Chapter 7: War Council
With every passing day it became more obvious that we were gathering and processing data that was coming in faster than we knew how to handle. Holmes was almost never home and even I put in very long days - chasing leads, visiting researchers and chemists, making new contacts, and interviewing existing ones - all while putting in my regular shifts at Barts. As long as respiratory illness remained high, demands on my time as a doctor were not likely to change. During a rare break in the chaos, Holmes and I discussed the current status of our investigations, assessing what we now knew, and trying to come up with more creative ways to move forward that would put us ahead of all the incoming information - or at least allow us to keep pace with it.
"We always knew this was going to be a bit of a long march, Watson," said Holmes. It was Sunday morning, the 10th of March, and we were enjoying a rare leisurely breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, marmalade, and coffee. "I know it's frustrating, but we are gaining a measure of clarity."
"I'm afraid I don't see it, Holmes. "We have all collectively gathered and then turned over a lot of rocks. We are no closer to finding the source of those blasted pills than we were when we started!"
"I somewhat disagree," Holmes replied. "We have a lot of information that we did not have a fortnight ago. We have a far greater understanding of who does what in the world of modern pharmacology. We also know, or at least can begin to know enough to make some educated assumptions."
"Such as?"
"Unless our sources so far have lied to us, we have a beginning understanding of who is not making such products. We also know that our beginning proposition, that extremely dangerous pills don't just wander out into the public space completely unsupervised, was both reasonable and fair. Therefore, we can start to put more focus on looking into darker corners, rather than under every rock. I'll agree it's not much, but it is a start. A beginning is a beginning, my friend. You know we have started investigations with less."
"At least one of us is satisfied," I grumbled, still not convinced.
"I will freely admit that a bit more progress or at least enlightenment for all our efforts would be most welcome," said Holmes with a rueful chuckle that told me he was perhaps more frustrated than he was admitting. "I believe it's time to do some reassessing. It's likely that a meeting of the team would be useful, a war council of sorts. Let me smoke a pipe or two on it this morning. We have not all met together to discuss our findings yet. Perhaps it's time."
We finished our breakfast talking of Holmes' progress in the McCormick jewelry heist. He was close to a solution in the case, although it was likely not a solution that McCormick or his insurance company would find ideal. Holmes was almost certain that the entire inventory had been smuggled out of the country in a wool shipment to Brussels. The culprits would likely be apprehended, but Holmes believed the inventory was almost certainly scattered to the four winds by now.
Holmes spent the next morning in deep thought, smoking his darkest shag tobacco, fouling the sitting room with its acrid, pungent aroma. Fortunately, the fire was well stoked, and a window was open, so it was not as intolerable as it might be otherwise. I read the morning papers, then spent two hours clarifying my notes on the case so far, while also quietly recording Holmes' latest observations on the McCormick case, as I believed it might make a good story or article someday.
Around midday, Holmes roused himself. He called down to Mrs. Hudson that he would only need sandwiches and tea for lunch then announced, "I'm going out to the Yard after lunch to make some arrangements. It's definitely time for a meeting. Can you make yourself free on Tuesday night for a clan meeting?"
"I most certainly can, oh clan leader!" I said with a laugh.
"The tribe assembles. Let the chiefs consult!" responded Holmes with an eager chuckle. "All is not so dark, friend Watson. Let's see what a slightly different approach will yield us. I'm going to see if I can give us a bit more of an advantage."
"How so?" I asked.
"I am going to ask the good inspectors at the Yard for some more help - and the almost impossible."
"What miracle is this, Holmes?"
"Money, people, or both," said Holmes with another laugh. He wolfed down the beef sandwiches and tea Mrs. Hudson provided for lunch and told me he would be back for dinner.
