"Watson, hand me my tea." I hand Sherlock his cup and saucer and a daily paper. I got myself a cup and sit across from my colleague. "Watson did you see this?" "Hmm, what is it?"
"'An insurance scandal leads to mass killings.' Oh quite so. This interests me so much. Hmm... Park lane down by... ohh! Watson lets go." He quickly got up and grabbed a coat and out the door before I even got up, my bad leg holding me back. Finally I got up and went out.
Sherlock was up by the lamp by the time I had got out. "Sherlock, where are you going?" "The docks. Don't follow! I can tell your leg is bad. Stay home!" and around the corner he went.
He wasn't back by lunch nor dinner. He returned at midnight with a bundle of papers. He rushed into the room and woke me. "Watson, I have the answer. Look! Look!"
He thrust the pages into my sleepy eyes and I saw clear on each a symbol. I have reproduced the symbol here: Chinese symbol for FIRE. I looked to Sherlock. "What does that mean?"
"It means fire. And the five in hand all have it. Now the sixth page is a list of all the names and red names get the mark. All the marked names are now dead."
"But why them?"
"Ah see each were part of this man's entourage, and when he fell, they never came to help him."
"So he takes their money, then when they get the page with the mark, they go to ask and are killed."
"Exactly so."
"Wow. So where is he?"
"We will have him tomorrow morning for breakfast."
The next morning Sherlock is up early, or never slept, and sitting across is a grisly man, buff, short stature, and full beard. "Watson, this is Mr. Smyth." The man stood and shook my hand, then sat again.
"So sir you know your charges?"
"Aye."
"To the police you go then."
In came Lestrade and took the man away. "Wow I missed something."
"You always do Waston."
