A/N: Thank you very much March Hare for the pleasant review, it is much
appreciated, as is the encouragement...
***In Scotland Yard***
The policeman sat Jon down in a stiff-backed wooden chair, "Wait here. I need to inform my superiors of the situation..."
Jon nodded and occupied himself for the next few minutes by taking Cullington's letter out of his pocket and looking it over, discreetly of course so no one else was able to see it. It read, "You have broken your word. You are no longer needed." It was signed "J.S.". Jon raised his eyebrows at the last statement. Obviously, if you were not needed in whatever group Cullington was a part of you were disposable.
Just then the policeman that had brought him there and another man who he had never seen before walked into the small room in which he was sitting. Jon quickly stuffed the letter back into his pocket and turned to face them. The new officer nodded, "I hear you witnessed a murder. My name is Lestrade and I have a few questions to ask you..."
Jon folded his hands onto his lap and looked up at the man, "Ask away."
"Very well. Can you tell me exactly what you saw today?"
"I can try..." Jon thought for a moment, thinking over the story in his head to try and remember all the details, "I was walking down the street when I heard a strange noise in the alley next to me. I turned to look and saw two men that I had never seen before fighting. I hid in a near- by trash bin so they wouldn't see me and watched as a large man pounded this Cullington fellow and punched him in the face. There was a crack, like the sound of breaking bones and Cullington fell to the ground. The large man bent down and took something from Cullington then ran. I went over to investigate, found that Cullington was dead, and that is when that guy found me."
"I see...Can you describe to me what the large man looked like?" Lestrade had taken a pad of paper out and was scribbling notes down onto it as Jon spoke.
"Well I suppose I could. He was large, as I said...at least 6 feet tall, maybe 6'2"...he had black hair, a muscular build, he was clean- shaven, and I believe that he was wearing a brown overcoat."
The detective nodded, "Very good...And what is your name?"
"My name? Well...It's um..." Jon stuttered and grasped for the right words "It's Jonathan."
"Do you have a last name Jonathan?"
"Well, erm...I never use it..." That was the truth. He never did use his last name, mostly because the last time he did around a policeman they had wanted to take him to jail on the spot. He wasn't quite sure why his name caused that kind of reaction, but he was sure that he didn't want to tell this Lestrade.
The detective narrowed his eyes for a moment, "All right. But we are going to have to keep you overnight just so we can question you some more if need be."
Jon raised his hand, "Um, detective?" Lestrade turned around, "I was just wondering if you could tell me who this Cullington fellow is?"
"Sorry Jonathan, but on this kind of a case everything is on a need to know basis...we can't tell you until you need to know it."
"Fine." He watched until both men left the room and scowled. A need to know basis... ha! What a joke...It didn't take very much thought to realize that Cullington was obviously someone important in society and was probably little popular based on the reaction that the first policeman had had when he saw Cullington dead. But it still bothered Jon that they wouldn't give him the whole story...maybe he wouldn't tell them about the letter after all. He had been debating about whether he should or not throughout the entire talk with the detective but had come to the conclusion that he really didn't want to tell them anything more until they shared their information.
***
Detective Lestrade walked quickly down the hallway of Scotland Yard with Officer Maier, the man who had discovered Cullington in the alleyway, "Maier, I want you to find out everything you can about Cullington and what he was doing recently, where he was during the past twenty-four hours, and a list of suspects that could have had a motive for murdering him."
"Yes sir. What are you going to do?"
"Pay an old friend a visit..."
***
Lestrade arrived at 221B Baker Street at about 5:30 in the afternoon on foot. He walked up to the door and rang the bell several times before he heard Mrs. Hudson's footsteps. He stepped back as she opened the door and took off his hat, "Good afternoon Mrs. Hudson. I was wondering in Holmes was in."
Mr. Hudson peered back into the house, then turned back around, "Yes, Detective Lestrade, I believe he is. I think that Mr. Holmes is having tea with Dr. Watson in the sitting room. Shall I let them know that you are here?"
"Yes please." The woman nodded briskly and stepped into the house and he could hear Holmes voice from the other room. Mrs. Hudson reappeared in the doorway and she motioned for him to step inside, "He says that he would be delighted to see you. I'll go get some more tea."
Before Lestrade could decline the offer, the woman had already disappeared into the kitchen. The detective shook his head and walked into the sitting room to find Holmes smoking his pipe and reading the paper while Watson was sitting across from him with a scone in one hand and a book in another.
Sherlock Holmes set his paper aside and motioned for Lestrade to sit down, "You have another case for me to solve I suppose..."
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do Holmes." The great detective sighed and settled back into his chair, puffing on his pipe, a look of concentration coming over his face as Lestrade began to tell the story. "You both of course know Sir Henry Cullington?" Both Holmes and Watson nodded, "Well, he was found dead, murdered, in an alleyway early this afternoon by one of our officers."