I spent the afternoon further polishing my notes on the case and then finishing two stories for eventual publication in the Strand. I had long ago gotten into the practice of writing up case notes to a point where they were almost "Strand ready." I knew that many cases might eventually be published, but only sometime long after the cases occurred. If I hoped for something that was worthy of publication, I had to write each set of case note in detail. Back in the '80's, I made the mistake of letting cases go too long before capturing and polishing the finer points. As a result, a few cases of high interest were never recorded in enough detail to make them worthy of public scrutiny. I was determined never to make that mistake again.
It wasn't until close to 8:00 PM that Holmes made it back to Baker Street (much to Mrs. Hudson's annoyance as she took a good hearty Sunday dinner seriously). She had been nursing the food along for almost an hour and was almost ready to give up on presenting anything close to edible. Holmes stepped in downstairs, and I heard him thanking Mrs. Hudson profusely for her culinary forbearance. He bounded up the stairs quickly. I could tell that he had been at least somewhat successful moving the bureaucratic forces of Scotland Yard.
"Good evening, Watson. So sorry I am late. It's gotten a bit beastly out there. I'm not a betting man as you well know, but odds are that rain is going to switch to snow before the evening is through. Let us be grateful for Mrs. Hudson, a Sunday roast, and a hot fire." Mrs. Hudson arrived with our delayed but not much abused dinner, and a good French Cabernet, along with a fine apple pie. The food was perfect, and it was a testament to her long experience saving dinners for her inattentive, irregular tenants that Mrs. Hudson's culinary efforts were still in near perfect condition. I knew better than to ask for an update during the meal, so it wasn't until the pie was finished and Holmes and I were seated before the fire with decanters of scotch and water close to hand that I asked Holmes how he had spent his afternoon.
"It was as difficult as it was as I expected it to be, perhaps more so," he said. As Lestrade is the senior most inspector involved, I knew I had to focus on getting his agreement with my plans moving forward. As I am asking for more resources - both constables and money - that took some doing. As you know, our good friends at the Yard are not overly generous with extras, especially when the one doing the requesting is an outsider. And yes, even now I am an outsider, even though I have propped the entire institution up for fifteen years plus. It also doesn't help that the collective series of cases, all these dead women, are tentatively linked at best, with still no clarion call ringing out declaring, 'There's been vile murder done here' on any on any of these. Nobody wants to say it, but none of these women were related to people of prominence. Each of them - in fact, all of them collectively – can fall through the cracks of decent society, and London will still go on as before, with few the wiser."
"Where does it stand, Holmes? Were you successful? And I must ask: what's the money for?" I asked.
"I was victorious: ultimately successful, old boy at least for now. The money is for widening the scope of our investigation, using ideally available experts, the type we don't have access to at the moment. I am calling a meeting at McMurphy's Tavern, in one of their private rooms upstairs, at 8:00 on Tuesday evening. I'll be going over what we know, the data we have, and a proposal for moving forward. I hesitate to define more at this time, because Lestrade, with the help of Gregson, Inspector Radisson, and perhaps Sergeant Thomas, need to finalize the ultimate level of additional resources and money the Yard will provide to continue the investigation. Suffice it to say the money is to hire some specialized 'irregulars,' namely young medical students and chemists in training, to do some of our legwork for us. I know you have often thought - and perhaps rightfully so - that I do too much leg work and slogging on some cases that should be left to the police. This is turning out to be a case where a lot of serious investigation needs to be done, a lot more rocks need to be looked under in our field. We can't do it alone so the sooner we get some help the better. I am also asking for a few dedicated constables, hence the resource part of my request"
"It sounds logical and necessary, Holmes," I said. "I'm glad you managed to convince the Yard to go along with this idea."
"Oh, don't be so quick to heap praise upon our good friends, the inspectors, Watson," Holmes said. "Their agreement is tentative if well-meant enough. The actual budget is still being determined, as well as the duration of this exercise. Remember that nobody at Scotland Yard appreciates outsiders of any kind interfering in what they all consider to be the sacred space of 'police business.' I have had years of handing case after solved case to the Metropolitan Force in London, and elsewhere - effectively doing their work for them – long with mentoring training, encouraging, redirecting, and dropping endless breadcrumbs for them to follow. I do the work, then step aside as they take the success, and glory. We both know that numerous inspectors, far more than Lestrade, Gregson and Jones, owe their careers and promotions to me. I know it and they know it, and yet they still they see me as an outsider, often resenting my involvement."
