A Case of the Missing Escott
By
Nisha A. Hailm
It was a cold day of late January in '86 that a most peculiar problem came before my friend the like of which had never before come to his attention and likely never would again.
Mrs. Hudson had just carried away the breakfast things when there was a ring at the door. A very short while later Mrs. Hudson came back in.
"Mr. Holmes, a Miss Pole is here to see you sir".
My friend's eyes widened a bit but he nodded "Show her up, Mrs. Hudson".
Miss Pole was soon up and seated in our room.
"I am Miss Agatha Pole" she introduced herself. "And you must be Mr. Holmes" she said addressing my friend directly "Wiggin's described you exactly".
"Wiggins?" Holmes asked.
"I believe he's one of your Baker street irregulars. He's also my cousin, Mr. Holmes. He told me that you often help people that have little or nothing to pay you. Is this true, Mr. Holmes?"
"Yes. Please state the fact's Miss Pole".
"The facts are these. I am engaged to a Mr. John Escott and he is now missing. I have not seen him, Mr. Holmes, for four days now and he was in the habit of visiting me at lest every evening if not in the afternoon, if he could get off from what he was doing at work".
"His job, Miss Pole?" my friends voice was usually flat.
"He was a plumber with a rising business".
I nearly gasped but was able to turn it into a cough.
"Are you alright Watson?"
"Fine, just fine thank you" this young lady must be the late Mr. Milverton house maid to whom Holmes, under the name Escott had gotten himself engaged.
"Do you have any idea why he might have left, Miss Pole?"
"He would not have just left Mr. Holmes. He told me that he loved me and that I had touched his heart. I made him a gift of mine, I know he would not just leave me on any whim" she almost broke down at this point but seemed to regain her composure enough to add in a steady voice, "You must find him for me Mr. Holmes".
"Do you know who might want him gone then?"
"Gregory Stanton. If Escott had a rival it would be him".
"And why Miss Pole, would Stanton want Escott gone?"
"Because Gregory thinks that I'm his girl and I'm not! I love John not Gregory".
"And yet you must have given Mr. Stanton some sort of hope or why else would he have anything to do with getting rid of Escott?"
"I did have a few good times with him" she admitted "We were both servants of the late Mr. Milverton so of course we knew each other".
"Do you know where Escott stayed?"
"No, that never came up Mr. Holmes".
"I see. What exactly happened the last night you were suppose to see him?""Well I chained up the masters dog so he could come like I did every night, and I waited for him. I waited so long for him that I must have dozed off for the next thing I knew was that I awoke to the sound of a gun being fired again and again. It sounded like it was coming from the master's special room so I ran to that room. Gregory and I got there at about the same time but the door was locked. So Gregory then ran to get an axe to break the door in with, and I waited at the door. While I waited I heard footsteps quickly walking back and forth as if the person was taking papers out of the masters safe and putting them in the fire place. Gregory was soon back though so I couldn't hear anything after he started away with that axe of his. After he got the door open I nearly fainted Mr. Holmes, for there lying in a pool of blood with his face smashed in was Mr. Milverton" Miss Pole shuddered at the memory. "The under-gardener almost caught one of the men however they both got away".
"Both, there were two men?"
"Yes the under-gardener was chasing two but the first one was an active fellow and there was no way the under-gardener could have caught both of them anyway. The second one only got away after a bit of a struggle".
"I see. Do you think Miss Pole that Escott could have been of the men?"
"No, I don't think so Mr. Holmes. Escott is not the type of person to kill someone in cold blood".
"I was not inferring anything of the kind".
"Of course" she agreed.
"Miss Pole if you'd care to drop by in two days, I believe I should have some news for you".
"Thank you Mr. Holmes I am so glad you decided to take up my case".
"Good day Miss Pole".
"So that's Agatha" I said after she had gone out.
"That's Agatha" Holmes confirmed.
"She is a lovely young lady".
"Most people would agree with you no doubt".
"Don't you?"
"I might".
"Well what are you going to do now that your hated rival has not come through?" I asked not being able to keep the smile off my face.
"I will some how have to convince Miss Pole that Escott never really loved her or-".
"I don't think you'll be able to do that Holmes" I interjected.
"Or" my friend continued "Fake Escott's death".
"How will you go about doing that?"
"Write up an obituary for Escott and send it into the news paper, nothing simpler".
"What about the grave?"
"He fell into the Thames River and his body could not be recovered".
"The poor girl" I lamented.
"I am not Escott, Watson. There is nothing that binds me to that girl!" Holmes declared.
"If you say so" I agreed without really in my heart agreeing.
Why was he so against it anyway? Then I remembered all his little remarks about how love was an emotion and how emotions get in the way of reasoning. What rubbish thought I. Surly a girl like Miss Pole would not hinder him too badly? She was after all quite a bright girl, not to mention independent as well. Yes Miss Pole would be just the girl for my friend to marry. Now if I could just convince Holmes of this simple fact. My friend had of course right away, sent out the note to the local news paper. Then for the next two days he seemed to care not one wit about anything. His eyes often wondered over to the red morocco case. While I was there however he never used it. He was clearly in the dumps yet no cocaine. This of course was a pleasant surprise to me but I made no comment.
Every time I tried to bring the case up Holmes would give me the most withering of looks that clearly told me he had no wish to discuss it.
On the day of the meeting while we were breakfasting I asked if he had any idea when she would be coming.
"Not any later than when she came last time and I expect a little sooner" was his calm reply as he continued to look through the paper. "Ah here it is" at which he handed me the paper and I read out loud the following:
Mr. John Escott died January 17th
after falling into the great Thames
River, his body was not able to be
recovered. He was a plumber with
a rising business. His friends will
miss him sorely.
"Isn't it perfect?" Holmes cried to me after I finished reading it.
"It is well done" I grudgingly admitted. "But what will this do to the girl? Surely it will break her heart".
"It might" he conceded "However it will most likely not last long. She didn't know him for even a week".
I was not assured.
"If I'm not much mistaken that's her at the door now".
He was of course right as always. Mrs. Hudson had soon shown Miss Pole up, and seeing that we were done with our breakfast she tried to clear it up, however my friend stopped her.
"Mrs. Hudson if you would be so kind as to step out. This interview will not take long".
Mrs. Hudson left resigned.
"Miss Pole, please take a seat" my friend gestured to a seat near the fire.
"Thank you. Have you found him Mr. Holmes?" It was an eagerly asked question.
"No, I'm afraid not, Miss Pole".
"Oh, do you need more time?"
"Unfortunately I do not".
"What do you mean by that?" she cried.
"Because I found a most disturbing article in the paper this morning" he hand her the paper "I'm so sorry".
It did not take Miss Pole long to read the short obituary, her face blanched and she started to reread it.
It was of course having the desired affect of the writer. You could tell that even though she did not want to believe it, she was. And after rereading the paper a few times it fell from her hands and she started to sob uncontrollably.
"My John is dead, he is dead" she cried.
Holmes picked up the fallen news paper.
"Miss Pole" my friend started, then more sharply "Miss Pole!"
At last she looked up at him.
Having her attention he continued "Miss Pole if you would like you may keep this news paper" he said holding it out to her.
"Thank you sir" she took the paper from him and started to fumble around with her change purse.
"Payment won't be necessary Miss Pole" my friend assured her.
"You are so kind Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Thank you for all you have done and good day sir" she fumbled out of our room.
I could hear her sobbing as she went down the stairs clutching no doubt to the news paper.
Mrs. Hudson came in quickly and cleared away the breakfast things as my friend lit his pipe.
"Watson, would you be as good as to step out and get us a new paper?"