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It was some time before the health of Herlock Sholmes seemed to recover from his immense exertions of dealing with the remaining members from Professor Moriarty’s criminal underworld. His name was becoming well-known across the world, and letters of request were piling up at the door of 221B. The detective found himself too busy with other matters to attend to them, and his health hadn’t been in the best of places. His iron constitution had broken down under the strain of his recent investigations. Despite Scotland Yard promising him that they would deal with the remaining members of Moriarty’s criminal gang, Herlock felt as if it was his duty to assist. Over an investigation that extended over two months, he never worked less than fifteen hours a day. He assured Yujin that he had kept his task to five days a week at a stretch, but Yujin struggled to believe him.

Yujin found him to be the prey of the deepest depression. His body and mind were both exhausted. Even the knowledge that he had succeeded where the police of three countries had failed was insufficient to rouse him from his current state. If he was idle, he would keep to his room and not come out for hours on end.

It was evident that something had to be done; Yujin knew that. Luckily, he had found the perfect excuse to leave the confines of Baker Street. As a thank-you for their efforts, Klint van Zieks had invited them to one of his properties in Reigate, Surrey. A week of spring-time in the country might have been just the thing that Herlock needed.

When Herlock emerged from his room, Yujin waved the invitation in front of him. “We’ve received an offer from Lord van Zieks, Sholmes. A week in Reigate, in Surrey. The warm country air might do you some good,” he said.

Herlock stared at the invitation for a moment. The dark circles under his eyes were only getting worse. “What is the nature of this trip?” He eventually said.

“From what I can tell, it’s partially a social one. Lord van Zieks is quite fond of hunting, and he wishes to take some time away from his estate here in London.” Yujin referred back to the invitation as he struggled to remember the details. “Do you recall my friend, Genshin Asogi? It seems that he’s coming along, too. The local inspector has taken ill, and they need a replacement, just in case. It’s certainly a coincidence. You’ll still have your freedom, before you ask. It would be rude not to go.”

Once again, Herlock took a moment to answer. “If it will keep you happy,” he replied.

“Excellent news! I’ll send a telegram at once!” Yujin practically ran to the door and waved the invitation in his hands excitedly. “I’m certain that a week away from all of this will help you, Sholmes. You’ll see!”

They soon found themselves at Reigate in the company of Klint and Genshin. On the evening of their arrival, they were relaxing in the sitting-room. Herlock was stretched upon the sofa, whilst Klint, Genshin and Yujin admired Klint’s weapon collection. Yujin noticed that some of them were from his native country of Japan.

“Thank you again for accepting my invitation, Mr. Sholmes,” Klint glanced at the man behind him. “Dr. Mikotoba tells me that you have been rather busy as of late.” He looked as if he wanted to say something else; his eyes were focused on Herlock’s pale skin and sunken eyes.

Yujin found himself answering when Herlock offered no reply. “We are grateful for your invitation, Lord van Zieks. Although, this invitation came out of nowhere. I wasn’t aware that you had an estate in Reigate,” he remarked.

“I’ve been meaning to sell it, truth be told,” replied Klint. “My grandfather inherited this estate from my grandmother’s family. You are sharp as always, though - there is another reason for Genshin and I’s presence here.”

“The estates in this area are owned by rather affluent families,” Genshin explained as he crossed his arms. “The Actons, who live south from here, had their home broken into last Monday. The police have yet to catch the culprits. Due to their connections with Lord van Zieks, they have requested that we look into the matter. From what Klint-” If Genshin realised that he had slipped into an informal manner, he didn’t show it. “-has told me about the surrounding families, the Acton estate is occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Acton. Mr. Acton’s younger sister used to live with them, until she passed away a year ago. There are also the Cunningham’s - Alec Cunningham and his father, Gregory Cunningham. The elder Cunningham is a Justice of the Peace.”

“Although, the affair is rather a petty one for someone like Mr Sholmes.” Klint laughed, sneaking another glance at Herlock. “After his grand international escapades, I’m sure he would rather relax and leave such an investigation to the local police.

Herlock waved away the compliment, though his smile showed that it pleased him. “You say there are no clues at all? Not even any interesting tidbits? You two have quite an investigation ahead of yourselves,” he teased.

“I read the report on the train journey over,” Genshin placed a hand on his chin. “The thieves ransacked the library and turned the place upside down. Drawers burst open, presses ransacked… The items they took were rather strange: a copy of Pope’s Homer, two plated candlesticks, an ivory letter-weight, a small oak barometer, and a ball of twine.”

“What an extraordinary assortment!” Yujin exclaimed.

Herlock sat up from the sofa. “The county police ought to make something of that. Why, it is surely obvious that-”

Yujin held up a warning finger. “You are here to rest, my dear Sholmes. For Heaven’s sake, don’t get started on a new problem when your nerves are all in shreds!”

Herlock shrugged his shoulders with a glance of resignation.

“We hope that our presence here will deter any further burglaries, but it is unlikely they will strike so soon, especially in the same area,” Klint remarked. “You two should take the time to relax. After all, we have yet to go hunting!”

