The Mammoth Book of New Sherlock Holmes Adventures - Mike Ashley [262]
The Pasha introduced us and Holmes and I shook hands with him. He sat down, eying us suspiciously.
“Colonel,” began Holmes, “I hope you will excuse me if I speak openly and bluntly, because of what is at stake in this matter. You are, no doubt, aware that you are seen as being the prime suspect for the murder of Anton Simeonov. What have you to say in your defence?”
“I did not murder the Bulgarian,” replied the colonel stolidly.
“Then who did?”
“I had been given to understand that it was your task to find that out.”
“Nevertheless, I would be interested in your views on the matter.”
“I did not witness the killing, how could I know who killed the man?”
“What did you mean when you said to Count Balinsky that he knew the truth?”
“I meant that he must know that I had every reason not to commit the murder. Even he must be aware that such an act would precipitate the events we were all anxious to avoid.”
“Why did you say ‘Ask yourself who is the murderer’?”
The Military Attaché shifted uneasily. “I was inviting him to think more clearly.” I noticed that Orman Pasha was looking at the colonel with a worried expression on his face, as though he found his answers to Holmes’s questions weak and unconvincing.
Holmes leapt to his feet. “Thank you, colonel, you have told me everything I need to know.”
The colonel rose from his seat, looking at Holmes with an expression half angry and half fearful. He turned and said something in Turkish to Orman Pasha, who nodded. The colonel turned and looked at Holmes with smouldering black eyes, then abruptly left the room.
“Orman Pasha,” said Holmes, when the colonel had gone, “does any member of your staff speak Bulgarian?”
“I speak Bulgarian myself, Mr Holmes,” replied the Pasha, with an expression of mild astonishment on his face.
“Good, then perhaps you would be good enough to tell me whether this English sentence is a correct translation of the Bulgarian sentence above it.” He handed our host a small piece of paper. The Pasha took it and I was disturbed to see the old man start violently.
“What is the meaning of this, Mr Holmes,” said the Pasha, “What are you telling me?”
“I am telling you that this case is much more complicated than we thought at the outset. I take it the translation is accurate?”
“It is accurate, Mr Holmes,” said the Pasha, shaking his head in puzzlement and disbelief.
On our way back to Baker Street, Holmes stopped at a post office to send a telegram. He then went to pay a visit to his brother Mycroft at the Diogenes Club and I made my way to Baker Street alone. When he finally arrived, Holmes walked over to the mantelpiece and, to my horror, he stood contemplating the syringe that enabled him to indulge his only weakness.
“Holmes, my dear fellow,” I said, “you have arrived at your final conclusion in this case.”
“Yes, Watson, I have arrived at my final conclusion.” We had a quiet dinner, as usual prepared by the excellent Mrs Hudson. After the meal, Holmes stood up. “Tomorrow morning we will go Stoke Morden to save the world,” he said. “Better have an early night, Watson.” He disappeared into his bedroom, while I went to mine in a sombre mood.
Holmes was quite himself again the following morning. We had breakfast and were soon on our way to Victoria Station. When we eventually arrived at Royston Manor, I noticed that a number of fine carriages drawn by magnificent horses were moving off the broad gravel pathway that led to the house. We were admitted by the old butler and were shown into the drawing room, where, to my astonishment, I found that all the dramatis personae of the recent tragedy were present. Lord Eversden was seated in his armchair, with Orman Pasha on the settee beside him. Baron Nopchka sat at the other end of the settee, while Mr Leonticles and Colonel Yusufoglu were sitting on armchairs opposite the settee. Count Balinsky, as though disdaining the company