Holmes and Watson End Peace: A Novel of Sherlock Holmes by David Ruffle Page B

the subsequent move to Baker Street brought with it a surge in clients and cases. I am no great believer in fate, yet even I could be persuaded to think that events were moving in response to some grand celestial plan.”
    â€œIn spite of our differences of character or perhaps because of them, our friendship blossomed too.”
    â€œMost assuredly, Watson. And almost before I was even aware of it, your accounts of my cases began to appear to a long suffering public.”
    â€œBut, none without your specific approval.”
    â€œApproval of their publication yes, not their singularly unscientific content depending somewhat on a meretricious effect.”
    â€œDespite your disdain, Holmes, my writing brought you considerable fame and ever more clients.”
    â€œIncluding some that are best forgotten along with their trivial problems that they were under the illusion I would be glad to look into. If I possessed and were to be using at that time, the most powerful microscope on earth, I would not have been able to locate my interest in some of their puzzles. All the same, my workload was never without those cases that promised and delivered so much by way of escape from the dreary commonplace of existence.”
    â€œIn the early days of your career how did Scotland Yard view you?”
    â€œOh, as an upstart and a meddler which was an understandable reaction. The first investigation I offered my assistance on was the strange, but ultimately simple case, known to the world at large as the Andriacco affair, that took place in Deptford in ’79. Lestrade was the official in charge of the case and when an idea as to its solution came to me whilst reading the reports in the newspapers, I went to Deptford immediately to delineate my theory to the inspector.”
    â€œI imagine you were greeted with a good deal of derision.”
    â€œInitially, yes, but once I had proved that my version of the events had to be the correct one, I was taken a little more seriously. I was never to be welcomed with open arms, but a working relationship with some of their ablest officers grew slowly, but surely. Lestrade of course, gained the credit for bringing the miscreant to heel and from that point on he became a regular visitor when he was out of his depth, which was a fairly regular occurrence of course.”
    â€œHaving the ear of officials at Scotland Yard must have paid dividends; doors previously closed to you now became open and you could be said to have authority on your side.”
    â€œIt did not make a pennyworth of difference to me or my work that others perceived me as having authority on my side owing to my connection with the official police force. Indeed, sometimes it was a hindrance in that some people were reluctant to be completely honest with me for fear their words would be written down and used against them. But, on the whole, yes the association was worthwhile.”
    â€œThey were doing the best they could, those officers we had dealings with.”
    â€œYes, but for the most part they lacked a certain amount of imagination which is essential to detective work.”
    â€œBut they did not have your encyclopaedic knowledge of crime history to draw upon.”
    â€œYet, there is no reason that they could not have acquired such knowledge for themselves.”
    â€œThey did have the small matters of earning a living, bringing up families and sleeping to consider. Besides, if they had all acquired this knowledge and learned how to apply it, what kind of position would that have put you in? Your powers would have been negated and all those great cases you solved would have been triumphs for Scotland Yard instead.”
    â€œAs you often did, Watson, you have grasped the truth with your pertinacious insight. I have been indebted to you so often, my friend.”
    â€œThank you. Do my hands look as they should do you, Holmes?”
    â€œYes, they appear to be so,