"I say this, Watson, not out of any regret or disappointment, but only to remind you of the larger context of circumstances and events. The Yarders are, and always will be, a closed insular group. I am well used to working with irregulars, outsiders, and specialized experts, but they are not. The Yard uses select informers at best. Even the best and most reliable informer is nothing but a point of information, a book, a file folder, a voice. To deliberately bring in a few carefully selected assistants, people with skill and expertise, this is very new indeed. I pulled in a lot of favors to do this,"
"Well, I think it's an excellent idea and I'm more than willing to give it my full support," I declared. "I hope the inspectors follow through with both their money and their support."
"We will see my friend. We will see. Come Tuesday night, not only will we review and plan our next steps, but our inspector colleagues will let all of us know how much money and resource commitment the Yard is willing to put into this investigation. They not only have to agree, but they also must clear it with the senior superintendents, and the Commissioner."
"Who have you invited?" I asked.
"It will be Lestrade, Gregson, Radisson, and Sergeant Thomas. The ever-worthy Andrew Mercer will be there, and possibly one of his proteges, Ethan Finn. It's possible that two or three of the constables that Max Thomas has been working with will be there as well. He's got some bright young lads he's been bringing along, men he considers to be skilled at investigating and observing - the type that will find clues and be smart enough to follow them to their end point. Just as I mentor Max, he is beginning to mentor others. The Yard is growing up at last Watson. It's a slow erratic process and very uneven indeed, but especially with the younger inspectors, sergeants, and some new recruits, a more logical, capable and effective detective force is emerging."
Holme spoke of these new people and changes with a note of excitement and optimism. Yet I knew that there was sadness and frustration too. For over fifteen years, Holmes had been eager and willing to pass on his considerable skills to anyone at the Yard who wanted to learn. Unfortunately, very few took him up on his offer. Scotland Yard was all too happy to use his skills to solve crimes, but far less willing to learn the techniques involved. Until now.
We dropped the topic and spent the rest of the evening alone in companionable silence. I read a novel while Holmes played his violin. Sometimes Holmes used his playing as a voice for his inner thoughts and frustrations playing loudly, or worse, playing discordant phrases and bits which were hard for me to listen to, and were far worse for Mrs. Hudson, or the neighbors. Tonight however, Holmes played quiet, graceful tunes, including many that were personal favorites of mine. Certainly, there was nothing for the neighbors to complain about.
Holmes was gone for most of Monday. He did not show up for dinner, although the ever-long-suffering Mrs. Hudson saved him a plate of the chops and potatoes she had made which Holmes wolfed down when he finally made it home. He was tired after a long day, and didn't say much, only that he had worked on our case, plus two others Lestrade brought to his attention.
"I try, Watson, I really try, but sometimes I despair that our friends at the Yard will ever learn to use the eyes God gave them, or the brains that they were given, to reason things through. Honestly, it's not supposed to be that hard."
I asked him where the Yarders had gone wrong and what they missed. He groaned and then told me it was too painful to relate. "I'm sorry my friend but I must defer the elaboration at least for a few days. It was painful enough to experience the first time through," he said. I decided to let it be and asked about progress on the case and the meeting scheduled for the following night.
"Everything is ready, and everyone will be there including constables Campbell and Newton," he said. "I only want to do this once, as it's time consuming and expensive. I will be paying for this dinner meeting. As Scotland Yard will be providing the resources I asked for, I suppose it's fair," he said with one of his peculiar barks of laughter, "But I don't really see why I am privately picking up the bill for the cause of justice. The work of a consulting detective is never done - or never enough!"
