Sherlock Holmes Murder Most Foul by Gordon Punter Read Free Book Online Page A

madam, was this the man?”
    Letting go of Mary, Lestrade scowls, “Now, wait a minute. You can’t question her like this, she’s a police witness.”
    Piggott ignores Lestrade, “Madam, was this the man?”
    Mary nervously glances over her shoulder and catches sight of Leary fingering his bayonet sheath.
    Lestrade raises a conciliatory hand to Piggott, “I suggest we postpone this to another day.”
    Ignoring Lestrade for a second time, Piggott again sneers at Mary, “Madam, was this the man?”
    Frightened by Leary and intimidated by Piggott, Mary screams, “I dunno!”
    Piggott sniggers, “Madam, I suggest that you were drunk at the time and that you are drunk now. In fact, it would appear that you are drunk all the time.”
    Mary retaliates, “Wot o’ it?”
    Lestrade wearily shakes his head.
    Piggott glances at Reynolds, “Colour Sergeant.”
    Reynolds opens the ledger and reads aloud, “Lance Corporal Benjamin were absent wivout leave from the 6 th o’ August, 1888, ’til the 8 th o’ August, 1888.”
    He shuts the ledger, “’E returned t’ the garrison last night. Day after the murder, sah.”
    Piggott addresses Benjamin, “Where were you for those two days, Lance Corporal?”
    Unflinching, Benjamin answers, “ [73] Kingston-upon-Thames, sah.”
    Piggott glances at Lestrade, “Hardly Whitechapel, Inspector.” He addresses Benjamin again, “Can this be corroborated, Lance Corporal?”
    Benjamin nods, “I were wiv me father. ’E’s the landlord o’ the Canbury Arms.”
    “Why did you go absent?”
    “Me mother, sah. She’s sick, sudden like.”
    Piggott stares at Lestrade, “Heard enough, Inspector?”
    Lestrade lowers his head resignedly.
    Piggott smirks, “Dismiss the men, Colour Sergeant.”
    Reynolds salutes, “Yes, sah.” He growls an order to Benjamin, “As yer were, Lance Corporal.”
    Benjamin steps backwards, resuming his original place in the line next to Leary. Leary whispers from the corner of his mouth, “Thanks, mate, yer saved me from a fate worse than death.”
    Benjamin whispers, “Yer didn’t do the whore in, did yer?”
    Leary sniggers “Na, but if me ol’ woman found out I’d been wiv ’er, she would ’ave me [74] ’ung, drawn an’ quartered.”
     
    ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
     
    Lestrade and Mary amble towards the iron gate, while behind them, the guardsmen disperse. She glumly nudges him on the arm, [75] “Cocked it up, didn’t I?”
    Lestrade dolefully sighs and reaches into his pocket, “Here’s tu’pence. Get yourself something to eat.”
    He beckons a police constable, “Take her home.”
    Mary mournfully gazes at Lestrade, “Where’s ’ome, then?”
    Lestrade sighs again, “Put some food in your stomach and stay off the drink.”
    Taking Mary by the arm, the police constable leads her through the gateway, passing Bullen nonchalantly lounging against a wall in the presence of the remaining two police constables.
    Lestrade frowns, “I suppose you saw and heard everything?”
    Bullen indicates his notebook, “It’s all here. Pity she was drunk. Inappropriate conduct, wouldn’t you say?”
    Smirking, Bullen turns away from Lestrade, brushes past one of the police constables and saunters away, leaving the quadrangle.
     
    ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
     
    Illuminated by the citrus glow of sputtering gas-lamps, Baker Street is now relatively free of traffic, its serenity broken only by the periodic sound of trotting horses, coupled either to a two-wheeled hansom cab or the slower four-wheeled type dubbed a ‘growler’.
     
    ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
     
    Plagued by the unsavoury thought that his distinguished career as a private consulting detective may indeed be waning, Holmes nonetheless maintains a level of cordiality, joining Watson at the dining-table, which has been laid out for a meal.
    Standing beside the table, Holmes scrutinises the cutlery, “I have come to the conclusion that Mrs Hudson’s sole intention in life is to utterly spoil us,