Disclaimer: Still don't own Holmes, ::sigh::
A/N: Aw, bummer, no reviews at all this chapter, :-( Well, I promised to post chapter 17, so I can't exactly disappoint-hopefully there's at least someone out there who likes this story still. . . Anyways, hope you like this one-chapter 18 will be up in a week.
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Chapter 17- The Empty House
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"Are you sure?" I blurted out in surprise before I could stop myself, earning a stunned look from the inspector and a calculating glance from Kathryn.
"Yes, of course I'm sure!" Thompson retorted indignantly. "Markus told me the name specifically when he took me there. Seemed to think it was funny, though I don't know for the life of me why."
"Thank you very much," Kathryn said with a small smile. "You have been very helpful to us. I will leave you, now, in the capable hands of Inspector Gregson, and hopefully return as soon as possible. Good day, Miss Thompson."
With that, Kathryn swept quickly out of the room, leaving the inspector, who had just recovered from the shock, to stand over the impassive form of the maid. "Good luck, Dr. Watson," he called to me as I made to follow my companion, before shooting a glare at Thompson. "Let's start back at the beginning, shall we?" I heard him say before stepping out of earshot.
Kathryn was waiting patiently for me on the front steps and called as she saw me emerge from within. "I trust that you know where Camden House is, given your expression when you heard Miss Thompson utter it."
"Yes, it was the old abandoned house that Holmes and I used when we caught Moran trying to murder Holmes," I breathed frantically, explaining to Kathryn the events that occurred soon after Holmes had returned from his hiatus. "I can't believe that Moran, if that's who Markus Fleming really is, would stay right across the street from us-right under our noses!"
"That would explain the glint of light I saw from the house this morning," commented Kathryn calmly. "It was certainly a logical place to lodge- the one place where he would be able to watch all of us without fearing the possibility of being found."
"Wait a moment," I called out as she started walking again. "Are you going to Camden House now?"
"I don't see why not," Kathryn responded simply. "Moran will probably have already left his hiding spot, and we must try to find out where he is going before he gets too far."
We hailed a hansom and soon found ourselves strolling up Baker Street once again. "The door to the Camden House is not located on this main street; it's in one of the back alleyways," I explained as we turned the corner at the end of the street.
Slowly, I led the way through the labyrinth of unnamed dank alleys that ran just behind Baker Street, raking my mind in an attempt to remember which way to go. It was much more difficult than I had imagined, as everything appeared different now that we were walking in daylight. Just as I was beginning to think that we were hopelessly lost, I caught sight of a worn sign with the words "Camden House" scrawled into the roughly hewn wooden plaque hanging above a dilapidated and grungy building.
There was a small note waiting for us attached onto the rickety wooden gate in front of the ramshackle building, and Kathryn quickly snatched it from the gate and glanced through it, before handing the scrap of paper to me.
"My dear Miss Kathryn Granger," it read:
"I have been very impressed with your performance so far in this case;
Professor Moriarty would have found it an 'intellectual treat'
observing someone of your intelligence and resourcefulness tackling
with such determination each obstacle in your pursuit of the truth.
"Unfortunately, you will find that, despite your search, the bird you
have been seeking has flown from this nest. You are free to look
around inside if you wish, but I assure you that you will not find
anything of importance. Nevertheless, I know that you have already
pieced enough evidence together to remove your friend, Mr. Holmes,
from the dock and put me in his place. Therefore I ask you to meet me
at nine o'clock tonight. I will be waiting at the small wharf located
on the end of Broad Street in order to sort out any loose threads in
this case. Please do not bring anyone with you, as that course of
action would be unnecessary and unwise.
"Sincerely yours,
"Sebastian Moran"
"You see that this is a trap, don't you?" I asked sternly, recalling similar letters written to Holmes in the past.
"Of course it is," answered Kathryn seriously, "but it is our best, and perhaps only chance of catching the man. He will probably leave for the continent as soon as he can, and it will be almost impossible to find him there."