"I will happily pick up some of the costs, my friend."
"Not a bit of it, dear boy! How much of your money, time, efforts, attention, and so much more have you already given to this case, let alone countless others in years past? My friend, I am eternally in your debt as it is!"
I felt warmed by Holmes' warm words and his obvious sincerity. Praise and gratitude from Holmes were more frequent than they used to be before his three-year absence, but they still were uncommon enough to be appreciated. While Holmes continued to eat quickly, I poured him a glass of water from the carafe and got him a generous Scotch from the decanter.
"There is a certain irony here, Watson," Holmes said, as he sat by the fire with his drink, his food finally eaten. "I went to see Lestrade and Gregson to discuss our case, but I ultimately solved two serious cases for Lestrade instead. The White Chapel garroting, and a vicious assault on a couple recently married, and traveling to London to see the big city. The murder case was hopelessly bungled by the constable who first investigated the scene; it's a wonder any evidence remained at all. As for the assault that was so easy to resolve, Lestrade should have been able to close it with twenty minutes of basic discovery and investigation. I know Lestrade has improved over the years, but, sometimes, sometimes Watson... I think the man should go back to being a sergeant. It's still astonishing to me that both he and Gregson are the best of the lot. I suppose I would include inspector Martin of the Norfolk Constabulary as well if he worked for the Yard, but..." Here Holmes trailed off, lost in thoughts of obvious frustration.
"What about Sergeant Maxwell Thomas?" I asked.
"That's just it, Watson! Max is already a far better detective than Lestrade will ever be - better than Gregson too by a fair margin. Max's youth holds him back as well as his relatively few years on the force. If Scotland Yard worked by merit alone, a large percentage of their sergeants would still be constables, and about forty percent of their constables would be just street sweepers and common dock laborers. Sergeant Thomas would be a Detective Inspector, well on his way to Chief Inspector - and I would be cleaning up far less of the Yard's messes."
"You would have less work, Holmes," I said. "You would be stuck doing much more trivial private cases, working for Mycroft, or doing a lot more chemical research."
"Working for Mycroft? Perish the thought! Although doing more chemistry research could be most appealing under the right circumstances. I sometimes envy Andrew Mercer, but I suppose that he sees a lot of the same types of work requests, day in and day out. That would bore me to death before too long. I need variety. I need complexity. I need the untrodden path my friend! Give me that, and I am in my true element!"
I could see that staying on this topic wasn't going to improve Holmes' disposition, so I changed the subject as quickly as I could soon afterwards. Holmes was only too happy to drop the discussion, as we both knew this was just a small piece of a much longer, and older set of grievances Holmes had with Scotland Yard. Nothing would be resolved soon, and we both knew it.
Tuesday night was cold, misty, and foggy. 8:00 PM found our unlikely team of investigators, such as we were, upstairs in one of the private meeting rooms at McMurphy's Tavern. Holmes had arranged for both steak and kidney pies, and McMurphy's famous fish and chips, to be available along with an assortment of beer and ales. Holmes was not going to be accused of being a poor host. He needed the gathered team to understand their efforts, past, present, and future were appreciated. Besides the two of us, Inspectors Lestrade, Gregson, and Radisson were present along with Sergeant Maxwell Thomas, Andrew Mercer, his assistant Ethan Finn, along with two constables Sergeant Thomas had personally chosen to work with him on the case, constables Russell Campbell and Frank Newton. I had never previously met Finn, Campbell, or Newton, but had heard much of each of them from Holmes regarding their worthiness and skills.