Genshin let out a groan. “I’d rather not spend the entire day hunting, you know.”

Klint waved his hand dismissively. “Why else do you think we are looking at my weapon collection? The sooner we pick a weapon of choice, the sooner we can get started. Now, any takers?”

For a brief moment, Yujin wished that he was sick instead, if only so he could get out of another hunting trip.

—

It was destined, as Yujin often found, that his warnings would be wasted. Yujin, Herlock and Klint were enjoying some breakfast the next morning; Genshin had been called away as a matter of urgency. Yujin hoped that it was some small matter, but he was quickly proven wrong.

Genshin rushed into the room, slightly out of breath. “Lord van Zieks! I’m afraid I have dire news - the Cunningham’s estate, it-”

“Calm yourself, Genshin.” Klint gestured for him to sit down. “Is it another burglary?”

Genshin ran a hand through his hair as he took a seat. “Worse - murder. Their coachman, William Kirwan, was found late last night. He died from a gunshot wound to the heart,” he said.

“Do they know who shot him? Yujin asked him.

“From what the constables have just told me, they believe it to be the same burglar that ransacked the Acton’s estate. He broke into the pantry door when the victim came across him. They’re calling him a hero for defending his master’s estate.”

Klint’s eyes narrowed. “You look like you’ve hardly had any sleep, Genshin. What time was this?”

“Last night. Somewhere around twelve.” Genshin sighed and leaned back in his seat. “With the local inspector being unwell, they called me. Only, the local police around here are… difficult, to say the least. I haven’t had the chance to conduct a proper investigation. I’ve barely slept; I sometimes wonder how Inspector Gregson does this…”

“I imagine the Cunningham’s will be quite upset over this. The victim had been in his service for years and was a good fellow.” Klint placed a hand on his chin in thought. “Out of all of the estates nearby, those two are the richest and largest. Although, I suspect that the lawsuit between the two of them has significantly drained their finances. Mr. Acton has said that he has a claim on half of the Cunningham’s estate as his younger sister was due to be married to the young Alec before her premature death.”

Herlock’s eyes lit up at the discussion. “It may prove the simplest matter in the world, but at first glance it’s just a little curious, isn’t it? A gang of burglars acting in the country might be expected to vary the scene of their operations, and to not target two areas in the same district within a few days. I assumed that this would be the last parish in England to be targeted by such a group, but I suppose I still have much to learn…”

“You promised you wouldn’t intervene,” Yujin reminded him.

Genshin cleared his throat rather awkwardly. “I hate to bring it up, Yujin, but your detective friend is precisely the reason as to why I returned. I interviewed the mother of the victim a short while ago. When she heard that the great Herlock Sholmes was nearby, she insisted that you assist with the case.” He deflated a little. “It was a written conversation, as she’s deaf. I hope that she meant that she was fond of your adventures, rather than having little faith in me…”

“The fates are against you, Mikotoba,” laughed Herlock. “Perhaps you can tell us some more details, Mr. Asogi.” As he leaned back in his chair with a familiar attitude that Yujin knew well, he knew that his case was hopeless.

“I requested information on the Acton case, but there were no leads, so I have focused my efforts on the Cunningham case,” Genshin began. “A man was seen at the scene of the murder. He ran off as soon as he shot the victim. The elder Cunningham - for simplicity's sake, I’ll refer to him as Gregory Cunningham - saw him from his bedroom window. Alec Cunningham saw him from the back passage. It was quarter to twelve when the alarm was raised. Gregory Cunningham had just got into bed, and Alec was smoking a pipe in his dressing-gown. They both heard the victim call for help, and Alec ran to see what was the matter.”

“So Alec Cunningham was the first on the scene?” Klint asked him.

“He was, yes,” Genshin confirmed. “The back door was open, and as he came to the foot of the stairs he saw two men wrestling - struggling, fighting - outside. The murderer fired a shot and rushed across the garden and over the hedge. Gregory Cunningham saw him run down the backroad. Alec stopped to help the dying man, so the villain got away. The only description we have is a middle-sized man dressed in dark clothing.”

“It isn’t exactly the best of leads,” said Yujin. “What was the victim doing there so late at night? Did he say anything before he died?”

“Nothing. He lives on the estate with his mother, so we imagine he went to see if everything was alright. This Acton business has put everyone on guard, after all. The lock had been forced, so we suspect that the robber had just burst into the room before the victim found him. The victim’s mother could tell us nothing about the situation. The only things she would speak about were Mr. Sholmes and when William’s sister, Annie, was coming home.”

“Ah, the poor woman.” Klint sighed and shook his head. “It was fairly recently, you see - Annie had been married to a soldier when he passed away in the line of duty. She had only recently moved back in with William and her mother when she went missing. This was about… nine months ago, perhaps? Annie Morrison, her name was. She found work as a servant in the Cunningham estate. They found a note saying that she was leaving with another man she had met, so the police closed the case.”