"So you're just going to follow his directions and go?" I continued incredulously.
"I was never as reckless as Holmes was, and I doubt that even he would accept Moran's terms so blindly," she replied simply with a smile. "Come, Doctor. It is time for us to reveal what we know to Scotland Yard."
***************************************
"You're sure of all this?" a harried Inspector Hopkins asked for the third time in a row as he paced frantically about in his office an hour later with a drawn, worried expression clear on his still youthful face.
"Yes," Kathryn repeated calmly. She had just finished describing to the inspector our findings on Rao, Thompson, and Moran. "Thompson has confessed that Moran, using one of his aliases, took part in Miss Julia Stamford's murder."
"I still don't understand Kumar Rao's role in all of this," said Hopkins, shaking his head.
"Mr. Rao was probably the one who committed the actual deed under Moran's orders," Kathryn explained steadily. "He took something of value from the scene of the crime without Moran's consent or knowledge, so when the old Colonel found out, he killed the man."
"So where is this 'thing of value' now?" the inspector asked hastily.
"There's no need to worry about that," Kathryn mollified. "It is in the good hands of its rightful owner."
"Well it seems that we have to catch Moran when you meet him tonight," Hopkins commented with a sigh as he glanced over the note that was found at Camden House. Seeing Kathryn's brief, curt nod, he continued, making his way to the door. "Right, I get us a warrant, then."
The inspector slipped out of his office, leaving Kathryn and I to our own thoughts. "It should be interesting to see the expression on Inspector Lestrade's face when he realises that Holmes was innocent all this time," I mused, feeling an amused smile on my face at the thought.
"It should cheer Holmes up and give him a laugh, if nothing else," agreed Kathryn as she stood up and gazed out of the office window. "I'm not sure if we will be able to witness it, I'm afraid," she continued, pulling out her golden pocket watch and examining it.
"At least all of this will soon be over successfully with a little luck, and we'll be able to put this mess behind us," I commented with a sigh.
"Was it really that bad, Doctor?" Kathryn asked with a smile.
"It ran my nerves up the wall just thinking about Holmes being in the dock all the time," I responded honestly. "I barely had any sleep since this started."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Doctor," she replied sympathetically, before returning her gaze to the window.
"Anything interesting out there?" I asked curiously after several minutes of silence.
"Not really, Doctor," my companion commented half-heartedly, still staring outside. "It's just a soon-to-be bride buying some roses." I smiled at this, marvelling at Kathryn's keen powers of observation that were so similar to my old friend's.
Hopkins returned soon after with a grave expression on his face. "Well, I've got the warrant, but I still don't like this plan- it's too dangerous."
"If you have any better ideas, I would be glad to hear them," Kathryn replied coolly. When met with no response, she continued. "I am aware of the dangers as much as you are, but if we don't catch him tonight, then he may slip through our hands indefinitely."
"I understand the need, Miss Granger- I want to see Mr. Holmes out of jail too. But it's just so unconventional; I'm not even sure that I have authorisation to do this.couldn't we at least bring more constables with us?"
"The more people there are, the harder it is to hide them," Kathryn countered in a tone that brooked no argument. "It would be more dangerous with more people since Moran might become suspicious of our plans. Furthermore, I have absolute faith in the capabilities of you, Inspector, and Dr. Watson. The current plan is as safe as it can be."
Dinner was a sombre affair that evening. Stanley Hopkins, who was eventually persuaded to join our undertaking later on, dined with us at Baker Street. Mrs. Hudson, who had still not quite recovered from the shock of Holmes's arrest, set out the roast mutton and oysters in an unusually sombre manner, before rushing out without a word.
"Excuse me for a moment," Kathryn said quietly as she stood up from her untouched plate and followed the landlady out of the door.
Hopkins and I shared a quick glance before turning back to our meals. A tense silence ensued, broken by nothing except from the quiet clatter of the cutlery as we ate and the faint sobbing that drifted up through the wooden floorboards from below.
