Notes From the Dispatch Box of John H Watson, MD

by Ashton, Hugh

  “ Naturally, I would think no such thing,” protested Holmes. “ I think that answers my questions. Inspector ? ”

  “ I have nothing further to ask at present,” replied Lestrade.

  We made our way upstairs to the ground floor, where we were met by Mme. Montpensier.

  “ Have you discovered evidence of his guilt ? ” she asked us, stammering in obvious fear.

  “ I am unable to comment on the progress of our investigations,” Lestrade told her, stiffly.

  “ Mr. Holmes,” our client implored my friend. “ Cannot you tell me more ? ”

  “ Believe me, Madame,” said Holmes gently, “ when I say that if I could tell you more, I would certainly do so, but I do not feel that I am in a position to give you any firm pronouncements.”

  “ I understand,” she said simply, and walked away from us without a further word.

  “ Do you remember, Mr. Holmes,” enquired Lestrade, as she disappeared round a corner of the passage, “ the report on the poison swallowed by the deceased ? ”

  “ Naturally. It was assumed to be some form of rat poison, was it not ? ”

  “ Indeed it was, Mr. Holmes. And I noticed mousetraps in the kitchen. Where there are mice, there are also rats, are there not ? ”

  “ Often that turns out to be the case,” Holmes conceded.

  “ It is my belief that we will find rat poison if we search this house, and when we submit it to analysis, we will discover it to be identical to the contents of the deceased’s stomach.”

  “ That, Lestrade, may well indicate how she died. It does not tell us who was the agent of her death.”

  “ Oh, Mr. Holmes ! It is obvious, is it not ? It is the step-mother. Consider. She has the motive—the will that leaves a substantial sum to her in the event of her step-daughter’s death. She has the means—the rat poison which I am confident I will find. And she had the opportunity—it was she prepared the fatal drink and who carried the tray with it to her step-daughter. I tell you, Mr. Holmes, once I have discovered that poison, all the links in the chain are complete, and she will then stand trial for her crimes.”

  “ You are leaping to premature conclusions, Inspector. I warn you that your case will hardly stand up in court. Much more work needs to be done before you can make an arrest. By the by, I have not yet seen the original of that note that was found. Do you have it on your person ? ”

  Lestrade reached inside his coat, and produced a large brown envelope containing a folded piece of paper, which he passed to Holmes, who withdrew the paper and commenced studying the writing, which covered both sides of it, with the aid of his powerful lens.

  “ This has been folded since it was given to you. I am surprised at you, Lestrade, to tamper with possible evidence in this way,” said Holmes, obviously annoyed.

  “ How in the world would you know that ? ”

  “ So much is obvious from even a cursory inspection of the fibres of the paper and the way they are arranged, and the manner in which have picked up fibres from the envelope in which the paper has been stored. But no matter. The handwriting is definitely that of the deceased ? ”

  “ There can be no doubt there. An independent expert has testified that this writing is that of Miss Stevens, after having compared it with other samples.”

  “ We may take it, then, that she wrote these words. Using a steel-nibbed pen, as you have no doubt noted, and a slightly unusual shade of blue-black ink. You have confirmed that she was left-handed ? ” Lestrade shook his head. “ My dear Inspector, how can we hope to solve these puzzles if you will not take the trouble to confirm even the most elementary facts ? ”

  “ It had not occurred to me that she was left-handed,” confessed the hapless police inspector.

  “ No matter. And the paper ? ”

  “ A simple sheet of notepaper, no more.”

  Holmes smote his forehead. “ God has given you eyes, man ! Observe and take note. This is not a standard size of paper, as I am sure even you have noted. One side has been cut, with a pair of short-bladed scissors with curved blades. Nail-scissors, I am certain. There are still, despite your mangling of the sheet, traces of the curve of the paper when it was bound into a notebook.”

  “ This is a page cut from a notebook, then ? ” I asked.

