Chapter 4

The mystery takes on a new direction as Watson uncovers another part of the plot.

Watson brushed the dirt off of it and unfolded it.  On it was a journal entry from Mr. White which said, “Today I have found out a most unnerving truth.  A man came into the office today asking for me.  When he entered my office he seemed very nervous, and told me in a very low voice that he had to tell me something before he got to him.  I asked him who this mysterious he was and he only shuddered and told me that he was a powerful gang leader who had been put off by my strange visitor for looking into his activities too closely.  This man told me that the gang leader was hunting him down because he had found out that the gang was planning to rob the Bank of London, as well as assassinating key leaders of Parliament.  Now that I know this terrible secret, I fear that I will be hunted down as well.  It didn't help that on my way home, I saw the man who came to my office, lying dead in the street with a gunshot wound to the head, surrounded by puzzled officers and detectives.  I must find some way to get help and catch the gang before they commit this heinous crime, but I don’t know where to turn.  I fear for my life.”  “Well,” said Sherlock, “the plot thickens.”  “We should take this to the police immediately!” exclaimed Watson.  “Indeed,” replied Sherlock, “you take it to the police straightaway and have them check for fingerprints, and I will take this extra key and have it examined to see what it goes to.  We shall meet at the Italian restaurant on 21st street at 2:00 sharp and share our findings with each other, though I think I have most of this grand mystery solved already, but need more details to confirm my theories.”  With that he turned to Ms. Cutter and said, “We will return if we need any more details and once we find what this key should open.”  “Thank you,” she replied, “I hope you can find whoever did this.”  

    At this, Sherlock and Watson each took a cab to their destinations, with Watson going to the police station and Sherlock going to investigate the possibilities for the mysterious key they had found.  

    Once Watson arrived at the station, he went straight to the Detectives and Investigations section and spoke with one of the officers.  “I need to get this paper tested for fingerprints, and it needs to be done before 1:30 so I can get the results to Sherlock by 2:00.” said Watson.  “We will do what we can, shouldn't take more than 2 hours, should be done by 1:00.” replied the officer.  “Thank you very much.” said Watson.  He sat on a bench outside the station and looked over the notes he had taken while at Mr. Whites’ house.  While he was deep on thought, he didn't notice the footsteps that approached.  “Ah, Dr. Watson, what brings you to the station today?” asked a voice from behind him.  He turned quickly and saw that it was Detective Inspector Lestrade.  “To be honest, I am not really sure myself,” replied Watson, “all I know is that Sherlock wanted me to get a document tested for fingerprints.  We are in the middle of quite a strange case, and I am hoping the results of the tests give us something to work with and help us to solve it.”  He then related the basics of the case to Lestrade and explained some of the clues they had found in their examinations of the house.  Once he finished, Lestrade appeared very interested and said, “Well, this is quite an interesting story, I would be glad to be on this case with you, but I know that Mr. Holmes has probably had this thing figured out for some time now, so he doesn't need my help, but I certainly want to know about the case when you solve it.”  “We will let you know as soon as we solve it,” replied Watson, “but I have no idea how Sherlock can solve this one, it doesn't appear that we have all that much to go by.”  Just as he said this, one of the officers came out of the station to let him know that the tests were done, and that one of the inspectors from forensics wanted to speak with him briefly. 

    When Watson walked back into the station, he was hurried into a back room to talk with Inspector Johnson.  As he entered the room, Johnson said, “Please have a seat.  I just want to ask you a few questions about that page you had us dust for fingerprints. I couldn't help but notice that is describes a planned attack on Parliament, so I need to get as many details as possible to ensure their safety.”  Watson began to explain the events of the day, and told the inspector all the major details of the case.  Once he had finished relating the case, Inspector Johnson leaned back in his chair with a concerned look.  “This definitely could be the work of a notorious gang, but it would be one that we have yet to hear anything about.  The threat of attack on Parliament will be dealt with by increasing security of all the members of Parliament as well as the building itself just to be safe.  Let us know if you find out anything more about this gang or their plans.”  At this he briefly left the room and then returned a moment later with the page in hand and gave it to Watson.  “Here is that page you had us dust for fingerprints, but we didn't detect any other than yours and Mr. Holmes, so it doesn't give us any kind of lead.”  “Well that is quite disappointing,” replied Watson, “but I am sure that Sherlock will be able to work around it.”  With that, he stood and headed to the door, “Thank you for your time, Inspector.  I will make sure to let you know anything new we can find in this case.”  Watson then left and hailed a cab, which took him to the Italian Restaurant on 21st Street, just as Sherlock told him.  He arrived just before 2:00 and got a table for himself and Sherlock.

  As he was waiting, Watson looked about the restaurant, searching for a waiter.  After a moment, he saw one walking in his direction carrying a platter with a glass of water.  He stopped at Watson’s table and asked “What can I get for you today?”  “To start, I would like some tea, as well as a menu.” replied Watson, “I am also having a friend meet me here, and he would like some tea as well.”  “Coming right up,” said the waiter, “and I will return with your menu in a moment.”  Watson saw that there was a man in a booth nearby who was wearing boots with a tread very similar to the tracks they had found at Mr. White’s mansion.  “Good grief,” he thought to himself, “I am becoming paranoid, my own boots are very similar as well!  It could be anyone!”  Just then, the waiter brought him his tea and a menu.  “Thank you,” said Watson, “it will be a few minutes before I am ready.”  “Take your time.” replied the waiter as he returned to the kitchen.  Watson checked his watch, which read 2:08.  “Hmmm,” he thought, “it is not like Sherlock to be late.  He must have a very good reason.  I just hope nothing serious has happened.”  After another few minutes, Sherlock burst into the restaurant with a look that alternated between seriousness and glee, with a hint of a smirk.  He hurried to Watson’s table and sat down across from him, saying, “I hope your trip was as enlightening as my own!”  “Well,” began Watson, “I don’t know what to think about it. The detectives at the station said...” “Excuse me,” said the waiter, “are you ready to order?”  “Yes,” replied Watson, “I would like the chicken alfredo.”  “Alright, and for you, sir?” asked the waiter.  “Ah, yes, I would like the spaghetti, with extra Parmesan cheese.” replied Sherlock.  “Ok, it will be a few minutes until they are done.” said the waiter. “Would you like any appetizers while you are waiting?”  “Yes,” said Sherlock, “some breadsticks would do nicely.”  “I will be back in a minute with the breadsticks then.” replied the waiter.  

Reviews

[Kimberly Miller]

Another cliffhanger! Ugh! No, just kidding, this is really good as well, just like your other chapters! You leave us deeply wondering what has Sherlock so excited and what kept him for arriving on time. I am also enjoying getting to know Watson's character more. Excellent job and as always, I look forward to more chapters! :)

[Jeremy Hiles]

Haha, yeah, I figured it would be too long if I put any more into it, and it seemed like a good spot to end this chapter. :) Thank you very much for your review! I am glad you are enjoying it! Thank you, the next chapter will be coming soon! :)