Author's Note : This story is a reimagined version of 'The Final Problem'.
The Vehement Conflict
I apologize to the reader if you notice a few splatters of tears on the next few pages, it was hard for me to write this down.
I opened my bedroom door and stepped outside while cleaning the dust of my outfit, "I'm heading out with Mary, Holmes." I looked up and saw him sitting on his armchair reading a piece of paper, most likely a letter, "Very well, Watson, I have a matter to attend as well." He stood up and walked out without a mention of what he was doing, I then too headed out the apartment and went for a meal with Mary which led to a stroll in the park. It was only two o' clock when I returned from my lovely time with my wife, as soon as I stepped into the room of 221B Baker Street, I found Holmes resting on his armchair whilst smoking his cigar. "And how was your day, Watson?" Holmes asked.
"It was lovely and pleasant. What about yours, Holmes?" I answered as I hanged my overcoat on the coat hanger stand.
"Intriguing, stimulating, thrilling! I have solved more than three cases by the time you were gone, Watson, three!" Holmes cheered looking at me.
"Three? But I have only been gone for five hours, Holmes." I clarified.
"Exactly Watson! I am on fire!"
"And what three cases may those be, Holmes?" I enquired.
"The first one was the simplest of the three, I was shown the body of a woman in the garden of her house, her older sister was there crying but she wasn't really sad, their father had died years ago and all his inheritance was given to the victim,"
"And the sister killed her because of jealousy?" I interrupted.
"Precisely, Watson. I see your time with me has been beneficial." Holmes remarked.
"Well I only have you to thank don't I, Holmes?" I smiled
"Quite. The second case was another body that of a man in a carriage, the cabby confessed that he picked up the man alive, but what do you think Watson?"
"Either he was injured earlier or the cabby killed him. But then again someone could have killed him while he was in the carriage."
"Those were the possibilities but do you remember my motto of solving a case?"
"When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
"Oh you're getting wiser Watson. I used that rule to solve the case and deduced that the man was stabbed before he entered the cab, the murderer was of course no other than the man he met before entering the cab, his 'old friend'." Holmes blurted.
"Sounds rather familiar don't you think?" I murmured while looking down.
"Apologies Watson, I did not think of that." Holmes confessed.
"No matter Holmes, and the third case?"
"The third one was rather tedious, the wheel turns, nothing is ever new," said Holmes waving his hand. "An open-and-shut case, murder, child's play."
"Well, I see you're very excited right now, why's that, Holmes?" I enquired.
"Because," he took his cigar out from his mouth, "The fourth case, is coming." Holmes said slowly turning towards the door.
As soon as he finished the sentence, Inspector Lestrade barged in with a perplexed look on his face, "Where?" Holmes questioned.
"St. Paul's Cathedral."
"Watson, grab your coat, I sense an exceptional case." Holmes looked stood up and looked towards Lestrade. "Shall we?"
We rushed out and took a cab towards St. Paul's Cathedral, as soon as we got there Holmes was surrounded by journalists and reporters, we had to push them away and squeeze into the Cathedral which thankfully, was blocked by the authorities, we were permitted to go in of course. We walked straight and saw the body on the table facing towards the roof, "Suicide?" I asked.
"No, murder." Holmes disagreed.
"Murder? Are you sure, Holmes?" Lestrade asked.
"Very." Holmes clarified.
We walked up closer to the body and Holmes went around the body, looked up and back at the body again. "Holmes?" I enquired.
"Hmm?" Holmes crouched as he placed his hands together on his chin.
"What do you mean murder?"
"It's obvious isn't it?"
"Doesn't seem obvious to me." Lestrade commented.
"I told you before Lestrade, you see but you do not observe, the distinction is clear." Holmes sighed while standing up.
"Who did it then?" I asked.
"No clue yet. Where are the stairs leading to up there?" Holmes pointed to the balcony.
"Over there." Lestrade walked towards it.
"Very well, come along then Watson."
I followed him along the flight of stairs and looked around the balcony, "Anything of the use, Holmes?"
"Not much." Holmes smirked.
"And that means?"
"Only that the murderer is a man and made a big mistake."
"Which is?"
"He threw the body down the wrong way, I wouldn't have knew that it was murder when I first saw the body if he threw him the other way."
"How?"
"The body was facing to the roof, now tell me Watson, who kills themselves by looking to the roof and jumping down?"
"Some people do, Holmes."
"They don't jump doing that, they fall. There is a difference."
"That's true." I agreed.
"Besides, there were handprints on the body. Lestrade!" Holmes shouted from the balcony. "Were there any witnesses?"