  “ That is what I am saying. So much is evident to even the meanest intelligence.” It was obvious to both Lestrade and myself that Holmes’ patience was wearing thin, and to create a diversion in his thoughts, I proposed that we move upstairs to the chamber which had been occupied by Miss Stevens, and in which her body had been discovered.

  As Lestrade and I trailed up the stairs behind Sherlock Holmes, Lestrade turned to me and whispered in my ear. “ Thank you for that diversion, Doctor. Mr. Holmes does not appear to be in the best of tempers today.”

  “ I am afraid that you put yourself on his wrong side yesterday when you mentioned ‘ luck’ and ‘ guesswork’. As you know, he regards detection as a matter of scientific enquiry rather than as a matter of luck.”

  “ I understand,” said Lestrade. “ I will endeavour to be a little more circumspect in my speech in the future.”

  By this time, Holmes had entered the room, and was standing at the desk which had been mentioned by the servant as the place where the note had been discovered. “ This is most curious,” he remarked, standing in front of the secretaire, which was well provided with paper, envelopes, fountain pens, and ink. “ Tell me, Watson, why would one choose to eat soup with a fork ? Or to plant a large tree using a small trowel with which to dig the hole ? ”

  These questions came as riddles to me. “ I have no idea.” I was perplexed. “ Indeed, I have not the faintest conception of to what it is that you are referring.” Lestrade glanced at me, and when Holmes, once again turning his back to us, bent to re-examine the desk and its contents, he moved his forefinger in a circular motion beside his temple. While not sharing Lestrade’s opinion of Holmes’ mental instability, I was nonetheless more than a little perplexed by Holmes’ actions.

  Suddenly, Holmes turned to face us, and addressed himself to Lestrade. “ You may ignore that piece of paper, Inspector,” Holmes told the policeman. “ To a certain extent, that is.”

  “ I have no notion of what it is that you mean by your words. The note was found on that desk, was it not ? ”

  “ So we are led to believe.”

  “ And was written by Miss Stevens while seated at that desk ? ”

  “ Very possibly.”

  “ Then I fail to comprehend what you are saying to me.”

  Holmes did not reply, but merely shrugged. “ I have seen what I expected to see and drawn my conclusions. You, my dear Lestrade, have seen exactly what I have seen, but have failed to draw your own conclusions, other than the obvious ones, which are sadly in error in this instance.”

  “ You believe Mme. Montpensier did not kill her step-daughter ? ”

  “ I believe her to be innocent of murder,” replied Holmes simply. “ I would advise you now, for the sake of your career and your reputation, to refrain from making any arrests at this time. Can I persuade you to stay your hand for at least two days ? ”

  “ Since it is you, Mr. Holmes, I will trust your judgement here. I feel, though, that I should conduct a search for the missing container which we believe contained the poison.”

  “ That would seem to me to be an excellent plan, Lestrade. It is one which I do not propose to carry out myself, having full confidence that you and your men will perform it competently and thoroughly.”

  “ What do you propose to do, then ? ”

  “ I will examine the effects of Mme. Montpensier’s present husband that he keeps in this house for his use when he deigns to make an appearance.”

  “ Each to his own, but you seem to believe that the note discovered in the dead woman’s room is of no importance,” objected Lestrade.

  “ Think carefully on my exact words,” were Holmes’ words as he turned on his hee
l. “ Come, Watson. Let us seek permission for our errand from Madame.”

  This permission was readily granted. “ For all I care, you may take his effects and make a bonfire of them in the garden at the back of the house,” she told us.

  “ What exactly do you hope to gain from this ? ” I asked Holmes as we entered the dressing-room.

  “ Even the most competent of criminals makes mistakes sometimes. We know this man as Ferdinand Colethorpe, do we not ? I have a strong suspicion that if we make a search of his belongings here, we will find some sort of evidence that will lead us to his other identity.”

  “ And you believe him to be involved here ? After what we have heard about Mme. Montpensier’s actions ? ”

  “ It is precisely because of those actions that I say this.”

  I was much puzzled by these words, but assisted him in his search of the missing man’s belongings for any clue that might lead us to an identity other than that of Ferdinand Colethorpe. It was I who discovered a pair of cuff-links with the initials “ T.R.”. “ These would appear to be the kind of item for which you are searching,” I said, holding them out to Holmes.

