This is the sequel to "The Mechanical Maniac…" It ends openly, meaning for several sequels. The following stories won't finish this case, however…
The Case of the Vanishing Automobiles
It was a cloudy evening on Baker Street. Watson had just made the 5:00 tea, and Sherlock Holmes was reading the newspaper. "Anything interesting," asked Watson. "Not really," started Holmes, "Only a little article about vanishing automobiles! It has been happening at the new car factory in London. They are having another showing this afternoon. I didn't think that we were going attend, but now I am wondering… Our neighbor, Miss Smith, just had her car stolen. This might be the thief! But…"
Sherlock Holmes went on for hours. He liked to think every possibility through before finally making a decision. "I think that we will attend, Watson," finished Holmes. "I think," started Watson as he handed Sherlock his tea, "that we should bring Miss Smith. You know how emotional she can get, just think about out last adventure." "How do I look," asked Emily as she walked down from the upstairs bedroom. "Very fine," inquired Watson and Holmes at the same time.
Emily was Holmes' sister, who was nearly killed in their last case! She was wearing a large pink dress. She was to go to the Grand Policemen's Ball with her date and be back by 10 o'clock. "I hope you have a wonderful time dear sister," replied Sherlock as he kissed her hand and led her to the door. "We will be going to the automobile show. If you get back before us, remember the key under the door mat." then the three all left and started their adventures…
"I still think that we should have brought Ms. Smith," mumbled Watson to himself as the curtains opened and the show began. But John Watson's mumbling did not go unnoticed by his associate Sherlock Holmes. But surprisingly, Holmes went on to argue the point of Ms. Smith's presence. Sherlock's foolish decision to argue with Watson, would later backfire, as the speaker on stage suddenly collapsed. It took the screaming of a young girl to finally direct Holmes's attention away from his feuding associate. As the great Sherlock Holmes started to turn his head away from the stage and back to John Watson, a silver dart flew past his head. When Holmes's head followed the knife, he saw it horrendously strike the young girl on stage!
Then, the two detectives dashed toward the stage to see the activities around the front of the stage. Their hearts suddenly stopped as the two saw the dead couple on stage. Both of them had an identical dart right in the center of their heads.
"Watson," started Holmes, "it will not be easy, but we need to get identification on that dead couple on stage. You will call for the police, and I will question the shaken onlookers." "But sir," started John as he was interrupted by Sherlock, "If possible, Watson, hurry… The police might just be able to contain all of the guests, and you know that that would really help our investigation.
Sherlock Holmes looked around. He saw that there were four groups of people standing in the now police secured area. The first group consisted of elder men, presumably friends of the deceased man on stage. The second group stood close to the first, and appeared to consist of a variety of young and old women. They all hung their heads low, which made Holmes conclude that they were friends of the young woman on stage. The last two groups of people appeared startled, and were sitting near himself and Watson during the murder. The only difference between the two last groups was the fact that one was still, and the other consisted of ones that were trying to escape through the police barrier.
Watson, running toward Holmes while heavily panting, was instructed to interview groups three and four, while Sherlock Holmes would go to question the sobbing one and two.
Just as Sherlock Holmes walked toward the crowd around the stage, another yell cam from behind him. An officer had been shot. When Sherlock ran to see the victim, he noticed the exact same type of dart in the middle of his head. Now, Holmes knew a little more about the case. But then, it dawned on him… The scream was coming from a man a few feet away. Holmes was then startled to see Watson run behind him. Watson, usually a tall man with thick graying mustache, rosy cheeks, and glasses, was pail white, crouching, and had even lost his glasses! "Let's w - w - w - wait this one out at home, al - al - al - okay?" mumbled Watson as the police started to chase away seemingly suspicious man.
When the two arrived at 221b Baker Street, they noticed that the door mat had been ripped in half and thrown at the door which seemed to be locked. Both the inside lock and the outside lock had been latched. That meant that if Emily had made it into the house before this maniac caught up to her, she was locked in until someone with a key could help her out! They found that she was ok and only a few windows were cracked. "The only thing you two should worry about is that case of yours," said Miss. Emily as she poured the evening tea.
The next three days proved long and tiring, but gave no evidence. All Sherlock Holmes knew was that this person planned everything out before attacking. First of all, he used darts with tips dripped in poison. Second, because of the absence of fingerprints on them, Holmes concluded that a blowgun was used. The only way fingerprints could be found would be by investigation. This was going to take some time…
After a few more days, the police came up with a line up. The suspects were as follows.
First: Gertrude Smith, an elderly woman who knew the couple on stage, yet sat in the back near Holmes and Watson. Second: Susan Frank, a young woman, around 15, who was the man's girlfriend, until the second deceased came along. Third: Jack Johnson, a former inmate who had had his sentence mysteriously shortened. And Fourth: Alexander Hastings, a young man who, similar to Susan, was a teenager and was the girl's ex boyfriend.
As soon as Holmes arrived, he knew that one person was missing. On the suspect list, one name was yet to be crossed out. It was an Arthur Cunningham, a rich and wealthy man, who had offered to buy the new car company, but was turned down by the deceased man a day before the murders.
After a few hours of investigative questioning, the police concluded that Arthur Cunningham had to have done it. But Sherlock Holmes wasn't as positive as the police were. He thought that Susan was suspicious. Neither she nor Alexander wept over the deaths, even though they had had relationships with the late couple. Only after questioning Mr. Cunningham, would they be able to make a definite decision.
Arthur Cunningham was as rich as he was truthful. He immediately pled guilty, but with another motion. He got two others to do his bidding. Ant they were Susan Frank and Alexander Hastings. But as soon as the words came out of his mouth, he too was shot by a silver dart!
Holmes decided that with the two murderers running about in the forest, he and Watson should settle down on the couch, and think over the mystery. But they still didn't know the full story. Yes, the killers had a motive, and the hirer wanted the company to pay for their decision, but where was the money that Arthur promised the two? Would the company move it's HQ? Maybe their next case would solve some of these answers. They would just have to wait and see…
The End
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