Holmes never failed to amaze me with his disguises. He emerged from his room as a pompous, slightly overweight gentlemen, festooned with jewelry and watch chains, smoking an expensive cigar.
I had been sitting uncomfortably, pointing the revolver at the girl. She had sunken into the couch, crossed her arms, and rolled her eyes several times. I rather thought it was the diamond more than my presence that kept her from leaving.
According to Holmes, Ana was a clever child, but she stared at him in disbelief and there was no trace of recognition in her face. Then she shook her head, stood, and with a rather scornful glance at the two of us, announced they would need a cab.
Sherlock nodded a quick goodbye to me and followed Ana out the door.
Time passed slowly, and I tried to amuse myself with the rest of the papers, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Ana. Would she and Holmes be successful?
About an hour later, I heard footsteps on the stair and Holmes opened the door for Ana. She was shivering, with Holmes' cloak wrapped around her shoulders. Her cheeks were flushed and a few snowflakes sparkled in her hair, giving her an angelic look.
Holmes took the cloak from her shoulders and hung it on the coat rack, grinning.
"Well?" I asked, impatient.
"The girl has been most helpful..." Holmes chuckled.
Ana had walked to the mantelpiece, inspecting the papers and the knives that pinned them there. She muttered something about "blackmail..."
"Blackmail now, is it?" Holmes laughed. "Yes, I suppose it is. Here's what happened, Watson.
"We went back again to the lower area of London, where Ana instructed the cabby to stop at a pub - 'The Horseshoe,' if I remember correctly. There, she led me around to the back door and knocked thrice. The door was opened by a rather large fellow, with a grizzly black beard and a patch over his left eye. 'We want to see Skinner,' Ana said. 'What for?' he asked. 'A job for the gentleman,' Ana said, indicating myself.
"We were admitted into the pub, but Ana poked me in the back. "Give 'im a fiver...' she hissed. I did, and the man led us to a darkened back room. In the shadows of this room, a man was sitting behind a desk. Roughly five foot, six inches and slightly overweight. His features were indistinguishable in the dim light and he was wearing dark gloves. "Tell 'im you want someone out of the way... a business partner, maybe," Ana whispered. I repeated her words and the man handed me this."
Holmes handed me a small slip of paper, on which was written - Tuesday, Four O'Clock, 137 Ashwood Road.
"You'll notice the paper is slightly thicker than usual, but no watermark. No fingerprints. Quite frustrating, actually. The man in the shadows then wrote the same thing in his ledger. Oh, what I would give for that ledger!... Ana, for heaven's sake, put the knife back!"
Ana gave a disgruntled sigh and pulled the knife out of her pocket, stabbing it back into the mantelpiece. I jumped, startled. She turned and began to inspect the bookshelf, pulling books off at random and flipping through the pages.
"And I WILL have that ledger. Tonight."
Ana had found my book of case files and was clutching it with excited eyes. Then she heard Holmes and snorted. "The ledger is locked in a safe, guarded. I've never been able to get it, what makes you think you will?"
"I'll have your help," Holmes said casually.
"No, you won't." Still clutching the case files, Ana walked past the two of us, towards the door.
"What about the diamond, my dear?"
Ana stopped and turned back towards us. With a look of triumph, she reached in her pocket and held the gem up. Holmes gave a yelp and plunged his hand into his pocket, pulling out a small rock. "You little..." he growled.
Ana looked frightened and bolted for the door, muttering, "Oh, now I've done it!"
Holmes was there faster and slammed the door shut in front of her. Ana backed away.
"Give it to me." Holmes held out a hand.
"No!"
He took a step closer. "Give it to me!"
"I won't!" She clutched the diamond and my papers to her chest.
Holmes made a grab for the jewel, and she tripped backwards over the rug. The papers went flying, and the diamond rolled to my feet. I bent to pick it up, but Ana flipped on her stomach and lunged for it, snatching it from my fingers. She stood and Holmes pinned her against the wall. She threw up her hands in defense or surprise and...
With a small smash of glass and rush of cold air, the diamond tumbled to the streets below. The three of us pressed up against the window, just in time to see it totter on the edge of a sewer pipe, and fall in.
