December 7: "Trying very hard not to get married" (from V Tsuion)
Continued from Dec 6. Had to twist the prompt just a little bit.
"I fear this business is as dark as ever," said Lestrade. "If there ever was a duplicate key made, I can find no sign of it. And there has been no hint of a weapon to be found. I took your advice and made a second examination of the western wall of the room and did spot a little blood on the window sill, which is odd, as the curtains were closed."
"Very good, Inspector," replied Holmes, and I cringed a bit at the condescension in his tone. "That is an essential clue."
Lestrade scowled. "Do you suppose then the killer murdered the woman with the curtains open, and then closed them and the window behind him when he flew away?"
Holmes laughed. "Nothing nearly so dramatic. Do pardon me; I do not intend to be mysterious. I forget sometimes that what is obvious to me is not always so clear to others. I do not believe the killer was ever in the room at all."
"Never in the room at all?" Lestrade exclaimed.
But the implication struck me in an instant. "Because the substance that killed her was administered before she ever locked the door behind her."
"Naturally," replied Holmes.
"And the blood on the sill, then, the traumatic head injury," I continued, "you suppose this was the result of the unfortunate lady collapsing and dashing her head on the sill?"
"Oh of course," Lestrade replied. "I always feel as blind as a beetle once you explain yourself, Mr. Holmes. Your theory then is that as a result of some poison, unconsciousness or some kind of fit came upon the victim while she was perhaps looking out of the window, and so the curtain was held open by her while she stood, and fell closed again when she herself fell."
"Quite so," Holmes replied.
"Well, we shall see tomorrow about this theory," said Lestrade. "I will send a telegram when the results of the lab testing are complete, and we can say whether or not some poison was involved. If so, we need not take into account the strength of the killer, as would be essential in the case of a bludgeoning. It is often said that poison is the weapon of a woman."
"And rightly so," Holmes replied. "I have done some little research into methods of murder by demographic of the killer, and nearly nine times out of ten when a poison is involved, there is a woman behind it."
A horrible thought struck me. "You don't suppose that poor maid, or good heavens, the lovely Miss Carter have had something to do with it?"
"My dear doctor," Holmes replied, "We can rule no one out based on their charms alone. But perhaps rather than gender, a more productive mode of inquiry would be that of a motive. And this, I find, the maid certainly lacks. Miss Carter, on the other hand..." He shook his head.
Lestrade and I shared a confused glance.
"By all accounts," I said, "the two women got along well."
"Perhaps that was the appearance but not the fact," Holmes replied. "Remember that this step-mother was not only uncomfortably near in age to the daughter, she also opposed the engagement of the daughter to Dr. Wright. Murders have been committed for less."
"You suspect her, then?"
"I suspect myself," said Holmes, with a yawn, "of indulging discussion of this matter without all of the relevant facts. We shall know better in the morning, I think. Until then, we would all be best served by a hot supper and a pipe by the fire. Good night, Inspector."