Finn was a totally nondescript looking man of average height, weight, and build - forgettable in every way except for his razor-sharp watchful gaze and intelligent eyes. I had heard he had the rare gift of remembering everything he ever saw, read, or experienced. I didn't doubt it. Constable Campbell was tall, thin, and wiry with dark hair and gray eyes. Sergeant Thomas was considered one of the fastest runners on the force, but Campbell was reputedly much faster. He once ran down two suspects, caught the slower one, cuffed his right arm and left ankle together - and then proceeded to chase down and catch the second, faster suspect, doing the same for him. Constable Newton had dark hair, brown eyes with bushy brows and a deep commanding voice that probably would have served him well as an army sergeant on any parade ground. With both Holmes and Thomas speaking well of both the constables, I knew they must be quick, with thought, observation, and detective skills. Lestrade called them the "new boys" with an air of fatherly pride, indicating that they were among the best of the upcoming generation - and he wanted everyone to know it. It was a sign of respect that the inspectors had allowed both valuable young men to be assigned to this project. Unfortunately, another promising constable, Lewis Westford, who had already made considerable contributions to the effort was unable to attend and would in fact have to be assigned back to regular duties. The people in the meeting were the entirety of the team as it was for the present.
Holmes let everyone get started eating before he opened the meeting. He was far more interested in the proceedings than any of the food on offer. After giving a surprisingly heartfelt thank you to everyone assembled, especially the three inspectors, and Sergeant Thomas for their weeks of involvement, he proceeded to give a detailed overview of the case, or more appropriately all the cases we knew of.
"Before I begin, I must ask any of you inspectors, or you Sergeant Thomas, to step in and add details, clarifications, or corrections, as necessary. You too, Watson. It's absolutely imperative that we get all known facts out on the table and in front of everyone. When we leave tonight, I want everyone to be confident we are all reading from the same manual and working from the same set of marching orders. I want to thank both of our fine constables for their work so far. Gentlemen, this meeting is absolutely for you as you are the newest arrivals to this case. Misters Mercer and Finn, you may not be aware of all the details, especially you, Mr. Finn. Please, all of you, do not hesitate to clarify any points or ask any questions you deem necessary! This is a murky business, and there's not much we are clear on despite the intense concentration of resources and efforts so far."
Holmes then went through his carefully compiled notes about every death we believed to be part of the overall series of events. All evidence, the statements we had, and a summary of the medical examiners' reports. Slowly, one by one, Holmes went through them all, occasionally seeking a point of clarity from one of the inspectors or Sergeant Thomas. By the time Holmes finished his summary most of us were done eating. Sergeant Thomas then took over, giving a detailed report on his activities from the beginning as well as the Yard's investigations. Holmes ate while Thomas went through his report.
Andrew Mercer then took the lead when Thomas was finished, and gave a detailed summary of everything he and Holmes had been able to learn from their analysis of the few pills available - which admittedly wasn't very much, considering that the active ingredients were unknown. Ethan Finn gave a brief report on his additional, ultimately fruitless efforts to understand how the pills did their deadly work. "We know there's a little high-grade opium involved, as well as some derivative apparently related to nightshade, but the concentrations involved would not do serious damage in and of themselves. They may be involved as a catalyst or in a secondary role to the active ingredients which we still cannot identify," Mercer said. "Without additional insight we are very much at an impasse."
Holmes then took over the discussion again, giving a summary of the collective effort so far to determine who created or sold the pills. He gave the reports on everyone's work, with each of us provided clarity on our specific efforts as appropriate.
"As you know, we haven't learned anything so far from this line of investigation. Perhaps it's more accurate to say we haven't learned anything new or useful about the pills - but we have at least learned that these pills were created by a highly sophisticated team working in a very advanced laboratory environment. All our leads have not been followed up on yet, but what we haven't found is as insightful as what we know. We don't know if these pills were made by a large, well-known, highly- regarded company or not. The more we investigate, the more it seems this is a bespoke selective medication, likely still in the experimental stage. This would explain why nobody has ever heard of the medications before."