"For God's sake, I can hear you without you shouting Holmes and no, nobody saw anything."
"Very well then, Watson, what do you have so far?" He turned around and looked at me with his hands on his back.
"Well," I cleared my throat, "other than you telling me that the man was murdered, I have nothing."
Holmes sighed, "Once again nobody seems to observe, they only see." he walked turned around once more. "Dust, Watson, dust is adequate. You can see here that the murderer touched the balcony fence after throwing the body, then look at the floor, dirt, but nobody has ever been here except for the victim and the murderer, the soles of the victims shoes are clean which means the murderer has stepped on dirt, maybe a park, a garden or a field, that's all I have Watson. As I said, not much."
"What are we going to do now?"
"The only thing we can do, investigate further or if you'd like, have a cup of tea and discuss about the case."
"I would rather investigate further, Holmes, a case is a case after all."
"Very well, I need to take a closer look at the body."
We went down the stairs and Holmes took a quick glance at the body and smiled. "The murder weapon has been found," Holmes claimed as he extended his hand to grab something from the victim's tie. "the tie pin."
"The tie pin? Well it could have been the victim's couldn't it and how could it possibly kill someone?" Lestrade questioned.
"It was the victim's, it's new so it must have been bought yesterday or today as a birthday gift for him, the engraving here says 'Happy Birthday' while below it is the name of the shop that sold this pin, 'Ignatius' Accessories'." Holmes stopped.
"Is there something of the matter Holmes?" I asked.
"Ignatius Accessories was closed down back in early 1889 which means this pin was bought before it was closed down, but why now?" Holmes asked himself.
"But how did the pin kill the man?" Lestrade insisted on asking.
"Oh for God's sake look at the pin, blood everywhere other than where the killer's hand was, obviously he was stabbed but where? It's hard to find the place he was stabbed but he might have been stabbed several times slowly. But why?"
We retired from the cathedral and back to our apartment where Holmes sat on his armchair with his hands on his chin, "Is that all you really got so far?" I enquired.
"Apparently so, the man was killed in early 1889 but why now? Why after 2 years? There must be a connection somehow." Holmes responded.
"Maybe because the murderer didn't have the guts to make the crime public 2 years ago?"
"That can't be it Watson, think, what was the motive, why now, where was he murdered? Something is wrong, Watson, something is terribly wrong, why of all places did the murderer choose the cathedral and of all times, right now? Something is playing a bigger part in this." Holmes stopped suddenly, "Oh, he's smart isn't he? Very very smart." Confused, I asked him "The murderer?"
"No Watson, him, the Napoleon of crime." Holmes drawled.
"Who?"
"The Napoleon of crime Watson, Professor James Moriarty."
"James Moriarty?"
"Have you not heard of him?"
"I'm afraid I haven't."
"Professor James Moriarty is a criminal mastermind, i'm surprised you haven't heard of him Watson."
"What does he have to do with this case Holmes?"
"Everything Watson. Don't you see? He planned this murder."
"Lets catch him then."
"He planned it Watson, he did not commit it."
"So what do we do?"
"Tell Lestrade he can never catch his murderer and have no mention of James Moriarty."
"Very well." I said as I stood up and was preparing to leave when Lestrade came in, "Have you solved the case then?" he asked.
"No, why?" Holmes looked at him.
"Was just wondering, you know, you being Sherlock Holmes and all that." Holmes gave a sarcastic look.
"Well I best be off, see you." Lestrade stated.
"Wait," I stopped him, "Holmes was just asking me to tell you that you will not be able to catch the killer."
"And why's that, Holmes?" Lestrade questioned with a perplexed look on his face.
"You just can't, it was easier for me to know it than to explain why I know it."
Lestrade was not pleased with the answer but left nonetheless.
"Watson, brew us some tea will you?"
"Why?"
"I'm expecting a guest." Holmes explained while picking up his violin.
"And who might that be?"
"The one and only, Professor James Moriarty."
"What?"
"You have already used three out of the five 'WH' questions, Watson. You surprise me everyday." Holmes commented as he started playing his violin.
I was about to protest when I realize I actually have used three of it. There was no point arguing with Sherlock Holmes so I just brewed the tea and placed it on the table beside my chair. "So when is our guest coming?"
"Right now." Holmes turned towards the door, putting his violin on his lap, as the door opened slowly and there he was. He was slim and tall, he had eyes so devilish and cold that it struck fear in my heart. "Welcome, Professor James Moriarty." Holmes said.
"Ah, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, very nice place you have here." Moriarty walked around looking at our notes and letters with his hand while the other hand behind his back holding his top hat. "And Dr. John H. Watson, pleasure to meet you." he extended his hand to which I refused. "Don't do handshakes? No worries."
