Sherlock Holmes and the House of Fear Page #5

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I've been looking

for them all day.

Oddly enough they weren't

there an hour ago.

Weren't they?

Those shoes are big enough

for those footprints

we saw this morning.

Right you are Inspector

and observe the clay.

A very particular

variety of clay.

Ready Holmes?

Yes Watson.

Like to join us

in a little

stroll on the beach?

Awe no thank you.

You and Doctor Watson

go play in the sand

as much as you like

but I'm going to

stay right here

to catch the murderer.

Good luck.

Well if you get nervous

you know where we are.

Look Watson footprints!

And they're

fairly fresh too.

Very fresh.

Big foot all right.

Got your revolver?

Yes.

We haven't much

time to lose,

the tide's coming in fast.

See it goes along here.

Wait a minute.

Now he stops to

light his pipe.

Observe the spilled

tobacco and burnt match,

now he goes on again.

Wait a minute here we are.

Hello.

What is it Holmes?

Another set of footprints.

Bigfoots been

joined by somebody.

This one's a smaller man.

Now they go

along together,

side by side.

Now but slowly

I should say

judging by the spacing

of the footprints.

Now little foot

goes up the cliff

and big foot

goes on alone.

Hello.

Something funny there.

Footprints disappear

all together.

Look out Watson!

Great scott Holmes

that was meant for us.

Precisely.

Well there's nothing

more to be done here.

I have a strong feeling

we are needed back at

the Driercliff House.

With the

possible exception

of your own Lestrade.

Blimey they're bigger.

Here!

Here!

Who's fooling around

with this lock?

Sergeant Bleeker!

Bleeker!

Sergeant Bleeker!

Sergeant Bleeker!

...well Mr. Holmes.

Where's Simpson?

He's in the...

he's gone.

I left him here on

this here couch.

What happened?

Someone bashed my head in.

Did you see his face?

Who?

The murderer you

blithering idiot,

the murderer and his

victim, Captain Simpson.

All I saw was stars.

It's your

theory, Lestrade,

that someone broke

through this window

and abducted

Captain Simpson?

It's no theory,

it's obvious.

Then how do you

account for the fact

that there's no sign

of broken glass

on this side

of the window?

Blimey, no there isn't.

Therefore, the window was

broken from the inside.

Stick by us old man,

we'll make a detective

out of you yet.

I say what happened?

Captain Simpson seems

to of disappeared.

Disappeared my foot.

He's run away.

He really was

frightened you know?

That's just what he

wanted us to think.

No harm would have

come to him here

if he'd stayed

and he knew it.

I was right in the

first instance,

he's our blasted

murder himself.

Dear me,

Captain Simpson

a murderer?

Don't you worry

Mr. Alastair,

we'll soon have

him in jail

before he can

kill anyone else.

Aye.

You'll find him

like the others,

a corpse.

Don't you

worry gentlemen

it's only just a

question of time

before we catch

Captain Simpson.

He couldn't have got far.

My men will soon

apprehend him.

You know this

rather reminds me

of a very similar account

when I brought

about the undoing

of the notorious

Professor Moriarty.

You brought it about?

If it hadn't been

for Mr. Holmes.

Oh well of course

with the assistance

of Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

We found him Inspector.

There you are what

did I tell you?

Where is he?

At the beach sir.

Dead?

Oh yes sir, quite.

Dead?

How did you know he

was dead Mr. Holmes?

Elementary my

dear, Lestrade.

The pieces of the puzzle

are beginning to

fall into place.

In what way was

the body mutilated?

No arms, no legs

and no head sir.

Observe the occurrence

of the pattern Watson?

I see.

No man goes whole

to his grave huh?

Exactly.

Oh dear.

Poor Simpson.

Well, if it was nothing

but a blooming torso

how did you know you

got the right man?

Quite simple Lestrade.

Sergeant Bleeker

identified the body

by the full rig ship

tattooed on the chest.

That's right Mr. Holmes.

Tattooed?

Where did you

know that he had

a blinking boat

on his epidermis?

Oh uh, I mentioned it

to Sergeant Bleeker

when he asked me to

describe a fugitive.

That is we thought

at the time

he was a fugitive.

Oh.

All right Bleeker

you better be getting

back to the beach.

Yes sir.

One thing more Sergeant,

you will say

that the body had no arms,

no head and no legs,

was it a messy job?

Oh no sir, very

neat I should say,

clean as a whistle.

Just as if it

was done by a...

Of a skilled hands

of a surgeon?

Yes.

Yes.

For Inspector Lestrade

of Scotland Yard.

What?

But...

Excuse me Inspector.

Please Watson.

Thank you.

So sorry old fellow.

No orange pips.

Here just a minute

that might be

police business.

Inspector Lestrade,

I must see you at once

about the

Driercliff mystery.

Please come to my

shop in the village

as soon as possible.

Alex MacGregor.

MacGregor, the

tobacconist.

Where is his shop?

Next to the inn.

Well I better be off.

Mind if I come

along with you?

All right Mr. Holmes,

if you think you

can be any help.

I think I'll come

along too Holmes.

No Watson you stay here.

These are the

last two members

of the Good Comrades,

their safety

depends on you.

You can rely on me Holmes.

Pass the wine

along would you.

Excuse me please.

Excuse me.

I was afraid of this.

Were too late.

Dead?

Aye sir.

Shot through the temple.

How did you know we'd

be too late Mr. Holmes?

Because we were

not the first

to read MacGregor's

message.

What?

Look here Lestrade.

This envelope has been

steamed open and resealed.

Blimey so it is.

Poor chap, he must

have known too much.

Has the coroner

been here Sergeant?

He's on his way sir.

All right.

You won't find them.

What do you mean?

Orange pips.

Why not?

Ain't this the work of

the Driercliff murderer?

Obviously but this isn't

part of the same pattern

as the others.

They followed a

preordained plan,

where as this murder

was actuated by

some necessity

and could not have

been anticipated.

Come again Mr.

Holmes in English.

I mean that I'm beginning

to see daylight.

Well frankly I ain't.

I like good, solid clues

and people I can question.

Did anybody hear

the shot Sergeant?

I did.

Do you know anything

about the note

your father sent

to Inspector Lestrade?

Why no sir.

Did he leave the

house at all tonight?

Aye sir.

He went to change

his lobster ports

down in the caldron

at Driercliff.

He didn't return

until after dark.

Here let me question her.

Did anyone call on your

father this evening

after he got home?

No one that I saw sir.

Well tell me just

what happened.

I was in the kitchen

when I heard the shot.

I ran in

and found my father...

I'm sorry my dear.

We won't bother

you any further.

Thank you sir.

This case gets more

confusing every minute.

We don't know a

thing more now

than we did before.

On the contrary,

my dear Lestrade.

MacGregor saw something

at Driercliff tonight

and that something

caused his death.

That's right.

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