Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra (18 page)

Lestrade mumbled apologetically about having to conclude the necessary formalities, but added graciously that he would leave that for a later time, to spare the young man any further grief. Then he silently took his leave.

‘I shall forever blame myself for my father’s death,’ Collier said disconsolately and without turning towards us.

‘You really should not,’ Holmes stated simply. ‘It is hard enough for you to face such a tragic loss without further burdening yourself with feelings of guilt. If anybody should be blamed it is myself and my own ineptitude.’

The next hour or so passed in a melancholy silence. At last Collier stood up to take his leave. He shook Holmes and me warmly by the hand before doing so.

‘I can assure you, Mr Holmes, that I attach no blame to you for the outcome of this affair. I shall forever remember you for your kindness and your bravery. Before I leave I should like to entrust the beladau into the care of the only men I know with whom its secret will remain secure.’

Holmes bowed in acknowledgement of the honour and deliberately placed the beladau in the top drawer of his desk, to rest
alongside a few of his more treasured memorabilia. He attached the key to his watch chain.

‘What do you intend to do next?’ I asked the young man before he had the chance to reach the door.

He thought long and hard before making his reply.

‘Once I have satisfied Inspector Lestrade’s superiors at Scotland Yard, I shall ensure that my father is buried with full honour and respect. Then I shall seek out the only family member who is still left to me, my sweet sister, Charlotte. I shall endeavour to make my peace with her and then devote the rest of my life to doing good with the proceeds of my father’s estate. In that sense our family will be together once again.’

‘I can assure you that you will experience no difficulty in concluding the police formalities satisfactorily. Please kindly inform us once the arrangements for your father have been made,’ Holmes asked earnestly.

Collier nodded emphatically before donning his absurd green headgear once again. He walked from the room a broken but determined young man, and I felt certain that he would, somehow, find his sister in the depths of Africa.

‘What a remarkable young man and what a heavy and awful burden he now has to carry,’ I said quietly once we had heard the street door close behind him.

‘Indeed, heavier even than my own.’ Holmes clearly had no intention of taking any of our words of resolution to heart and instead barricaded himself inside his room, together with a full ounce of tobacco, for the next forty-eight hours. Neither the entreaties of Mrs Hudson or myself could persuade Holmes to bring his self-imposed vigil to an early conclusion. It was only news of the Collier funeral that eventually roused him, and when he did at last emerge from his room he appeared to be both haggard and emaciated.

For once I refrained from my customary chastisement of his
flagrant self-abuse and offered him my full support at Collier’s graveside. We bade Collier our final farewells and, on our return to Baker Street, Holmes resumed his doleful meditation in the confines of his room.

It was only when a letter eventually arrived, bearing a Cape Town postmark, that Holmes at last displayed any interest in events other than those inside his head. He smiled gratefully at my continued tolerance and insisted that I read the letter to him without delay. He assured me that he would eat properly once he had heard it all the way through. Obviously, I agreed to his terms at once.

I placed the letter carefully back upon the table and we sat in a reflective silence for a moment or two, after we had lit our pipes. I could tell from my friend’s expression that the final sentiments of the letter were having an immediate effect upon him and when
he did at last speak his voice had regained some of its former authority.

‘It would seem that the death of their father has, at last, brought the Collier family together once more. It is also gratifying to know that, from the most extraordinary of circumstances, young Collier has found the peace of mind that others spend their entire lives trying to achieve,’ he stated simply.

‘From so much evil some good does indeed seem to have emerged,’ I agreed.

‘Ah, but where, in reality, was the evil? Certainly in the killer and blackmailer Carl Mandel. However, Declan McCrory was nothing more than a miscreant trying to save his business and protect the honour of his family. Whilst Sir Michael Collier and Tilat were both actors upon a far larger stage, who had become victims of their own circumstances. From what we have seen and experienced I do not think that either of them can be accurately described as evil.’

‘Perhaps not, although that could very much depend upon one’s political point of view,’ I ventured.

‘So, Watson, you are still not convinced of Collier’s integrity?’

‘Not so much that, but I do feel that he allowed certain events to cloud his better judgement. However, I would agree that he was certainly not an evil man.’

At that point Mrs Hudson arrived with our long awaited breakfast of curried eggs and, true to his word, Holmes moved across to the table, where he made short work of his first real food for days. Once the breakfast things had been cleared away we moved over to the fire and Holmes began to tune his violin. I picked up my notebook and pencil and turned the first page. Holmes placed a restraining hand upon my right arm.

‘No, Watson, you should allow those ghosts to rest for a while before you resurrect them. I do not think that your public is yet ready for such a tale,’ Holmes quietly suggested.

I took heed of his recommendation and picked up a daily paper instead. Once he was satisfied with his tuning Holmes returned to the Bruch concerto that he had started to play, it seemed, an eternity ago. The notes that floated from his instrument were so sublime and lyrical that I was at once convinced that his full presence of mind had returned to him.

This boded well indeed and I was now confident that Holmes would be prepared for any future challenges that might present themselves.

The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes

The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes