The Darlington Substitution (From The Deed Box of John H. Watson MD)

by Ashton, Hugh

  “I am merely a general practitioner,” I replied.

  “Even so,” Holmes pressed me, “your opinion is worth more than that of a layman in these matters.”

  “If I were pressed, I would have to conclude that the shock could cause one of two things. Firstly, it could send him into that depressed and febrile state in which I encountered him yesterday. It could also produce a physical effect in addition or instead of that mental shock. That physical effect would take the form of a severe strain on the heart, as we observed.” I stopped as the full implications of what I was saying became apparent to me. “What you are implying is that this Mace was introduced specifically in order to incapacitate poor Lord Hareby?”

  “That is exactly my deduction.”

  “Someone entered the room at night and brandished this, in an attempt to frighten him?”

  “It is even more diabolically subtle than that, Watson. Observe.” He pointed to one end of the stick, where a white thread wrapped it round. “Do you remember what we found earlier?”

  “Of course, a thread similar to that.”

  “Stand where we found that thread, Watson, and cast your gaze upward to the ceiling.”

  I obediently did so and perceived a small dark object against the white ceiling. “What is that?”

  “It appears to be a small hook that has been fastened to the ceiling in some way. My surmise is that the hook was put in place, and the thread passed through it, and into the connecting bathroom through the fanlight which, as you can see, is slightly ajar. The Mace would be tied to the thread, and kept up close to the ceiling – you will observe that particular part of the room is hidden by the corner of the wardrobe from anyone lying in the bed. At a suitable time, the perpetrator would create some sort of disturbance which would ensure that Hareby awoke. I am sure that there are suitable implements in the bathroom to achieve that end. It would be easy enough to listen, provided the rain was not falling as you described to me earlier, and determine whether Hareby had, in fact, woken.

  “Once it had been determined that he was no longer asleep, the Mace could be lowered, maybe to the accompaniment of some sort of sound intended to create terror. We were told that Hareby had some sort of obsession with the Mace. Imagine the effect of it being suspended in mid-air, with no apparent means of support. When I held it just now, were not my hands, and to a certain extent, my face, illuminated?”

  “That is so.”

  “But the ingenuity of this scheme was that there was no-one visible. The perpetrator could listen for the effects that the vision of the Mace would have on the victim, and then, as I deduce, release the thread, allowing the stick to drop to the floor, and incidentally allowing some of the phosphoric compound with which it is coated to fall onto the carpet.”

  “This all seems perfectly logical.”

  “It is indeed perfectly logical, because it occurred in the precise manner I am describing,” he remarked severely. “Then comes the problem for the perpetrator of how to dispose of the Mace so that it will not be discovered. There would be a real risk of discovery if the Mace were to be carried outside the room into the passageway. Some servant or even a guest such as yourself might chance upon it. Added to which, it would have to be secreted somewhere after it had been carried out of the room.

  “Concealing it somewhere within this room is out of the question. A servant would undoubtedly shortly discover it, and in any case, the time available would be brief. The answer is obvious. The executor of this plan ran into the room, snatched up the Mace and the thread, incidentally breaking the thread and leaving a small length on the carpet, flung open the curtains just enough to allow the casement to be opened, and thrust the Mace down into the creeper covering the wall, before closing the window. Maybe the perpetrator then heard the sound of approaching footsteps. In any event, it was necessary to make a hurried exit.”

  “This is miraculous, Holmes. How did you come to deduce all this?”

  “When I took Lady Hareby’s hand at tea just now, it was obvious.”

  “You are accusing her of this?”

  “Naturally. Who else could it be? The recent scratches along the length of her arm were sufficient proof. You will recall that I made enquiries about a cat, and received the answer that there was no cat in the house. The nature of the abrasions had caused me to doubt the existence of a cat or other animal’s having caused them in any case, but it was necessary for me to eliminate that possibility.

  “The slight injuries she had sustained were consistent with those caused by a thorn bush or some other kind of plant. The scratches were not regularly spaced in the way that those resulting from the claws of an animal might be. The conclusion was therefore that she had thrust her hand into some plant which had produced these results. Maybe they were the result of doing some work in the garden, but I noticed on my arrival that the gardens here are not extensive. In any case, she does not appear to be the kind of woman who would interest herself in that kind of activity.

  “I had already deduced that some object, treated with a luminous preparation, had been suspended from the ceiling. That much was obvious from the thread and the spot of luminous phosphoric compound we discovered, was it not? The fanlight above the door being ajar was another clue, of course. The implication was that it was the Mace, given poor Hareby’s nervous condition and obsession with such matters, and of course, the fact that the Mace had been removed from the cabinet. Seeing the curtain half-open in that exact position led me to the conclusion that I reached.

  “The marks of the chair on the carpet were obviously made when the perpetrator stood upon it when fastening the hook to the ceiling. I think we can rule out Lord Darlington in this case. Firstly, he suffers from gout, as you are aware; secondly, he has no motive for this action; and thirdly, as you will have no doubt observed, his stature would prevent him from reaching the ceiling. Lady Hareby, on the other hand, is built on generous lines, at least with regard to her height, and even in her delicate condition, I would judge it perfectly possible for her to have done this. I think, do you not, we may eliminate any of the servants from suspicion here?”

  “You certainly seem to have solved this case remarkably quickly,” I commented.

  “By no means. I have deduced the method and the perpetrator of what may or may not be a crime – that is to say, the harming by indirect means of Lord Hareby. I confess I am somewhat at a loss to know under what section of the law that would merit prosecution. I am also relatively certain that we now know how the Mace and jewellery were removed from the cabinet, and I now believe we know the identity of the thief.

  The next question is, of course, why would she benefit from such a course of action? And what was she hoping to achieve?”

  “As to the second, have you not answered that already? His madness or his death, or at the very least, his incapacitation?”

  “And what precisely would that accomplish? If the estate is entailed in the male line, the title would never pass to her in the event of Lord Darlington’s death, should her husband be unable to inherit by reason of insanity, or death.”

  “But it could pass to her son, even if she were never to be awarded the estate,” I objected. I recalled to Holmes her words spoken to me the previous night regarding the future of the Hall, and her presumed ownership of it and its contents.

  “That is, assuming that her unborn child is a male,” he retorted. “That would be similar to gambling on the toss of a coin. And if the coin comes down on the wrong side, there is no second chance possible if Lord Hareby is no longer here.”

  “Well, whatever her motive may be, are you going to confront her with her crimes?” I asked.

  “That, Watson, depends to a large extent on the condition of Lord Hareby. I am sure we will soon receive word on his condition from the hospital, and should his condition prove to be serious, or, God forbid it, should he die as a result of this little game played by his wife, then I will have no hesitation whatsoever in pursuing this case wi
th all the means at my disposal. If, however, the prognosis is good, and he recovers, I think that it will be best to let sleeping dogs lie, at least temporarily. You and I know the truth of this matter, and we may well make Lady Hareby aware of our knowledge, but at present I see little advantage in making the matter public if no lasting harm comes to Lord Hareby.”

  “And the Mace? When all is said and done, this was the reason why you were originally requested to come here.”

  “True. I think it should be returned to the place whence it was taken, do you not agree?” he said, smiling. “We will remove the traces of luminous compound with which it has been smeared, and restore it to something close to its original state, I think, before doing so. I will do so with the utmost care, given that this is a precious object to the family.”

  “Take care,” I warned him. “I know that you are used to the hazards involved in handling chemical substances, but as you know, many compounds of phosphorus are dangerous and injurious to one’s health.”

  “Thank you,” he replied. “I was aware of the fact, naturally, but your reminder is welcome, even so. Please go down and explain that I am a little fatigued after my journey and I am resting, as I explained earlier. I will come downstairs presently.”