The implications of Holmes' conclusions were not lost on me. "Holmes, everything you're saying would point to a lab operating under the most unethical, immoral, and even illegal conditions. People no matter their life station, poverty, or circumstances, deserve vastly better treatment. Humans are not lab rats, mice, or rabbits to be experimented on! Even if these young women gave their consent, it was almost certainly uninformed. Nobody would willingly participate in such a study unless they had absolutely no chance to refuse, or were in a state of extreme danger or extremity. In such conditions, any consent given is suspect at best. Agreement reached by putting a gun to someone's head is no real consent at all."
"I don't think any of us would disagree with you in the slightest," said Holmes. "But it's becoming more obvious by the day that we are not going to get very far by continuing to chase down random blind alleys, at least not without a bit more help. This brings us to the other major topic we are gathered for here tonight. It is not just a review of our case that brings us here. We need to make real progress, even if that means we must force it somehow. Those of you who have known and worked with me for a long time know that brute force is not my usual method. However much Scotland Yard is feeling the pressure to produce tangible results, the higher ups need to know that I am sensitive to their concerns - both the amount of time expended, and the resources committed so far. It's with these issues in mind that the inspectors assembled here have reached an agreement with both me and the seniors at the Yard to take a different approach to our dilemma. We have agreed that a limited application of outside resources, resources with relevant background and skill, should be brought onto our team to help as to help us pare down our remaining backlog, and provide extra eyes and hands to focus our investigative efforts. Inspector Lestrade has taken the primary lead securing agreement from the higher levels of the Yard. I will let him tell you what the plan is."
With a nod and a slight wave of his hand, Holmes passed the leadership of the discussion to Lestrade. The inspector looked momentarily flustered, even though everyone was familiar to him. With a bit of hesitation, he stood, cleared his throat, and began.
"It has been decided to recruit and bring on a few consultants, people with medical, pharmaceutical, or biochemical backgrounds, to help us - primarily recent graduates, armed with the latest knowledge and training. It took some doing, but with help from Holmes and a lot of arm-twisting we have permission to hire four such consultants. I know four might not sound like much but it's a reasonable place to start from. If this proves successful, we may be able to increase the number. No surprise to any of you, but this is not our normal procedure. Outsiders are brought in reluctantly and only after much consideration, as both Holmes and Watson well know from their own experiences. If this goes sideways… well at least we won't have spent the Bank of England on this effort. Holmes, Mercer, Dr. Anthony Fletcher, and Dr. Watson (when his schedule will allow the time) will take charge of screening and interviewing potential recruits. Both Fletcher and Mercer will take charge of putting the word out, primarily to medical schools, the teaching hospitals, through the resources of London University, and connections at both Oxford and Cambridge. These are almost certainly temporary positions, but they will provide young self-starters with a bit of pluck and ambition a leg-up and a chance to earn some much-needed money."
"Please don't feel we have cut you out of this," Gregson said to me. "We know that your time is often allocated and spoken for well in advance. A great deal of your time has already been offered – and used, for which we are all grateful. Both Mercer and Fletcher already have working relationships with the force which allow their time to easily be redirected should the need arise. For too long, we on the force, and no doubt Holmes too, have imposed on your time, cutting into your professional obligations with little advance notice. You are most welcome to participate in any way you have time for. We just do not want to drop any time intensive obligations on you."
"Thank you, Tobias," I said. "I am not offended. Holmes has already discussed this plan with me. I will gladly provide any free time I have, but as you well stated, my time is limited, especially at the time at this time of the year. It's still cold and influenza season after all."
"How long do you think these positions will last?" asked Constable Newton.
"Anywhere from a few weeks to a month or two," said Holmes. "A lot depends on what turns up, and how effective our new colleagues turn out to be. If they are useless or our collective efforts still yield nothing, this endeavor could end quite quickly. Clearly, we are aiming to recruit only the best, but only time and experience will tell."
"Are we going to hold them to some form of confidentiality agreement?" asked Constable Campbell.
"We most certainly are!" said Lestrade emphatically. "This is a top secret, dangerous, extremely sensitive investigation, with the potential for an extremely negative public outcry if the knowledge of such medical abuse becomes widely known. Let's not forget, we don't ever we don't even know what we are really looking at yet. Even now, it's only hints and suggestions."
