Sherlock Holmes Page #25

He pushes the panel, and the wall shifts, opening to

reveal a SECRET ROOM. Holmes enters --

78D OMITTED 78D

78E INT. SIR THOMAS' SECRET ROOM 78E

Holmes finds a desk with a prayer table, and ancient

texts, spellbooks, one book open to a picture of

Alexander the Great at the Sphinx. He steps toward --

An ALTAR below the image of the Sphinx. On the altar,

four strange objects: a strand of human HAIR, a cow's

BONE, a large sharp FANG, and a FEATHER.

Holmes pockets the altar items and a couple pieces of

paper, just as --

78F 78F

INT. SIR THOMAS' BATHROOM

-- Const. Clark and the Officer return, the Officer

proudly hugging a 5 LB. CANNISTER OF JASMINE BATH SALTS.

They are startled by the secret room --

-- they are even more startled by the sight of Holmes

kneeling at the altar and singing to himself.

As soon as they arrive, Holmes springs to his feet and

walks out. Maybe he continues singing between words.

HOLMES:

(vis the secret room)

I have no idea what to make of

that.

(vis the bath salts)

Excellent work.

79 OMITTED 79

80 INT. 221 BAKER ST. - HOLMES' APARTMENTS - DAY 80

Holmes walks up the stairs and finds Watson's office door

open. He is well into packing his things. The office is

full of boxes, the walls and shelves are very sparse.

(CONTINUED)

66A.

80 CONTINUED:
80

HOLMES:

Don't forget the wallpaper.

WATSON:

There isn't any.

HOLMES:

Figure of speech.

Holmes steps into the room.

HOLMES:

Since this room is no longer in

use, do you mind if I employ it?

WATSON:

Be my guest.

HOLMES:

Bring him in, boys.

Holmes steps aside. Two/three policemen enter carrying a

large, heavy bag and unceremoniously dump it on Watson's

desktop. They unzip the bag, revealing the dead body of

the thug from Reordon's lodging.

(CONTINUED)

67.

80 CONTINUED:
(2) 80

WATSON:

Who was he?

HOLMES:

My new roommate. He's an

inspiring conversationalist.

(alt:
He has more humor than

you.)

WATSON:

Really.

HOLMES:

No, he's your friend from

Reordon's. He didn't survive

Dredger landing on him. Poor

fellow. But there is some

consolation in the knowledge that

he can still be of service to his

fellow men.

Watson keeps packing. Holmes analyzes the body,

starting, of all places, with the outer elbows and

forearms of his coat.

Holmes grabs various instruments and other items from

Watson's newly-packed boxes. Frustrated, Watson snatches

them back as quickly as Holmes takes them out.

(CONTINUED)

68.

80 CONTINUED:
(3) 80

HOLMES:

Elbows and arms stained with

blood, but older than his own

injuries. Plenty of it, layer on

layer...

Holmes scrapes at the layers of blood with his knife,

examines it.

HOLMES:

Though none of it human.

Watson slows down slightly. He keeps packing, trying to

resist the mystery, but it's not easy.

HOLMES:

A butcher perhaps...? What else?

Holmes cuts a lock of the man's hair, ignites it, studies

the color of the flame carefully. Watson wrinkles his

nose at the smell.

HOLMES:

Hm -- predominantly yellow flame,

but with distinct green bursts.

Sulfurous. He spent lots of time

around industrial work and very

little around a wash basin.

Holmes uses a curved nail file to scrape dirt from under

the man's fingernails, rubs the evidence between his

fingers like a connoisseur.

HOLMES:

Coal... river silt...

Watson slows down further, struggling.

HOLMES:

That plus the river silt and

industrial slag on his trousers

puts him squarely in...

A hanging beat. And Watson finally cracks, blurting out:

WATSON:

Nine Elms.

HOLMES:

Well done. Now, you didn't happen

to pack the Lord's Register of

members' interests, did you?

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