Chapter 7
Watson continued to gape in surprise, before his sense of outrage took over. "I do not pretend to understand what is going on here, but whatever it has placed an innocent woman's job and freedom on the line."
"You're right," Stanhope sneered, "You don't understand. My wife's life is on the line..."
"Let me Derrick," Mrs. Stanhope said softly, "You see Watson, I made a bad decision. Someone came to me when I was pregnant, and they somehow knew how I felt. Derrick and I didn't have any money, and I didn't feel right bringing a child into the world, nor did I want to go to my parents. Beth would have helped but...she's not really that much better off than we are. "Anyway, I agreed to sign over my child. Only, when he was born, and they took him from me...I knew I couldn't live without him. I went back, to try and give the creds back and I overheard a strange conversation. They were saying they couldn't just give the baby, my baby, away to just anyone. That the boss needed him as far away from New London as possible. I guess I must have made some kind of noise, because they found me and tied me up on a boat. "I hate water, I've always hated it. I think it's because Beth nearly drowned once..." She stopped and shook her head, "Anyway, my need to survive and find my baby overcame that fear, and I swam to shore. I found Derrick and told him what happened. We both decided it was best to let everyone think I was dead. Derrick then went to see if Sherlock Holmes could help us out. I have no idea how Beth got involved in this murder plot...we didn't want her to know anything about it."
Stanhope growled, "Someone set her up on purpose. And going to Sherlock Holmes was the worst thing I ever did. All he's going to do is get her and take her back to the Yard where she'll be crypnotized, or worse, sent to the moon."
Watson shook his head, wanting to defend his friend, and yet this once he couldn't help but agree. "Yes, Holmes, though incredibly intelligent is human after all, and subject to the same fallacies we all suffer. However, I think that if we solve this puzzle, Lestrade's name will be cleared."
"Exactly what we were hoping to hear, Watson," a familiar feminine voice rang out, followed by the form of Edith Presbury, "Beth needs more friends like you."
They were sitting in the lobby of the lodge, where they had been instructed to wait. Holmes glanced over at Lestrade with concern. Her eyes kept going glassy at times, as though she were in another time and place. Then she would come back to the present and it would be as though it had never happened. When he questioned her about it, she would tense and simply ignore him. This was not good. Lestrade was never like this. She was always in command of herself. Well almost always, but the Culverton-Smith case didn't count.
He placed a hand on her arm, and she jerked out of whatever had her mind in its grip. He leaned in close, as though to nuzzle on her ear. "Tell me...why is your sister's maiden name Canton?" He asked as an opening.
Lestrade blinked and then shrugged. "Lestrade is my mother's maiden name...I chose it when..." She broke off and sat up straight. He nodded to himself. It certainly made sense.
"Mr. and Mrs. Johnson?" a masculine voice called out. They looked up to see a tall, slightly overweight gentleman bearing down on them. Holme felt Lestrade stiffen beside him, as they both stood up to greet the man.
"Hello, I'm Marcus," he greeted, smiling, "I'm going to show you around our facilities here, and generally help your stay here be almost as comfortable as home."
"Hello," Holmes answered, "And you can just call us Danni and Charlie. I'll let you figure out which is which."
"Ah, Americans. I might have known. Oh well, I guess I won't hold that against you," Marcus replied with a grin, his own American accent showing through.
"How long have you worked here, Marcus?" Lestrade suddenly asked.
"Only a few days actually," he answered with a sheepish grin, "I'm thinking about getting married and the pay is really good. Look, I know what you're thinking and...well...these kids would be really bad off if they didn't come here..." He trailed off, as though what he was saying left a bad taste in his mouth. Interesting. Holmes made a mental note of it for later.
"Well, lead on..." Holmes gestured with a broad grin. He turned to Lestrade who had that look on her face again, and frowned. "Danni...darling, lets go..."
Lestrade blinked and then offered her own sheepish grin. "Sorry, I was just...remembering something. This place is familiar to me."
Marcus nodded in understanding, as he led them out of the lobby on a tour of the grounds. When the came back inside, he took them to their room. "It's bigger than most, I guess Dr. Higgins was impressed with you guys. Anyway, the master bedroom has a king sized bed. A waterbed at that. Well, I'll leave you guys to it. Um I mean...the boss will come by to speak with you in the morning...heh uh..." He quickly backed away as he handed Holmes the key.
Holmes raised an eyebrow and looked over at Lestrade, who was frowning. "Something the matter, Danni?"
She shook her head and motioned for him to open the door. He shrugged and did so, allowing her to enter first. They then both searched vigorously for listening devices as they chatted inanely about whether they would get a boy or a girl, and what he or she would look like. Generally the cheerful sort of thing husbands and wives talk about when they'r about to have a baby...or adopt one.
"All clean," Lestrade said, her relief obvious. "Holmes I know that guy. He went to high school with Edith and me. They dated a couple of times."
"Who knows how many other people you might know. This operation is rather large."
"As large as that king sized bed?" she rejoined sweetly, the Lestrade he knew back in force.
Holmes didn't dignify that with a response as he turned and sat on said king sized bed, only to find himself unable to control his movements, much to Lestrade's amusement if her laughter was any indication. "Why would anyone want to sleep in such a contraption?" he asked in exasperation once he had finally figured out how to roll off to the side, "Never mind that, how does one sleep in such a contraption."
"Weeelll...uh...I don't think 'sleeping' is the objective...exactly..."
Holmes looked up to find her blushing slightly. Something hit him. Hard. In the gut. She grinned and shrugged. "I'll take the couch."
Holmes shook his head. "I think not. You are going to help me figure this contraption out. We are in this together, and if I cannot sleep, then neither can you." Before she could react, jand before he could think too hard about what he was doing, he reached up and pulled her down with him onto the bed.
