Sherlock Holmes in Russia by Alex Auswaks

sight, and left toreturn all of an hour later. He took me by the elbow and said, ‘Let’s go, my dear chap. I’ve done everything I needed, but for the sake of appearances, let’s intrude on Boris Nikolayevitch with our original inquiry.’
    Boris Nikolayevitch was pacing hither and thither, so intercepting him did not take long. But when we posed the same question to him again, he looked at us irritably and replied sharply, ‘It wouldn’t come amiss if you were to make yourself scarce. But just in case, leave your address.’ Having said this, he looked intently at Holmes. He stared for some seconds, then his lips widened slightly in a little smile, ‘Perhaps I am wrong,’ he said, ‘but I suspect you are not whom you make yourselves out to be. There is something about you which reminds me of someone else I came across accidentally during my travels abroad.’
    For a few seconds Holmes was silent and now it was he who gazed intently at Boris Nikolayevitch Kartzeff. ‘I’d be interested to know where,’ he finally said.
    ‘England,’ answered Kartzeff.
    ‘In that case, no point in concealing our identities any further,’ said Holmes. ‘You guessed correctly and it is a great tribute to your memory. I am Sherlock Holmes and this is’ – indicating me – ‘my friend Dr Watson.’
    A look of unutterable joy came over the face of Boris Nikolayevitch Kartzeff. ‘So I was right. The reason that I recognized you was that I saw you in London when you were a witness in an important case. But I felt too embarrassed to say so right away, and then I was completely taken aback by your superb Russian.’
    He came close and shook our hands warmly.
    ‘But since this has happened and since you are here at your own initiative, it seems fate has brought you to our help and I cannot tell you how relieved I am, knowing full well that the villain who perpetrated this foul deed will not escape you. As of this moment, you are the most welcome, the most longed-forguests in this house, and I now beg your permission to present you to our investigator and the police authorities who are here.’
    Holmes bowed his consent. With an exchange of pleasantries we went into the dining-room which was full of people.
    ‘Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present Mr Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson,’ Boris Nikolayevitch said loudly.
    Our names created a sensation. Investigators and police jumped to their feet as if we were their superior officers. Compliments rained on Sherlock Holmes’s head.
    ‘This gives us fresh hope!’ was heard on all sides.
    We joined the company and the conversation soon turned to the murder. As was to be expected, there were many presuppositions, but they were to such an extent without foundation that neither Homes nor I paid much attention to them.
    From their conversation, we learned that several people had been arrested, amongst them the valet, cook and maid.
    ‘Are you sure that the valet and the cook together smashed a door definitely locked from within?’ Homes asked the investigator.
    ‘Oh, yes,’ the man answered with total conviction. ‘There is absolutely no doubt, as you will see for yourself from so much as a glance. Only a locked door could have been mangled in such a way.’
    ‘Then why did you arrest them?’ Holmes asked in astonishment.
    ‘More as a matter of form,’ was the answer. ‘I’m sure we’ll have to let them go in a few days.’
    Having questioned the investigator and police chief concerning certain details, Holmes asked whether he could examine the dead man’s room without wasting any further time. Needless to say, the request was granted, though I couldn’t help but notice the smirk that appeared momentarily on both their faces.
    We all went to the dead man’s bedroom. It was just as we had been told. The door was smashed in and the key still stuck fromthe lock on the bedroom side.
    Having examined this closely, Holmes said softly, ‘Yes, there is no doubt the bedroom was