Holmes pointed his violin bow towards a vacant chair, "Please, sit."
"Ah, thank you," Moriarty sat and looked towards the tray on the table beside me. "Is that for me?"
"Quite." Holmes replied.
"Thank you kindly." Moriarty remarked as he picked up his cup of tea and slurped it. "So I see you have solved the case on the dead man in the cathedral."
"Indeed I have."
"Good, explain it to me then." Moriarty said as he placed his cup of tea on the table behind his chair.
"Why should I?"
"Because I want to see how good you are." Moriarty smiled.
"But you have already tested that didn't you, with Mr. Arnaud if I'm not mistaken."
I looked at Holmes and made a face like 'What?'.
"You have been very observant haven't you, Mr. Holmes?" Moriarty chuckled. "The eye of a beholder, oh how many ordinary people would kill for this skill."
"So what is this 'game' you're playing at?" Holmes enquired.
"Oh it's a fun one Mr. Holmes, well I best be off. Thank you for your time, Mr. Holmes, and Dr. Watson." Moriarty looked at me and bowed.
"Time to prepare your 'game' then?"
"Oh the game has already been commenced Mr. Holmes but don't worry, we will see each other again." Moriarty smiled and left.
Holmes stood up and picked up his cup of unfinished tea and placed in on the tray while picking up his own cup. "And we're just letting him go?" I asked.
"Yes, we will see him again, I know it." Holmes slurped on his cup of tea.
"Have you gone mad Holmes?" I shouted.
"Mad? There are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world without them."
"But with James Moriarty? The man you claim to be a criminal mastermind and the Napoleon of crime?"
"I agree, Watson, James Moriarty has a mind of a philosopher and yet he turned into a criminal, he is dangerous but interesting. It is a wicked world, Watson, and when a clever man turns his brain into crime, it is the worst of all."
"Have you made your mind then?"
"Certainly."
That was the end of the conversation as I retired to my bedroom and went to sleep while Holmes stayed on his armchair slurping his tea. The next morning I opened my bedroom door and saw Holmes reading the newspaper and said "Good morning Watson, look at this." He handed me the newspaper and pointed on an advertisement, I read it and said "A tour at Reichenbach Falls? You're not suggesting that we're going are you?"
"We are going, I already bought the tickets for the three of us." He flashed the tickets to me.
"Three?"
"Well Reichenbach Falls is a lovely place, Mary would enjoy it."
"Does Mary know about this?"
"No, which is why you are telling her."
"And why are we going Holmes?"
"I thought we should take a break from all the crime-solving and murders, don't you think?"
"Very well, I'll just change and let Mary know."
"Good, the train's leaving at eleven so make it quick, I'll wait for you at Kenway's train station."
I agreed and hastily changed and took a cab to Mary's. Mary was excited when she heard of it and got prepared quickly, we headed to the train station and found Holmes sitting down on a bench waiting for us. It was only ten o' clock so we had a small conversation while waiting for the train. We arrived there about twenty-four hours later where we found an inn and rented to stay for a day, when we got to the bedroom Holmes said "The tour starts in another one hour, allow me to use the restroom before we depart." and he left, leaving Mary and I to ourselves, we discussed about the Falls and how great it would be to visit it again to which she agreed. Holmes returned a short while later and said "Off we go then, no time to waste."
The tour started as soon as we got there and we had to catch up, we followed along the tour and finally reached the Falls, an intriguing place it was, very beautiful. Suddenly a boy ran up to me from the back and said "A man fell ill in the inn just now, he said you were a doctor."
"I am, is he still in the inn?"
"Yessir, follow me."
"But what about the tour?" Mary asked.
"We can join in another one some other day, Mary." said I.
"The man is very ill sir and he requires your assistance immediately."
I followed the boy to the inn alongside Mary, when we reached the inn we received news that he was sent to the local doctor because we were late. Disappointed, we hurried back to Reichenbach Falls to find out that the tour has ended but there was no sign of Holmes anywhere. We walked up the road the tour has taken us and near a steep cliff I saw the shoes of my companion, we ran up there and saw an envelope in his shoes, I opened up the envelope which was already opened and found a letter inside.
'Mr. Sherlock Holmes,
I have been observing you Sherlock Holmes, you are not one of the ordinary
people, I can tell. But I have only seen you as a distraction, a distraction to
keep me from all these ordinary people with their boring lives. As much as
you entertain me Sherlock Holmes, I'm afraid you'll have to fall, your last
breath. Meet me in Reichenbach Falls Sherlock Holmes and you will meet
your fall. '
And here is where it ends.