"You two have certainly been busy over the last few days," Hopkins commented in an attempt to lighten the mood. "How is Miss Granger involved in all of this?"
"She's Holmes's old school chum, apparently," I replied dryly, "but I haven't been able to learn any more than that from the two of them."
"That explains why she knows so much," Hopkins mused with a chuckle. "Her 'deductive methods' are almost identical to Mr. Holmes's. I wonder which school taught them to think like that."
The sobs from below had quietened by now, and soon we heard the click of the doorknob turning, signalling our female companion's return. She returned to her seat silently and peered pensively out the window, ignoring her food completely.
"You should eat something, Miss Granger," I commented, breaking her reverie. "It is necessary, despite whatever Holmes may say."
Kathryn smiled warmly at this, before picking up her fork. "Yes, that is one of Holmes's more annoying habits. Mrs. Hudson told me that it would drive her up the wall just trying to predict when he would like to eat."
"You spoke with her?" I asked, with surprise evident in my voice. It wasn't a normal occurrence to converse idly with servants or even the landlady- I had barely even one complete conversation with Mrs. Hudson in all my years at Baker Street, so I was quite surprised Kathryn, who was still a mere guest in these lodgings, to strike up a conversation with the old landlady.
"Yes," Kathryn replied, gauging my reaction carefully. "She was worried about Mr. Holmes's absence." Seeing the surprise in both the inspector's and my eyes, Kathryn sighed. "My father always taught me that it isn't wrong to converse with the servants, and I happen to agree with him," she said in a tone that ended any arguments in the matter.
The chiming of the old grandfather clock that stood in my bedroom heralded a break in the silence that had ensued. Kathryn pulled out her pocket watch and quickly glanced at it. "It is seven o'clock, gentleman. If none of you have any objections, I suggest that we leave for Broad Street now."
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A/N: Hoped you enjoyed it. Please review, even if it is a flame ^_~
A/N: Aw, bummer, no reviews at all this chapter, :-( Well, I promised to post chapter 17, so I can't exactly disappoint-hopefully there's at least someone out there who likes this story still. . . Anyways, hope you like this one-chapter 18 will be up in a week.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 17- The Empty House
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Are you sure?" I blurted out in surprise before I could stop myself, earning a stunned look from the inspector and a calculating glance from Kathryn.
"Yes, of course I'm sure!" Thompson retorted indignantly. "Markus told me the name specifically when he took me there. Seemed to think it was funny, though I don't know for the life of me why."
"Thank you very much," Kathryn said with a small smile. "You have been very helpful to us. I will leave you, now, in the capable hands of Inspector Gregson, and hopefully return as soon as possible. Good day, Miss Thompson."
With that, Kathryn swept quickly out of the room, leaving the inspector, who had just recovered from the shock, to stand over the impassive form of the maid. "Good luck, Dr. Watson," he called to me as I made to follow my companion, before shooting a glare at Thompson. "Let's start back at the beginning, shall we?" I heard him say before stepping out of earshot.
Kathryn was waiting patiently for me on the front steps and called as she saw me emerge from within. "I trust that you know where Camden House is, given your expression when you heard Miss Thompson utter it."
"Yes, it was the old abandoned house that Holmes and I used when we caught Moran trying to murder Holmes," I breathed frantically, explaining to Kathryn the events that occurred soon after Holmes had returned from his hiatus. "I can't believe that Moran, if that's who Markus Fleming really is, would stay right across the street from us-right under our noses!"
"That would explain the glint of light I saw from the house this morning," commented Kathryn calmly. "It was certainly a logical place to lodge- the one place where he would be able to watch all of us without fearing the possibility of being found."
"Wait a moment," I called out as she started walking again. "Are you going to Camden House now?"
"I don't see why not," Kathryn responded simply. "Moran will probably have already left his hiding spot, and we must try to find out where he is going before he gets too far."