Watson gaped, "Dead? But why? Cullington was always too polite at the club. Remember Holmes, we saw him there just yesterday!"
Sherlock nodded, "Indeed we did Watson. But it seems that not everyone found Cullington as pleasant as you did...please, continue Lestrade and don't leave out a single detail."
"There was only one witness to the actual murder itself, and that was a lad named Jonathan. I questioned him myself, and he is still back at Scotland Yard if you need to ask him anymore questions Holmes, but here are the notes I was able to take from the boys statement." He handed Sherlock the pad of paper he had been writing on earlier, and the detective took it with a little interest.
Watson turned to Lestrade, "How was the poor man killed?"
"It seemed that he was beat and then killed by a blow to the face."
Watson nodded knowingly as Sherlock Holmes finished going over the notes, "Well, the killer's description in vague as is the description of the incident itself...I would very much like to see the boy in person, if that could be arranged Lestrade. But I just remembered that I have an appointment with a young man about a missing will or something of the sort at 6:00..."
Lestrade thought for a moment, "Well, I myself am going to be busy as soon as I leave from here but I could get the boy to come to you if that would be easier..."
"It would be much simpler...Watson, do you think that you could pick the boy up and bring him over here?"
"Well, I don't have anything planned this evening, so I think I could manage to do that..."
"Very good." Holmes stood up to bid Lestrade good-bye and walked him to the door, "If your men find anything out, I would like to hear of the details."
"Of course...Good day gentlemen..." Lestrade tipped his hat and walked quickly out of the building.
As soon as Sherlock Holmes had sat back down again, Watson looked curiously at his friend, "So, what do you make of all that nonsense?"
"That there is more to this case than a simpler murder Watson. I believe that Cullington was murdered for a reason that runs deeper than meets the eye. As you said, he was a good man, but I also have heard rumors that he sometimes would get involved with the wrong sorts of people, and I suspect that they might have had a hand in his death."
"Well it sounds as if you already have a pretty good idea of what happened today!"
"Indeed I do Watson, but I will need more detailed information than this rubbish Lestrade gave me. The faster that boy gets here the faster I can solve this case..."
"Then I shall go and fetch him for I think I see your next client coming up the steps..."
Holmes smiled and returned to sucking on his pipe, "Well let him in on your way out please...."
"Certainly! I should be back in about thirty minutes, Holmes, do try to keep this meeting short."
"I wouldn't think of doing anything else Watson!"
Dr. Watson chuckled and left his friend sitting in his armchair by the fire, ready to greet his next case.
***In Scotland Yard***
The policeman sat Jon down in a stiff-backed wooden chair, "Wait here. I need to inform my superiors of the situation..."
Jon nodded and occupied himself for the next few minutes by taking Cullington's letter out of his pocket and looking it over, discreetly of course so no one else was able to see it. It read, "You have broken your word. You are no longer needed." It was signed "J.S.". Jon raised his eyebrows at the last statement. Obviously, if you were not needed in whatever group Cullington was a part of you were disposable.
Just then the policeman that had brought him there and another man who he had never seen before walked into the small room in which he was sitting. Jon quickly stuffed the letter back into his pocket and turned to face them. The new officer nodded, "I hear you witnessed a murder. My name is Lestrade and I have a few questions to ask you..."
Jon folded his hands onto his lap and looked up at the man, "Ask away."
"Very well. Can you tell me exactly what you saw today?"
"I can try..." Jon thought for a moment, thinking over the story in his head to try and remember all the details, "I was walking down the street when I heard a strange noise in the alley next to me. I turned to look and saw two men that I had never seen before fighting. I hid in a near- by trash bin so they wouldn't see me and watched as a large man pounded this Cullington fellow and punched him in the face. There was a crack, like the sound of breaking bones and Cullington fell to the ground. The large man bent down and took something from Cullington then ran. I went over to investigate, found that Cullington was dead, and that is when that guy found me."
"I see...Can you describe to me what the large man looked like?" Lestrade had taken a pad of paper out and was scribbling notes down onto it as Jon spoke.
"Well I suppose I could. He was large, as I said...at least 6 feet tall, maybe 6'2"...he had black hair, a muscular build, he was clean- shaven, and I believe that he was wearing a brown overcoat."
The detective nodded, "Very good...And what is your name?"
"My name? Well...It's um..." Jon stuttered and grasped for the right words "It's Jonathan."
"Do you have a last name Jonathan?"
"Well, erm...I never use it..." That was the truth. He never did use his last name, mostly because the last time he did around a policeman they had wanted to take him to jail on the spot. He wasn't quite sure why his name caused that kind of reaction, but he was sure that he didn't want to tell this Lestrade.
The detective narrowed his eyes for a moment, "All right. But we are going to have to keep you overnight just so we can question you some more if need be."
Jon raised his hand, "Um, detective?" Lestrade turned around, "I was just wondering if you could tell me who this Cullington fellow is?"