"As with all of us, discretion is our watchword!" said Holmes. "There's a lot riding on the on the results of this investigation but it will come to naught - or worse - if word gets out. Remember that the people responsible for these deaths have obviously taken considerable care to cover their tracks. If word leaked out somehow, they will almost certainly hide in some foreign location. They clearly have a superior education. it stands to reason they have some reasonable financial resources as well, enough to hide with at least."
The rest of the evening quickly passed with additional details and theories passing around the members of the team. I found the discussion somewhat unusual. Holmes was never one to engage in or indulge in idle conversation, theorizing, or guess work. Yet even he appeared to understand that such conversation, and theory swapping was necessary to uncover every possibility, and to increase solidarity within the team. This entire evening was his personal investment, and he wanted to ensure he got the maximum value from the effort. The meeting ended just before 11:00 PM with mutual promises of support and full disclosure expressed by all. Eventually only Holmes, Lestrade, and Thomas remained.
"Well Holmes, I thought that went rather well," said Lestrade as we stepped outside to hail two cabs. "I hope you are satisfied with the evening and the way the plan was received."
"It went well enough," Holmes conceded, "Although only time will tell. We both know, in fact I believe we all know that this plan is something of a long shot. I truly appreciate your efforts selling the idea to the commissioner himself."
"It didn't hurt that Sir Edward has come know you work, and to greatly respect your talents," Lestrade said. "If this does not work, I won't relish the prospect of facing the old Colonel himself even though he has been warned that success is not guaranteed by any means."
"If it comes to that, I will go myself to Commissioner Bradford, as I don't expect you or any of the inspectors to bear the consequences for any failures alone," said Holmes. "We are in this together come what may. But let's not declare defeat before we have even started. We will do our best for as long as we can."
Lestrade's cab arrived, and we all shook hands, bidding the inspector a good night. Thomas' cab arrived soon after. Our cab arrived moments later, and we made our way back to Baker Street in silence. I could see that Holmes wanted some time to mentally review the evening's events in peace. It wasn't until we were back in our chairs before the fire sharing a brandy together that he finally broke his silence.
"As always, Watson, you have the invaluable gift of silence and endless patience. I would appreciate your thoughts on the evening. Do you think we accomplished anything of note?"
"I believe the night went well, Holmes," I replied. "It was a necessary meeting and somewhat overdue. We all got our facts straight and got a clear sense as to how we will now move forward. All the participants got a chance to meet in one place, which alone was worthwhile. I wish the Yard had covered the cost of the evening, but I well understand why you made the gesture. It was the right move, considering that the inspectors already put their reputations on the line. It is a bit much to say that their careers are on the line, but still, they are taking a leap of faith here. It was also good to meet Campbell and Newton. My experience with them has been limited up to now. I found them to be bright lads indeed, intelligent and observant - good additions to the team. It gives me hope that sergeant Thomas isn't the only worthwhile 'up and comer' on the force."
"A fair assessment all around, Watson," said Holmes. "I too believe the night went well enough for what it was. I could wish for more resource commitments from the force, but I well know that all extra resources will bring greater expectations, and likely greater resentment should our efforts yield no fruitful results. The supervisors and the commissioner are politically sensitive even at the best of times. The game must be played with the cards we are dealt, and so I am choosing to focus on ensuring our success, rather than dwelling on possible failures."
"Well Holmes, I am just about done in. I have a long day tomorrow, so it is time I got some sleep," I said. I got up, set my brandy glass on the sideboard, wished Holmes a good night, and went upstairs to my room for some well-earned rest. The last I saw of Holmes was him thoughtfully pondering the dying embers of the fire. I never heard him go to bed.
(Author's Note: The head of Scottland Yard was Commissioner Colonel Sir Edward Bradford at the time this story is taking place – 1895.)