Sherlock Holmes in New York Page #4

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of gold from one country to another

is not only arduous but dangerous.

Because of that, the International

Gold Exchange was established.

May I describe it to you?

Please do.

Deep beneath the basement of the

Bowerie National Bank here in Manhattan,

cut into the bedrock of the island,

are a number of vaults.

Each vault considered the

property of the sovereign nation

whose name appears

above its steel doors.

I think I understand the object

of your Exchange, Mr McGraw.

When gold is to be transferred

from one country,

Russia let us say,

to another, Great Britain,

instead of making the long and hazardous

journey from Moscow to London

the required amount of bullion is removed

from one vault and placed into another.

Exactly.

Now six trusted employees of the Exchange

do the work that used to require

six hundred nationals of

the countries involved.

And the risk of theft has been

reduced to virtually nothing.

Most ingenious.

I congratulate you, sir.

I only have one question:

Why are we being told all this

at this hour of night?

Because the gold's been stolen,

that's why.

All of it?

Every brick, virtually.

When was the theft discovered?

When the door was unlocked at the

bottom of the elevator shaft,

the vaults were empty.

And there was a huge hole cut into

the rear wall of the chamber.

A hole leading where?

Into the subway excavation

that passes right by the bank.

We found one brick of the bullion in

the tunnel. Another in the excavation.

And, er, news of this incredible theft

has been kept from the public?

So far.

But, Mr Holmes, in three days' time

a transaction is to take place

between Italy and Germany.

When that happens,

the theft will be discovered.

And the international

repercussions will be such that

not even war, world war,

can be ruled out.

Mr Holmes,

we've only got three days

to find the gold

and get it back in the vaults.

And we need your help to do it.

The life of Scott Adler

depends upon one thing alone,

Mr Sherlock Holmes:

Your refusal to

co-operate with the police.

You will refuse and you will

give no reason for your refusal,

or the boy will die.

Gentlemen, I am sorry

I cannot assist you in this matter.

You what?

I can be of no service to you

in any way whatsoever.

Have we been talking to Sherlock Holmes?

You have.

Now, gentlemen, you must permit

me to bid you a good night.

Come along, Watson.

Wait a minute!

You can't turn us down like this.

We've come to you because of

your worldwide reputation.

And Mr McGraw has explained to you

the seriousness of the situation.

Inspector, I have nothing further

to say on the matter.

Well, I have

something further to say to you...

Inspector.

When the crime's found out, and it's

learned it could lead to a world war,

and Sherlock Holmes knew about it

and didn't lift one finger

to assist the police,

what's the world gonna think

of the great Sherlock Holmes then?

Drive on.

Goodnight, Inspector.

Oi! Mr McGraw!

The scoundrel. How dare he?

Now do you understand what I meant

when I spoke of being manipulated?

Now do you fully appreciate the art,

the genius, of this Napoleon of crime?

What Napoleon are you talking about?

He knew those mutilated tickets

would bring me to New York.

He knew I would be at the theatre tonight

and that the announcement

of Irene's indisposition

would make me rush to her home

so that he could deliver that note to me.

He knew that Inspector Lafferty would

be waiting here for me at the hotel.

And that he would enlist my aid

in recovering the gold.

And, because of Scott Adler,

I would be forced to refuse him.

Every single thing Moriarty promised me

that night in London has come true.

The crime of the century

has been committed.

And I am helpless to do

anything about it.

Moriarty made off with that gold?

And with Scott Adler, too,

I'm convinced.

Well, what the juice can he do

with all that bullion?

You heard what McGraw said.

He can bring every nation

to the brink of a world war.

What good's a world war to him?

The prevention of it.

With mankind trembling upon the

brink of unimaginable devastation,

Professor Moriarty will come forward

and reveal that

the gold is in his possession.

The bankrupt nations in his power.

Moriarty, ruler of the world.

'The crime of all centuries to come.'

Indeed it is, Watson.

Indeed it is.

The life of Scott Adler

depends upon one thing alone,

Mr Sherlock Holmes:

Your refusal to co-operate

with the police.

I am powerless to circumvent it.

Holmes?

Yes?

- Forgive me saying so, Holmes,

but if you're prepared to stand there and

fiddle while the world goes up in smoke

well, then, you're

precious Professor Moriarty

deserves to sit on his mountain of gold

and tell the rest of us to jump.

Well, I never made any bones about

what that damn fiddle does to me nerves.

That's quite all right, Watson.

Please,

don't apologise.

What is it, Holmes?

The man down there

is watching this room.

I saw him twice this evening,

marching up and down with his signboards.

Did you, by Jove?

I wonder what he's up to?

I can tell you that, Watson.

He is wondering what we are up to.

Me dear friend, I owe you

a profound debt of gratitude.

Oh, come now Holmes.

But I do, I do.

If you had not reprimanded me

just now as you did,

I would have gone on doing

exactly what you accused me of doing.

Fiddling while the world burned,

and Moriarty would indeed've won the day.

But you broke the spell, my friend.

Watson,

why are we being watched?

Ask yourself that question.

There's no need to, you just did.

- And I'll answer it.

If Moriarty's plan is so perfect,

if I am supposed to be helpless,

destroyed, unable to fight him,

then why is it necessary

to have me watched?

That's not an answer, Holmes,

it's another question.

And the answer is:

Because the plan is not perfect.

It has one single flaw in it.

And that man down there

has to be there,

so that Moriarty will know at once

if I discover that flaw.

Well, have ya?

- Yes!

But he is not going to know that.

Watson, what is it that prevents my

assisting the police?

Well, the boy's safety, of course.

- Of course.

So long as Scott Adler remains Moriarty's

captive, then my hands are tied.

His life hangs upon my inactivity.

But what if the lad were to be snatched

from Moriarty's claws and set free?

'By Us!

And in such a way that Moriarty

still believes him prisoner.

If that can be achieved

then the manicles fall from my wrists

and I am free to turn my attention to

the theft of the gold.

Ah. Though easier said that done,

I'd say.

Yes, Watson. I believe that

is just what you have said.

Oh, thank you.

The chap's still down there.

It's a damp night, too.

He'll have a nice touch of the rheumatism

in the morning. I hope he enjoys it.

Oh, you're not gonna start up on that

wretched fiddle again are ya?

Oh, we're in for

one of those sessions are we?

Precisely.

Don't let me detain you, Watson.

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