"We're going to be caught, Holmes," Wallace said in a hushed voice. "We're going to be caught and get in trouble."
"You worry too much," I answered him, feeling quite sure of myself as I made my way down the hall, stepping lightly. The door loomed at the end of the passageway which was devoid of life. "No one is here to get us in any trouble."
"Your first day here and look what you do… My goodness, you'll be out of this school in no time."
"Perhaps that's why he moved here."
Wallace and I whirled around. I recognized the voice to be the obnoxious voice I had heard earlier. He was older than I was, perhaps fifteen. He, like ourselves, was still fully dressed, but held a small candle in his right hand. It illuminated his sharp features and glowed off his bright blue eyes and near-white hair.
"Whatever does that mean?" Wallace asked.
"I means that he moved here in the middle of the term for some reason," he answered with a cutting tone to his voice. "Sherlock Holmes, wasn't it?"
"It is. And you must be Josiah Adams."
My statement gained a glare from the elder boy and he brought his candle closer. "My brother had classes with yours, is that how you know my name?"
"I know it because news travels quickly," I answered with a smile. "Mycroft spoke little of the people he knew."
"Ah?"
"Now, if you please, we have something we're to be about at this moment."
"Holmes," Wallace called to me pleadingly. "Adams is… He'll tell the professor, Holmes."
I turned a cold smile onto the blond with the light that stood by us. "Surely not."
"Surely you won't break into that room," he responded. "It's bad luck."
I snorted. "And you believe in that… that utter foolishness?"
He glared and grabbed me by the shirt collar, tugging me close to him and growling into my ear, "You have a lot of nerve. Keep your nose out of other's business, Holmes, before that nose gets sliced off unexpectedly. Fair warning, I'd say."
"You have something to hide?"
"No, why should I?"
"I only asked."
"I have nothing to hide. Nothing at all."
My smile that had been creeping to my face only widened at this. "He doth protest too much," I mumbled. "Move along now, Mr. Adams, as you too are past your curfew."
"It doesn't matter," Wallace mumbled to me. "Adams won't be punished, but we will. I'm going back to bed, Holmes. I'd suggest you do the same."
I watched him scurry back down the way we had come from and looked at Adams. "You haven't won."
He grinned at me. "Don't sound so melodramatic, young Mr. Holmes. This isn't a case of Scotland Yard. It's a child's legend."
As I walked back after Wallace, I shook my head. No, it was more than that, I was sure. Why was Adams so protective of it. What was it with this one room, and why would someone want the students to stay away from it? I'd find more answer the next day, I was sure of it.
-----
"Door's been closed for years, it 'as."
"But why?" I had decided that I should get other's accounts before rushing into the room with nothing to go on. Patience was a virtue that Mycroft had often told me I should gain and gain quickly. Every time he said this, I restrained myself from pointing out the irony in his statement. I had spent the last several days questioning people about it. Some of my teachers, making sure to sound innocent and curious in my request for information, to the kitchen women, and even to the maids, like this one here.
"'ey say it's because the 'ead professor's son died in 'ere some years back," said the aging maid.
"Surely that's not the real reason behind it. The professors wouldn't be so superstitious, would they?" Certainly not…
"'Course not, deary," she answered with a smile and patted my head. I suppressed a groan of irritation. True, I was in a very awkward stage of life where one could not be quite sure if I were a tall little boy or a short elder boy, but why on earth did middle aged women have to pat heads and pinch cheeks when they thought you were the former? "I've been 'ere longer than the 'ead professor an' 'is son went on 'ome for other reasons. 'e didn' die 'ere at this school. I think 'e's 'live an' well, as it were. Ye know, 'is younger brother still goes here."
"His name, ma'am, what might it have been?" I asked, interest peaking.
"Adams, luv. Josiah Adams. 'is elder brother was Joseph, I believe. Oh yes, yer the 'Olmes boy, aren't ye? Well 'e was 'ere the same time as your brother."
"Might I trouble you for the reason he left, ma'am?"
"Inquisitive lad, aren't ya? Much like yer brother, though much more energy, I see. Mycroft was such a nice boy… brilliant as 'ey came and so sweet, but 'e was a tad on the lazy side…"
"Ma'am."
"Oh yes! Sorry, luv." She hushed her tone considerably. "Joseph Adams left, so the rumour goes amongst the maid, though tha' don't say much, now does it? A bunch of old bats -" one must wonder if she remembered she was included in this grouping as she spoke - "huddled about gossipin' all the days long… Well 'e was asked to leave because 'e was caught cheatin'. It was never official, mind you. No no, not Professor Adam's lad, it wouldn' be official, would it? Now, this is just between you 'n' me, young Mr. 'Olmes, but I know awful well tha' there's somethin' funny in tha' room ye've been lookin' at. Only person though ye could get tha' story from would be young Josiah. 'e's the only one with a key, you see."