  “ Indeed so,” said Holmes. “ In point of fact, being such personal items, I feel sure that these initials will be the ones which he is using elsewhere.” It was Holmes himself who presently discovered a small pile of correspondence, the bulk of which was addressed to Mr. Ferdinand Colethorpe, but in the centre of which was a letter from a firm of builders addressed to a Mr. Thomas Richards, at an address in Holborn, dated not some two months previously.

  “ I will wager that Mr. Richards is our man,” said Holmes.

  “ I fail to see your reasoning, even so,” replied I. “ We have no reason to believe he was anywhere near this place on the night of his step-daughter’s death.”

  “ Indeed so. This would be the last place I would expect him to have been at that time. Indeed, when we meet him, I expect him to present us with a complete alibi, which may be verified by reference to a number of completely reliable and trustworthy witnesses.”

  “ And yet you say he is involved in this mystery ? ”

  “ He is the key.”

  “ So you do not believe that Mme. Montpensier is the murderess ? ”

  “ I said before, and I repeat now, that if my clients are demonstrably proven to be guilty, they do not remain my clients. Mme. Montpensier remains my client.”

  “ And yet we have so much evidence to point to her involvement. The poison must have been administered in the cocoa, must it not ? ”

  “ I agree that it is the most likely vehicle, yes.”

  “ And she prepared it and delivered it to her daughter.”

  “ That is so.”

  “ I fail to understand.”

  “ All will be revealed, never fear. Aha ! Here is Lestrade, and I believe he, too, has found success to crown his efforts.”

  The police inspector came bustling up to us. “ Under the rhododendrons, Mr. Holmes.” He held out for our inspection, a fragment of blue and white earthenware, with an air of triumph. “ And the dry weather we have been enjoying lately has ensured that there is enough of the contents remaining for a sample to be taken for analysis.”

  “ Excellent. And I have a name and an address for you.” He passed over the correspondence that he had discovered.

  “ Oho ! ” cried Lestrade. “ We should question him about his movements on the night of the death.”

  “ That, as I remarked to Watson just now, would be a waste of time. I am convinced that he was demonstrably some way from here when the death occurred. You will get nothing useful from him in that direction. However, feel free to question Mr. Richards. I would like to be present at that event, if I may.”

  “ That can be arranged,” said Lestrade. “ I will send a telegram to the Yard immediately, asking for Mr. Richards to be escorted to a suitable place.”

  “ And now,” said Holmes, as the excited Lestrade left us, “ it is time for us to talk with our client. If I am to save her from the gallows, I need some answers which will help me establish her innocence.”

  We entered the drawing-room, in which we discovered Mme. Montpensier, engaged in reading a book. Invited to sit, Holmes remained standing, his back to the fire, as he engaged her in conversation.

  “ Madame,” he began. “ You must understand that if I am to help you, I require the truth from you. I wish to have your confirmation, for example, that it [suggest deletion of it]you are well aware that it was you who killed your step-daughter and destroyed the evidence that you had done so.”

  I sprang from my chair. “ This is infamous, Holmes ! ” I exclaimed. “ You cannot make such accusations without proof ! ”

  “ I have sufficient proof,” replied Sherlock Holmes coldly, regarding Mme. Montpensier, who was now weeping bitterly.

  “ Yes, Mr. Holmes, I killed her. But you should know that it was never my intention to do so, and I have no way of proving who did it. But it was not I who meant to bring about her death, even though I was the instrument of it.”

  “ This is where I can help you,” said Holmes, in his calmest and most gentle tones. “ Madame,” he continued, taking her by the elbows, and staring into her tearful eyes, “ you have been the victim of as despicable a felony as I have ever encountered. My greatest wish is to see those responsible brought to justice.”

  “ Then you know all ? ” asked the wretched woman, some hope creeping into her voice.

