Read Online Sherlock Holmes Murder Most Foul by Gordon Punter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gordon Punter
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Do you know what the time is?”
Holmes pauses, “Yes, it is approximately three forty-five.”
Watson quizzically stares at Holmes “How on earth did you know that?”
Holmes inhales deeply, “My dear fellow…” and then indicates the grandfather clock beside the book shelf.
Watson holds the oil-lamp aloft and stares at the clock face, which reads 3:50. He then turns to Holmes, who is just about to leave the room, “You are mistaken, Holmes, the time is ten to four.”
Holmes pauses again and impatiently sighs, “Watson, the clock is five minutes fast. Now, please stir yourself, the game is afoot.”
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Walking his beat along the narrowest part of the unlit cobbled street, past shabby houses on one side and tall warehouses on the other side, Police Constable John Neil nears the locked wooden gates of Brown’s Stable Yard, located almost opposite Essex Wharf, whose name is cut into its ornate reddish brickwork.
Sweeping the street with the beam of his bulls-eye lantern, Neil dimly illuminates a shape lying on the pavement in front of the gates. Gingerly, he crouches and, upon inspecting his find, recoils and fumbles for his whistle.
A hand taps him on his shoulder.
Alarmed and standing bolt upright, Neil quickly turns and comes face to face with Police Constable John Thain, “Saw your light, thought you might need some help.”
Thain stares down at the ground and blanches, “Oh, my gawd [88] .”
Another police constable, Jonas Mizen, suddenly emerges from the darkness, panting.
Astonished, Neil stares at Mizen, “Anymore of you out there?”
Mizen catches his breath and looks down at the pavement, “Christ! They weren’t kidding me.”
Neil sighs, “Ah, come on, Jonas, who wasn’t kidding you?”
Mizen indicates back over his shoulder, “Two [89] carmen, Charlie Cross and Bob Paul. Stopped me at the corner of Baker’s Row and Hanbury Street. Said they’d found this about five minutes ago.”
Thain glances at Neil, “That’s just before you got here.”
Neil shakes his head, “And I thought I had a quiet beat. Far from it, eh?” He stares at Mizen, “Where are those carmen now?”
Mizen pats his tunic breast pocket, indicating his notebook, “Took down their particulars and then let them go off to work. Wanted to get down here as fast as I could.”
Neil quickly turns to Thain, “Fetch Dr Llewellyn. He lives around the corner in Whitechapel Road. A hundred and fifty-two.”
Thain touches the brim of his helmet with his finger and brushes past Mizen.
Neil frowns, “Oi, John…”
Thain pauses, “Yeh, I know. Shortest route is back down here and along Brady Street.” He indicates his shoulder, “Left my [90] cape around the corner in Winthrop Street. I’ll pick it up first and then cut through to Whitechapel Road from there.”
Neil nods in agreement, “Make it quick, like.”
Dashing away, Thain is swallowed up by the darkness.
Neil hurriedly turns to Mizen, “Report back to Sergeant Kirby. Tell him we need more men and a [91] hand-cart. And don’t dawdle, Jonas, I’m going to be on my own here.”
Mizen touches the brim of his helmet, “Right you are, John.” He hastily turns and, like Thain before him, rushes off into the darkness.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The body had first been discovered at about 3. 40 a.m. by Charles Cross who, walking to work along the northern side of the street, had noticed what he thought was a tarpaulin laying in front of the gateway to Brown’s Stable Yard. Approaching the object to take a closer look, he had found a woman stretched out upon the ground, but had not discerned any injuries due to the night being almost pitch-black. Hearing hasty footsteps from behind, Cross had guardedly turned about and had met Robert Paul, also on his way to work. Quite relieved by the fortuitous arrival of Paul, Cross had immediately shown him what he had stumbled upon.
The woman had lain on her back, her head towards
Holmes pauses, “Yes, it is approximately three forty-five.”
Watson quizzically stares at Holmes “How on earth did you know that?”
Holmes inhales deeply, “My dear fellow…” and then indicates the grandfather clock beside the book shelf.
Watson holds the oil-lamp aloft and stares at the clock face, which reads 3:50. He then turns to Holmes, who is just about to leave the room, “You are mistaken, Holmes, the time is ten to four.”
Holmes pauses again and impatiently sighs, “Watson, the clock is five minutes fast. Now, please stir yourself, the game is afoot.”
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Walking his beat along the narrowest part of the unlit cobbled street, past shabby houses on one side and tall warehouses on the other side, Police Constable John Neil nears the locked wooden gates of Brown’s Stable Yard, located almost opposite Essex Wharf, whose name is cut into its ornate reddish brickwork.
Sweeping the street with the beam of his bulls-eye lantern, Neil dimly illuminates a shape lying on the pavement in front of the gates. Gingerly, he crouches and, upon inspecting his find, recoils and fumbles for his whistle.
A hand taps him on his shoulder.
Alarmed and standing bolt upright, Neil quickly turns and comes face to face with Police Constable John Thain, “Saw your light, thought you might need some help.”
Thain stares down at the ground and blanches, “Oh, my gawd [88] .”
Another police constable, Jonas Mizen, suddenly emerges from the darkness, panting.
Astonished, Neil stares at Mizen, “Anymore of you out there?”
Mizen catches his breath and looks down at the pavement, “Christ! They weren’t kidding me.”
Neil sighs, “Ah, come on, Jonas, who wasn’t kidding you?”
Mizen indicates back over his shoulder, “Two [89] carmen, Charlie Cross and Bob Paul. Stopped me at the corner of Baker’s Row and Hanbury Street. Said they’d found this about five minutes ago.”
Thain glances at Neil, “That’s just before you got here.”
Neil shakes his head, “And I thought I had a quiet beat. Far from it, eh?” He stares at Mizen, “Where are those carmen now?”
Mizen pats his tunic breast pocket, indicating his notebook, “Took down their particulars and then let them go off to work. Wanted to get down here as fast as I could.”
Neil quickly turns to Thain, “Fetch Dr Llewellyn. He lives around the corner in Whitechapel Road. A hundred and fifty-two.”
Thain touches the brim of his helmet with his finger and brushes past Mizen.
Neil frowns, “Oi, John…”
Thain pauses, “Yeh, I know. Shortest route is back down here and along Brady Street.” He indicates his shoulder, “Left my [90] cape around the corner in Winthrop Street. I’ll pick it up first and then cut through to Whitechapel Road from there.”
Neil nods in agreement, “Make it quick, like.”
Dashing away, Thain is swallowed up by the darkness.
Neil hurriedly turns to Mizen, “Report back to Sergeant Kirby. Tell him we need more men and a [91] hand-cart. And don’t dawdle, Jonas, I’m going to be on my own here.”
Mizen touches the brim of his helmet, “Right you are, John.” He hastily turns and, like Thain before him, rushes off into the darkness.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The body had first been discovered at about 3. 40 a.m. by Charles Cross who, walking to work along the northern side of the street, had noticed what he thought was a tarpaulin laying in front of the gateway to Brown’s Stable Yard. Approaching the object to take a closer look, he had found a woman stretched out upon the ground, but had not discerned any injuries due to the night being almost pitch-black. Hearing hasty footsteps from behind, Cross had guardedly turned about and had met Robert Paul, also on his way to work. Quite relieved by the fortuitous arrival of Paul, Cross had immediately shown him what he had stumbled upon.
The woman had lain on her back, her head towards
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