The Case of the Vindictive Spirit, Chapter the Seventh.
Watson heard the Pekingese before he saw him. Tuffy trotted right to Watson and dropped his red rubber ball at his feet. "The Prentices are near. Are you almost done in there, Holmes?" hissed Watson in a whisper. "Just finished, old man,"came the reply as Holmes joined Watson and the Peabodies in the hall. A few moments later, the Prentices came into view.
Mrs. Prentice went straight to Mrs. Peabody, who was dabbing at her eyes with her apron.
"You look like you had a bad shock, dear. Whatever is the matter?"
Mrs. Peabody sniffed and dabbed at her eyes. "It is Master
Bruce. Someone killed him--right in this very room!" Mrs. Peabody motioned to the open door.
Mrs. Prentice looked in. She saw all she wanted to see after a few minutes of craning her neck in the doorway, and she turned back to Mrs. Peabody. Her face was whiter than it had been before. Suddenly, and without warning, she fell into a dead faint, toppling back into Holmes' arms. He then crumpled to the floor beneath the stricken woman.
Cassandra Brownlee saw this and smiled. She was in the hall, but had not stepped out of the shadows yet. Mrs. Prentice had given her an idea, and she would attempt it, but it would have to be done carefully and at exactly the right time.
Patience was walking beside her sister, and rolled her eyes. Cassandra just never gave up.
From down yet another hall, there came a voice. " Hoy there, what's going on ?" The Major's voice floated down the hall to the small group.
"There's been a murder,"piped up Mrs. Peabody. The buzz of excited chatter came closer. "Did she say murder?" "Murder? Who was murdered? "Do you think it is safe to go down there?" "Safer than staying up here and running into the murderer." Walking toward them were Mr. and Mrs. White, accompanied by Major Porter and his wife.
The Major spoke up, his voice ringing off the walls of the stone corridor. "Murder, you say? Who has been killed? Has anyone gone and summoned the Authorities?"
"Just leaving now, sir." said Mr. Peabody, shrugging into a jacket which Mrs. Peabody held for him.
"Now you be careful. Here's your lantern. Come straight back, mind. No dilly-dallying."
"Yes, Mother,"came the reply, although it was muffled by the striped scarf she was wrapping around his neck.
She gave him a peck on the cheek. Then he took his lantern and disappeared into the fog.
"It is a twenty minute walk from the castle to the village from here."said the Major. In less than an hour the authorities should be here. Until then, let us adjourn to the library." The Major seemed to be regarded as the leader of the group, noticed Watson. He was glad of it, for the chap had a good head on his shoulders. The group filtered into the library.
"We had better be getting back to our room before the twins wake up and find us gone. We had just got them to sleep when we heard the screaming, so we came down here with the Major and his wife to see what was the matter," . explained Mrs. White.
Watson saw the red rubber ball roll into the library and come to rest by his chair. A moment later, Tuffy skittered into view. Upon seeing his toy, he scooped it up and looked up at Watson hopefully.
"All right, little fellow. Give it here, thatta boy."He went to the library door and rolled the ball down the hall. The little dog ran excitedly after the ball, his pitter-patting paws echoing down the hall as he ran. Watson chuckled to himself and went back to his chair.
Watson was looking at the people around him when he felt paws on his knee. "Well, now, young man, what do you suppose you want?"
As Watson looked down, he saw a red smear on his trousers. All four of the Pekingese' feet were bloody. Watson motioned to Holmes to come closer and spoke in a low voice.
"It seems that there is another body out there that we have
not yet found."
