Chapter II - Stamford's Tale Part I

'Well I perceive you have not come to renew acquaintances my dear Stamford.' Began Holmes almost the second the unfortunate Stamford entered the room.

"No, I have come on a matter rather more grave" He replied. His face was pale and his hands shook slightly. He had a very different demeanor from the one I had known when we were together at Barts and the look of someone who had had more than a little on his mind of late.

"Pray, tell me. What is it you seek?"

"I seek merely advice and have a tale to give you before I can seek even that." Holmes remained silent and I thought it wise to follow this course after a few moments Stamford began to speak.

"Do you know the name Mr Sewell Malone, I believe he is not totally unknown although, I myself must admit I had never heard the name until a couple of weeks ago."

I was ignorant of the name myself but I perceived from my companions expression that he did not share in my lack of knowledge.

"Yes, in fact, I have met the man. If you are speaking of Mr Sewell Malone the naturalist and explorer, co-founder, with my brother, of the Diogenes Club."

"Yes, that is the man. I must regret to inform you Mr Holmes of your omission of the fact that he has been recently murdered" here Stamford paused for a while but neither Holmes not I spoke and presently he continued. "Two weeks ago to this day, I was awakened at the unholy hour of 5 o'clock a.m. to find myself confronted my a young woman. She was dressed in the attire of a maid and considerably distressed so it took me several minutes to calm her to a state where she could speak. At which point, she informed me that Mr Malone had been found dead in the lounge and there was something fishy going on, her words not mine.

Since I did not know of this Mr Malone I had to expend considerable time and some not inexpensive brandy calming her to a degree at which she was sensible. I asked her who Mr Malone was and she informed me that he was and elderly naturalist and former explorer. His name still meaning nothing to me I asked her why she had come to me of all people. She told me that Mr Malone had expressely wished that if anything strange should happed she was to go to Mr Roger Stamford and had been given an address. It was at this time that it occurred to me that the person she was seeking was not in fact me but my late father also of my name who had worked as a missionary for some years in Africa and may have had some aquaintance with this Mr Malone who I took to be her employer.

On gathering this information I thought the only sensible course was to visit the police and did so promptly. I was accompanied by a man named Inspector Lestrade to a house in the vicinity of Pall Mall, there we found the gentleman lying peacefully in an armchair by the dead fire, stone cold. There did not seem to be any evidence on anything unusual in the room except a lingering smell of something that I could only identify as fish.

Inspector Lestrade sent me to fetch a doctor whilst he made a more thorough examination of the room. I literally bumped into a doctor almost the second I left the house. His name was Dr. Tchaikaroff and I guessed him to be of Russian decent although he had lived in this country for some twenty years. I asked him if he knew of a doctor in the area and he proclaimed his proffesion.

When Dr. Tchaikaroff entered the room he informed Inspector Lestrade and me that he had known the man and frequented his club which you have mentioned before. The doctor quickly diagnosed death by heart failure and told us that he thought this likely to be totally natural since Mr Malone was of not inconsiderable age and had suffered from a weak heart for some time.

I left the case to Inspector Lestrade and returned to my lodgings to eat breakfast, thinking the matter solved. As I did not hear anything for several days I presumed my assumption was correct and was therefore somewhat surprise when almost a week after the first incident Lestrade paid me a visit…

Sorry this is half a chapter I like cliff hangers.

The next chapter is coming soon. Thanks to my kind reviewers. I have checked spellings but I apologise for any omissions.

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