade. “The men hold a weekly card game near there, and I expect that Baxter and Roach would have been there last night.”

  “Does this card game take place every week?” asked Watson.

  “It does, and it’s normally the same group that play, except for those on duty.”

  “Whereabouts do these card games take place?” enquired Holmes.

  “In Red Lion Street. It’s about half a mile from where the bodies were found. I’ve been a couple of times in the past, but not for over a year. The games normally go on until past one in the morning. That’s too late for me,” replied Lestrade.

  “Watson and I must leave now, Lestrade. We will try to establish what we can about the girl’s death, and will be in touch later.”

  “Very well, Holmes. I’ll go and speak to the Chief about Baxter and Roach. I will let him know about the connection between their deaths and those of Sir Charles Grey and Miss Spencer.”

  Holmes and Watson left Scotland Yard and walked under the archway, where Holmes suddenly stopped and looked at the pool of blood.

  “The girl has been dragged from that direction,” he said, pointing towards Whitehall.

  He stepped under the barrier, followed by Watson, and walked through the crowd. When he got to a point where there were fewer people, he started walking much more slowly, whilst looking around on the ground.

  After several minutes of this, he turned to Watson and said, “A carriage stopped just here, Watson.” He pointed out the tracks, still visible in the morning frost, and continued, “The carriage had four wheels, indicated by these tracks. Furthermore, the distance between the left and right tracks shows it was a large carriage. Note the markings in the tracks themselves. We may find similar tracks at the scene where Miss Spencer was first attacked. The frost now covering the tracks leads me to believe that they were left some time ago; probably at about midnight, if Miss Spencer was at the theatre until around 11pm. The coach had been travelling south before it came to a stop.”

  “How can you tell that, Holmes?”

  Holmes smiled and pointed at the tracks, as he explained, “See how the tracks show where the wheels locked as the carriage came to a halt. These small mounds of grit to the side of the skid marks reveal the direction the carriage must have been travelling.”

  “Oh yes, I see. But how can you be sure that this carriage was used to bring the body of the dead girl? Isn’t it possible that Miss Spencer was attacked here?”

  “According to her sister, Miss Spencer would have made her way directly from the theatre to her flat. Whitehall would have been too far out of her way. I believe she was attacked elsewhere, and then brought here in the carriage. As I suggested in the morgue, it is likely that her arm was removed whilst inside the carriage. Her attacker would have wanted to avoid being discovered, when conducting such a vicious act.”

  “Yes, but I still can’t see why you believe it was the carriage that left these tracks that brought the girl here.”

  “Imagine where the door of the carriage would be, if it stopped here. This blood on the ground corresponds exactly to where the carriage door would have been.” replied Holmes pointing out several blood spots on the pavement. “That’s why I believe these are the tracks of the carriage that brought the dead girl here.”

  Holmes took a piece of paper and pencil from his pocket and started to draw the pattern left by each of the four tracks. He then took a handkerchief and wiped some of the blood from the pavement onto it. He placed the handkerchief into a small bag and then asked, “What time is it, Watson?”

  “Five minutes before ten, old fellow.”

  “Good! Come along, Watson! Let us find where Miss Spencer was attacked.”

  The two men walked to Trafalgar Square, and into a small butcher’s shop on the corner of Cockspur Street.

  The owner looked pleased to see the two gentlemen, with a broad smile, said, “Good mornin’ to you, Mr. Holmes, and to you, Dr. Watson. What can I do for you?”

  “We should like to use the services of Ginny for a while, Mr. Bloomfield,” replied Holmes.

  “I see,” said the butcher, suddenly looking far more serious. “What’s happened? Are you workin’ on a case?”

  “Yes, we are,” answered Holmes. “There isn’t a great deal that I can tell you at present, but I do believe Ginny may be able to help”.

  “Fair enough, Mr. Holmes. Wait here a minute.” The butcher went through a door at the back of the shop, and called up to his wife. He returned to the shop, followed, a few moments later, by his wife.

  “Darling’, Mr. Holmes wants to borrow Ginny. Can you look after the shop for a few minutes?” asked the butcher.

  “Of course,” smiled Mrs. Bloomfield, warmly. “How are you gentlemen today?” she asked Holmes and Watson.

