Sherlock Holmes The Pearl of Death Page #3

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Oh that, well

you come in here,

jumping off the

handle at me,

Berating me like a mother

who boxes her child's ears

after snatching it

from under a tram.

A very human

impulse Watson

and one that suggests

that you've been

taking up the

cudgels on my behalf.

What a remarkable

deduction.

Not when you consider

that the skin is missing

from the first

and second knuckles

of your right hand.

Didn't hurt.

Good old Watson.

It's like you

to stand by a man

who's been discredited.

Oh rubbish.

We've been in tighter

spots than this.

Not many I'm afraid.

Well come along

old fellow.

What have we here?

Kippers.

Kippers splendid.

I'm as hungry as

a bee on a flower.

Come in.

Don't get up.

I haven't got a minute.

I've just popped

in to tell you...

I know to tell me that

you can't hold

Conover any longer.

In fact, you've

already let him go.

Never a doubt.

How did you know?

Elementary my

dear Lestrade.

You know as well as I do

that you can't hold a man

for more than

forty-eight hours

without bringing a

charge against him.

That's right.

Have one won't you?

Thanks.

I've got to be off.

Off to solve another

baffling crime I suppose?

You might call

it that Doctor

but to me it's just

another routine murder.

Oh?

Who is it?

A bloke named

Harker, military man.

Harker?

Horace Harker?

That's right you know him?

I've heard of him.

Horace Harker.

Yes I remember him.

He's a major in India.

He's retired.

So he's been

murdered has he?

Had his back broke.

Well I got to be off.

Wait a minute.

What did you say?

Had his back broke.

You know spine snapped.

That's it.

That's what?

It's come at last Watson,

the thing we've

been waiting for.

Now hold on,

keep your shirt on.

There's no

mystery about it.

He must have

fallen down in the

struggle that's all.

Nonsense.

Here's your coat Watson.

What is all this?

We're giving

Lestrade a hand.

Well the

Borgia Pearl we can't...

It's the Borgia

Pearl were after.

Come along Lestrade.

I don't want a hand.

Borgia Pearl were after.

Giving Lestrade a hand.

I'm coming.

Giving Lestrade a hand.

And this is exactly

how you found him?

Yes sir.

Nobody's touched him

but the police sergeant.

Back broken hey?

Snapped clean sir.

Died instantaneous

the doctor said.

Lestrade would you mind

if Doctor Watson

has a look at him?

Not at all.

Thank you.

Watson I'd like to know

whether the break is

cervical,

thoracal, lumbar

and I'll wager

it's lumbar.

Awe tush.

Who found the

body Murdock?

She did sir,

his housekeeper.

Said she came in to clear

away supper things

and found him lying there.

And that's the

first and last word

we've been able

to get out of her.

Oh it is, is it?

Well I'll soon get a

word out of her, here you.

I shouldn't do that if

I were you Lestrade.

Why not?

The woman's

suffering from shock.

Cataleptic if you ask me.

I ain't asking

you Mr. Holmes.

Naturally.

Get her out of

here Murdock.

Get her to a hospital.

Can't you see she's

suffering from cata...

from shock.

Come on now.

Nobody's going

to hurt you.

Major Harker seems

to have thought

very highly of Napoleon.

He's rather overdone it.

I don't think

much of that one.

Where was the

break Watson?

One of the lumbar

vertebrae as you thought,

the third vertebrae.

I can't for the life of me

imagine how it happened.

I can.

Oh really?

Well it happened

just as I thought.

The house

breaker comes in

through this

window over here.

So you see

Mr. Sherlock Holmes

I shan't be needing

you after all.

Simple as A-B-C isn't it?

Yeah.

The murderer comes in

through that open window,

Major Harker's having

supper over there,

with his back to

him, carry on.

Well he tiptoes over

behind his victim here.

Harker rises,

they come to gripes.

They barge all

around the room

banging into this table,

dishes go every which way,

Harker falls and

breaks his back.

Simple ain't it?

So simple my dear Lestrade

as to be almost childish.

For instance, will

you kindly explain

how the dishes that

were on this table

could have been knocked

off in the struggle

and this silver milk

jug left standing

and all these knives

and forks and spoons

in perfect arrangement?

Well Mr. Holmes if

it's a psychology

of knives and

forks and milk jugs

you're talking about

I beg to be excused.

I'm trying to account

for this broken

china Lestrade.

That's the outstanding

feature of this case

whether you

know it or not.

All these broken plates,

plaster ornament,

bric-a-brac,

why was all

this china mashed

and nothing

else disturbed?

Why?

Yes and how about his

back being broken?

A man can't just fall

down and break his back

in that casual

way you know.

Right you are Watson.

External force

is indicated.

There's no doubt about it.

Major Harker's back was

broken deliberately.

I suppose you're going to

tell us just who did it?

Yes, I think I can.

I've never known

but one killer

who used that technique.

What?

Oh come on he's

dead and done for.

Can you remember him?

Am I likely to forget

the Oxton Creeper?

Oxton Creeper?

Oxton Horror I called him.

A monster Watson with

a chest of a buffalo

and the arms of a gorilla.

His particular method of

murder is back breaking

and it's always the same,

the third lumbar

vertebrae.

How horrible.

Do you mean to stand

there and tell me

you think he's

still alive?

Why they got

him two years ago

trying to escape

from Devil's Island.

Did they?

I wonder.

I'll lay you odds

he's in London at

this very moment.

All right Mr. Holmes you

stick to your theories

I'll stick to my facts.

That's fair enough.

Do me a favor will you?

Anything your

little heart desires.

This broken china get it

all swept up carefully

and send it to me at

Baker Street will you?

All right but what do

you want it for anyway?

Oh just a souvenir.

Come along Watson

I think our usefulness

here has ended.

Mind you sweep it

all up Lestrade.

As a matter of fact Watson

what I did not

tell Lestrade,

since I can't prove it,

is that the Oxton Creeper

has always been Giles

Conover's right arm

when it comes to killing.

When you heard that Major

Harker's back was broken

you suspected

The Creeper huh?

Naturally, can't

be mere coincidence

that the Creeper comes

back into the scene

just as Giles Conover

reappears in London.

I see but how does Harker

tie up with that gang?

I haven't the

foggiest notion.

Buy a box of

matches gentlemen?

But there is a connection

or Harker wouldn't

be lying there now

with his back broken.

My surmise is

that Giles Conover

has lost the Borgia Pearl

and is trying

desperately to get it back

just as we are.

I'm just as

sure of it that am

that we're being shadowed

this very moment.

Eyes front Watson,

come on.

Listen, have you

got your revolver?

Yes.

Then get it ready.

Huh?

Taxi?

No thank you.

Come on Watson.

Conover's gang.

We're on the right

track Watson.

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