“I do have one significant clue, though.” Genshin took a small piece of torn paper from his pocket and spread it out across his knee. “This was found between the finger and thumb of the dead man. It appears to be a fragment torn from a larger sheet.”

Yujin studied the note closely; which was difficult, as some of the words were too close together. “At quarter to twelve… learn what maybe, I think it says. How odd.” He leaned back in thought.

“It’s the same time the victim was found,” Genshin pointed out. “The murderer likely tore it away from him. It reads as if it is an appointment. We have to consider the possibility that he was in league with the thief. He may have met him there and helped him break the door - as he had no key himself - and then fallen out with the thief.”

“The writing is of extraordinary interest,” said Herlock, who had been examining it with intense concentration. “These are much deeper waters than I had thought.” He sank his head into his hands before he raised his head again. “Your theory, Mr. Asogi, is certainly not impossible. But this writing opens up-” He sank his head into his hands again, and remained so for some moments in thought. When he raised his face again, Yujin was surprised to see that his cheek was tinged with colour, and his eyes were as bright as what they once were before his sudden illness. He sprang to his feet with all of his old energy.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said, “I would like to have a quiet little glance into the details of this case. There is something in it which fascinates me extremely. First of all - Lord van Zieks, I must request a favour from you.”

“Oh?” Klint tilted his head.

“It would be deeply appreciated if you would visit the Acton’s estate and ask either Mr. or Mrs. Acton to come along to the Cunningham estate. I have a distinct feeling that they would listen to you, rather than a mere stranger. In the meantime, Mr. Asogi, Mikotoba and I will investigate the crime scene.”

“I have no idea what you’re planning here, Mr. Sholmes, but of course.” Klint rose from his seat. “I wish you good luck in your investigation.”

“Excellent!” Herlock rushed out of the door without another word.

“He… He doesn’t even know where he’s going,” muttered Genshin. “Yujin, I understand that you said he was unwell - I don’t believe he has fully recovered yet, seeing his actions.”

“I don’t think we should alarm ourselves,” Yujin insisted, although he was mainly telling himself that. “There is a method to his madness.”

Genshin shook his head. “Some would say there is madness in his method.”

—

At Herlock’s insistence, the three approached the Cunningham estate from the backroad that Gregory Cunningham had said the thief fled to. It was a small dirt track that evidently had not been used in a while. When they arrived at the corner leading to the estate, Yujin was surprised to see that there was a ditch spanning across the road. Water flowed from one end to another. It was impossible to jump over it; they would have no choice but to go through it.

Herlock bent down and examined the ditch closely. “There’s no foot marks to be seen. It’s true that it hasn’t rained in a few days - but the sun is hardly hot. I thought that I would see a few tracks, at least.”

“It is equally likely that the marks have vanished by now,” Genshin pointed out. “Although, I hardly see why a ditch has been dug across the road. I suppose they don’t use this road anymore.”

They waded through the ditch and headed towards the pantry door. The body was in the process of being moved, but Genshin ran ahead to request another examination of the body. The victim had been shot just in front of the pantry door, with a line of small hedges in front of it. There was a desire path - a man-made path caused by frequent visitors - leading in between two of the hedges near the body. The house was oak-lined and separated from the road by a side gate.

“Gregory Cunningham said that the murderer fled through here,” Genshin pointed at the desire path. “I have already searched the grounds for the other half of the note, but to no avail.”

“The ground is too hard to leave any foot marks. A pity.” Herlock sighed and gestured to the body. “My dear Mikotoba, perhaps you would examine the body to see if you can glean any further clues? It is quite obvious that he died from a gunshot to the chest, before you mention that.”

Yujin held back a snarky comment and took a deep breath before he examined the body. He was remarkably used to it by now - but it wasn’t often that Herlock would ask for his expertise like this. His eyes were drawn to the bullet wound in the victim’s chest. “Sholmes, the size of the entry wound suggests that it was somewhat at close range. From a longer range, the entry wound would be smaller… or so my experience tells me.”

“Alec said that the two were within fighting distance when the bullet was fired,” Genshin reminded him.

“Close together…?” Yujin frowned and looked back at the wound.

Herlock knelt down next to him. “What is it, Mikotoba? You’ve spotted something, haven’t you?”

“It’s something new Dr. Wilson pointed out to me the other day,” Yujin remarked as he pointed to the wound. “I have noticed it before, but I rarely see cases of it. When shot at a point-blank range, there are usually powder marks around the entry wound. Yet, there is no such case here.”

“It is a relatively new piece of science - I read about it in a journal recently.” Herlock flashed a grin at him. “You are coming along rather well, Mikotoba. I suspect that the bullet was fired from four yards away or so. Although, it is only from experience, judging by the size of the entry wound. Let us examine the door next. Mr. Asogi, you can tell your friends to cart away the body.”

Yujin followed his partner intently. The wooden door had marks on around the lock, as if something sharp had forced open the lock.