"Sorry Jonathan, but on this kind of a case everything is on a need to know basis...we can't tell you until you need to know it."
"Fine." He watched until both men left the room and scowled. A need to know basis... ha! What a joke...It didn't take very much thought to realize that Cullington was obviously someone important in society and was probably little popular based on the reaction that the first policeman had had when he saw Cullington dead. But it still bothered Jon that they wouldn't give him the whole story...maybe he wouldn't tell them about the letter after all. He had been debating about whether he should or not throughout the entire talk with the detective but had come to the conclusion that he really didn't want to tell them anything more until they shared their information.
***
Detective Lestrade walked quickly down the hallway of Scotland Yard with Officer Maier, the man who had discovered Cullington in the alleyway, "Maier, I want you to find out everything you can about Cullington and what he was doing recently, where he was during the past twenty-four hours, and a list of suspects that could have had a motive for murdering him."
"Yes sir. What are you going to do?"
"Pay an old friend a visit..."
***
Lestrade arrived at 221B Baker Street at about 5:30 in the afternoon on foot. He walked up to the door and rang the bell several times before he heard Mrs. Hudson's footsteps. He stepped back as she opened the door and took off his hat, "Good afternoon Mrs. Hudson. I was wondering in Holmes was in."
Mr. Hudson peered back into the house, then turned back around, "Yes, Detective Lestrade, I believe he is. I think that Mr. Holmes is having tea with Dr. Watson in the sitting room. Shall I let them know that you are here?"
"Yes please." The woman nodded briskly and stepped into the house and he could hear Holmes voice from the other room. Mrs. Hudson reappeared in the doorway and she motioned for him to step inside, "He says that he would be delighted to see you. I'll go get some more tea."
Before Lestrade could decline the offer, the woman had already disappeared into the kitchen. The detective shook his head and walked into the sitting room to find Holmes smoking his pipe and reading the paper while Watson was sitting across from him with a scone in one hand and a book in another.
Sherlock Holmes set his paper aside and motioned for Lestrade to sit down, "You have another case for me to solve I suppose..."
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do Holmes." The great detective sighed and settled back into his chair, puffing on his pipe, a look of concentration coming over his face as Lestrade began to tell the story. "You both of course know Sir Henry Cullington?" Both Holmes and Watson nodded, "Well, he was found dead, murdered, in an alleyway early this afternoon by one of our officers."
Watson gaped, "Dead? But why? Cullington was always too polite at the club. Remember Holmes, we saw him there just yesterday!"
Sherlock nodded, "Indeed we did Watson. But it seems that not everyone found Cullington as pleasant as you did...please, continue Lestrade and don't leave out a single detail."
"There was only one witness to the actual murder itself, and that was a lad named Jonathan. I questioned him myself, and he is still back at Scotland Yard if you need to ask him anymore questions Holmes, but here are the notes I was able to take from the boys statement." He handed Sherlock the pad of paper he had been writing on earlier, and the detective took it with a little interest.
Watson turned to Lestrade, "How was the poor man killed?"
"It seemed that he was beat and then killed by a blow to the face."
Watson nodded knowingly as Sherlock Holmes finished going over the notes, "Well, the killer's description in vague as is the description of the incident itself...I would very much like to see the boy in person, if that could be arranged Lestrade. But I just remembered that I have an appointment with a young man about a missing will or something of the sort at 6:00..."
Lestrade thought for a moment, "Well, I myself am going to be busy as soon as I leave from here but I could get the boy to come to you if that would be easier..."
"It would be much simpler...Watson, do you think that you could pick the boy up and bring him over here?"
"Well, I don't have anything planned this evening, so I think I could manage to do that..."
"Very good." Holmes stood up to bid Lestrade good-bye and walked him to the door, "If your men find anything out, I would like to hear of the details."
"Of course...Good day gentlemen..." Lestrade tipped his hat and walked quickly out of the building.
As soon as Sherlock Holmes had sat back down again, Watson looked curiously at his friend, "So, what do you make of all that nonsense?"
"That there is more to this case than a simpler murder Watson. I believe that Cullington was murdered for a reason that runs deeper than meets the eye. As you said, he was a good man, but I also have heard rumors that he sometimes would get involved with the wrong sorts of people, and I suspect that they might have had a hand in his death."
"Well it sounds as if you already have a pretty good idea of what happened today!"
"Indeed I do Watson, but I will need more detailed information than this rubbish Lestrade gave me. The faster that boy gets here the faster I can solve this case..."
"Then I shall go and fetch him for I think I see your next client coming up the steps..."
Holmes smiled and returned to sucking on his pipe, "Well let him in on your way out please...."
"Certainly! I should be back in about thirty minutes, Holmes, do try to keep this meeting short."
"I wouldn't think of doing anything else Watson!"
Dr. Watson chuckled and left his friend sitting in his armchair by the fire, ready to greet his next case.