"The only one?" I echoed.
"Tha's wha' I said, luv."
"Thank you, ma'am, very much!"
"Ah? Did I answer some great riddle of yers, young Mr. 'Olmes?" she asked with a laugh.
"Yes, ma'am, I do believe you did," I answered as I rushed out of the room and down the hallway, looking for Sam Wallace the whole way. "My good lad, what are you doing?" I demanded when I saw him stooped over my bed and my trunk.
"Cleanin' it up," he answered in a sullen tone. "Someone's been into it something horrible. Your things were spread all over the area and your violin…"
My eyes grew wide as I looked at my beautiful instrument, broken into two. I clenched my teeth, forcing the anger down so that it did not show on my features. No, I would not allow my emotions to rule my mind. "Adams."
"I'd say so, Holmes," Wallace answered. "Best to stop while you're behind."
"No no!" I said quickly. "Not behind, Wallace my good lad, ahead!"
"Ahead?" he asked, his chubby face contorting as he looked at me, struggling to understand what I meant. "Oh for heaven sakes, Holmes! Adams knows you've been poking about, and that's why he did this! You should stop!"
"Even when I've found something?" I asked quietly, leaning down towards his ear.
He looked up at me, dark eyes wide. "Well what did you find?" he asked, his voice high in delight.
"This is a true game," I mused aloud. "More than Mycroft and I ever played at home… Much more of a game, Wallace! Isn't it exciting?"
"You think of this like a game?!" Wallace demanded. "Good heavens… We'll be expelled at this rate…"
"Do you know who Joseph Adams is, Wallace?"
The pudgy lad went white. "Yes… everyone knows of him. He's the one… That… Oh that room is locked because of him, Holmes!"
"You wanted the mystery solved, and solved it shall be. Joseph Adams was not murdered, but expelled. The old maid that cleans the sitting room - you know her right? - she was telling me of Joseph Adams and I remembered Mycroft did mention him, I was certain of it. I overheard him speaking of him to Mother when I was quite young."
"But you said that your brother did not speak of people here."
"Oh heavens! Surely that was a stretch of the truth!"
"Call a lie a lie when it is, Sherlock," Sam Wallace said, tone flat.
"Then a lie, if it must be, but for good reason. I didn't trust Adams from the moment I heard him. I have instinct for that sort of thing."
"You do?"
"Ah well, with reasons behind it, certainly not all instinct."
"Back to the case, at any rate."
"Yes, at any rate. Joseph was expelled for cheating. If memory serves, he used a room over the offices to cheat from. Do you know what should be right below that room?"
"Ah yes! The offices!" Wallace announced, sounding quite proud.
"Yes, yes they are, my friend. Very good. Would you care to tell me why the room is locked and the noises come from the room to keep people away, Wallace?"
"But I don't know."
I chuckled at him. "Come. We must go to the room and get inside of it now."
"But the dinner bell is about to ring!"
"Precisely. The hallways will be empty."
"And we will be in trouble…"
I grinned and we started down the hallway, the echoing sound of footsteps of the student body heading towards the dinner room. Everyone but us, so we thought.
----------------
"Holmes, they're going to hear you."
"I heard you the last ten times you said that, Wallace, now please stop. I've almost-" CLICK - "There! Got it!" I pushed the door open and stuck my head in. It was a long room, perhaps a closet at one time, or a room used for those students whom the faculty did not think highly of. Long and thin as it was, it did have loose boards at the far in. "Ha! Just what we were looking for!"
"Holmes!"
I glanced back at Wallace who stood terror stricken. "Oh dear…" I mumbled, making eye contact with one of the professors that had stepped inside the room, Josiah Adams next to him.
"You see, sir? I told you that the Holmes boy was using this room to cheat."
"I see you're right. Come along with me, Mr. Holmes. Mr. Wallace, you too."
I stepped out, glancing at Wallace. "This isn't over, don't worry," I mumbled to him.
Adams was smiling at me as I passed him. "Sorry, Holmes," he said, his voice the same as it was the first day I had arrived. "I'm not going to let a Holmes brother outdo me like my brother did."
It was everything I could do not to smile back at him.
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marylinusca: Thank you so much for reviewing! I was actually thinking about taking this down, b/c I'm not crazy about it... But since you liked it I suppose I should carry on with it.Thanks for the information about the book. I think I saw it the other day at my library, and I'll probably go back tomorrow to see. At least I know now why I couldn't find it at a good old Barns and Noble. lol. Ah well, thanks very much, and I hope you enjoyed this installment as much as the last. One more to come for this case, and I think I'll wrap it up in it.
TS