Case1 Four Families - ch5

Today there is a drizzle since the dawn. The sun was covered with clouds. Sherlock Holmes sleeps soundly under the blanket. He was very late last night, and he wasn't a morning wake up person. Until the knock on the door two times, he still didn't realize. The person on the other side knocked repeatedly, then the door quietly opened.

"Holmes ..."

Watson called out, walking into the room, looking at the man who was still asleep. In his hands, there was a morning newspaper. Today's headline news is what he thinks Sherlock Holmes should have read immediately.

"Holmes, wake up." The silver-haired man called again in a loud voice. But the one lying on the bed turned his back to him.

"Holmes ..." Watson continued in a quieter voice, "Norville Malcolm died ... last night."

The eyes of the man who had been sleeping suddenly opened. Sherlock Holmes eyes had no sleepiness left, picked up the newspaper and read it.

'Norville Malcolm dropped from 2nd floor. Mystery Death in his own home.'

The young man's expression distorts in pain, his hand wrinkled the newspaper pages.

"I shouldn't let him go ..."

Sherlock Holmes muttered through his teeth with a sorrowful expression. Watson looked down with a calm face and made a simple report.

"Inspector Lestrade came, waited below."

.................................

Fifteen minutes later, Sherlock Holmes and Watson enter the living room. Meet Inspector Lestrade frowns, waiting for them.

"Want to see my face early in the morning, Lestrade. Recently, we meet often. Don't you think?"

Sherlock Holmes made a friendly teasing greeting. That even adds a deep mark between the other eyebrows.

"What kind of person faces Scotland Yard every other day?"

Lestrade stood up. Sharp eyes stared at the detective like a hound staring at the sly fox. He is a man who feels imposing. Lestrade was slightly older than Sherlock Holmes, but because Holmes's face was still young like youth, make the age gap seem even further. Sherlock Holmes was very close to the inspector and often couldn't help but tease.

"Eh ... I'm a detective and advisor of Scotland Yard. It is good that we meet more often and close the case faster, isn't it?" Said Sherlock Holmes without an expression of distress. He walks to poured tea into a glass while Watson just stood still.

"Are you confused between 'Closing Case' and 'Add Job' huh?" Lestrade said sarcastically, sit in a chair, "Harming the accused almost to death, Gail Maddock is still afraid to speak. And the case last night, your assistant took the newspaper to see, right?"

Lestrade nodded to Watson, who kept his mouth shut, his gaze not fixed.

"Sherlock, why were you the last person to talk to Norville Malcolm while still alive?" Lestrade asked.

"Come on, Lestrade. If you thought Malcolm's fall from the second floor was an accident, you wouldn't come to me this morning. It means that the last person who saw Malcolm was still alive was not me ... but murder."

"Hmph ..." Lestrade frown, his face conveys something Sherlock Holmes doesn't know:

"The cause of death was a broken neck, but there are traces of paws like being attacked by wild animals from the chest to the stomach. Assuming that the attacker struck him, causing Malcolm to fell off the window."

"Wild animals?"

"The villains have great strength," Lestrade nods. "Why did Norville Malcolm come to you?"

"He said his father had broken his promise to the devil. He and the other three families were cursed. Devil will kill all the heirs." Sherlock Holmes told without talking about Moriarty who introduced Malcolm to him.

"By asking close acquaintances, Malcolm kept repeating the curse of the devil." Lestrade nodded. "You said that besides him, there are three other families?"

"Mr. Livingston and Mr. Rosevelt must have some details we don't know about," said Sherlock Holmes, before revealing a sly smile.

"The great Inspector Lestrade would order his subordinates to find the three families in no time right."

Lestrade stared; however, he was determined to do so. It was then that Watson broke the silence.

"Holmes had a letter from Rosevelt, ask for help, and will come to meet you today." Watson report, yesterday Holmes ordered him to check the letters.

Sherlock Holmes and Lestrade turned their gaze into Watson before turning to meet each other. They thought it might have been Mr. Rosevelt, one of the four cursed families. The detective received the letter and read it immediately.

'Dear Mr. Sherlock Holmes,

I have heard the word of your clairvoyant talent. Right now, I'm in serious danger. Only you can help me.

We will meet you on the 19th. 1 o'clock

Hope you will help us.

Rosevel'

Sherlock Holmes looked quietly at the letter, with the action Watson had just seen for the first time. The detective clung his face to the paper. Only Watson had heard several deep breaths. Then, the black-haired man looked at the letters as if see a hidden code before smiling at the corner of his mouth. Watson did not understand the reason for that act. But Lestrade seemed familiar and didn't say anything.

The inspector's eyes were on Watson ...

"Where did you found this face masked guy, Sherlock?" Asked Lestrade.

"Well, a countryside around my hometown," replied Sherlock Holmes, without taking his eyes off the letter.

"When did he come to London?" Lestrade continued.

"Hmm. It's about three, four or more days. You know I'm not very interested in the date and time. Why? Lestrade."

Sherlock Holmes finally raised his head. Then saw a sharp look in Lestrade's eyes, which was ominous to him and Watson. Holmes secretly sighed. This inspector instinctively was so good until troublesome.

"Then yesterday from afternoon until this morning. Where are you?" Lestrade turned to Watson.

"I'm always at this house," Watson answered in a smooth voice. Not avoid Lestrade's sharp sword eyes.

"Oh, Lestrade, your eyes are dull, better go to measure your eyesight. Are you suspect Watson? He had just arrived in London for the first time. Mrs. Hudson is at home all day. Also, I don't even know where Malcolm's house is."

"Even if you don't know, you can stalk. And what you said 'Ms. Hudson is home all day'. This doesn't include you. I know you went to the hospital until late at night."

Lestrade ignores Sherlock Holmes's indignant eyes. In fact, he thought this silver-haired man had nothing to do with Norville Malcolm's death. But the suspicion of a man named 'John H. Watson' can't cut off.

When arresting Maddock, Sherlock Holmes introduces Lestrade to his new assistant.

'Assistant? And live in the same house as you? I don't think anyone can be with you.'

'Ah, so rude, Lestrade, I hurt.'

Lestrade only sarcastic tease because, at that time, he had to focus on Maddock. But after hearing Maddock's words aroused doubt.

'I definitely hit that guy, but he didn't react. That monster squeezed me off the ground with one hand. He must definitely not be human!'

Lestrade is not a superstitious person, not believing in demons or monsters. But Maddock insisted that he fired two shots at the time. The ammunition in the magazine itself was lost by two. Instead, found only one set of bullet and shell. Lestrade stared at the smiling Sherlock Holmes; those dark eyes hid some secrets. Lestrade is suspicious that the man in front of him would steal the missing casing before Scotland Yard's arrival.

Additionally, Sherlock Holmes did not use his gun and no signs of fighting. For Watson to get close and strangle Maddock, a crazy man ready to fight to the death, it takes a lot of skill and strength.

And the villain in the Malcolm case also had great skill and strength.