Chapter 11

Yet another twist in the case for Sherlock and Watson!

They followed Lestrade down a hallway and through a reinforced door that led to the main entrance of the station’s four holding cells.  He went to the farthest on the left and unlocked it, leading out a tall and muscularly built man.  He sat down at an interrogation table and clasped his hands together in his lap, with his head down and his medium length brown hair falling over his eyes.  Sherlock immediately stepped over and introduced himself. 

“I am Sherlock Holmes,” he began, “and I am here because I know that it was not you who committed the murder last night, and I would like to catch the man who was responsible for it. I also know that your name is Sherman Weston.  Now, are you going to cooperate with my investigation, or not?”  

Weston had jumped in surprise upon hearing that Holmes knew he was innocent.  “And what makes you think I am not guilty?” he asked.  

“Because I know of your family; or more specifically, your wife and two children.  Now, if you really were a criminal, you would never have turned yourself in a day after committing such a well laid out murder.  It would have been quite the opposite in fact.  You would have returned home and acted as if nothing had happened.  Turning yourself in would have only exposed your family and hurt them.  Therefore, the only logical conclusion is that you are being forced into this admission by the one who actually murdered Phillip Chesterton, with your family’s well-being held over your head to keep you docile.  What I want to know is why such lengths to cover up the murder on the part of the murderer?”  

Weston shook his head, “I have no idea how you found out all of that, but every word you spoke was true.  That is all I know, and I wish I had never become mixed up in all of this in the first place.”

Throughout the conversation up to this point, Lestrade had been sitting back, but as it progressed, he realized that Sherlock had been right and began to furiously take notes during the explanation of Weston’s innocence.  

“How did you even get mixed up in all this anyway?” he asked.  

Weston sighed, covering his face with his hands for a moment, “Well, I suppose at this point I have no choice but to tell you.  Yesterday I had a contract job in the South End of London, so I was down here for the day.  The house I was contracted to evaluate for an upcoming renovation was in the same neighborhood as the apartment where Mr. Chesterton was found.  I had just finished up for the day and was packing my equipment back into my car when I heard the gunshots and….”  

“Wait a moment,” interrupted Sherlock, “you said you heard gunshots, plural?  How many where there?”  

“Well, I know there where at least two, but they were so close together that there could have been a third one.”  

“Interesting,” replied Sherlock, “please continue.”  

“So I heard the gunshots, and took off in the direction they came from.  I happened to come up on the apartment from the back, and saw a man rush out of the stairwell.  He looked around suspiciously, and saw me.  I was about to ask what happened, when he pulled out a gun and pointed it right at me.  He said if I ever wanted to see my family again, I had better turn myself in to the police right then.  Of course I agreed, but in my mind I thought there was no way.  He took off and disappeared, so I made my way back to my car and drove home.  I tried to forget about what happened and just spend some time with my family.  I had sent my children to bed, and my wife decided to take a bath, so I was sitting downstairs reading when I heard the knock on the front door.  I thought it was odd that someone would be calling at such a late hour, but I had no choice but to see who it was.  I opened the door and saw the same man I had seen earlier!  I asked him what he wanted and how he knew where I lived, and his reply was, 

“I want you to do as I said earlier, and this time not only is your life at stake, but those of your entire family.  I simply circled back around in my car and followed you at a distance.  Didn’t you think I would make sure you did what I told you?  Now, first thing tomorrow morning you had better be at the police station and you will admit to the murder that occurred today.  If you refuse, or if you try to slip a note to the police, or in any other way give information to them, your family will be shot.”  

“If that’s so, why are you telling us all of this now?” asked Watson  

“That’s just it, that is the most unusual thing.  The man told me if a man came in the station today, and said his name was Sherlock Holmes, that I was to answer any and all questions honestly.  I was also able to arrange for my family to get out to the northern area Belfast, where my wife’s family is from, so they should be safe there.”  

“This is a most intriguing development,” commented Sherlock, “and one that even I am hard pressed to decipher.  The most unusual part of course is the fact that you were told to cooperate with my investigation, followed closely by the question as to why the man would force anyone to admit to the crime.  If he had not done so, there would have been no case, and the police would have filed it away as another suicide or just another unsolved case.  It’s almost as if….”  

As he said this, Sherlock froze and slowly turned back to Watson. 

“It’s almost as if he had wanted me to be the one on his trail!  But why on earth is what I cannot decide at this point.”  He began pacing the room, head down with his chin to his chest, deep in thought.  He paused briefly and looked at Weston, 

“You are innocent of this crime, however, I recommend that you stay here until I solve this case and that man who threatened you is apprehended.  You would be far safer here than out there, especially if he is confident enough in his abilities that he does not mind me being on his trail.” 

“Very well then, Mr. Holmes, I will remain here until then.” 

“Good, and now that we have that out of the way, we can….”  

Just then one of the officers burst into the room. 

“Detective Inspector, there has been a fire!”  he yelled.  

Lestrade rose to his feet quickly, “Where is the fire?” he asked.  

“It was the home of the man who was murdered only two days ago, Richard White!”