Read Online The Devil's Grin - a Crime Novel Featuring Anna Kronberg and Sherlock Holmes by Annelie Wendeberg - Free Book Online
Authors: Annelie Wendeberg
Tags: Romance, Murder, Victorian, Abduction, sherlock holmes, women in medicine, 19th century london, history of medicine
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Holmes quietly. ‘My fried was in the area and paid me a surprise visit. I told him whom I was expecting tonight and he was positively surprised and very much looking forward to meet you in person; naturally I invited him to stay. I couldn’t know you would come without your usual disguise.’
‘ I tricked myself,’ I noted dryly.
‘ If I can make a recommendation,’ he said softly, ‘don’t lie to him. He will not reveal your secret to anyone. I would entrust Watson with my life, if necessary.’
‘ With how many of your friends did you plan to share my secret, Mr Holmes?’ I asked coldly. His eyes narrowed and he replied in the same cold tone . ‘I did not plan to share your secret with anyone. Although I must admit it was a mistake to assume you would, for your own sake, maintain the male masquerade, and not risk your career out of pure vanity.’
‘ Mr Holmes, I beg you to control yourself! My lifestyle is nothing I ever wish to discuss with you. I lived quite safe until I met you.’
His gaze softened a little and he noted: ‘You are free to go.’
He knew I was too curious to let this case slip out of my hands.
‘ Dr Watson will surely be shocked?’ I remarked and Holmes grinned.
‘ Wonderful!’ I said, trying to disguise the queasy feeling in my stomach. ‘He probably figured it out already at any rate.’ At that, Holmes tipped his head to one side, looking doubtful, but gave a single nod and shouted: ‘Watson, you can come back in!’
‘ My dear Watson, this is Dr Kronberg ,’ said Holmes as Watson walked into the room.
Watson nodded meekly, obviously shaken and sat down on the coffee table, as there was only that or the floor to sit upon and he needed something to support his buttocks momentarily.
‘ You really mean to say that..., that this...’
He was looking at Holmes now.
‘ you are...’
He looked back at me.
‘… Dr Anton Kronberg from Guy’s? You can't be serious Holmes!’
He was staring at Holmes again.
‘ Have you ever met Dr Kronberg, Watson?’ asked Holmes calmly.
‘ Er... in fact, I went to one of his talks on the works of Dr Snow. I mean, one of... her... her talks.’
Watson was completely dumbfounded and I started to feel sorry for the man.
‘ Ah! Watson my friend.’
Holmes leaned over to clap his friend on the shoulder.
‘ Get over it! Even a man like me has to accept that some women are exceptionally smart!’ Watson shot a wild glance at the mantle piece, noticing the missing picture.
‘ You took it away, I thought you were fond of her?’ he said sheepishly.
Holmes ignored Watson’s remark and I decided to swallow my surprise or any comments on that matter.
‘ I wonder whether you can tell me anything about the man who wore these,’ I said placing the package onto the coffee table next to Watson.
Holmes took it and laid it on his knees, undid the knot, and opened the paper wrapping. He looked at the pile of severed clothes and the two worn boots. He turned them upside down and studied the soles for a second.
‘ Mr Big Boots,’ he said. ‘You dissected him today?’
I nodded. ‘He had been found by the old porter of Guy's. The man reported that he heard the whinnying of a horse and the crack of a whip just before he heard the gasps of the man he then found just outside the gate. Together with a colleague he carried him into my ward. Unfortunately, the man died within minutes. I didn't know then he was Big Boots. He was the subject for a lesson I gave today. I saw that he had no entry wound for tetanus and remembered the man from Hampton and checked for restraint marks or needle punctures. I found none. But even if he had had any, they must have healed during the course of a whole week.’
‘ But you found something that brought you here, together with the shoes.’
‘ Yes, I did indeed. If he had eaten an animal with tetanus, he should have had the infection somewhere in his gastrointestinal tract, but there was nothing of
‘ I tricked myself,’ I noted dryly.
‘ If I can make a recommendation,’ he said softly, ‘don’t lie to him. He will not reveal your secret to anyone. I would entrust Watson with my life, if necessary.’
‘ With how many of your friends did you plan to share my secret, Mr Holmes?’ I asked coldly. His eyes narrowed and he replied in the same cold tone . ‘I did not plan to share your secret with anyone. Although I must admit it was a mistake to assume you would, for your own sake, maintain the male masquerade, and not risk your career out of pure vanity.’
‘ Mr Holmes, I beg you to control yourself! My lifestyle is nothing I ever wish to discuss with you. I lived quite safe until I met you.’
His gaze softened a little and he noted: ‘You are free to go.’
He knew I was too curious to let this case slip out of my hands.
‘ Dr Watson will surely be shocked?’ I remarked and Holmes grinned.
‘ Wonderful!’ I said, trying to disguise the queasy feeling in my stomach. ‘He probably figured it out already at any rate.’ At that, Holmes tipped his head to one side, looking doubtful, but gave a single nod and shouted: ‘Watson, you can come back in!’
‘ My dear Watson, this is Dr Kronberg ,’ said Holmes as Watson walked into the room.
Watson nodded meekly, obviously shaken and sat down on the coffee table, as there was only that or the floor to sit upon and he needed something to support his buttocks momentarily.
‘ You really mean to say that..., that this...’
He was looking at Holmes now.
‘ you are...’
He looked back at me.
‘… Dr Anton Kronberg from Guy’s? You can't be serious Holmes!’
He was staring at Holmes again.
‘ Have you ever met Dr Kronberg, Watson?’ asked Holmes calmly.
‘ Er... in fact, I went to one of his talks on the works of Dr Snow. I mean, one of... her... her talks.’
Watson was completely dumbfounded and I started to feel sorry for the man.
‘ Ah! Watson my friend.’
Holmes leaned over to clap his friend on the shoulder.
‘ Get over it! Even a man like me has to accept that some women are exceptionally smart!’ Watson shot a wild glance at the mantle piece, noticing the missing picture.
‘ You took it away, I thought you were fond of her?’ he said sheepishly.
Holmes ignored Watson’s remark and I decided to swallow my surprise or any comments on that matter.
‘ I wonder whether you can tell me anything about the man who wore these,’ I said placing the package onto the coffee table next to Watson.
Holmes took it and laid it on his knees, undid the knot, and opened the paper wrapping. He looked at the pile of severed clothes and the two worn boots. He turned them upside down and studied the soles for a second.
‘ Mr Big Boots,’ he said. ‘You dissected him today?’
I nodded. ‘He had been found by the old porter of Guy's. The man reported that he heard the whinnying of a horse and the crack of a whip just before he heard the gasps of the man he then found just outside the gate. Together with a colleague he carried him into my ward. Unfortunately, the man died within minutes. I didn't know then he was Big Boots. He was the subject for a lesson I gave today. I saw that he had no entry wound for tetanus and remembered the man from Hampton and checked for restraint marks or needle punctures. I found none. But even if he had had any, they must have healed during the course of a whole week.’
‘ But you found something that brought you here, together with the shoes.’
‘ Yes, I did indeed. If he had eaten an animal with tetanus, he should have had the infection somewhere in his gastrointestinal tract, but there was nothing of
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