The Devil's Grin - a Crime Novel Featuring Anna Kronberg and Sherlock Holmes by Annelie Wendeberg

on the table. Holmes didn’t even notice his getting cold. I had almost finished eating as he seemed to return to the present. ‘Do you think we can hear the Oriole’s call in the Berkshire?’
    Hastily, I swallowed the last bit of pork before inhaling it accidentally, opened my mouth, and closed it again with a snap. After a moment of consideration, I answered. ‘Broadmoor Lunatic Asylum? I’m sorry, but I can’t imagine…’ I shook my head, ‘the place is enormous and well controlled; you need to involve a lot of people to keep a breakout secret.’
    ‘ Yet, the note said B ..…OOR,’ he replied. ‘Both men have been at Chertsey at a time as one of them was seriously sick and very weak. The distance they travelled could not have been more than twenty miles, I dare say. Within a twenty mile radius of Chertsey, we have only four places that start with a B: Bracknell, Bagshot, Brookwood, and Broadmoor, and B..…OOR only fits the latter.’
    ‘ What if he wrote down a name?’
    ‘ That is one possibility. But for now let’s assume he had enough brains not to write down the name of a person, as that would be much harder to find than a location. If the two have indeed been in Broadmoor, have contracted Cholera and Tetanus, and broke out without the Yard’s knowledge, then we have an intriguing situation and one should wonder why it has not been reported. Something is being hidden!’
    Holmes was all focus and excitement now. His mimics may have appeared calm and even rigid to the onlooker, but the movements of his entire body were many, very quick, and very small – eyes narrowing a fraction and opening up again, lips compressing, corners of the mouth pulling up or down very slightly, hands gripping the table just a little harder, then letting go again, breath slowing and speeding up, feet shuffling ever so slightly. He vibrated.
    What did he just say ?
    ‘… additionally it appears that both were victims of medical maltreatment to say the least. Both seem to have been infected with tetanus on purpose, which would be outrageous. I think it is time to pay a visit to Broadmoor Lunatic Asylum together with my old acquaintance inspector Lestrade.’ He leaned back, looking expectantly at me.
    ‘ When?’
    ‘ Tomorrow morning.’
    ‘ I have to work. Besides, you don’t need me there. But I’m very much interested in the outcome, of course. Shall we meet after the raid?’
    ‘ So it is a raid now,’ he noted.
    ‘ Sounds more exciting than a mere visit,’ I said pulling one corner of my mouth up.
    ‘ Let’s meet at my quarters at eight then . Mrs Hudson will provide us with dinner.’

Chapter Eight

    At eight o’clock sharp I knocked on the dark oak door and Mrs Hudson opened with a cautious look on her face. Violin music poured down the staircase and I was surprised by the aggressiveness of Holmes’s play. I placed my finger on my lips and Mrs Hudson nodded. Then I walked up the seventeen steps, trying to recall and avoid the ones producing a shy squeal when stepped upon. I settled at the topmost stair and leaned my head against the door. With my eyes closed and my ears wide open I listened to him playing La Tempesta di Mare . It was my favourite of Vivaldi’s works and Holmes was playing it with such force that my heart fidgeted like a salmon on the river bank.
    He had finished the piece and I rose to my feet, about to knock, when he started the Presto . My hand hovering over the doorknob, I did not dare move a muscle. This was the reason for me to stay away from music halls – I would sit on my chair and cry my heart out.
    The violin went quiet again and I heard Holmes groan: ‘ When would you think it appropriate to enter?’
    Slowly my hand lowered itself on the knob, turned it automatically, and opened the door. Just before the fully open door would reveal my face, I rubbed the moisture from my cheeks.
    ‘ Thank you, that was very enjoyable,’ I croaked, wondering how the deuce he had noticed