“I suspect a chisel or a strong knife was used to force this open,” Herlock deduced. “The note is the strongest clue here, however - someone wanted the victim out of bed at that hour. Seeing that it was torn out of his hand, someone was very keen to get possession of it - because it incriminated them. It is likely that the murderer hid the note in their pocket, if we have yet to find it. They never noticed that the corner had been left in the hand of the victim. There is also the matter of how the victim obtained it. The person that wrote it did not deliver it themselves - otherwise, they would have delivered the message by word of mouth.”

“I have already thought of that, Mr. Sholmes,” said Genshin as he returned from taking care of the body. “The postman said that the victim received a letter by the afternoon post yesterday. We found traces of the envelope being burned at the fireplace of his small lodge.”

“Excellent, Mr. Asogi! You are far better than Gregson,” Herlock remarked offhandedly. “It is odd that the victim would destroy the envelope, yet keep the letter. Perhaps he knew that it would incriminate the note’s author.”

Genshin gestured to the inside of the house itself. Yujin could see a staircase from the doorway. “It was on those stairs - the one that you can see from this pantry door - that young Alec saw the two men struggling. Gregory Cunningham was at that window up there - the second on the left - and saw the man get away through the bush and towards the road we just came from. Alec then ran out and knelt beside the wounded man.”

As he spoke, two men came down the garden path from around the house. One was an elderly man with heavy eyes, and the other was a dashing young man whose bright, smiling expression and showy dress were a strange contrast from the business that surrounded them. Genshin whispered to Yujin and Herlock that the elderly man was Gregory Cunningham, and the younger man was his son, Alec Cunningham

Alec’s expression quickly changed to a frown as he saw Yujin. “Another easterner, I see. I thought Lord van Zieks was sending some of London’s best - but you don’t seem to be very quick.”

“You must give us a little time,” said Herlock defensively.

“You’ll want it,” Alec scoffed. “Why, we don’t have any clues at all. Haven’t you got better things to do, like actually investigating? You’re still here after all of this time-”

“You must forgive my son,” Gregory Cunningham interrupted before Alec could say anything else. “We are rather shaken up by this event. Who might you two be?”

“Herlock Sholmes, my dear fellow,” Herlock gestured to Yujin. “This is my great friend and partner, Dr. Yujin Mikotoba. His medical expertise has proven to be invaluable.”

Genshin still seemed worked up over Alec’s previous remark. He crossed his arms defensively and shot a glare towards him. “Besides, it’s not as if we don’t have any clues. We’re currently looking into finding-”

Before Genshin could finish his sentence, Herlock let out a cry and collapsed into him. The suddenness of the attack caused Genshin to crash onto the ground; Herlock’s face dropped to the ground next to him. Genshin quickly collected himself and shook Herlock’s shoulder in a panic.

“H-He must’ve had another attack!” Yujin cried out. “Please, we need to take him somewhere where he can recover. Is there anywhere where he can sit down?”

“The kitchen should suffice,” Gregory Cunningham gestured to the door. “Alec, would you help these gentlemen carry Mr. Sholmes inside?”

If Alec had an objection, he didn’t voice it. He helped carry Herlock inside; by the time they had placed him down onto a chair, he had regained consciousness. He sat there, breathing heavily for a few minutes. Yujin offered him a glass of water and kept a close eye on him. He seemed to recover after a while.

Herlock offered a nod towards the Cunningham’s once he recovered. “I can only apologise. Mikotoba would tell you that I have only just recovered from a severe illness. I am liable to these sudden attacks.” Yujin knew that he had yet to recover, but he didn’t say anything.

“Shall I send you home in my trap?” Gregory Cunningham asked.

“Not quite yet - there is something I must verify,” Herlock declared as he stood up out of his chair. “It is possible that the arrival of the victim was after the entrance of the burglar into the house. You appear to assume that, despite how the lock was forced open, the burglar never got in.”

“That is quite obvious, no?” Gregory Cunningham said gravely. “My son Alec had yet to go to bed, and he would certainly have heard anyone moving about.”

“Where was he sitting?”

“I was smoking in my dressing-room,” answered Alec.

“Which window is that?”

“The last on the left, next to my father’s.”

“Both of your lamps were lit, of course?”

“Undoubtedly.”

“There are some very curious points here,” Herlock smiled to himself gleefully. “It is not extraordinary that a burglary - and a burglar who had some previous experience - should deliberately break into a house at a time when he could see from the lights that two of the family were still awake?”

“It is certainly strange,” Yujin agreed.

“If the case wasn’t an odd one, we wouldn’t have you here, would we?” Alec rolled his eyes. “But as to your idea that the man had robbed the house before William tackled him - it’s absurd. Wouldn’t we have found the place disarranged, and missed the things which he had taken?”

“It depends on what the things were,” Herlock argued. “You must remember that we are dealing with a burglar who is a very peculiar fellow, and who appears to work on lines of his own. Look, for example, at the strange things which he took from Acton’s. Uh… What was it again, Mr. Asogi? A ball of string, and…”

“A book, two plated candlesticks, an ivory-letter weight, as well as a small oak barometer,” Genshin answered.