  “Very well, thank you, Mrs. Bloomfield,” replied Watson. “How are you?”

  “I’m well, thank you.”

  “Come through, gentlemen,” said the butcher, leading the way into the living quarters at the back of the shop.

  He led them into the living room, where Ginny, a smooth haired fox terrier, was curled in front of a large fire. She looked up as the three men entered the room. Her tail immediately started wagging, excitedly, as she got up to greet them. Holmes squatted and made a fuss of the small dog, and attached a lead that Mr. Bloomfield handed to him.

  Holmes and Watson left the shop with Ginny, via the back garden, and made their way to Scotland Yard. They allowed Ginny to sniff around the blood where the body of Miss Spencer had been dumped and, also, where the carriage had stopped. After this, they made their way to The Theatre Royal, Haymarket and discussed the likely routes that Sally Spencer may have taken from the theatre the previous night.

  “Sally Spencer was making her way to Charing Cross Road, wasn’t she, Holmes?” asked Watson.

  “Yes. She could have continued along Haymarket to Coventry Street and turned right. However, I think she would have favoured the quieter roads as it would have been quicker. Let us try Orange Street as a starting point.”

  As the two men turned into Orange Street, Holmes took the handkerchief he had wiped the blood found at Scotland Yard onto, and let Ginny sniff it. Ginny led them along Orange Street, but seemed unsure which way to proceed when they reached the junction of Whitcomb Street. Holmes let her sniff the handkerchief again, but she didn’t pick up any scent.

  “It would make sense if Miss Spencer travelled in a northerly direction from here, Holmes,” ventured Watson.

  “I agree, Watson. Let us cross the road and walk along Whitcomb Street. Perhaps Ginny will pick the scent up from there.”

  At 11:30am, Ginny led the men into Lisle Street and began to pull on her lead. She took them directly to a blood stain on the kerb. Holmes squatted down to examine the immediate area. He discovered two teeth in the gutter and a few strands of blonde hair, stuck to a small piece of blood soaked skin on the edge of the kerb. Blood was splattered across the pavement and a thick line of it was smeared off of the edge of the kerb into the road. There were tracks from a carriage visible in the frost that matched the tracks found at Scotland Yard. Furthermore, there were two sets of footprints visible, one of which matched the mark found on the dead girl’s throat. The other set of footprints were considerably larger.

  “Well, Watson,” said Holmes. “This is where the initial assault appears to have taken place. Thanks to Gi
nny’s acute sense of smell, we have found the scene of Miss Spencer’s attack. These would appear to be her footprints, which suggest that she was walking towards her sister’s home and was stalked from behind. And look!” Holmes pointed to a nearby gate.

  “What is it?” asked Watson following Holmes’ gaze.

  “Over there! It’s a hammer!” Holmes ran over to the hammer and stooped down to look at it more closely.

  Watson followed, asking, “Is that the weapon used on Miss Spencer, Holmes?”

  “It appears so, Watson. As you can see, it is covered with blood. If you look more closely, there are strands of hair stuck on the head of the hammer that match Miss Spencer’s in colour and length.”

  Both Watson and Holmes made sketches and notes of all they could see at the crime scene and then placed the items they had discovered into bags.

  Holmes turned to Watson, and said, “We shall take these items to Scotland Yard soon, Watson. Before doing so, let us see if we can retrace the attacker’s footsteps.”

  With the help of Ginny, they were able to trace back to where the man had hidden himself behind a garden wall in Leicester Street the previous night. Watson noticed a cigarette that had been stamped out when only about half finished. “Look here, Holmes. Somebody put a cigarette out, before finishing it.”

  “Well spotted, Watson. The boot print surrounding the cigarette does appear to match the larger of the footprints we found in Lisle Street. I expect he was waiting here for Miss Spencer, and decided to smoke. Upon hearing her approach, he put the cigarette out and hid behind this wall. His footprints are easily discernable in this flower bed.”

  “That makes perfect sense, Holmes. Can you deduce anything else?”

  “Judging by the prints left by his shoes, or boots, I would imagine that the attacker is a fairly poor man. The tread is very well worn, as shown by the indentations in the flower bed. Furthermore, the right footprint shows more wear than the left, so it is possible that the attacker may suffer a slight limp affecting his right leg.”