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Watson continued to gape in surprise, before his sense of outrage took over. "I do not pretend to understand what is going on here, but whatever it has placed an innocent woman's job and freedom on the line."
"You're right," Stanhope sneered, "You don't understand. My wife's life is on the line..."
"Let me Derrick," Mrs. Stanhope said softly, "You see Watson, I made a bad decision. Someone came to me when I was pregnant, and they somehow knew how I felt. Derrick and I didn't have any money, and I didn't feel right bringing a child into the world, nor did I want to go to my parents. Beth would have helped but...she's not really that much better off than we are. "Anyway, I agreed to sign over my child. Only, when he was born, and they took him from me...I knew I couldn't live without him. I went back, to try and give the creds back and I overheard a strange conversation. They were saying they couldn't just give the baby, my baby, away to just anyone. That the boss needed him as far away from New London as possible. I guess I must have made some kind of noise, because they found me and tied me up on a boat. "I hate water, I've always hated it. I think it's because Beth nearly drowned once..." She stopped and shook her head, "Anyway, my need to survive and find my baby overcame that fear, and I swam to shore. I found Derrick and told him what happened. We both decided it was best to let everyone think I was dead. Derrick then went to see if Sherlock Holmes could help us out. I have no idea how Beth got involved in this murder plot...we didn't want her to know anything about it."
Stanhope growled, "Someone set her up on purpose. And going to Sherlock Holmes was the worst thing I ever did. All he's going to do is get her and take her back to the Yard where she'll be crypnotized, or worse, sent to the moon."
Watson shook his head, wanting to defend his friend, and yet this once he couldn't help but agree. "Yes, Holmes, though incredibly intelligent is human after all, and subject to the same fallacies we all suffer. However, I think that if we solve this puzzle, Lestrade's name will be cleared."
"Exactly what we were hoping to hear, Watson," a familiar feminine voice rang out, followed by the form of Edith Presbury, "Beth needs more friends like you."
They were sitting in the lobby of the lodge, where they had been instructed to wait. Holmes glanced over at Lestrade with concern. Her eyes kept going glassy at times, as though she were in another time and place. Then she would come back to the present and it would be as though it had never happened. When he questioned her about it, she would tense and simply ignore him. This was not good. Lestrade was never like this. She was always in command of herself. Well almost always, but the Culverton-Smith case didn't count.
He placed a hand on her arm, and she jerked out of whatever had her mind in its grip. He leaned in close, as though to nuzzle on her ear. "Tell me...why is your sister's maiden name Canton?" He asked as an opening.
Lestrade blinked and then shrugged. "Lestrade is my mother's maiden name...I chose it when..." She broke off and sat up straight. He nodded to himself. It certainly made sense.
"Mr. and Mrs. Johnson?" a masculine voice called out. They looked up to see a tall, slightly overweight gentleman bearing down on them. Holme felt Lestrade stiffen beside him, as they both stood up to greet the man.
"Hello, I'm Marcus," he greeted, smiling, "I'm going to show you around our facilities here, and generally help your stay here be almost as comfortable as home."
"Hello," Holmes answered, "And you can just call us Danni and Charlie. I'll let you figure out which is which."
"Ah, Americans. I might have known. Oh well, I guess I won't hold that against you," Marcus replied with a grin, his own American accent showing through.
"How long have you worked here, Marcus?" Lestrade suddenly asked.
"Only a few days actually," he answered with a sheepish grin, "I'm thinking about getting married and the pay is really good. Look, I know what you're thinking and...well...these kids would be really bad off if they didn't come here..." He trailed off, as though what he was saying left a bad taste in his mouth. Interesting. Holmes made a mental note of it for later.
"Well, lead on..." Holmes gestured with a broad grin. He turned to Lestrade who had that look on her face again, and frowned. "Danni...darling, lets go..."
Lestrade blinked and then offered her own sheepish grin. "Sorry, I was just...remembering something. This place is familiar to me."
Marcus nodded in understanding, as he led them out of the lobby on a tour of the grounds. When the came back inside, he took them to their room. "It's bigger than most, I guess Dr. Higgins was impressed with you guys. Anyway, the master bedroom has a king sized bed. A waterbed at that. Well, I'll leave you guys to it. Um I mean...the boss will come by to speak with you in the morning...heh uh..." He quickly backed away as he handed Holmes the key.
Holmes raised an eyebrow and looked over at Lestrade, who was frowning. "Something the matter, Danni?"
She shook her head and motioned for him to open the door. He shrugged and did so, allowing her to enter first. They then both searched vigorously for listening devices as they chatted inanely about whether they would get a boy or a girl, and what he or she would look like. Generally the cheerful sort of thing husbands and wives talk about when they'r about to have a baby...or adopt one.
"All clean," Lestrade said, her relief obvious. "Holmes I know that guy. He went to high school with Edith and me. They dated a couple of times."
"Who knows how many other people you might know. This operation is rather large."
"As large as that king sized bed?" she rejoined sweetly, the Lestrade he knew back in force.
Holmes didn't dignify that with a response as he turned and sat on said king sized bed, only to find himself unable to control his movements, much to Lestrade's amusement if her laughter was any indication. "Why would anyone want to sleep in such a contraption?" he asked in exasperation once he had finally figured out how to roll off to the side, "Never mind that, how does one sleep in such a contraption."
"Weeelll...uh...I don't think 'sleeping' is the objective...exactly..."
Holmes looked up to find her blushing slightly. Something hit him. Hard. In the gut. She grinned and shrugged. "I'll take the couch."
Holmes shook his head. "I think not. You are going to help me figure this contraption out. We are in this together, and if I cannot sleep, then neither can you." Before she could react, jand before he could think too hard about what he was doing, he reached up and pulled her down with him onto the bed.
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