Two Suspects

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sherlock Holmes or any of the affiliated characters or ideas--their creator is the remarkable Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

KS: Welcome to chapter seven of my contribution to bcbdrums's CHAS AU challenge. This is lasting a lot longer than I thought it would—though admittedly, I did not think about it—which is interesting. Let's just see where it goes. xD

This chapter was not beta-read, since I'm in a bit of a hurry and in an agitated mood, but if anyone has any suggestions/spots any errors, do not hesitate to tell me about them because I always try to save the document for a while.

Enjoy!

I sighed, cupping my chin in my hand as I rapped my pencil against my desk, turning my options in my mind over slowly. Inquiries would have to be made to learn whose lives Milverton had ruined… Alibis would have to be checked…

Like so many others, this would not be a simple 'open-and-shut' case.

But, for now, I closed the file on my desk. It was time for me to go home and sleep until I had to come back to-morrow and start all over again. It seemed like forever since I had last lain my head upon a pillow…

I stood and walked to the door of my office, and just as I was reaching for the handle there was a knock from the other side. A little surprised, I turned the knob and opened it to see a constable standing there with a well-dressed woman beside him.

"A Lady Eva Blackwell to see you, sir," the officer announced.

I frowned, wondering what this would be about. Hopefully it was not some trite matter that she thought was important…I had enough cases on my hand as it was...

"Come in, Lady Blackwell," I said politely, opening the door fully for her to enter.

She stepped in gracefully, and I went back to my desk.

"Please, have a seat and tell me what brings you to Scotland Yard," I said, seating myself after the lady had done so.

"It concerns the murder of Mr. Charles Augustus Milverton," she replied, and I felt my eyebrows shoot toward my hairline.

My hand instinctively took up my pencil. "Have you any information you wish to give?" I asked.

"Perhaps nothing as helpful as you might hope for," she said. "It is more for my own sake that I am here. The newspapers said that odious snake's papers were all burnt…does that mean all of them?"

"Yes, I'm afraid that no physical evidence seems to remain of his dishonourable occupation," I replied.

"Ah, good," said the lady, looking much relieved. She then looked at me curiously. "I suppose you are much on your way to capturing the murderers?"

"We are making progress," I said, not wanting to divulge too much information—for all I knew, she could be the murderess herself!

"Well, as long as no information gets out, I suppose it is good that this is in the hands of officials now. I had consulted Mr. Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street upon the matter, but he seems to have made no progress. I suppose I shall have to drop by to-morrow and tell him he needn't pursue the matter further—"

"I'm afraid you won't be able to do that," said I. "Mr. Holmes is in custody under suspicion for burglary; we believe he was present at the time of the murder."

"Oh," said the woman with slightly shocked surprise.

"We believe he will be able to identify the murderer," I added casually, watching to see her reaction.

"I do not much care if you find him or not," she replied with perfect calm. "That devil deserved every foul death a man could die."

It did not seem that Lady Blackwell was our murderess…

"Do you have any additional information you might be able to share that will assist us in capturing the true culprit?" I asked.

"I'm afraid not, Inspector," she replied. "Mr. Milverton showed me a few instances of women he had blackmailed before, but—"

"You know a few of the other victims?" I asked quickly.

"Not personally, but I know their names."

"Then please, tell me what you can remember," I said, flipping to the next clean leaf in my note-book.

"Well, first was the Lady Beatrice…"

The Lady Blackwell was finished soon enough—she only had three women to speak of. But, at least we knew a little of Milverton's methods…he would use other women as an example to make the ones he was working on more apt to pay his large sums. And, his victims could not retaliate: if they did, he would only be in prison for a few months, and then his victim's ruin would immediately follow his release.

I told an officer on my way out to look through the paper files we had to search for sudden broken engagements among the nobility and wealthy. Our paper files were not as complete as they could be, but it was a start. I would take what information I had gleaned from Lady Blackwell and whatever was gathered in my absence and start my inquiries in the morning.

All that waited was to see where they would lead. I stepped out into the cool night; there was a fog, and an interesting odour was blowing up from the nearby Thames. I shoved my gloved hands into my pockets and turned down the road to walk home, knowing it would be just me and my sobering thoughts in the chill of the night.

KS: Thanks for reading; don't forget to review! And if anyone knows any good sites to research the Victorian legal system I would be very grateful!

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