“I suggest we offer a reward to track this villain down. Perhaps someone has spotted him or knows something.” Herlock ripped a piece of paper from his pocket-book and began to write something down. “You should offer a reward - coming from yourself, as the officials take too long in deciding the sum and such. I have jotted it down here, if you don’t mind signing it. Fifty pounds is quite enough, I should think.”

“I would willingly give five hundred,” said Gregory Cunningham, taking the slip of paper and pencil that Herlock had handed him. “This… isn’t quite correct, Mr. Sholmes.”

“I wrote it rather hurriedly.”

“You state that the crime was committed at quarter to one, when it was quarter to twelve.” Gregory Cunningham went to correct Herlock’s writing before handing the paper back to Herlock.

Yujin tried to ignore Alec’s chortled laughter; he knew Herlock would feel utterly embarrassed at the mistake. His recent illness was evidently still impacting him, and he was far from being himself. Yujin wondered if he should pull him out of the investigation entirely.

“I can get it printed as soon as possible,” remarked Genshin, eager to move the conversation along.

“Thank you, Mr. Asogi. I believe it would be in our best interests to ascertain if this burglar really didn’t take anything with him.” Herlock gestured to the door behind him. “Do you not use bars on this door? Or keep a dog?”

“Well, we have never found it necessary to place bars on the door,” replied Gregory Cunningham. “We do have a dog, but he is chained on the other side of the house.”

“What time do the servants go to bed?” Yujin asked them.

“About ten. William usually goes to bed at that hour, too,” said Gregory Cunnignham.

“It is strange that on this particular night that he decided to stay up,” Herlock mumbled to himself. “Now, I would be very glad if you would show us the house, Mr. Cunningham.”

They were led through a stone-flagged passage, with kitchens branching away from it, that led to a wooden staircase directly to the first floor of the house. Yujin recognised that this plain staircase was the one to be used by the servants. Where the wooden staircase reached the landing, opposite was a second, more ornamental staircase that came up from the front hall. Again, Yujin recognised that this staircase was used by visitors and the Cunningham’s themselves. Out of the landing opened the drawing-room and several bedrooms, including those of both of the Cunningham’s. Herlock walked slowly, taking keen note of the architecture of the house.

Gregory Cunningham was starting to look impatient. “Surely this is unnecessary, Mr. Sholmes. That is my room at the end of the stairs, and my son’s is the one beyond it. I leave it to your judgement whether it was possible for the thief to have come here without disturbing us.”

“This bloodhound needs a fresh scent, I fancy,” Alec chortled with a malicious smile.

If he had taken offence to that remark, Herlock didn’t show it. “Still, I must ask you to humour me a little further. I would like, for example, to see the windows of your rooms and the view from them.” Herlock pushed open the door leading to Alec’s room. “I presume that this is the dressing-room in which you sat smoking when the alarm was given. Where does the window look out to…?” He stepped across the bedroom, pushed open the door to the joining room, and glanced around.

“Are you satisfied now?” Alec said tartly.

“Just a quick view of your father’s room, if you please,” Herlock replied.

The Cunningham’s led the way to Gregory’s chamber, which was plainly furnished. As they moved towards the direction of the window, Herlock fell back until he and Yujin were the last of the group. Near the foot of the bed stood a dish of oranges and a carafe of water. As they passed by it, Herlock leaned over in front of Yujin and deliberately knocked the whole thing over. The glass smashed into a thousand pieces and the fruit rolled into every corner of the room.

“You’ve done it now, Mikotoba,” Herlock chuckled to himself. “A pretty mess you’ve made of the carpet.”

Yujin opened his mouth to argue the point, but decided against it. For some reason, Herlock had wanted him to take the blame (or, at least, that’s what he hoped, rather than it being an elaborate joke at his expense). Yujin stopped and began to pick up the fruit as the others did the same. As they set the table on its legs again, Genshin gasped.

“Sholmes isn’t here,” Genshin realised. “Where could he have gone?”

“Wait here,” Alec said suddenly. “He’s clearly gone mad. Father, with me!” He rushed off, his father trailing behind him.

Yujin and Genshin stared at each other.

Genshin cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly. “So, how did you knock over the table?”

Their conversation was cut short by a sudden scream for help. Yujin recognised the voice instantly to be one of Herlock Sholmes. Yujin rushed madly from the room on to the landing. The cries, which had sunk down into a hoarse, inarticulate shouting, came from Alec’s chambers. With Genshin following behind him, the two burst into the room to find Herlock on the floor, with Alec’s hands wrapped around his throat, and the older Cunningham twisting one of Herlock’s wrists.

With quick thinking, Genshin blew his police whistle, alerting the constables downstairs.Genshin and Yujin rushed up to the Cunningham’s to pull them away from Herlock. Genshin placed a hand on his katana as a threat and stood between them and Herlock. Luckily, two constables arrived on the scene soon afterwards.