We hailed a hansom and soon found ourselves strolling up Baker Street once again. "The door to the Camden House is not located on this main street; it's in one of the back alleyways," I explained as we turned the corner at the end of the street.
Slowly, I led the way through the labyrinth of unnamed dank alleys that ran just behind Baker Street, raking my mind in an attempt to remember which way to go. It was much more difficult than I had imagined, as everything appeared different now that we were walking in daylight. Just as I was beginning to think that we were hopelessly lost, I caught sight of a worn sign with the words "Camden House" scrawled into the roughly hewn wooden plaque hanging above a dilapidated and grungy building.
There was a small note waiting for us attached onto the rickety wooden gate in front of the ramshackle building, and Kathryn quickly snatched it from the gate and glanced through it, before handing the scrap of paper to me.
"My dear Miss Kathryn Granger," it read:
"I have been very impressed with your performance so far in this case;
Professor Moriarty would have found it an 'intellectual treat'
observing someone of your intelligence and resourcefulness tackling
with such determination each obstacle in your pursuit of the truth.
"Unfortunately, you will find that, despite your search, the bird you
have been seeking has flown from this nest. You are free to look
around inside if you wish, but I assure you that you will not find
anything of importance. Nevertheless, I know that you have already
pieced enough evidence together to remove your friend, Mr. Holmes,
from the dock and put me in his place. Therefore I ask you to meet me
at nine o'clock tonight. I will be waiting at the small wharf located
on the end of Broad Street in order to sort out any loose threads in
this case. Please do not bring anyone with you, as that course of
action would be unnecessary and unwise.
"Sincerely yours,
"Sebastian Moran"
"You see that this is a trap, don't you?" I asked sternly, recalling similar letters written to Holmes in the past.
"Of course it is," answered Kathryn seriously, "but it is our best, and perhaps only chance of catching the man. He will probably leave for the continent as soon as he can, and it will be almost impossible to find him there."
"So you're just going to follow his directions and go?" I continued incredulously.
"I was never as reckless as Holmes was, and I doubt that even he would accept Moran's terms so blindly," she replied simply with a smile. "Come, Doctor. It is time for us to reveal what we know to Scotland Yard."
***************************************
"You're sure of all this?" a harried Inspector Hopkins asked for the third time in a row as he paced frantically about in his office an hour later with a drawn, worried expression clear on his still youthful face.
"Yes," Kathryn repeated calmly. She had just finished describing to the inspector our findings on Rao, Thompson, and Moran. "Thompson has confessed that Moran, using one of his aliases, took part in Miss Julia Stamford's murder."
"I still don't understand Kumar Rao's role in all of this," said Hopkins, shaking his head.
"Mr. Rao was probably the one who committed the actual deed under Moran's orders," Kathryn explained steadily. "He took something of value from the scene of the crime without Moran's consent or knowledge, so when the old Colonel found out, he killed the man."
"So where is this 'thing of value' now?" the inspector asked hastily.
"There's no need to worry about that," Kathryn mollified. "It is in the good hands of its rightful owner."
"Well it seems that we have to catch Moran when you meet him tonight," Hopkins commented with a sigh as he glanced over the note that was found at Camden House. Seeing Kathryn's brief, curt nod, he continued, making his way to the door. "Right, I get us a warrant, then."
The inspector slipped out of his office, leaving Kathryn and I to our own thoughts. "It should be interesting to see the expression on Inspector Lestrade's face when he realises that Holmes was innocent all this time," I mused, feeling an amused smile on my face at the thought.
"It should cheer Holmes up and give him a laugh, if nothing else," agreed Kathryn as she stood up and gazed out of the office window. "I'm not sure if we will be able to witness it, I'm afraid," she continued, pulling out her golden pocket watch and examining it.
"At least all of this will soon be over successfully with a little luck, and we'll be able to put this mess behind us," I commented with a sigh.
