"I met Mr. Parker through the Miss Woodhouse last year here in Oxford. On
a trip to London, I met with him again and we quickly became friends. I
have always been interested in art and Mr. Parker was an art dealer, so it
seemed natural that we should become friends. Anyway, he was getting short
of money because the police had found out that he was a forger and were
coming after him, so his clients stopped buying from him. He asked me to
help him find a way to get more money," Miss Small said.
"I just have one question," said Holmes, "Why would he ask you to help him?"
She looked away from his glare. "During that time, he had become engaged to Lily, but he told me that it was only for her money. He also said that he would rather marry me instead and that he had fallen in love with me, but I have very little money. Barely enough to keep us living in Bloomsbury."
Holmes raised his eyebrow questioningly and turned his glare to Parker, who seemed to be sulking in his chair. "Why Miss Small, may I ask? Surely Miss Woodhouse would have been enough for you."
"Pheobe has what Lily didn't; character," Parker said, "Lily may have been a sweet girl and all that, but she was too innocent for my liking. I liked her because she had the money I needed."
I nearly opened my mouth to yell at the man, but Holmes saw the anger in my face and quickly interrupted me.
"That's very interesting, Mr. Parker," was all he said, "It certainly adds to your sentence a few years because it was planned very long beforehand."
Parker glared at him and was silent. Miss Small continued her narrative.
"After Lily changed her will to leave everything to Mr. Parker, we decided to get rid of Lily and collect her fortune. We thought of a traffic accident, but that could be easily traced. Falling off of Magdalen Tower wouldn't have worked either because Lily was afraid of heights. The only thing that would really work was to make it look like suicide," she told us.
"You certainly didn't do a very good job at it," I snapped, "Four or five of the students heard your voices in the hall and you left your footprints all over the room. What you did was a very messy job that any real criminal would laugh at."
Holmes touched my arm. "It's alright, Russell. Let them finish their story, then you can yell and scream at them all you want," he muttered into my ear.
"As I was saying," Miss Small said sarcastically, "Lily was a bit depressed because she lost all of her family during the war. Her brother died in battle, and her parents died of grief. So eventually, she might have had enough and hung herself. That's what we tried to make of it all; even to the point of getting rid of her engagement ring, which Mr. Parker threw across the room into a dark corner. Had we known that a real detective would have been investigating into the matter, we would have been more careful. But, as it went, we thought that the police would simply say that it was a definite suicide and we would have gotten off with all of the money."
"What about Miss Woodhouse's will?" Holmes asked, "Surely stealing it from the Warden's office is going a bit too far?"
"I had to take it after I found out that Miss Russell here was getting a bit too curious," Miss Small sneered, "That's also why I had to make her quiet before she could tell the police what she knew."
"Even if you had murdered me, Miss Small," I said as calmly as I could, "I had sent a telegram to my husband telling him that you were indeed the second murderer, so killing me would simply have added to your reasons for hanging you."
Miss Small glowered at me but said nothing.
"One thing that I would like to know," the inspector said to Parker, "is how long you have been looking at getting Miss Woodhouse's fortune. Did her brother tell you about it during the war?"
"Yes, he told me about it," Parker replied coldly, "and he also asked me to look after his sister for him if he died. They were very close were very attached to each other."
After the two were led out of the office, the inspector looked sheepishly at Holmes.
"Once again you found the answers before we did, Mr. Holmes," he said, "and you too, Miss Russell. I never would have thought it to be Miss Small, though I believed you on the London man. You can't trust those city types in a town like this, you know. Anyway, I'd like to thank you both for the help you gave me and my force."
"Well," Holmes replied rather lost for words, "It had to be done and I was looking for Parker in London, except as an art forger instead. Russell did most of the work, really, because she knew Miss Woodhouse quite well."
* * *
One week after these events, I lay on the grass of the South Downs, watching the water below the cliffs. Neither Holmes nor I had even spoken of what happened to us in Oxford; I had even tried not to think about them. But now as I lay there, everything played out in my mind until I could finally make sense of it all. The sun was setting when I heard a sound beside me, and I realized that I had actually fallen asleep.
