time. To his credit, he respects my position as captain and does not try to run the ship. He has hardly been to the bridge at all.’
‘But can he be trusted with highly confidential information?’ asked Holmes, turning from the window and looking the captain in the eyes.
Captain Smith had just lit a cigar, and was in the process of building a cloud of blue smoke about his head. Despite the light sea breeze passing through the promenade, the cloud remained in place.
‘God knows Mr Ismay has kept enough business secrets in his time. Still, I will, as you asked, withhold particulars about the stolen documents. And, at least for the moment, I see no reason to reveal your true identity, Mr Holmes.’
‘Thank you, Captain. That will reduce the possibility of complications occurring in the future.’
We were interrupted as Mr Fry walked through the door, carrying the sherry tray. Miss Norton followed. There was a cheerful look on her face as she glanced about the promenade.
After placing the tray on a small square table, Mr Fry approached the captain.
‘Sir, if you do not require anything further, I will attend to my duties. I will, of course, tell Mr Ismay that you are here, as soon as he arrives.’
‘Thank you, Mr Fry.’ The efficient manservant made one last offer of hospitality to the rest of us, then departed.
‘Well, Miss Norton, did we miss anything?’ I asked.
‘Indeed you did,’ she said, with some satisfaction. ‘It is a huge suite. There are two bedrooms, two dressing rooms and a bathroom. It is all so beautifully decorated. And he has it all to himself, for his family saw him off when he boarded but are not travelling with him.’
Miss Norton and I sat on the settee, while Holmes and the captain settled into round-backed chairs on either side. I refilled my sherry glass, as well as those of my companions. Captain Smith, his glass still half full, declined. We sat quietly, listening to the sound of the
It was not long before a slender man of average height stepped through the doorway. As I had noticed from a distance in the dining hall, he was not a young man. Still, he was younger than one might expect, considering his high position. His dark moustache turned upwards as he greeted us with a smile. We rose to shake his hand.
‘Mr Ismay,’ said the captain, ‘this is Commodore Giles Winter, Doctor John Watson and Miss Norton.’
‘Yes, Commodore, it is a pleasure. I heard you were on board examining our ship for military potential in the event of war. Forgive me if I do not turn her into a troop transporter just yet. We’d like to enjoy her a little longer in her present condition.’
Holmes responded with a hearty chuckle. ‘Oh, I doubt that we would ever use her for that. There is far too much luxury here for military purposes.’
Mr Ismay smiled politely, and then turned his attention to me. ‘And Doctor Watson, I must say, I have always wanted to meet you and your associate, Mr Holmes. I sent him an invitation to a party once but I never received a reply.’
‘I must apologize for my friend. He is a very private individual, and answering letters was never his forte.’
‘In any case, I am very pleased to meet you. I have enjoyed your stories for years... And Miss Norton, I hear you liked the tour of my little cabin. This place will fetch a good price on future runs, but I felt I needed to try it out first before I recommended it to future passengers.’
‘That is indeed the only way to make sure none of the doors squeak.’
‘And, as a matter of fact, Miss Norton, none of them do.’
Mr Ismay reached down and filled a glass with sherry. Captain Smith, with introductions out of the way, got down to the matter in hand.
‘Mr Ismay, I asked Commodore Winter...’
‘I received your report about poor Bishop. What
The captain summarized what had happened thus far up to the questioning and release of Miss Storm- Fleming.
‘And you are sure that this woman, Miss Storm-Fleming, had nothing to do with it?’
‘We do not think she committed the murder, but she may know more than she has told us. That is why I invited the Commodore, Doctor Watson and Miss Norton here. They were assigned by the British government to transfer some highly confidential documents to the American authorities. Those papers were stolen from Miss Norton’s cabin last night.’
Mr Ismay stood there in silence, his lips parted.
‘The commodore believes that there may be some connection between Bishop’s death and the theft of the documents,’ said the captain. ‘We have no direct evidence of this but the coincidence is worth investigating.’
‘Captain, do you mean to say that there may be spies on board this ship who are running about shooting people? Do you suspect that Bishop may have been involved in all this?’
‘Nothing is certain at this point, Mr Ismay, but we are looking into all possibilities,’ said Holmes. ‘Our immediate purpose, in addition to finding Mr Bishop’s killer, is to recover the documents.’
‘And what is the nature of these papers, Commodore?’
‘I fear that I am not at liberty to go into details, Mr Ismay. But it is vital that they do not fall into the hands of a foreign power.’
Mr Ismay shook his head. ‘In the forty-five years since my father founded this company, there has never been such a scandal aboard a White Star ship... We will, of course, provide every assistance to you in recovering the documents. But I must ask you to help us in return by doing your work as discreetly as possible. I will not have the passengers on this ship alarmed. Is that understood?’
‘We will do our best, Mr Ismay,’ said Holmes. ‘The captain felt it was necessary for us to take you into our confidence at this point. And that was a reasonable request. Rest assured, we are just as concerned as you are to prevent rumours from spreading around the ship.’
‘Yes, of course... Well, keep me informed, Captain. And give the commodore our complete support... By the way, how long have you known about this?’
‘I was told by British authorities just before our departure.’
‘Then proper protocol was followed. You have acted correctly, Captain. I appreciate your coming to me now.’
‘Thank you, Mr Ismay.’
The meeting with Mr Ismay was less difficult than I had expected. We received his cooperation, without having to share too much confidential information. We could proceed with confidence, knowing that we could act with the authority of the captain and the White Star Line.
It was getting late. All of us were hungry, but also very tired. The captain invited Holmes, Miss Norton and me to join us in his cabin for a light dinner. Before we left Mr Ismay’s cabin, he made a telephone call and placed an order for dinner for four.
Shortly after we arrived in the captain’s sitting room, the food arrived. The steward uncovered a large tray filled with hot and cold meat, along with fruit, vegetables and cheese. It was accompanied by warm bread and a pot of tea.
We each helped ourselves substantially — that is, except for Holmes, who nibbled at a little beef, then poured a cup of tea and placed some cheese on the saucer. Few words were exchanged as we ate. The captain and I took second helpings. Holmes stood quietly, sipping his tea and staring out of a porthole.
I was concluding my meal when there was a knock at the door.
‘Yes, Phillips. What is it?’ said the captain.
‘Excuse me, sir, but I have two important messages. One is for you, and the other is for the Commodore. I was about to look for him but I see that he is here.’
‘Thank you, Phillips.’ The captain took the envelopes and handed one to Holmes.
Phillips was about to leave, when he turned and fished a piece of paper from his jacket pocket.
‘Oh, and one of the crewmen asked me to deliver this to you. Mr Murdoch sent it up from the hold.’
‘Mr Phillips, you are a wealth of information today,’ said the captain. ‘Have you and Bride been getting any