“Sholmes!” Yujin rushed to his partner’s side as soon as he was able to. His partner was very pale and evidently greatly exhausted. He helped Herlock onto his feet.

“Arrest these men, Mr. Asogi,” said Herlock.

“My thoughts exactly.” Genshin’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sure I can escalate an assault charge to that of attempted murder.”

Herlock nodded slowly, still recovering from the attack. “And of actual murder - murder of their coachman, William Kirwin. Aha! See the older gentleman’s face?”

Never before had Yujin seen a plainer confession of guilt. The older Cunningham seemed numbed and dazed with a heavy, sullen expression. The son, on the other hand, had dropped the jaunty, dashing style which had characterised him. His face became warped in anger.

“I knew we shouldn’t have let you investigate!” Alec cried as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a revolver. As he pointed it towards Herlock, Yujin’s eyes went wide.

Genshin was quick to respond. He knocked the blunt, flat side of his katana against the revolver. A bullet was fired, but it went into the side of the wall. The revolver cluttered onto the ground as Alec clutched his hand in pain. Genshin slid the gun over to Yujin for safe keeping.

“It is insanity to try and murder a man in front of the police,” Genshin glared daggers into the man. “Put them in handcuffs already. Mr. Sholmes, I suppose this is the part where you explain everything that happened in this case? Although, I confess, Yujin and I have figured out a few things already.”

“I think that we should move downstairs for this. Keep that gun - you will find it to be the one used to murder William,” said Herlock with a faint smile. “No doubt Mikotoba will want to give me the once-over. It will also give our prisoners the chance to calm down.” He held up a crumpled piece of paper. “When we reconvene, I can explain where I found this.”

“The remainder of the sheet!” Yujin realised.

“Exactly. Now, Mr. Asogi, if we could meet you downstairs…?”

Genshin nodded and left the room, with the constables taking the Cunninghams in tow. Now that they were alone, Yujin examined Herlock’s neck closely. There were still the marks of where Alec had tried to strangle him. His heart dropped at the sight.

“That’s twice in one day someone has tried to murder me,” Herlock chortled. “Young Alec must really detest me. He has quite the violent streak, wouldn't you agree, Mikotoba?”

“I wish you wouldn’t make a joke out of someone almost killing you. It’s not as if Genshin and I didn’t have our suspicions - from the moment we examined the crime scene, Alec’s testimony in particular was riddled with contradictions.”

“Now, you can witness another one of my great deductions!” Herlock struck a pose, but winced a little; he hoped that Yujin wouldn’t notice it. “Lord van Zieks should have returned with one of the Acton’s in tow by now. Rather good timing, if I do say so myself…” He began to walk away as he muttered to himself.

Yujin noticed the way he was to dragging his feet along the ground.

—

Sure enough, Klint was waiting downstairs, along with a woman. Yujin assumed that it was Mrs. Acton. They both seemed confused at the situation, considering they had just seen both of the Cunningham’s in handcuffs. Yujin forced a smile and gestured for the two to follow him after briefly explaining what had occurred.

“I leave for two hours, and this happens…” Klint mumbled to himself.

Herlock helped himself to a sip of brandy before he addressed the group; Yujin assumed that he needed the strength, given the way he was dragging his feet. “I will lay out the points that have guided me to the solution. You will have to forgive me for having a dash of brandy - my strength is failing me as of late. Now, the key to this case was the scrap of paper left behind in the victim’s hand.”

“You found the other half only a few short minutes ago,” remarked Yujin.

“Exaclty. But before going into this, I would draw your attention to the fact that, if Alec’s account was correct, and if the assailant, after shooting William, had instantly fled, then it obviously could not have been he who tore the paper from the dead man’s hand. He did not have the time. But if it was not him, it must have been Alec himself. None of the servants or Gregory Cunningham stated that they saw the full paper, and Alec was the first on the scene and alone with the victim at the time. I found myself looking into this contradiction, along with the scrap of paper.”

“It’s true that none of the servants mentioned a scrap of paper,” Genshin confirmed. “The only people that knew about it were the police, the victim, and the person that wrote the note.”

“Persons, Mr. Asogi. There cannot be any doubt that this note was written by two persons writing alternate words.” Herlock gestured to the scrap they had obtained from the victim’s hand. “The ‘to’ and ‘at’, for example, are more apparent than ‘quarter’ and ‘twelve’ as if the person that wrote the former had a stronger hand and pressed down harder on the paper whilst writing. This told me that the former was a younger, stronger man. The latter was likely an elderly man. Although, I’m sure evidence of this type wouldn’t hold up in court.”

“But why would two men write a letter in such a fashion?” Klint asked him.

“I suspect that they wanted to obscure their identities, should William try to work out the handwriting. That, or they decided to have an equal part to play in this incriminating letter.” Herlock shrugged his shoulders before continuing. “If you look at the spaces between the words, it’s clear that the person that wrote ‘to’ and etcetera, wrote their words first, leaving blanks for the other to fill up. These blanks were not always sufficient, as shown by the word ‘quarter’ in between the ‘at’ and ‘to’ showing the latter was already written. The person that wrote the words first is evidently the ringleader.”

