"I Ensured It"

madder_badder

oOoOoOoOoOo

To: s_Holmes.

From: martha_j.

02.12.2005 09.35.48 (GMT)

Dear Mr. Holmes:

My name is Martha Johnson. I found your website, The Science of Deduction, on the internet, and I am hoping you can help me.

Two and a half years ago, my husband, Thomas, passed away. Tom was a good man and he worked hard all his life in order to provide for us in our retirement years. Unfortunately, he developed an aggressive sort of brain tumor, a glioblastoma, three and a bit years ago, which took his life very quickly.

Tom always dreamed of living out his 'golden years' in Florida, and in 1997, we purchased a vacation home here with that idea in mind. We traveled back and forth from London twice a year or so, until November of 2000, when Tom and I were finally able to move to Plantation permanently.

After Tom's death, I had planned to sell up and return to London. At about that time, while I was trying to get everything sorted, I met a lovely American man, a real estate developer, named Steven Johnson. I hope you won't judge me too unkindly, Mr. Holmes, but, after a whirl-wind romance of only three months, Steven and I were married.

The marriage was a happy one, I thought. Steven is an exciting sort of man, Mr. Holmes, charming and handsome, the type who makes a woman feel special, who makes her believe she is the only thing that ever has or ever will matter to him. (My Tom had been a different sort - loving and kind, yes, but quieter, more restrained, more the sitting-down type, if you take my meaning.) Steven loved dancing, fine restaurants, fast cars - you know the sort of man I mean, I am sure. Steven all but showered me with lovely gifts, as well - jewelry, clothes, Caribbean cruises - and being married to him was very intoxicating.

I say intoxicating for a reason, Mr. Holmes. All the adventure and excitement blinded me to who he really was. As you have probably worked out by now, Steven Johnson is actually Stephen Lee Johanessen. Yes, Mr. Holmes, that Stephen Lee Johanessen.

As I am sure you know, Stephen Johanessen has so far been charged with three counts of murder in the deaths of three state police officers who were sent to arrest him at his office (which turned out to be a sham, of course). All the evidence the authorities have gathered so far indicates that he was probably responsible for the deaths of between ten and fifteen young women and girls. More than that, two of his four earlier wives, Tricia Marcus and Claudine Dumont, disappeared without a trace years ago, while the other two died sudden, horrible deaths, probably, the FBI tell me, from poisoning.

I have been a fool, Mr. Holmes, but that is not why I need your assistance. This man must be stopped before he can do this again. He is persuasive and charismatic, and if anyone could talk his way out of conviction, it's Stephen Lee Johanessen. Believe me - I know.

Please, I need your help to see to it that he is punished to the full extent of the law, which in Florida is quite severe.

Thank you for considering my case, Mr. Holmes.

Sincerely yours,

Martha Johnson

(P.S. I will be using my former name, Martha Hudson, when I return to England.)

oOoOoOoOoOo

Sherlock frowned at his monitor. What did this woman possibly think Sherlock could do for her that Johanessen hadn't already done himself? He was an American citizen who would absolutely be convicted of murdering three Florida State police officers in cold blood. Even if none of the other charges could be made to stick, that alone would get him the death penalty.

Child's play.

Sherlock hit delete, and moved on to the next email, hoping for something with more promise.

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