  -oOo-

  I followed his instructions, and spent the time pleasantly enough chatting with Lord Darlington about angling, Lady Hareby apparently pursuing her own interests in another room of the house. Like most practitioners of the gentle art, the Earl was full of tales regarding his past exploits, and a good hour or so was spent in this way before the gong for dinner sounded.

  Holmes joined us in the drawing room before going into dinner. As we were on the point of entering the dining-room, Bouverie entered bearing a telegram addressed to Lord Darlington, who opened it and scanned its contents.

  “Good news,” he proclaimed. “This is a report from the hospital on poor Edgar’s condition. It is necessarily brief, but it appears that his life is in no danger, and though he seems confused, he is in good spirits, and is recovering. There are a few words commending you, Dr. Watson, on your prompt action and efficacious treatment.”

  “Good news, indeed,” echoed Lady Hareby, but her words lacked conviction, at least to my ears.

  We went into dinner in a better frame of mind, and the meal was, as on the previous night, well-cooked. Holmes was at his most sociable, and attempted to lead the conversation into a variety of different paths, but his efforts fell flat. Again a pall seemed to have settled over the company, in this instance caused by the absence of Lord Hareby, while on the previous night it had been caused by his presence.

  After dinner, Lady Hareby withdrew, and Lord Darlington produced a decanter of port. “For you two gentlemen,” he explained. “My gout, alas, does not allow me to indulge. I feel a sorry invalid, I am afraid.”

  “One glass only for me,” replied Holmes. “Before we retire, though, I would be grateful if you could open the cabinet from which the Mace was taken, so that I may examine the mechanism of the lock and the hinges.”

  “Why certainly, if you think it will be of any use,” replied Lord Darlington. “I can do that whenever you are ready.”

  “There is no time like the present,” replied Holmes, draining his glass. I confess I was somewhat irritated by this, since I was enjoying the noble liquor, but at the same time I had a good idea of what Holmes had in mind, and I was keenly anticipating what was to come.

  “Since you wish it,” answered Lord Darlington and, rising, led the way into the library. “The Bramah lock, as you observe, and the single key to the lock is on my watch-chain here.” He fitted the key to the lock and, as before, the door of the cabinet creaked open. “Now, as you will see, the interior of the cabinet is fitted with shelves, and the Mace used to repose on—” He broke off with a startled cry. “Good Lord, Mr. Holmes! This is astounding!” He turned to Holmes and myself, his face suffused with a mixture of shock and delight.

  “What has happened?” asked Holmes, innocently.

  “The Mace seems to have returned! By what means and when, I do not know, but it is there now.”

  I did not trust myself to speak, knowing what had happened, but Holmes spoke to Lord Darlington. “Perhaps it was never missing, and you overlooked it when you first inspected the cabinet and discovered that the jewellery had been taken?”

  “No, that is not possible,” replied Lord Darlington. “As I explained to you, the Mace was kept in the cabinet, reposing on a red velvet cushion, and that cushion is now missing. I confess, Mr. Holmes, I am almost inclined to believe in the magical properties of the Mace. My daughter-in-law must know of this. Would one of you gentlemen be kind enough to fetch her?”

  I volunteered for the task, and discovered Lady Hareby in the drawing-room.

  “Why, Dr. Watson,” she greeted me. “I was beginning to think that I had lost all my charm for the gentlemen. Will you join me?” patting the space on the sofa beside her.

  “As it happens, Lord Darlington has requested that you join him and Mr. Holmes in the library. I believe that he has something of interest that he wishes to show to you.”

  “Oh, very well,” she replied, with a bad grace. “Give me your arm, if you would, John.” I blushed a little to hear my Christian name being bandied about so freely by this woman, but complied with her request.

  I fancied she was holding my arm a little tighter than was necessary as we made our way to the library, but that was nothing compared to the pressure with which she gripped me when we entered the library, and she beheld her father-in-law proudly displaying the Mace. She stumbled and nearly collapsed, and were it not for my arm, I believe she would have fallen to the ground.

