CHAPTER 2

"Is this the girl?" asked Lestrade.

"Certainly", I answered.

"You wouldn't mind watching after her?" he asked, "after all you're the doctor, and it seems like she will be asleep for some time."

I pretended to ponder for an instant.

"I'll try to be helpful", I replied.

"Thank you, doctor. You see – I will take a look at the main room and, eventually, will have to go away. Mr Holmes will apparently be out as well looking for his diamond and – for what you told me – this girl seems to be implicated in this business. Are you sure you can be here for that long?"

"Yes, but – tell me – what am I to do if she wakes up?"

"Don't let her go," he said, "and don't put her wise on what we know."

That was not good news, I thought. I'd be in charge of playing her captor.

"I'll do my best."

Lestrade left my bedroom and for a couple of minutes I heard him wandering about the main room. Soon afterwards he brought me a sample of the water left in the broken glass.

"It's not much."

"That's all I could get", he apologised.

I tried it carefully.

"Yes, she was doped", I explained.

"That's not like Mr Holmes now is it doctor?"

I had to agree it was not. But I hastened to suggest that Holmes might have believed himself in danger. The girl – though as beautiful as they make them – had certainly appeared in our lodgings with a false story and pretending to ignore my friend's profession.

After a silence I enquired about the diamond.

"Well, the Hope Diamond is blue," Lestrade replied, "but it's rather unlike to be the one concerned in this case. I daresay this is more of a private affaire," he said proving to know nothing.

With that he left, having engagements elsewhere.

After five minutes alone with the sleeping Miss Featherstone I had decided that – should she wake up – I was to keep her in the room as a medical precaution. Being a doctor I was satisfied that was the easier way to convince her.

Suddenly, the girl – still fast asleep – rolled over to her right, allowing me to see her face again and slipping her hand under my pillow. At the sight of the latter my heart jumped, but then I remembered: my revolver was away.

For a long time I could only look at her. That incredible girl sleeping in my bed and with her hand under my pillow was a sight of heaven. Three times I checked her pulse on her wrist and her temperature on her forehead.

She sighed the last time… and so did I.

Half an hour later Holmes rushed in. He looked tired and his face was grave.

"Miss Featherstone alright?" he asked.

"Yes, but—"

"This is wicked Watson. I know nothing about The Blue Diamond except that it's apparently worth a lot more that human life—to some people."

"What the devil do you mean?"

"Murder, that's what I mean", he added calmly as he sent quick glances at the sleeping girl.

We sat there silent for a couple of minutes when suddenly there was a knock on the door of the main room. Holmes opened it and a young man—for what I could tell from his voice—came in. I had my door open so I could hear some of the conversation.

"My name is Wood", said the stranger. "I read your advert, sir; you say you found a blue dia—I mean brooch in Oxford Street."

"I did."

"I admire your honesty for advertising it sir, though its value is merely sentimental—you see, it belongs to my sister—Miss Wood, who got it as a gift from my late mother. It's a family relic."

"I see—well you needn't explain the private side of it, Mr Wood. What I want you to do is to describe the gem."

"I understand, and I appreciate you take that precaution, sir. The world is full of crooks nowadays."

Holmes laughed a 'yes',

"Well," the man continued, "besides it being blue, it's about this size," I couldn't tell what size he was indicating, "it has the shape of a crescent with blunt edges, and it's only blue because of the stone inside."

"That's the one," said Holmes, "now where exactly in Oxford Street do you think you – or your sister – might have lost it?"

"Well, according to my sister's account it must have been near Portman Street where a friend of hers has her flat."

"When could this have been?"

The man pondered for a second.

"The night before last," he said finally with a voice that sounded annoyed by my friend's inquisitiveness.

"Very well then, your story is correct," Holmes hastened to say.

The man gave a sigh of relief and his annoyance was clearly gone.

"Shall I have the brooch then?"

"I'm sorry but that will be impossible."

"Why?"

"Because I don't have it."

"What do you mean?!" the man shouted.

"You see, Mr Wood, when I found it mistook it for an actual diamond and I decided to put it in a safe in the bank. Because of my business I have several people in the house and I didn't think it wise to run such a risk. I know you will appreciate my precaution one more time."

"So I do."

"You may come here tomorrow at the same hour."

"Fair enough", the man said politely and a minute afterwards was gone.

Holmes appeared again in my room instantly.

"Quick, Watson, what was in the glass?" he asked before I could put my own questions to him.

"I don't know," I replied, "what did you put in it?"

"I merely switched the glasses, Watson. Apparently Miss Featherstone had come for the diamond as well."

"Is that so?" I asked sadly.

"Absolutely", said Holmes. "She insisted so much on us having glasses of water that I knew she'd make such a move. After the water was brought I gave her a moment or two alone with the glasses. Then I took the precaution of switching them; I only had to put the word diamond on a random phrase and point behind her to have a chance."

"That was wise."

"I also made sure of being the one holding the fiddle by the time she faded", he said.

"Is that all you know about the matter?" I asked. "You mentioned murder."

"I'll tell you more later. Now I want you to remain here with Miss Featherstone, can you do that?"

"Why—of course!" I answered.

"Thank you, Watson. Now I have to get going."

"Holmes," I said, "you're not giving that man the diamond, are you?"

"Are you so naïve as to think I actually have it?" he said. "I was only collecting information; Mr Wood was kind enough to give me some", he added and left.