"Damn!"
"Oh, gracious..."
Holmes just laughed.
I had been sitting uncomfortably, pointing the revolver at the girl. She had sunken into the couch, crossed her arms, and rolled her eyes several times. I rather thought it was the diamond more than my presence that kept her from leaving.
According to Holmes, Ana was a clever child, but she stared at him in disbelief and there was no trace of recognition in her face. Then she shook her head, stood, and with a rather scornful glance at the two of us, announced they would need a cab.
Sherlock nodded a quick goodbye to me and followed Ana out the door.
Time passed slowly, and I tried to amuse myself with the rest of the papers, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Ana. Would she and Holmes be successful?
About an hour later, I heard footsteps on the stair and Holmes opened the door for Ana. She was shivering, with Holmes' cloak wrapped around her shoulders. Her cheeks were flushed and a few snowflakes sparkled in her hair, giving her an angelic look.
Holmes took the cloak from her shoulders and hung it on the coat rack, grinning.
"Well?" I asked, impatient.
"The girl has been most helpful..." Holmes chuckled.
Ana had walked to the mantelpiece, inspecting the papers and the knives that pinned them there. She muttered something about "blackmail..."
"Blackmail now, is it?" Holmes laughed. "Yes, I suppose it is. Here's what happened, Watson.
"We went back again to the lower area of London, where Ana instructed the cabby to stop at a pub - 'The Horseshoe,' if I remember correctly. There, she led me around to the back door and knocked thrice. The door was opened by a rather large fellow, with a grizzly black beard and a patch over his left eye. 'We want to see Skinner,' Ana said. 'What for?' he asked. 'A job for the gentleman,' Ana said, indicating myself.
"We were admitted into the pub, but Ana poked me in the back. "Give 'im a fiver...' she hissed. I did, and the man led us to a darkened back room. In the shadows of this room, a man was sitting behind a desk. Roughly five foot, six inches and slightly overweight. His features were indistinguishable in the dim light and he was wearing dark gloves. "Tell 'im you want someone out of the way... a business partner, maybe," Ana whispered. I repeated her words and the man handed me this."
Holmes handed me a small slip of paper, on which was written - Tuesday, Four O'Clock, 137 Ashwood Road.
"You'll notice the paper is slightly thicker than usual, but no watermark. No fingerprints. Quite frustrating, actually. The man in the shadows then wrote the same thing in his ledger. Oh, what I would give for that ledger!... Ana, for heaven's sake, put the knife back!"
Ana gave a disgruntled sigh and pulled the knife out of her pocket, stabbing it back into the mantelpiece. I jumped, startled. She turned and began to inspect the bookshelf, pulling books off at random and flipping through the pages.
"And I WILL have that ledger. Tonight."
Ana had found my book of case files and was clutching it with excited eyes. Then she heard Holmes and snorted. "The ledger is locked in a safe, guarded. I've never been able to get it, what makes you think you will?"
"I'll have your help," Holmes said casually.
"No, you won't." Still clutching the case files, Ana walked past the two of us, towards the door.
"What about the diamond, my dear?"
Ana stopped and turned back towards us. With a look of triumph, she reached in her pocket and held the gem up. Holmes gave a yelp and plunged his hand into his pocket, pulling out a small rock. "You little..." he growled.
Ana looked frightened and bolted for the door, muttering, "Oh, now I've done it!"
Holmes was there faster and slammed the door shut in front of her. Ana backed away.
"Give it to me." Holmes held out a hand.
"No!"
He took a step closer. "Give it to me!"
"I won't!" She clutched the diamond and my papers to her chest.
Holmes made a grab for the jewel, and she tripped backwards over the rug. The papers went flying, and the diamond rolled to my feet. I bent to pick it up, but Ana flipped on her stomach and lunged for it, snatching it from my fingers. She stood and Holmes pinned her against the wall. She threw up her hands in defense or surprise and...
With a small smash of glass and rush of cold air, the diamond tumbled to the streets below. The three of us pressed up against the window, just in time to see it totter on the edge of a sewer pipe, and fall in.
"Damn!"
"Oh, gracious..."
Holmes just laughed.