"It's nearly dinner, Russell," Holmes said, sitting down on the grass beside me. "You know how Mrs. Hudson hates to be kept waiting and anyway, it's getting rather cold for an outdoor slumber, don't you think?"
"Holmes," I said quietly, "Why does it seem as if good people have to die simply because someone else wants what they have? I mean, couldn't have Parker just married Lily and used her money then instead of killing her to get it?"
Holmes took out his pile and filled it. "Greed is something that some people have in excess, Russell. Parker knew that if he married Lily, she would have not let him take too much of it and then he wouldn't have been able to have Miss Small either," he sighed and looked towards the channel. "I feel that if I had not waited to catch him in London, your student would have still been alive and none have this would have happened."
I laid my hand on top of his. "Some things happen, Holmes, that we all say we could have prevented, but there's nothing we can do to change the past and stop what happened. Anyway, it got me out of Oxford," I added with a smile.
"On that I couldn't agree more, my dear Russell," Holmes said getting up and offering a hand to me. I took it and we walked home in perfect solidarity to dinner.
~ * * * ~
Author's Note
Perhaps I should add a few things before I complete this story about what occurred to some of the characters. Soon after these events, Holmes and Russell took a trip to the European Continent, where they met some more interesting adversaries and problems. Life was quiet for them during the next year and a half, but in 1923, the two of them solved three intriguing cases in a row. Whenever they mentioned this case, it was always alluded to as the 'forgery case' because neither of them wanted to speak of it for it brought pain to them both.
Harriet Vane graduated with top honours from university and became a famous novelist. In 1929, she was tried for murder, but was acquitted with the help of another famous detective, Lord Peter Wimsey. The two of them solved two cases together, one of them at her Oxford college, before they married in 1935.
The duo of Miss Small and Mr. Parker were tried and hung for the murder of Lily Woodhouse on October 2, 1921, three weeks after the events mentioned in the story. The jury only took fifteen minutes to discuss before they reached their verdict.
All of the Woodhouse money was donated to the women's college and was greatly appreciated by the dean and the warden.
Thanks to all of the people who reviewed this story for their wonderful and helpful thoughts. I would also like to thank Arthur Conan Doyle, Laurie R. King, and Dorothy L. Sayers for making up the characters that I used; it's their novels and stories that have given me much of my inspiration to write.
"I just have one question," said Holmes, "Why would he ask you to help him?"
She looked away from his glare. "During that time, he had become engaged to Lily, but he told me that it was only for her money. He also said that he would rather marry me instead and that he had fallen in love with me, but I have very little money. Barely enough to keep us living in Bloomsbury."
Holmes raised his eyebrow questioningly and turned his glare to Parker, who seemed to be sulking in his chair. "Why Miss Small, may I ask? Surely Miss Woodhouse would have been enough for you."
"Pheobe has what Lily didn't; character," Parker said, "Lily may have been a sweet girl and all that, but she was too innocent for my liking. I liked her because she had the money I needed."
I nearly opened my mouth to yell at the man, but Holmes saw the anger in my face and quickly interrupted me.
"That's very interesting, Mr. Parker," was all he said, "It certainly adds to your sentence a few years because it was planned very long beforehand."
Parker glared at him and was silent. Miss Small continued her narrative.
"After Lily changed her will to leave everything to Mr. Parker, we decided to get rid of Lily and collect her fortune. We thought of a traffic accident, but that could be easily traced. Falling off of Magdalen Tower wouldn't have worked either because Lily was afraid of heights. The only thing that would really work was to make it look like suicide," she told us.
"You certainly didn't do a very good job at it," I snapped, "Four or five of the students heard your voices in the hall and you left your footprints all over the room. What you did was a very messy job that any real criminal would laugh at."
Holmes touched my arm. "It's alright, Russell. Let them finish their story, then you can yell and scream at them all you want," he muttered into my ear.
"As I was saying," Miss Small said sarcastically, "Lily was a bit depressed because she lost all of her family during the war. Her brother died in battle, and her parents died of grief. So eventually, she might have had enough and hung herself. That's what we tried to make of it all; even to the point of getting rid of her engagement ring, which Mr. Parker threw across the room into a dark corner. Had we known that a real detective would have been investigating into the matter, we would have been more careful. But, as it went, we thought that the police would simply say that it was a definite suicide and we would have gotten off with all of the money."
