of any real use.”
“See here, Holmes, this was a situation which called for the greatest delicacy. Had I been any more direct in my questioning I would have been ejected even sooner. I’m certain you wouldn’t have fared any better.”
“Perhaps not, but at any rate we’ll know soon enough, for I intend to pay a visit to the Cleland at the earliest opportunity. But as it is now rather late to go calling, I suggest we leave the countess until morning. For the present, I have a rather different social outing in mind.”
“That suits me perfectly well,” I said. “I have been sitting about here for more than a day.”
“And I’m afraid you shall have to stagnate here a while longer,” Holmes said. “Tonight’s expedition is another in which you will not be participating. It is a rather—”
“Holmes, if I am not going along then you shall not go yourself.”
“My dear fellow—!”
“I shall not sit by any longer while Houdini remains locked up at Scotland Yard. I cannot bear it.” I went on to describe the dreadful circumstances of Houdini’s imprisonment.
“Dear me!” Holmes said, “That’s bad. Very bad. Well, it shouldn’t be much longer.”
“Not if I have any part in it,” said I. “Now, what is our errand this evening?”
“Watson,” Holmes began, his face quite grave, “this business tonight may involve, well, burglary. Though our cause is just, we shall nonetheless place ourselves on the wrong side of the law. Are you still inclined to join me?”
“I stand firm.”
“Good fellow!” he cried, clapping my shoulder. “Still, I find your eagerness a bit worrisome. Perhaps I have been looking too far afield for the Gairstowe thief.”
Though Holmes attempted to make light of the situation, he was plainly uneasy over involving me in any wrongdoing. Rather than argue the point with him I simply kept quiet and waited, knowing that my willingness would soon out-weigh his concerns. In any event, I had no intention of letting him out of my sight until I was certain that he had not resumed his use of narcotics.
At length Holmes appeared to reach a decision, and with a shrug of resignation he leaned forward to confide his plan.
“Do you recall the footprints in Lord O’Neill’s study which so engaged our attention?”
“Yes, I do.”
“We know that those prints were made by Houdini’s shoes. If we accept that Houdini’s feet were not in them—”
“Then someone else got hold of a pair of his shoes. Where have we run across that before, eh, Holmes?” *
“Precisely. Now, I have already ascertained that the shoes could not have been taken from Houdini’s hotel room. Therefore we must attempt to steal a pair from his dressing-room at the Savoy.”
“Why not simply ask Mrs Houdini for the shoes?”
“Because it will be much more informative to steal them. If we cannot contrive to do so, we will have learned that the shoes were taken by someone with a more ready access to the theatre. This would suggest an employee of the Savoy, or a member of Houdini’s own company.”
“And if we are successful?”
“Then we will have gone a long way towards shaking the conviction of Lestrade’s case against Houdini.”
“Very good. I shall fetch the dark lantern.”
“We’d best put on our rubber-soled shoes as well. And Watson—”
“Yes?”
“Better slip your service revolver into your pocket.” He placed a hand upon my arm. “There may be—”
“I understand. Anything else?”
“Well, yes,” he said, touching the bell, “some cold sandwiches before we depart would not go amiss.”
* Watson is probably referring to “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, in which a boot was stolen to put the hound on the scent.
Twelve
W E B ECOME C RIMINALS
W ithin the hour we had arrived in the Strand and were attempting to gain entrance to the theatre. The front doors were heavily secured and the entire building was dark.
“See here, Holmes, this was a situation which called for the greatest delicacy. Had I been any more direct in my questioning I would have been ejected even sooner. I’m certain you wouldn’t have fared any better.”
“Perhaps not, but at any rate we’ll know soon enough, for I intend to pay a visit to the Cleland at the earliest opportunity. But as it is now rather late to go calling, I suggest we leave the countess until morning. For the present, I have a rather different social outing in mind.”
“That suits me perfectly well,” I said. “I have been sitting about here for more than a day.”
“And I’m afraid you shall have to stagnate here a while longer,” Holmes said. “Tonight’s expedition is another in which you will not be participating. It is a rather—”
“Holmes, if I am not going along then you shall not go yourself.”
“My dear fellow—!”
“I shall not sit by any longer while Houdini remains locked up at Scotland Yard. I cannot bear it.” I went on to describe the dreadful circumstances of Houdini’s imprisonment.
“Dear me!” Holmes said, “That’s bad. Very bad. Well, it shouldn’t be much longer.”
“Not if I have any part in it,” said I. “Now, what is our errand this evening?”
“Watson,” Holmes began, his face quite grave, “this business tonight may involve, well, burglary. Though our cause is just, we shall nonetheless place ourselves on the wrong side of the law. Are you still inclined to join me?”
“I stand firm.”
“Good fellow!” he cried, clapping my shoulder. “Still, I find your eagerness a bit worrisome. Perhaps I have been looking too far afield for the Gairstowe thief.”
Though Holmes attempted to make light of the situation, he was plainly uneasy over involving me in any wrongdoing. Rather than argue the point with him I simply kept quiet and waited, knowing that my willingness would soon out-weigh his concerns. In any event, I had no intention of letting him out of my sight until I was certain that he had not resumed his use of narcotics.
At length Holmes appeared to reach a decision, and with a shrug of resignation he leaned forward to confide his plan.
“Do you recall the footprints in Lord O’Neill’s study which so engaged our attention?”
“Yes, I do.”
“We know that those prints were made by Houdini’s shoes. If we accept that Houdini’s feet were not in them—”
“Then someone else got hold of a pair of his shoes. Where have we run across that before, eh, Holmes?” *
“Precisely. Now, I have already ascertained that the shoes could not have been taken from Houdini’s hotel room. Therefore we must attempt to steal a pair from his dressing-room at the Savoy.”
“Why not simply ask Mrs Houdini for the shoes?”
“Because it will be much more informative to steal them. If we cannot contrive to do so, we will have learned that the shoes were taken by someone with a more ready access to the theatre. This would suggest an employee of the Savoy, or a member of Houdini’s own company.”
“And if we are successful?”
“Then we will have gone a long way towards shaking the conviction of Lestrade’s case against Houdini.”
“Very good. I shall fetch the dark lantern.”
“We’d best put on our rubber-soled shoes as well. And Watson—”
“Yes?”
“Better slip your service revolver into your pocket.” He placed a hand upon my arm. “There may be—”
“I understand. Anything else?”
“Well, yes,” he said, touching the bell, “some cold sandwiches before we depart would not go amiss.”
* Watson is probably referring to “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, in which a boot was stolen to put the hound on the scent.
Twelve
W E B ECOME C RIMINALS
W ithin the hour we had arrived in the Strand and were attempting to gain entrance to the theatre. The front doors were heavily secured and the entire building was dark.
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