December 21: "How do criminals celebrate Christmas? (from Riandra)

A/N: Part 3 of 3 in the Fish Case! (Sequel to Day 3 and Day 20.)

Holmes

As Inspector Lestrade and I followed the smuggler Caulfield through the brisk London streets, I felt my pulse quicken. Finally, after hours and days of searching and acting and observing, my plans were falling together, and soon the diamonds would be recovered!

The thrill soon began to wear off, however, and I began to very keenly feel the wind sneaking past all my protective layers. I stuffed my gloved hands deeper into my pockets, wishing Caulfield would quicken his pace.

He did not, but we soon reached our destination nonetheless. It was a large, steel-hulled ship we were led to, though it was difficult to tell much more, even with the light of the occasional streetlamp.

As we approached, a man stepped out of the shadows surrounding the ship. He had the distinctive gait of a blacksmith and the build to match.

"I trust all went well?" said the man Ogden to us.

"Yes, sir," replied Caulfield.

"You have the goods?" asked Ogden.

"Yes," replied Caulfield, tapping his pocket once more.

"Good," said Ogden with a satisfied smirk. "Now, who are these gentlemen who accompany you?"

Caulfield glanced at me in confusion.

"We were asked to accompany Caulfield here, to ensure no harm befell him," said I. "Orders from the top."

"Ah," said Ogden. "But why was I not informed?"

I shrugged. "I've decided not to make it my business what some of us know and others don't."

Ogden's lips twisted into a snarl, but he made no reply.

"Well, friend Thornburn," I said, turning to Lestrade, "I believe our work here is done. Good evenin' to you."

"Yes—yes, good evening," echoed Lestrade. I wished he would have remained silent. He sounded far too nervous to convincingly play the part of a hired ruffian. But thankfully, it did not appear that Ogden had taken any notice. (Which was well. There were two murders I was certain he caused, but the proof was not enough for a jury. I did not want cause for a third or fourth tonight.)

Inspector Lestrade and I walked some good distance down the road. I stopped him when we reached a distance from whence we could still see what was happening at the dock. We crouched next to the front steps of the building so that they partially concealed us from them.

I scanned the scene before us, and after about a minute's search, spotted my trusty Irregular Walter, crouched in a doorway some little ways down the street.

Our new acquaintances Caulfield and Ogden spoke for some short time, then Caulfield reached into his coat and handed a small package to his superior, and departed—thankfully in the opposite direction from which we were hidden.

Ogden turned on his heel and walked out of our range of viewing, in all probability boarding the ship to hide his precious cargo. Walter flitted between shadows, and was soon out of sight as well.

We sat shivering in that doorway for some time. I could hear the poor Inspector's teeth chattering loudly next to me, but did not have it in me to chide him for his noisiness. After all, it was unlikely anyone would hear it, and it was I who dragged him out into this cold winter's evening.

Thankfully, our wait lasted less than half an hour; though how much less, I could not tell. Ogden emerged from the ship, and went on his way. Unfortunately, "his way" led him uncomfortably close to us. And although I was certain he did not see us crouched in the shadows, we remained motionless for a few long minutes after he had passed by.

"Come, Inspector," I whispered, rising stiffly to my full height and striking off in the direction of our cargo ship, Lestrade at my heels.

Walter stepped out of the shadows as we reached the ship. "I can show you the room where he put it," the boy whispered. "Follow me. " He led us up into the ship, around a few corners, and down into a cargo hold.

I lifted the cover of my dark lantern, to reveal a largish room full of preserving cans. By their appearance, I could see they were some sort of food being transported. By their smell, I could tell it was fish.

"Do you know where he put the diamonds?" I asked Walter.

He gave a little disappointed shake of the head. "Had to slip away or he'd've seen me!" he replied.

"That's all right," I said, thankful the boy had gotten this far.

"I'm pretty sure it's in a can, though," Walter continued. "I couldn't watch, but I stayed near enough to listen."

"Excellent!" I said, rubbing my hands together. "You have done marvelously," I told him, and handed him his payment. The boy grinned and thanked me as he stuffed the coin in his pocket and scampered away.