"What about Miss Woodhouse's will?" Holmes asked, "Surely stealing it from the Warden's office is going a bit too far?"
"I had to take it after I found out that Miss Russell here was getting a bit too curious," Miss Small sneered, "That's also why I had to make her quiet before she could tell the police what she knew."
"Even if you had murdered me, Miss Small," I said as calmly as I could, "I had sent a telegram to my husband telling him that you were indeed the second murderer, so killing me would simply have added to your reasons for hanging you."
Miss Small glowered at me but said nothing.
"One thing that I would like to know," the inspector said to Parker, "is how long you have been looking at getting Miss Woodhouse's fortune. Did her brother tell you about it during the war?"
"Yes, he told me about it," Parker replied coldly, "and he also asked me to look after his sister for him if he died. They were very close were very attached to each other."
After the two were led out of the office, the inspector looked sheepishly at Holmes.
"Once again you found the answers before we did, Mr. Holmes," he said, "and you too, Miss Russell. I never would have thought it to be Miss Small, though I believed you on the London man. You can't trust those city types in a town like this, you know. Anyway, I'd like to thank you both for the help you gave me and my force."
"Well," Holmes replied rather lost for words, "It had to be done and I was looking for Parker in London, except as an art forger instead. Russell did most of the work, really, because she knew Miss Woodhouse quite well."
* * *
One week after these events, I lay on the grass of the South Downs, watching the water below the cliffs. Neither Holmes nor I had even spoken of what happened to us in Oxford; I had even tried not to think about them. But now as I lay there, everything played out in my mind until I could finally make sense of it all. The sun was setting when I heard a sound beside me, and I realized that I had actually fallen asleep.
"It's nearly dinner, Russell," Holmes said, sitting down on the grass beside me. "You know how Mrs. Hudson hates to be kept waiting and anyway, it's getting rather cold for an outdoor slumber, don't you think?"
"Holmes," I said quietly, "Why does it seem as if good people have to die simply because someone else wants what they have? I mean, couldn't have Parker just married Lily and used her money then instead of killing her to get it?"
Holmes took out his pile and filled it. "Greed is something that some people have in excess, Russell. Parker knew that if he married Lily, she would have not let him take too much of it and then he wouldn't have been able to have Miss Small either," he sighed and looked towards the channel. "I feel that if I had not waited to catch him in London, your student would have still been alive and none have this would have happened."
I laid my hand on top of his. "Some things happen, Holmes, that we all say we could have prevented, but there's nothing we can do to change the past and stop what happened. Anyway, it got me out of Oxford," I added with a smile.
"On that I couldn't agree more, my dear Russell," Holmes said getting up and offering a hand to me. I took it and we walked home in perfect solidarity to dinner.
~ * * * ~
Author's Note
Perhaps I should add a few things before I complete this story about what occurred to some of the characters. Soon after these events, Holmes and Russell took a trip to the European Continent, where they met some more interesting adversaries and problems. Life was quiet for them during the next year and a half, but in 1923, the two of them solved three intriguing cases in a row. Whenever they mentioned this case, it was always alluded to as the 'forgery case' because neither of them wanted to speak of it for it brought pain to them both.
Harriet Vane graduated with top honours from university and became a famous novelist. In 1929, she was tried for murder, but was acquitted with the help of another famous detective, Lord Peter Wimsey. The two of them solved two cases together, one of them at her Oxford college, before they married in 1935.
The duo of Miss Small and Mr. Parker were tried and hung for the murder of Lily Woodhouse on October 2, 1921, three weeks after the events mentioned in the story. The jury only took fifteen minutes to discuss before they reached their verdict.
All of the Woodhouse money was donated to the women's college and was greatly appreciated by the dean and the warden.
Thanks to all of the people who reviewed this story for their wonderful and helpful thoughts. I would also like to thank Arthur Conan Doyle, Laurie R. King, and Dorothy L. Sayers for making up the characters that I used; it's their novels and stories that have given me much of my inspiration to write.