A/N: Wow, I think this is the longest chapter yet! Well, are you going to read the author's notes all day or are you going to start reading? ;) Thanks to all my reviewers!
Going After The Detective
Part 7
I sighed. What the heck was I doing here? This was a "garden variety" case, as I had so called it, and yet here I was looking at a dead man hanging from the ceiling.
Oh yes, my life is wonderful.
"As you can see, sir, he strung himself up and kicked the chair out from under him. That's what the butler said." Jameston was talking and I was trying to listen but he was starting to sound like a little, whiny girl. Pull yourself together Holmes, at least the man hasn't pulled a gun out and shot you. "Let's go talk to the butler then Jameston."
We made our way down the stairs that had led to Mr. Colmes' room on the second floor. Within a few minutes we had made our way to the kitchen where another constable was keeping an eye on Mr. Amjes, the butler.
"Sirs, it's getting late. Won't you let a mourning servant go to bed?" "Not yet Mr. Amjes, not 'till Mr. Holmes is through with you." "Good evening gentlemen," I greeted them. They replied. "Jameston, is it possible for you and your counterpart to leave me alone with Mr. Amjes?" Jameston glanced at the butler before motioning to the other man and walking out of the room.
"Wait! Stop! Stop!" The driver brought the hansom to a stop. "Something the matter, miss?" I paused, taking a breath before continuing. "Whose house is that ahead of us?" The driver squinted, peering ahead in the gathering gloom. "That's the late Mr. Colmes' house, miss." "Drive us there now, hurry!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that, miss." Why was that becoming an annoying sentence? Oh yes, because everyone was beginning to say that all the time! "Why ever not sir?" As an answer he pulled a gun out of his pocket. "Because theirs going to be a double murder in that house, wouldn't want the boss to make a quadruple murder now would we?"
"I would hope not sir, particularly when we know who going to be killed." Martha, shut up will you? The man glared. "Out of my hansom!" We tumbled out and the man aimed the gun at me. "You know too much, both of you. It's just so hard to decide which one of you to do in first. But I suppose etiquette applies in killing as much as in proper society." He leveled the gun. "Good-bye, Martha Hudson."
I sighed inwardly, how had I gotten myself into this? "…I looked up and I saw Mr. Colmes positioning the rope around his neck and then, just as I was about to shout, he-he kicked the chair out from under him." "And you're sure that's everything that happened?" Mr. Amjes looked at me horrified. "Mr. Holmes! Are you accusing me of lying?" I glanced out the window as the last of the sun dipped behind the mountain. "No, I was merely implying that something else might be there but you are hiding it to save someone."
He turned towards the window and walked over to it. "Beautiful sunset, wasn't it," He murmured. I stared at him, what in London was he talking about? "Unfortunately for you, it will be the last sunset you will ever see." He whirled back to me, gun in hand. "I do hope you enjoyed it." My brain pulled all the pieces together as I turned and yelled for Jameston and his companion. Jameston came running in, his companion trailing behind. "Scott, perfect timing." The other constable looked around. "Scott? I thought his name was… Arthur, what is this?" Arthur Jameston looked his friend in the eye. "You're funeral." With that he whipped out his gun and pulled the trigger on him. The man staggered backwards for a moment before his eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped to the floor.
Scott turned towards me. "Don't worry Sherlock," I winced. "We'll have time to hear your confession of how you killed my father before we shoot you." I glared at him. "Scott Moriarty, forty-six years old, acts like a two year old," The gun lifted my chin up ever so slightly, I was walking dangerous ground. "Wanted for at least seven different crimes, and took over the family business of trying to murder me." Scott smiled.
"Bravo, Mr. Holmes. I changed my father's first name around to suit Mr. Colmes' newly employed butler. The other one, I'm afraid, had an unfortunate accident. You knew that already, I'm sure. But you for got one very important thing in my lovely biography. I changed my name to my mother's maiden name and married your housekeeper." He laughed. "And I do believe that she has an appointment with her long lost love in just a few minutes." I pulled back for a moment. "Mrs. Hudson would never have married you!" Ah, but my dear Sherlock, she did. I promised I'd come back for her and I'm keeping my promise true." "So all your life you've been living a lie!"
"Not so, Mr. Holmes, I was honest when I said Mr. Colmes murdered himself…with a gun to his head. The poor man hung himself and I kicked the stool and made up my story, lovely tale wasn't it?" He pulled out his pocket watch. "Your friends have one minute before the nightmare of William Sherlock Scott Holmes' death becomes a reality."
Two guns and no way to get to my own.
What was I going to do?
I glanced at Martha beside me. "Hurry John! We have to make it, I know he's in there!" "How do you know?" I yelled back at her. "Just trust me! I know Scott and he killed Mr. Colmes to get Mr. Holmes trapped! We have to reach him! Oh, and by the way, that was a good way of getting rid of the driver." I grinned. I had been inching my way towards the driver and at the last instant knocked the gun out of his hand. I had aimed his own gun at him and he had run away into the forest screaming. Now if only we reached Holmes in time…
"Forty-five seconds…" Scott called out. He leveled the gun a bit.
We were halfway up the path now. Why, I wondered, hadn't we decided to borrow the hansom, it would have been easier. Because you don't think well in a hurry Martha, I reminded myself. I trudged to upwards and thought I saw a movement in the kitchen window at the side of the house. The road turned a bend then and I called up the John. "John, use the back way! Go in the back door!"
"Fifteen seconds…" I looked at him, trying to figure a way out of my predicament.
There was none.
We reached the back door. It was unlocked. "Stupid people…" I muttered. They should know that they'll likely be murdered if they leave the door open and I, as a doctor, couldn't help them there. Of course most of the people in this house was murdered already. I dashed into the living room, Martha on my heels.
"Ten seconds…" I smiled. Revenge would be mine at last!
"Watson, the kitchen!" Martha hissed in my ear. I thought I saw something there. I shoved the spare gun I had carried into her hand and we began to run to the other side of the house.
"Five…four…three…" I was doomed.
We reached the door and found Scott and another man standing beside him with their backs to us.
"Two…" I closed my eyes, never even noticing Mrs. Hudson or Watson. It was the end.
"One!" Two gunshots went off at the same time and one followed a second after. Scott and Jameston jerked forward and Scott's shot came home into my shoulder. As the two collapsed I was given only a few seconds to see Watson's horrified face and to hear him shout my name in agony before I slumped to the floor and everything went black.
A/N: That last part took forever to get done! It's not over yet, obviously. I have one or two more chapters lined up and maybe a sequel or something else to do with Mrs. Hudson. Suggestions would be appreciated!