"Holmes, could you please be to the point for once?"

"I think you must be mistaking me for Mahmound."

"Holmes, shut up!"

"Russell! And in front of the children!"

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up..."

"Okay! I've got the idea!"

"Amazing!"

"I love you too, honey!"

"Stop being so ridiculous!"

"How am I being ridiculous, pray tell?" He was acting so innocent. Too innocent.

"Okay, Holmes; what case are we on now?"

"We are not on a case."

"We must be on a case. Look at yourself!"

"What? I grew longer sideburns. Do you happen to have a problem with that?"

"And you also grew a goatee and dyed your hair and packed a bag and have a pistol in your pants pocket and..."

"The goatee I thought you'd like. The dye is covering my gray, if you must know. The bag is packed because I thought about taking two of the children on a little trip with me. The pistol is for a bit of an experiment I'd like to try before we leave. And we are not going on a case."

"Yes, we are. Mrs. Hudson can take care of the children, Uncle John can help..."

"No. The last time we did that..."

"Okay, so Watson isn't the most brilliant man in the world when it comes to taking care of children. He has too much of a soft spot. It's to be expected. Just Mrs. Hudson, then."

"She may be long-suffering, as Watson so put it, but I am not quite sure she would survive with the children alone."

"Then Mycroft..."

"Ho! He's worse than Watson!"

"Well, then, you leave me no choice...I'm calling Sher..."

"NO! You are not calling Sherringford! he's worse than Mycroft and Watson combined!"

"Your oldest brother can't be that bad!"

"I suggest you not to even have any thought about Sherringford, let alone call him and ask him to take care of the children because he won't have to! You and Mrs. Hudson will."

"Holmes, I am going on that case."

"You don't even know anything about it yet!"

"Then tell me."

"And for what reason?"

"When I am on a case, I like to know what the case is about, first."

"Well, then, you won't be going on a case through me for a while."

"Then I'll find out some other way." Mrs. Mary Judith Russell Holmes (called Russell by her husband) stormed out of the house she shared with Mr. William Scott Sherlock Holmes (known as Holmes by his wife). They lived in a cottage on the Sussex Downs with four children: quadruplets. The children's names were Judith Renee Holmes, David Matthew Holmes, Violet Mary Holmes, and Jonathan Mycroft Holmes. They year was 1924, the children being not but two years old.

The day was cloudless. Except for the heavy cloud that hung over Mary's head as she stormed out of the house. She was determined to find out what Holmes was up to. She walked the Downs a while, leting the quietness of the wideness around her calm her temper. Her cloud became smaller as she walked, soon dissipating into nothingness. She was still determined to find out what Holmes' case was about, though. So, she walked back to the cottage to see if she could call Holmes' brother, Mycroft.

She stepped through the front door to find three of her children waiting for her. "What is it, darlings? Where's David?" she asked them. She let them lead her to the kitchen, through the whole house, up and down the stairs a few times, then to Holmes and her bedroom, where David laid, asleep, on the bed. Next to him was a note. She had seen a similar message before. It said:

R,

Find me.

H

PS--By the time you get this, I'm not in Sussex.

"Well, at least he gave me a post script," muttered Russell to herself as she looked at her children crowded around her. She said to them, "Children, Mommy's going on a trip for a while, okay? I'll be back really soon. Uncle Mycroft and Uncle John will be coming to stay with you while I'm gone."

When she mentioned their uncles' names, the children clapped their hands and giggled. They knew they'd be spoiled with Mycroft and Dr. John Watson.

Russell left them to go talk to Mrs. Hudson. Mrs. Hudson, Holmes' landlady while keeping apartments at 221B Baker Street, was a woman that knew just about anything to do with domestic life. That is why she accepted Holmes' offer as housekeeper for him when he decided to move to Sussex as an early retirement fromthe detective business. Anyway, she's probably the only woman in England who could take care of his house.

Russell found Mrs. Hudson in the kitchen, making tea. "Hello, Mrs. Hudson," said Russell. "Have you seen Holmes lately?"

"Oh, not really. The last time I saw him was this morning. He asked me to leave you a message."

"Oh, really?" said Russell, her interest piqued. "What did he say?"

"He just told me to tell you this: The girl with the strawberry curls danced off into the night on the Downs."

"He told me a few other things, but said I cannot say them until tomorrow."

"I see; well, then, Mrs. Hudson, could you please pour me a cup of that wonderful-looking tea?"

Russell took the teacup from Mrs. Hudson's hands and left for the garden outside. She sipped her tea as she watched her children playing outside. She thought to herself, I wonder if Ali told Holmes about the "Strawberry Blonde" song when they were in Palestine? I suppose so. Now, it must mean I am to be in the Downs tonight. I'll bring along some things with me.

She stood up and left for her room. The children followed her.

The rest of the day went by smoothly until right before the children's bedtime. "Mom, is Daddy gonna read?" asked Judith. Holmes would always read the children a story before they went to bed.

"I'm sorry, Judith, but Daddy's not able to read you a story tonight. Can I read you one?"

"Sure, Mommy."

So, Russell read them the story about Hansel and Grettle because the children seemed to be tending to wander off lately. The story soon ended. The children were nestled into bed as Russell walked into the bedroom she shared with Holmes. She changed and got into bed, thinking about tomorrow's adventure as she fell asleep.