Chapter 12
The reunion
It was easy enough to recognize that cold, ironic voice.
"Holmes!" I cried. "Holmes, it's you!"
"Do come out," he said, "and please be careful with that gun."
I stood at the doorway while he sat on a stone outside. He seemed amused at my surprise.
"I'm so glad to see you," I said.
"It's a surprise, isn't it?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"I'm also surprised, Watson, that you found out about the hut. I didn't know you were inside until I came close. Then I saw the end of your cigarettes from Bond Street. I thought you'd be waiting patiently in the hut. Did you think I was the criminal?
"I didn't know who you were."
"And how did you find me, Watson? You must have seen me when you chased the escaped prisoner. I made a mistake that night. I stood on the hilltop with the moon rising behind me."
"Yes, I saw you. Your boy was also spotted. In face, I followed him here."
"Ah, that's because of the old gentleman with his telescope."
He got up and looked into the hut.
"My boy has brought me some food. He came up from London with me, and gets me everything I need. What's this note? Oh, you've been to Coombe Tracey? To see Mrs. Laura Lyons?"
"Yes."
"Very good. we've both been looking for the same things. When we put our answers together, we'll know a lot about this case."
"Well, I', glad you're here. It was getting too mush for my nerves. But you told me you were in Baker Street. Didn't you trust me?" I said angrily.
"You didn't believe I could work here alone?"
"No, my dear friend, you've been very helpful. Please forgive me for hiding out. If we'd been together, we would all have found out the same things. Also, I didn't want to warn sir Henry's enemies that I was here."
"But my reports have all been wasted!" I got angry again. I had spent a long time writing them.
Holmes took a bundle of papers from his pocket. "Here are your reports, dear Watson. I studied them all carefully. They reached me very quickly. And now, tell me about Mrs. Laura Lyons."
I told Holmes about our meeting.
"That was very important," he said. "Did you find out that Mrs. Lyons and Stapleton are close Friends?"
"No."
"Yes. They meet and they write to each other. They are very close. If I tell Stapleton's wife about it, she'll be willing to help us."
"His wife?"
"I learned that Beryl isn't Stapleton's sister. She's his wife."
"Good she's useful to him that way. Since she's beautiful, many men are likely to fall in love with her."
"Then he's our enemy. And the warning - it came from her?"
"Yes."
"But are you sure, Holmes? How do you know she's his wife?"
"When he first met you, he told you he once had a school in the north of england. I found out about one that closed down a few years ago. The headmaster and his wife had disappeared. Although the names are different, both Stapleton and the missing headmaster love to collect butterflies and insects, so I'm sure it is the same person."
"But if this woman is his wife, what's his connection to Mrs. Laura Lyons?" I asked.
"Mrs. Lyons has been trying to divorce her husband. Perhaps she wants to marry Stapleton. No one here knows that he is already married."
"And if she founds out?"
"Then she'll be very willing to help us. We'll visit her tomorrow. But now you must return to Baskerville Hall. You have left Sir Henry alone for a long time."
The sky was no longer red. It was quite dark.
"One more question, Holmes," I said as I got up to leave. "What is Stapleton up to?"
Holmes answered in a very low voice. "Murder, Watson, cold-blooded murder. I can't tell you everything now. He plans to kill sir Henry. I hope he won't strike before we're ready. I need one or two mroe days, so you must watch over Sir Henry very carefully."
The reunion
It was easy enough to recognize that cold, ironic voice.
"Holmes!" I cried. "Holmes, it's you!"
"Do come out," he said, "and please be careful with that gun."
I stood at the doorway while he sat on a stone outside. He seemed amused at my surprise.
"I'm so glad to see you," I said.
"It's a surprise, isn't it?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"I'm also surprised, Watson, that you found out about the hut. I didn't know you were inside until I came close. Then I saw the end of your cigarettes from Bond Street. I thought you'd be waiting patiently in the hut. Did you think I was the criminal?
"I didn't know who you were."
"And how did you find me, Watson? You must have seen me when you chased the escaped prisoner. I made a mistake that night. I stood on the hilltop with the moon rising behind me."
"Yes, I saw you. Your boy was also spotted. In face, I followed him here."
"Ah, that's because of the old gentleman with his telescope."
He got up and looked into the hut.
"My boy has brought me some food. He came up from London with me, and gets me everything I need. What's this note? Oh, you've been to Coombe Tracey? To see Mrs. Laura Lyons?"
"Yes."
"Very good. we've both been looking for the same things. When we put our answers together, we'll know a lot about this case."
"Well, I', glad you're here. It was getting too mush for my nerves. But you told me you were in Baker Street. Didn't you trust me?" I said angrily.
"You didn't believe I could work here alone?"
"No, my dear friend, you've been very helpful. Please forgive me for hiding out. If we'd been together, we would all have found out the same things. Also, I didn't want to warn sir Henry's enemies that I was here."
"But my reports have all been wasted!" I got angry again. I had spent a long time writing them.
Holmes took a bundle of papers from his pocket. "Here are your reports, dear Watson. I studied them all carefully. They reached me very quickly. And now, tell me about Mrs. Laura Lyons."
I told Holmes about our meeting.
"That was very important," he said. "Did you find out that Mrs. Lyons and Stapleton are close Friends?"
"No."
"Yes. They meet and they write to each other. They are very close. If I tell Stapleton's wife about it, she'll be willing to help us."
"His wife?"
"I learned that Beryl isn't Stapleton's sister. She's his wife."
"Good she's useful to him that way. Since she's beautiful, many men are likely to fall in love with her."
"Then he's our enemy. And the warning - it came from her?"
"Yes."
"But are you sure, Holmes? How do you know she's his wife?"
"When he first met you, he told you he once had a school in the north of england. I found out about one that closed down a few years ago. The headmaster and his wife had disappeared. Although the names are different, both Stapleton and the missing headmaster love to collect butterflies and insects, so I'm sure it is the same person."
"But if this woman is his wife, what's his connection to Mrs. Laura Lyons?" I asked.
"Mrs. Lyons has been trying to divorce her husband. Perhaps she wants to marry Stapleton. No one here knows that he is already married."
"And if she founds out?"
"Then she'll be very willing to help us. We'll visit her tomorrow. But now you must return to Baskerville Hall. You have left Sir Henry alone for a long time."
The sky was no longer red. It was quite dark.
"One more question, Holmes," I said as I got up to leave. "What is Stapleton up to?"
Holmes answered in a very low voice. "Murder, Watson, cold-blooded murder. I can't tell you everything now. He plans to kill sir Henry. I hope he won't strike before we're ready. I need one or two mroe days, so you must watch over Sir Henry very carefully."
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