  “Wonderful, is it not, my dear?” exclaimed the Earl, apparently oblivious of her state.

  “Yes, wonderful indeed,” she replied. “What a piece of luck. The shock has made me weak. Doctor, will you help me to a chair?” I hastened to seat her comfortably in one of the library chairs, from which she gazed at Holmes and myself with wonder, mixed with a certain animosity, in her eyes.

  “Your child will be safe,” the Earl told her, but she appeared to be somewhat less than reassured by his words. “Well,” he continued, seemingly having no eyes for anything but the Mace, which he replaced in the cabinet and locked it. “Bless me,” he muttered to himself. “Truly miraculous.” He turned to us. “Well, this excitement has fatigued me. With your permission, I will retire and bid you a very good night.” He shuffled out of the room, and we heard the door of the next room being opened and closed.

  “Well, Mr. Holmes,” said Lady Hareby, in a low but angry voice. “I suppose that you consider yourself to be a clever man?”

  “I know that to be the case,” he replied.

  “How much have you guessed?” she enquired.

  “I consider that I know most of the facts of the case. Guesswork was not a significant factor.”

  “And what do you propose doing about it?” she asked, coolly.

  “Why, nothing at present,” he replied, “given the news we received from the hospital before dinner. It would appear that your husband will suffer no lasting infirmity.”

  “And I am certain that even if he had suffered such, even your keen brain would be unable to discover the precise statute under which I could be charged.” Her tone was now openly mocking.

  “True,” Holmes acknowledged. “I perceive you have been taking lessons in the law from Sir Godfrey Wrigley.”

  She flushed slightly. “It is no business of yours from whom I derive my opinions on the law,” she retorted. “In any case, I take it that you propose to do nothing? I am a free woman as far as you are concerned?”

  “Free, but consider yourself under my scrutiny.” Holmes drew himself to his full height, and stood in front of her chair, his eyes boring down into hers. “I should warn you that those with more cunning and cleverness than you possess have attempted to best me, and they have failed. I advise you to cease from attem
pting any further tricks of the type that you have recently played. Watson and I will stay in this room tonight, to prevent a further theft of the Mace, and I will inform Lord Darlington in the morning before our departure for London regarding the means used to remove it. He will then be free to make whatever assumptions he may choose regarding the identity of the thief.”

  “I suppose you expect my gratitude?”

  “It is immaterial to me as to whether you care to bestow it or not. I would, however, myself be grateful were you to confirm one point for me.”

  “That being?”

  “The reason for the removal of the jewellery.”

  “I would be interested to know your theories, Mr. Holmes.” The mocking smile was still there, and I had the sensation of being present at a duel between two masters of fencing, elegant in their style, but deadly in the execution of their art.

  “Firstly, I believe that the jewels were taken partly in order to divert attention from the removal of the Mace.”

  “Very good, but somewhat obvious, do you not think?”

  “Perhaps so,” Holmes admitted. I might also surmise that they were removed in order to provide funds for closing the mouths of those who might talk about matters that the thief would sooner not have noised about town.”

  Lady Hareby smiled at Holmes. “A most ingenious theory, Mr. Holmes, but I am happy to tell you that you are incorrect in your surmise. I will, of course, refrain from informing you of the true reason. And with that, gentlemen...” She made as if to rise, and I assisted her to her feet. “I bid you a very good night,” she concluded. “I hope that you sleep well in each other’s company.” She made a mocking curtsey and swept out of the room.

  I turned to Holmes, feeling a faint smile spread across my face. “It seems I am destined to spend another night out of the comfort of my luxurious bed upstairs,” I remarked. “I am intrigued by why you decided to let that woman go free, though.”

  Holmes yawned. “It would be too tedious to explain at present,” he replied. “In any case, I do not regard her as being free while she is under my eye, and trust me, Watson, I intend to keep her under observation.”