A/N- Sorry for not posting for a bit, life does have a way of putting our plans on hold. Enjoy!

The Warning, Chapter the Sixteenth

Holmes returned to Lestrade, who had just put Mrs. Palmer on the couch and was returning to Dr. Palmer's side. He groaned, and with an effort, opened his eyes.

"Who....."He sat up quickly, and then leaned heavily against the Inspector. "Did you get them?"he asked, looking searchingly at Lestrade's eyes.

"No, we only arrived here ourselves a moment ago. What happened here, can you tell me?"

"My cousin had taken the children to Southsea to visit for a week. She had left only a quarter of an hour ago with them. My wife and I were making arrangements to go away somewhere when they got here. They shoved their way in, and looked for the children. While the man did that, the woman asked us where they were, and they beat us for not telling them. They were furious with us. I don't know what else they had planned. You must have scared them away. Eliza, how is she?"

"Your wife seems uninjured, but quite bruised. Stay still, we have a doctor on the way. You know Dr. Bailey, do you not?"

"Yes. Yes, I do." Dr. Palmer lay back, and was still.

A few minutes later, Lestrade let Dr. Bailey in. Then Holmes and Lestrade went into the spacious kitchen and sat opposite each other at the table.

"Well, Holmes? I guess that I am not going to convince you not to go tonight, am I?"

"No, Inspector. I do not want to argue about this."

"As we have established that you are going, let us make some preparations for your safety."

There is very little we can do, for I am not willing to endanger Dr. Watson further. I am to go ALONE and UNARMED tonight."

"But, Holmes..."

"As I have stated, I refuse to do other than the letter states."

Lestrade opened his mouth to argue, but was interrupted by Dr. Bailey softly clearing his throat at the kitchen door.

"Come in. How are the doctor and his wife?"asked Holmes.

"Better than they would have been if you two gentlemen had not shown up. The doctor's injuries are more severe than his wife's. This is not for lack of trying on someone's part, but because he tried to shield her from as many blows as possible. With a lot of rest and a quiet recovery period, they should be fine." His face grew even more troubled. "This was a most odd attack. It was calculated to cause a great deal of pain without actually causing a great deal of damage. Were you aware that they were also stuck with pins and burned with cigarettes? As I have said before, you interrupted their ordeal just in time. Both of them are resting now."

"Thank you, Doctor. Since they are in no condition to do so for themselves, I think we need to arrange for them to be elsewhere,"observed Holmes.

"Clea and I can put them up for a few days,"volunteered Lestrade.

"Lestrade, these people are very dangerous."

"I know. But I don't think anyone is going to bother them with Clea and the boys around, do you?"

"No, you are quite right. I will leave this matter in your capable hands. I must see Mycroft, since he may have some information for me."

"Holmes, be careful. If there is anything I can do, just say the word."

"I shall, thank you. Good day, Inspector."

Holmes left and whistled for a cab. It stopped, and he gave the driver the address. With a click of the cabbie's tongue, they were off. Holmes sat back and soon was lost in his own thoughts, which kept wandering back to Watson. How was he? What had these fiends done to him? Would he be rescuing a corpse tonight? And how was he to go about it, in any case?

His reverie was brought to an abrupt halt when they arrived at Mycroft's office. Holmes paid the driver and headed up the steps to the offices. To his surprise, Mycroft was waiting for him in the lobby.

"Brother mine, I have some news for you. I hope it helps. Come in, follow me."

He led his brother to a large office. Seating himself behind a massive desk, he motioned his brother to a chair opposite him.

"Well? What did you find out?"

" Well, it just so happened that this P. Moriarty has been the focus of an investigation of a sensitive nature. Please understand that if it were anyone except you, I would not be able to divulge this information."

"I see. What sort of investigation was it?"

"Anyone with any sort of tie to the late Professor, and anyone he kept in contact with was in the scope of this investigation."

"And what did this investigation tell us about P. Moriarty?"

"I was coming to that. P. Moriarty was the Professor's mistress, and just before he left for the Continent, he made her his wife. Besides the fact that she is quite elusive when she wants to be, we know little about her."

"Is that all you can tell me?"

"Sadly, it is. Be careful, Sherlock."

The detective took leave of his brother. As he walked to the curb to call for a cab, an elderly woman approached Holmes. "You are off on a dangerous mission tonight, sir. Take this." She pressed what looked like an ordinary stone into his hand. Then she melted into the thick grey fog before Holmes had a chance to reply.

Holmes whistled for a cab. He instructed the cabbie to let him off at the old Rossburn Cemetery.

Somehow the ride to the cemetery seemed to be shorter than the trip in the police growler. Was that really only a few days ago?

The driver seemed eager to collect his fare and get out of such eerie surroundings.

Holmes passed the sundial that was not too far from the mausoleum. With a deep but quiet breath, he descended the steps and entered the mausoleum.

A/N To all those who read and reviewed, I thank you. And thank you, Medcat, for vetting this story.