I turned to the Inspector. "Well, we have only to figure out which can it is in, and we shall have our Lady Beaulieu's diamonds!"

Lestrade let out an audible groan. It took me only a moment to realize the source of his exasperation.

"I apologize, Inspector," I said. "I must confess I had no idea we would find ourselves searching through a couple hundred cans of salmon," I said.

"Well, the sooner we begin, the sooner we'll finish," said Lestrade through gritted teeth.

And thus our search began.

It was a cold, miserable, smelly business, and all told, took nearly two hours to complete. I shall go into no further detail than that, or the readers of this may find themselves as averse to smelling or eating fish as Lestrade and I were after this incident. It was Lestrade who discovered the diamonds, in the bottom of one of the cans. It was well that I had brought a small bag for me to put them in, for while remarkable for their size, the jewels were still small enough to be easily lost if one was not careful.

"I suppose we shall have to issue several apologies now," Lestrade groaned. Apparently it was now dawning on him that the task we had just completed may not have entirely fallen upon the correct side of legal boundaries. The poor man had been too tired, cold, and focused on recovering the diamonds to consider much else. Not that he would have had any choice in the matter anyway.

"As usual, the fame and paperwork is all yours," I said to Lestrade as we left.

"You shall at least get some mention this time," said Lestrade. "I confess I would never have gotten nearly so far without you!"

"I appreciate the gesture," I replied, truly a tiny bit flattered by the Inspector's words.

It was now close enough to daybreak that a few cabs were out and about, and we were able to call one to bring Lestrade to his home, and me back to the home of my dear friend Watson. After all, I still had to retrieve Toby.

"But Holmes," said Watson, after I finished explaining these events to him, "you have never explained to me how you ended up dripping wet."

"Ah," said my friend. "You see, that is another story entirely, and one for which the world is not yet prepared."

Watson shook his head and sighed. But I was not about to tell him that I had simply lost balance and fallen into the Thames.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious sitting room somewhere on the other side of London, a couple of the strangest men were sitting and talking, a glass before each of them and a bottle of expensive wine between them.

Professor James Moriarty and Colonel Sebastian Moran saw no finer way to spend Christmas Eve, having no family that much liked them, and no friends but each other. As such, they were rather disgruntled by the interruption that came in the form of one John Ogden, a smuggler.

"Well, what have you come for?" asked Moriarty testily as the man entered the room.

The man swallowed hard, and fumbled with his necktie. "I—um—what are you doing?"

Moriarty and Moran exchanged a confused and irritated glance.

"We are celebrating Christmas," said Moran. "I believe the real question is what are you doing?"

"I have news, sirs," said Ogden nervously, "and I am not sure you will still feel like celebrating Christmas once I have given it."

"Deliver it nonetheless," Moriarty replied coldly.

Ogden rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Lady Beaulieu's diamonds have been recovered, by one Inspector Lestrade."

Moran's grip on his glass slipped, but Moriarty caught it before it shattered upon the floor, and set it calmly on the table.

"Inspector Lestrade?" said Moran incredulously.

"He had help," Ogden continued, "by some amateur detective."

"The police don't consult amateurs!" Moran scoffed.

"This one they do," said Ogden. "He is called Sherlock Holmes."

"The detective from those stories in the Strand," muttered Moriarty.

Moran glanced at his companion in surprise. "You read that rubbish?"

Moriarty shrugged. "I find such stories invigorating after hours of poring over dry mathematical treatises." He turned to Ogden, who was shifting his weight uncomfortably. "You may go."

Ogden looked as though he were about to ask something, but changed his mind.

"No goods delivered, no pay," said Moriarty. "You know the rules as well as I."

Ogden looked crestfallen. "But sir, my daughter—"

Moran rose to his full height, and Ogden took a timid step backward. But the Colonel gave a laugh, and pulled out his pocketbook. He crossed the room in three strides, handed Ogden a couple of small bills, and returned to his seat.

"Thank you!" said Ogden heartily. "Happy Christmas to the both of you!"

A/N: And thus concludes the Fish Case! Thanks to everyone who asked for this story to be told. I hope you liked it!