Lestrade and Gregson exchanged another look. "Gregson knows who it is." Lestrade said.

"How?" I asked, when I remembered to. Holmes looked intrigued.

"He ran right into one of the gang. And they recognized him." Lestrade explained. Gregson nodded. "They knocked him out and locked him in the cellar, but not before he caught a glimpse of the man."

"Just a minute, Lestrade." Holmes interrupted. "What do you mean, 'they recognized him?'"

Lestrade sighed. "They recognized him as one of the Inspectors involved in the raid." He clarified. "We were the Inspectors." He waited a moment for Holmes to say something else, and when my friend did not, he continued. "That was three days ago. We started looking for him the following evening, and last night I was looking into rumors that he had last been seen around the docks and was recognized myself."

"He wasn't expecting a fight, I suppose." Lestrade mused. "Anyway, I was slapping the darbies on him and he was begging and pleading and trying to bribe me into letting him loose, and finally said he knew where my 'partner' was.

"He said he'd tell me where he was if I let him go. I loosened the cuffs, and he pointed me in the right direction. I handcuffed him to a lamp-post and left him there. He might have gotten loose." Lestrade didn't look too concerned over whether the man might still be there or not.

"And then you went after Gregson." Holmes said. Lestrade nodded.

"I found him in the cellar of that rundown tavern at the docks; you know which one I mean." Holmes nodded, and Lestrade continued. "He was shivering; apparently he'd been there long enough for that coughhe was getting over to act up again. His throat was so hoarse he couldn't say a word." I waited for Lestrade make a comment about that being a nice change, but it never happened.

"He borrowed my notebook while I worked at the rope tying his ankles, scribbled that he knew who was in charge of the gang. They found me as I finished getting him loose, and I nearly joined him in captivity. They left that big fellow behind to 'guard' us, and he got too close. I took advantage of the situation, and made use of the knife he was carrying to get us loose. Then we made a break for it."

"Do you believe you were followed here?" Holmes asked after a moment. Lestrade shook his head.

"The fact that we made it through the night unmolested says we weren't." He replied. "But they'll be looking for us." He scowled. "And Gregson can't testify to a thing until his throat's better."

"Surely he could write…"Holmes trailed off as we both noticed that I had missed something in the dark last night. Gregson's hands were both badly bruised and swollen, and I scolded myself for not noticing them sooner.

"They saw the notebook." Holmes guessed, and I jumped up to get a better look at the Inspector's hands. Gregson nodded in response to Holmes' question.

"Then he didn't tell you who it was that was in charge of the gang." Holmes surmised, and Gregson shook his head wearily.


Disclaimer: Sherlock Holmes and the gang do not belong to me.