"Was it really that bad, Doctor?" Kathryn asked with a smile.
"It ran my nerves up the wall just thinking about Holmes being in the dock all the time," I responded honestly. "I barely had any sleep since this started."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Doctor," she replied sympathetically, before returning her gaze to the window.
"Anything interesting out there?" I asked curiously after several minutes of silence.
"Not really, Doctor," my companion commented half-heartedly, still staring outside. "It's just a soon-to-be bride buying some roses." I smiled at this, marvelling at Kathryn's keen powers of observation that were so similar to my old friend's.
Hopkins returned soon after with a grave expression on his face. "Well, I've got the warrant, but I still don't like this plan- it's too dangerous."
"If you have any better ideas, I would be glad to hear them," Kathryn replied coolly. When met with no response, she continued. "I am aware of the dangers as much as you are, but if we don't catch him tonight, then he may slip through our hands indefinitely."
"I understand the need, Miss Granger- I want to see Mr. Holmes out of jail too. But it's just so unconventional; I'm not even sure that I have authorisation to do this.couldn't we at least bring more constables with us?"
"The more people there are, the harder it is to hide them," Kathryn countered in a tone that brooked no argument. "It would be more dangerous with more people since Moran might become suspicious of our plans. Furthermore, I have absolute faith in the capabilities of you, Inspector, and Dr. Watson. The current plan is as safe as it can be."
Dinner was a sombre affair that evening. Stanley Hopkins, who was eventually persuaded to join our undertaking later on, dined with us at Baker Street. Mrs. Hudson, who had still not quite recovered from the shock of Holmes's arrest, set out the roast mutton and oysters in an unusually sombre manner, before rushing out without a word.
"Excuse me for a moment," Kathryn said quietly as she stood up from her untouched plate and followed the landlady out of the door.
Hopkins and I shared a quick glance before turning back to our meals. A tense silence ensued, broken by nothing except from the quiet clatter of the cutlery as we ate and the faint sobbing that drifted up through the wooden floorboards from below.
"You two have certainly been busy over the last few days," Hopkins commented in an attempt to lighten the mood. "How is Miss Granger involved in all of this?"
"She's Holmes's old school chum, apparently," I replied dryly, "but I haven't been able to learn any more than that from the two of them."
"That explains why she knows so much," Hopkins mused with a chuckle. "Her 'deductive methods' are almost identical to Mr. Holmes's. I wonder which school taught them to think like that."
The sobs from below had quietened by now, and soon we heard the click of the doorknob turning, signalling our female companion's return. She returned to her seat silently and peered pensively out the window, ignoring her food completely.
"You should eat something, Miss Granger," I commented, breaking her reverie. "It is necessary, despite whatever Holmes may say."
Kathryn smiled warmly at this, before picking up her fork. "Yes, that is one of Holmes's more annoying habits. Mrs. Hudson told me that it would drive her up the wall just trying to predict when he would like to eat."
"You spoke with her?" I asked, with surprise evident in my voice. It wasn't a normal occurrence to converse idly with servants or even the landlady- I had barely even one complete conversation with Mrs. Hudson in all my years at Baker Street, so I was quite surprised Kathryn, who was still a mere guest in these lodgings, to strike up a conversation with the old landlady.
"Yes," Kathryn replied, gauging my reaction carefully. "She was worried about Mr. Holmes's absence." Seeing the surprise in both the inspector's and my eyes, Kathryn sighed. "My father always taught me that it isn't wrong to converse with the servants, and I happen to agree with him," she said in a tone that ended any arguments in the matter.
The chiming of the old grandfather clock that stood in my bedroom heralded a break in the silence that had ensued. Kathryn pulled out her pocket watch and quickly glanced at it. "It is seven o'clock, gentleman. If none of you have any objections, I suggest that we leave for Broad Street now."
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A/N: Hoped you enjoyed it. Please review, even if it is a flame ^_~