  “ No, but I will tell you what I know, and you will tell me if I am correct or not. On the night that your daughter died, she was feeling unwell. We have the cook’s words, as relayed by your maid Hannah, that she partook of a light supper.”

  “ That is so.”

  “ Out of concern for her health, or for whatever reason prompted by your maternal feelings for the girl, you determined to prepare her night-time drink of cocoa, a task which you had performed in the past, and was unusual, but not unprecedented. The maid Sarah was in the kitchen, having made the preliminary preparations for the drink.” Our client nodded. “ You made the drink in the usual way, adding hot milk and sugar to the cocoa powder and handing the drink to your step-daughter. At what point did you realise that the drink had been poisoned, and that it was the sugar that was to blame ? ”

  “ It was when I myself retired some hours later. All the servants had retired for the night. In my wardrobe I discovered the very sugar container that I had left in the kitchen earlier that evening, or so it seemed to me. In a flash, it occurred to me that something was amiss. The only reason I could consider was that the sugar in the kitchen was not what it purported to be, and the jar had been substituted with some sinister purpose in mind.”

  “ How probably was it that the jar of sugar was to be discovered in your room by you ? ”

  “ Not very likely, I would say. It was only because I was searching for a bed-jacket that I wished to wear that I happened upon it.”

  “ You may depend on it that it would have been found if the police had searched your room,” said Holmes, “ thereby adding more supposed evidence to convict you. A truly diabolical mind is behind this. Pray continue.”

  “ I never take sugar in coffee or tea or any other drink. Indeed, my body seems to revolt against any sugar.”

  “ I take it you are a sufferer from diabetes ? ” I enquired.

  She nodded in agreement. “ So I have been told by Dr. Clifford. In any case, my dislike of sugar in food is well-known to the household, and the sugar is reserved for the use of Annabel alone. Any form of foul play in which the sugar played a part would be directed against her. All this came to me in a flash. Colethorpe, my absent husband, had in the past mentioned the dangers of storing rat poison in the kitchen. It was almost as if he were warning me of his intentions, which I knew to be evil. Do not tell me how I knew this, Mr. Holmes. You may call it women’s intuition, but I knew.” She sobbed violently, and seemed incapable of speech for a while.

  “ Compose y
ourself,” Holmes urged her. “ Pray tell us what happened next, and we will ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.”

  I had no wish at that time of night to go down once more to the kitchen in the dark, and discover for myself what had happened.” Holmes lifted his eyebrows a little. “ To tell you the truth, Mr. Holmes, it was not that I had no wish to make the journey downstairs, but I was terrified. I had by this time convinced myself that something was amiss, and I made my way to the door outside Annabel’s room. I knew that something was amiss,” she repeated, “ but I was a coward, Mr. Holmes. I could not bear the thought of my beloved Annabel suffering, but at the same time I knew in my bones that I was not capable of preventing what had probably already occurred. I could not enter that room. And there was another consideration. It came to me that I was the one who would be blamed for her death and if I were to be seen entering or leaving her room... I lay awake all night, unable to sleep, and fearful of the morrow. As the day broke, I knew that I had to return the sugar to the pantry. I slipped down, unseen by anyone—”

  “ The kitchen-maid Sarah claims to have seen you.”

  “ She is a liar ! ” spat out our client. “ The lazy little hussy was still in her bed, I am certain of it.”

  “ She has just given a most detailed account to the police,” said Holmes. “ Even if she were lying, I am sure that she would have no hesitation about repeating her story under oath.”

  “ Why would she do such a thing ? ” enquired Mme. Montpensier in bewilderment.

  “ That is an answer I hope to be able to discover in the very near future, Madame. It may be an answer that may be painful to your ears, however.”

  “ What could be more painful than the agonies I have suffered so far ? ” demanded the miserable woman. “ Nothing ! I beg of you, Mr. Holmes, to spare me nothing when you discover the truth.”

  Holmes inclined his head. “ It is my opinion, Madame, that you have been mightily wronged, and I will therefore tell you all as it comes to light. Please continue your narrative, which so far corresponds precisely to my deductions.”