Mrs. Acton seemed to perk up at his deductions. “I must say, hearing a deduction from the great Herlock Sholmes is rather exciting! Do continue!”

Herlock flashed a smile at her. “The writing suggests that the writers were blood-relatives; I often find that families have a similar writing style. In this instance, look at the e’s, styled in a Greek fashion… Ah, but I’m sure I’m boring you at this point. As I said, such evidence as this will hardly hold up in a court of law, as it is mostly my own experience. I next examined the scene of the crime. Mikotoba, will you tell them what you noticed?”

Yujin jumped upon being referred to. “The lack of powder marks,” he said. “How do I put this… Alec Cunningham stated that the gun was fired at point-blank range. In cases such as this, we expect to see powder marks around the entry wound from the gun. However, in this case, there was none to be found.”

“I thought the same,” agreed Genshin. “Whilst the wound wasn’t small enough to be from a particularly long range, it still wasn’t point-blank, as the witness described.”

“Additionally, it was said that the thief fled via the backroad,” Herlock continued. “It leads to a ditch, which cannot be avoided. There were no foot marks at all, despite the ditch being rather wet. My shoes can attest to this. I was absolutely sure that not only had the Cunninghams lied again, but that there was never an unknown man upon the scene at all. To discover a motive, I endeavoured to solve the reason for the original burglary at the Acton’s. I understand that there is an ongoing lawsuit between the two families. It occurred to me that they had broken into your library with the intention of getting some document which might be of importance to the case.”

“Precisely so,” said Mrs. Acton. “If they could find this document, our case would’ve been over entirely. Fortunately, it was in the strong-box of our solicitors.”

“It was a dangerous, reckless attempt, which I seem to trace the influence of young Alec.” Herlock snuck a grin towards Alec, ignoring the daggers he was glaring into him. “You have a fancy for expensive things, don’t you? Sinking all of this money into the lawsuit, and possibly losing half of the estate, would’ve been an awful blow to you. During the burglary, you found nothing, so to make it appear as an ordinary burglary you carried off with whatever you could get your hands on. The only missing link here was the note. It was evident that Alec took it with him and hid it in the pocket of his dressing-gown. Where else could he have put it? The only question was if it was still there. Considering various servants and the police were with them at the time, it was possible that he had forgotten to dispose of it.”

“Which is why you investigated their chambers,” remarked Yujin.

“I am getting there, but yes. You will recall that Mr. Asogi almost reminded them of the importance of the note. They would destroy it without delay if they realised how important it was.” He chuckled to himself. “It is rather lucky that I came over in a fit and changed the conversation!”

“You mean you were faking it?!” Genshin instinctively grabbed the hilt of his katana. “You crashed into me, Mr. Sholmes! We carried you into the kitchen!”

“You have to admit, it was remarkably done,” Yujin grinned, thankful that Herlock’s ongoing illness had not caused it.

“You’re not helping, Yujin!”

“I am also proud to say that I managed to get Gregory Cunningham to write the word ‘twelve’ so that I might compare it to the ‘twelve’ on the paper.” Herlock glanced towards Yujin. “You assumed that I was still suffering from my illness, didn’t you, Mikotoba? I am sorry to cause you such pain in this investigation. I should also thank you for taking the blame when I knocked over those oranges. I saw the dressing-gown in question hanging up behind the door, and I set upon a distraction so I could examine the pockets. I had just obtained the note when both Cunninghams barged in and tried to murder me, if not for your aid. I feel that grip upon my throat even now, and the father had twisted my wrist to try and grab the note. They must have realised that I had deduced their crime, you see.”

“Which was dangerous, may I remind you.” Genshin shook his head. “You were going to be shot if not for our intervention, too.”

Gregory Cunningham’s posture had sunk entirely. “You really do know everything, don’t you? Well, in that case-”

“Father! Don’t you dare!” Alec roared and struggled against his restraints. “Don’t listen to him!”

“If you continue to make such a racket, we can always send you to the cells early,” Klint said with a grin. “If he wishes to speak, then allow him to. As a Justice of the Peace, I imagine that he wasn’t as much of a willing participant as you were.”

“It was Alec’s idea to try and find the document,” Gregory Cunningham confessed. “William had followed us on that night, you see. He blackmailed us and demanded a large sum of money - enough to force us to sell this estate. Alec then had the idea of using the burglary scare to our advantage. We lured him to a location, and Alec shot him.”

Alec shook his head over and over again. “He’s lost his mind! You can’t believe a word of what-”

Genshin waved his hand at the constables. “Do us all a favour and take them away. I’m starting to get a headache.”

“But what of the note, Mr. Sholmes?” Mrs. Acton asked after the Cunninghams were escorted away. “I am glad that this lawsuit will now be settled, of course, but I can’t help but to be curious…”

Herlock presented the note in full.

