Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of the Ruby Elephants by Christopher James Read Free Book Online

You will be there to meet it in precisely the right spot and in precisely the right moment. Quite elementary.’ In a mood such as this, Holmes could be unbearable.
    I dispatched the ball again in Holmes’ direction. ‘Take me back to the very start,’ I said, as he sent it back with topspin. ‘How did you know that access to Chatburn’s place could be gained from the roof?’
    â€˜At first this threw me,’ my friend confessed. ‘I saw no obvious ladder or steps and the door to the attic itself from the inside was perfectly secure; three separate locks you will have noticed. On our exit, therefore, I examined the walls again and noticed the tell-tale marks of black rubber plimsolls, the kind favoured by university climbers. I wagered that these belonged to Snitterton, whom we know attended King’s College, Cambridge as an undergraduate and no doubt was one of the infamous night climbers.’ I retrieved the ball from the floor.
    â€˜Do you make that five nil, Watson?’
    I grunted my acquiescence.
    â€˜That took us, after a little investigation, you will remember, inside the attic room. Chatburn’s minutes provided the date, time and venue of the next meeting. If I had found the minutes, then I deduced that the previous intruder had also seen them and planned to eavesdrop in the same way.’
    â€˜But weren’t we taking a colossal risk being in the same room as this brute?’ I asked.
    â€˜A small risk perhaps,’ admitted Holmes, ‘but it was too valuable an opportunity for Snitterton to listen to the society’s plans to reveal himself with all of them in the room.’
    â€˜He must have breathed an almighty sigh of relief when we chose alternative hiding places.’
    â€˜I deliberately steered you away from him, having divined his presence moments after arriving in the attic room. I saw the indentations in the rug leading to the cabinet corroborated by the smell of Dr Cox’s Antiseptic and Liniment, an animal medicine.’
    â€˜Extraordinary,’ I murmured, marveling at my friend’s audacity. ‘So what have we learnt?’
    â€˜A great deal Watson,’ Holmes declared as another ball sailed past me.
    â€˜I must confess I am rather at a loss,’ I admitted ‘So much so that I am hardly sure now who our client is.’
    Holmes laid down his paddle and retrieved his stash of tobacco from his Persian slipper.
    â€˜Let us consider the facts.’ He settled himself into his tall backed chair and began to prepare his pipe with delicate expertise, much as a skilled fishmonger might dress a fresh piece of fish. ‘Chatburn came to see us on Tuesday morning, fearful of his old associate Snitterton, who it appears has recently returned to England.’
    â€˜And he was counterfeiting his distress?’
    â€˜I believe that at the time his fear was genuine. However we now know that Chatburn was in fact the rival, going under the name Jack Brace. Chatburn is the name he uses here.’
    â€˜Indeed, it is emblazed above his door,’ I put in.
    â€˜Indeed, Watson.’
    â€˜He employed me to find Snitterton in an attempt to remove the threat.’
    â€˜The threat to what?’
    â€˜To his lives; to all their lives. Snitterton will clearly stop at nothing until he has the eight ruby elephants in his possession.’
    â€˜Well we stumbled upon Snitterton sooner than we expected,’ I exclaimed. ‘It is just a pity we didn’t hang on to him. Perhaps we should have interrogated him before throwing him around the room.’
    â€˜I fear the circumstances provided me with no other option. And besides, we have all the information we require.’
    â€˜Whatever do you mean, Holmes!’
    â€˜Well, for one, we have an excellent idea where we shall find Snitterton and his whimsically named Order of the Sapphire Butterfly.’
    â€˜Pray tell, Holmes!’
    Holmes lay back and