The Darkest Secret
An Hope Holmes Adventure Chapter XXI
Faith Robin
Some time later…
A room slowly came into focus. My senses were slowly returning. My tightened muscles soon relaxed in to the comfort of the cushions of which I was on. Then I smelled the scent of smelling salts under my nose. My eyes began watering and I turned away with a small silent groan. Then I felt pain shoot at my neck, my trembling fingers found the area where the Professor's rope had found me.
I closed my eyes and calmed myself and cleared my countenance of any expression that would give away any of my inner feelings. Then I opened my eyes and released the air I had in my lungs as a slow calming breath. Then I looked around the room and saw that there were two officials in the room; there was also a third man.
One was the Inspector Lestrade, with a bandaged head. There was another Inspector, one I recognized but couldn't recall his name. The third was the police doctor who had revived me. The doctor capped the salts and left the room, satisfied of his job.
"Miss Holmes, my name is Inspector Jones," The nameless man said stepping forward. "Can you tell me what happened down there while you were speaking with the Colonel Moriarty?"
"Yes, I can," I said slowly as Inspector Jones reached into his pocket; he drew a pad of paper and pencil out and nodded when he was ready for me to begin. I began telling them what I knew. I soon finished and then I stood to my still shaking feet. I glided over to the window and stared out at the starry skies.
"Miss Holmes, I must apologize it was my fault that…" The Inspector Lestrade said trailing off.
"Inspector I understand, I am not holding you accountable for what happened, and it was my own foolishness for not realizing there was an obvious trap." I said curtly and walked out of the room.
'I have to find my father,' I thought to myself as I pushed the doors aside and walked out into the street. Then I stopped and froze, there was a watch and chain, broken and long forgotten. I bent down and gathered the watch and chain; ignoring the stares of the men that were around me. I stood and studied the watch with widened eyes.
The clear glass was shattered but still intact. The way that the glass had cracked, I observed, someone had stepped upon it. The break was in a most unusual fashion, it looked like a tiny spiders' web. My heart froze and with trembling fingers I turned the back of the watch to where it was face up; the initials S.H. were inscribed on the back of it.
'No!' I thought to myself. Then I looked around me and I turned there was a group of constables near me. Then both of the Inspectors came out and saw what I was holding.
Meanwhile…
I stood at the window and stared out at the rainy downs of the countryside. My goons had been tricked by my own daughter. Now the man that had taken away my beloved daughter was in my hands. 'I will make him pay for taking my wife and my daughter away from me.' I thought to myself. 'I will make him regret that he ever took notice of my affairs.'