The Flower Seller ( WAYHAUGHT)

Chapter 19

The two months they were in Switzerland flew by, letters sent back and forth between Sherlock and his family kept each other informed as to daily life in their respective locations. Sherlock really was enjoying the opportunity to be thoroughly spoilt by Nicole's staff, curtailing his music playing so as not to offend the housekeeper. His recovery was progressing well, a few aches and pains, nothing he could not cope with. Waverly and Nicole would tell him of their daily walks in the mountains, their trips on the lake, of being with Wynonna and Alice, of John's pioneering work.

London seemed a world away until a letter from Sherlock arrived one morning informing of an extraordinary turn of events. His letter explained he had been summoned to the jail where Blackwood was awaiting sentencing for his crimes, there to be confronted with a most unusual scene. He explained that as he approached Blackwood's cell one of the guards escorting him had fallen to the floor frothing at the mouth. The other guards would go no further, other than to drag their man away.

"I proceeded to where Blackwood was incarcerated," Sherlock wrote, "the walls of his cell etched with occult drawings identical to those annotated in my notebook. I caught him reciting an incantation, the words of which I was unable to make out."

"Sounds like a complete madman," Wynonna observed.

"On realising my presence, Lord Blackwood had approached the bars of his cell, his eyes darker than any man's I have seen. I fully suspected he was about to pierce my very soul with his occult magic."

"Sherlock wrote that?" Wynonna interrupted.

"Shush," Waverly replied. "Nicole, keep reading."

"He had invited me to draw near, and in doing so whispered three men would fall by his hand, bringing forth an avalanche of death on a scale previously unknown. An event which would change the course of history. I will admit I scoffed at his absurd proclamation, given within a week I was certain he would dance for the hangman."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Waverly said. "A really bad feeling."

Nicole continued. "I believed it to be nothing more than the final fantasy of a madman-"

"See, I said that," Wynonna added. "Didn't I say that?"

"Let Nicole read," Waverly insisted. "What does it say?"

"An observation I believed to be correct," Nicole said, waiting for someone to interrupt her. "Given he was pronounced dead in his cell by Watson the very next day."

Wynonna clapped. "The fellow is dead. Anyone for wine? This calls for a celebration."

"Dead?" Waverly clarified. "By hanging."

"In his cell," Nicole replied, equally confused. "As far as I know, hangings do not take place in cells."

"But, he's dead," Waverly added.

"There's another paragraph," Nicole offered. "Lord Blackwood's body was interred in the family mausoleum in Highgate cemetery the very next day."

"Which means he's definitely dead," Waverly concluded, letting out a sigh. "I shouldn't say this, but I'm glad."

Nicole looked up from the letter. "And, on the third day he rose again."

"What?" Wynonna exclaimed. "He can't have."

Nicole handed her the letter, Wynonna reading the remainder of the paragraph. "The body found in the coffin when opened by Inspector Lestrade was not that of Lord Blackwood. I am in the process of establishing the identity of the dead man, who ended up in said coffin also filled with earth. Rest assured, I shall not stop until I find Blackwood and finally put him to rest forever."