“You believe so, Watson? I believe that I mishandled it from the beginning.”
“Now it is you that distresses yourself unnecessarily. I did not think you believed in false modesty.”
It is not false modesty, Doctor. Not only did I not realize the import of Mr. Sawyer’s statement concerning a return to London, I also missed how jarringly obvious one name the Judge called out was.”
“The men he had condemned, you mean.”
“Precisely, Watson. Sean Carpenter is very nearly the same name as Jonathan Sawyer. The Judge told us the killer in front of everyone and no one noticed it.”
“It still bothers me that Carpenter was the first to challenge the theory that Bainbridge and Wainwright had killed each other.”
“He is a clever man, Doctor. He saw the possibility that his plan might fall through and created a secondary plan of being the first to call the theory into question.”
“Why would he think the first theory would become challenged?”
“He could not know for certain,” conceded Holmes, “but the fact you were there made it likely I might become involved.”
“If he was so worried, why did he not call the enterprise off?”
“It was a conceit to be sure, but the murder of the Judge was long in the planning. Wainwright was the perfect foil for the play Carpenter was staging. The opportunity might never present itself again. The Judge’s monetary demands were growing by the day. He must die. Carpenter could not miss his chance.”
“Though you did not uncover Carpenter’s identity right away, you were certain that the obvious theory was incorrect. That is something at least.”
“The idea that something in Mr. Wainwright’s story was the catalyst for the murders was laughable.”
“Why so?”
“For the simple reason that most people do not conceal knives and vials of arsenic on their person. It was clear that the crime was a premeditated one.”
With that Holmes made a stab at a pile of newspapers next to his chair. He opened one to the agony column and began speedily scanning the page. There could be little doubt that he was in search of his next case.
The End
special note
If you’ve read and enjoyed The Sherlock Holmes Uncovered Tales, please add a review at the site on which you purchased your copy. Reviews provide a valuable guide for those attempting to find books they might enjoy.
Thank you,
Steven Ehrman
The League of Mendacious Men (A Sherlock Holmes Uncovered Tale Book 10) Page 9
