"It is a certainly different case, Watson" Sherlock Holmes remarked to me as we headed for the Sussex plains where Ms. Trackbacks house was located.
I looked at him. His face betrayed nothing; not that I expected it too; he was after all, Sherlock Holmes. But his eyes twinkled as he looked at me. I raised my eyebrow in a questioning manner.
He leaned back "Admit it, Watson." He said languidly "You are grateful this case came along." I flushed a bit and he laughed "oh yes. I have seen the glances you cave to the Moroccan case on our mantelpiece." He leaned forward and smiled softly at me "Fear not, my dear Watson" he said " I will not return to that vice of mine."
I smiled at him and he leaned back, displaying that cold exterior that I was so accustomed to seeing. Apart from the rare glimpses of his soul at certain moments, such as now, he hardly acknowledged the presence of a heart. I was truly and deeply touched that he would remember my advice and reassure me.
Our train due into the Sussex station and Holmes and I leapt down onto the platform. To my surprise, it was deserted.
"This is odd" I said, looking around at the empty platform. I turned to Holmes, who was looking around, his brow furrowed. "Didn't Ms. Trackback say she will have a trap waiting for us?"
Without a word, Holmes strode forward and I followed in some puzzlement. He stopped abruptly and kneeled down. "Hallo! What have we here?" he exclaimed holding the thing up.
Squinting in the fading light of the sunset behind us, I managed to make out the general shape of a small pencil. Holmes's face darkened. He climbed to his feet and looked around. "There's some devilry afoot, Watson." Ha said atlast. "Then that is Ms. Trackwood's pencil?" I said looking at the tiny thing in his hand. Holmes shook his head "It could be her's as one can readily understand from the marking Cg at the sides which stands for Cobiose Geraint, a famous American pencil maker. However it just as easily can be her sister's." "Do you mean-?" I gasped horrified. Holmes shook his head gravely "Yes, Watson, I fear we have arrived too late. Ms. Trackback may have been abducted."
There was a silence that echoed and, though Holmes's face remained impassive, I could see just how deeply it hurt him, this failure in his case.
" But surely Holmes" I said softly " the lady need not be dead yet, correct? Perhaps we still may be-?"
He looked at me with dawning light in his eyes. "By Jove, Watson" he said softly "Perhaps you should be the detective and I the doctor!"
We both laughed at this rare jest from his side. " Well what do we do now?" Holmes's face once again became grave. "We shall head to her lodging" he said " Be the lady there or not, I must get to the bottom of this. From what I have understand of her description of the manor it cannot be a very difficult one to spot. Come Watson!"
With that he raced down the stairs and I followed, marveling at his energy.