“It reads: If you will only come round at quarter to twelve to the east gate, you will learn what will very much surprise you and maybe be of the greatest service to you and also to Annie Morrison. But say nothing to anyone upon the matter.” Herlock finished reading it and frowned. “Not exactly the best grammar, is it?”

“Annie Morrison! The victim’s sister!” Klint practically jumped out of his seat in realisation. “Alec lured him with the promise of - I suspect - finding out what really happened to her.”

“As I said to you, Mr. Asogi, William did not have a key to the back door,” Herlock remarked. “He broke the lock, and I suspect that Alec or Gregory Cunningham put the item that he used back in place in the confusion. The kitchens were nearby, so I assume it was a large knife. The two Cunninghams deliberately stayed awake to fake their account. Forgive me for saying so, Mrs. Acton, but this is the third strange event surrounding the Cunninghams. First, the sudden death of your sister-in-law. Second, the disappearance of Annie Morrison. Third, the murder of William Kirwan.”

“My sister-in-law died in a horse riding accident,” Mrs. Acton insisted. “This is nothing more than speculation, Mr. Sholmes.”

“But she was to be engaged to… Ah, never mind.” Herlock shrugged and seemed to relent before he opened his mouth again. “Perhaps Annie stumbled across something she shouldn’t have, so Alec…”

“I think we should head back, Mr. Sholmes,” said Genshin before Herlock could speculate any further. “I can certainly ask the local police to reopen both cases, but we have to consider the families, too. Mrs. Acton certainly doesn’t want any further speculation regarding the death of her sister-in-law. We’ll escort her home.”

“We’ll meet you back at mine,” Klint flashed a smile at them. “Well done, everyone. We’ll have to celebrate when we get back-”

“Not by hunting, I hope?” Genshin mumbled.

“N-No. I certainly wasn’t going to suggest that.” Klint cleared his throat; it was obvious that he was going to state exactly that.

“We’ll meet you back at the estate, then.” Yujin nodded towards them. “Come along, Sholmes. You’ve certainly had enough excitement for one day…”

—

They had hardly gotten through the door when Herlock started to drag his feet even more than he had before. Yujin wrapped a supporting arm around him, and noticed that Herlock’s face had lost all of the vitality that he had before. His eyes were sunken in again, and he was so starkly thin that Yujin could see the outline of his bones in some areas.

“I’m taking you upstairs to rest,” Yujin insisted as he guided his partner upstairs. It had surprised him that a sudden change had come over his partner so quickly.

“Hm. Is it that obvious?” Herlock couldn't even force a smile. “I thought that I could keep up the pretense for a little while longer. The case did distract my mind, if only for a little while.”

It wasn’t until Yujin had sat his partner down that he replied. “I really do think that you should take some time off. Some proper time off. You need some time to recover from this illness-”

“What if I never recover from it?”

Yujin was put off by the question. “It’s mainly exhaustion, Sholmes. Exhaustion, and you’ve hardly eaten. I’ve seen how you dispose of food when you think that I’m not looking. You didn’t even touch your breakfast this morning, and you rarely leave your room unless I force you. You’ve had moments like this before, but not to this severity-”

“You are correct; I haven’t had it in this severity before.” Herlock stared down at the floor, avoiding Yujin’s gaze. “Solving an interesting case used to grant me great joy. I would live for it - everything else in life was boring, but the times where I would solve a mystery delighted me.” He sighed. “It doesn’t feel that way anymore.”

“It doesn’t make you happy?” Yujin asked him as he placed a hand over Herlock’s.

“Nothing does anymore. If anything, it just distracts me from my current state.” Herlock’s eyes were lifeless, and his expression was a sullen one. “I have to force myself to appear as joyful as I was today - as normal as I possibly can be. I have no desire to eat. I struggle to sleep at night. I stay awake with nothing but my thoughts and my deteriorating body to distract me. The opiates I sometimes take, lessen the pain, but of course… You’ve put a stop to that, haven’t you?”

Yujin was stunned. He had no idea that his partner was going through so much; why hadn’t he told him sooner? “I… I had no idea. You should’ve told me, we could’ve figured out a solution-”

“There is no solution, Mikotoba. There is no… magical trip that will fix everything.” Herlock turned to look at him for the first time since they entered the room. “I’ve accepted it - this is my life now. I may have periods where I seem okay, but it will always come back to this. I don’t even think I can remember what joy felt like.”

What could Yujin say? Herlock was right; there was no magical solution that would fix all of his problems. Yujin was a doctor, yet he felt utterly helpless. What could he even suggest? He squeezed his partner’s hand. “You don’t have to hide how you feel with me. Even if I don’t have a magical solution… I’ll be here. I’ll be here for you, Sholmes. I don’t want you to suffer through this alone.”

“Thank you, Mikotoba. I am glad to have you by my side.” Herlock smiled towards him, but Yujin had to wonder if he was forcing a smile yet again, just for his sake.

He also wondered if Herlock really would feel this way for the rest of his life. He hoped that would not be the case; but hoping was all that he could do.