“Fair enough.”
We shook hands and I told Tessa what he’dsaid.
“He’s right, you know. You may not even finda proper case in thirty days, much less solve one.”
“The newspaper. They’re always reportingcrimes. If there’s an unsolved murder in the city, I’ll work onthat. I won’t need a client. I’ll just solve the case to Mr.Holmes’s satisfaction.”
Holmes retrieved the newspaper and hurriedlywent through it, scanning the pages as if he’d taken aspeed-reading course. “Here,” he announced at last. He handed methe paper folded to show a news item about a dead body. “Solvethat.”
Chapter 3
The newspaper carried the story on page two.I read the short article out loud, starting with the headline,“Man Shot Dead in Vacant Apartment,” before setting thepaper down on the table. “They don’t say much, do they? Only thathe’s a man and he’s dead.”
Tessa spoke first. “Probably because thecoroner hadn’t examined the body yet.”
“If I heard correctly,” Holmes said, “theygave an address where they found the body, did they not?”
“A vacant apartment in a three-storybuilding.”
Tessa grabbed the paper again. “It’s on LyonStreet. That’s just around the corner.”
“Do you think it’s the same place?”
“They don’t give a specific address, justthat it’s in the three hundred block, but it must be close. Weshould go there right away and make sure.” She got up from thetable, as if she’d hike over there all by herself if necessary.
“Tessa, what are you thinking?”
“That I’ll go with you, of course.”
“You’ll do nothing of the kind.” I lifted thecover of the roll-top desk and picked up my ”detecting” pouch. I’dprepared it weeks before, and it contained a pair of plasticgloves, magnifying glass, small but sharp scissors, a spiralnotepad, both pencil and pen, and little envelopes to hold whateveruseful items I might find. See, I took my new occupationseriously.
I stuffed it in the side pocket of myshoulder bag hanging near the front door. “If I’m supposed to bethe detective who solves this case, I’m the one who’ll go over andcheck it out.”
“And I,” Holmes said. He too, had risen andstrode toward the sofa where his hat and coat lay.
“What did he say?” Tessa asked.
“He wants to go with me,” I told her.
“But he doesn’t know this neighborhood, and Ido. I might even know the landlord of that building.”
Holmes shrugged into his coat. “Yourgrandmother is a charming person, but surely this is a matter forexperts.” He frowned. “I would go alone, except that she is correctin that I do not know the area. However, I will accompany you. Thefact that no one else can see me might even be an advantage when itcomes to snooping into other people’s indiscretions.”
Her gaze bouncing between my face and a spotnear the fireplace, Tessa hurried on. “What’s he saying now?”
“That he intends to come.”
“Then there will be three of us.”
“No, Tessa. Your continued ability to climbstairs notwithstanding, I think three of us is too many for thiscaper.”
“But no one can see him. To anyone else,there’ll just be the two of us. Besides, we live in thisneighborhood and won’t attract attention.”
By that time, Holmes had opened the door tothe hallway and seemed headed for the stairs. I grabbed my ponchoand bag from the hook near the door and went after him. When I gotto the landing, I found a strange sight. Holmes leaned against thewall, his head hanging forward onto his chest. He was asleep.
“Omigod.” I stopped dead in my tracks.
Tessa, right behind me, bumped into my back.“What’s the matter?”
“It’s Holmes,” I managed to say.
“What about him? Did he go downstairs? Has hegone on without us?”
“No.” I stood at the side of the sleepingdetective and shook his shoulder. No response. Louder. “Mr.Holmes.” I shook him harder and, happily, he didn’t fall over.
“Is he still here?” Tessa asked. “Why are youstaring at the wall like that? Where is Sherlock Holmes?”
“He’s right beside me. He’s asleep.”
“Asleep?” She paused. “All right, Sherry. Ifyou really don’t want me to come along, just say so. I can handlerejection. God knows I suffered enough of that thirty years agotrying to get my first books published.”
“It’s not that. I’m telling you the truth.Holmes suddenly fell asleep.” I straightened up, pushed Tessa backout of the way, and grabbed both of Holmes’s hands. Slowly, Ipulled him away from the wall. He shuffled. Good, his feet couldmove. Slowly, I led him back into the flat and toward a chair.
His eyes snapped open. “Why are you juststanding there. Let us be on our way. The game’s afoot.”
He tried to push past me to go to the dooragain, but I managed to stop him. “You can’t go outside.”
“What do you mean? Is there some danger?”
“Please sit down for a moment while I tellyou.”
“If you insist.“
I thought it best to get the truth out atonce. “You fell asleep. The moment you stepped out of thisapartment you went into a deep slumber. Standing up.”
He stared at me for a long moment. His agilemind apparently not only understood what I’d said but itsimplications.
He slumped into the armchair. “It’s truethen. I’m only conscious when in my familiar surroundings.” Hesighed so deeply I shivered.
He glared up at me with a strange look on hisface. “Do you have a pistol?”
“No. Why?”
“If you did, I would suggest you shoot me atonce and put me out of my misery.”
It took me a moment to decide how to answer.“But if I were to do that, we’d have no one at all to solve thecase we planned to check out.”
His head drooped forward again, but then heshrugged and a light smile turned up his lips. “You’re right. I amonly good for solving crimes, but I am very good indeed at that,so, as long as I am awake, I must continue to do so.”
Once more he removed his hat and turned hishead when Tessa reentered the room.
“Tell your grandmother I shall not beaccompanying you this evening, and she will have to be my eyes andears.”
Since I planned to do that very thing myself,I didn’t repeat it, but I told Tessa Holmes would stay behindsitting by the fireplace and I’d let her go with me just thisonce.
After
