Sherlock Holmes in Russia

‘So that’s how you intend to carry on,’ shouted Gavriushka, leaping out of his chair. And before the onlookers, who had begun to be interested in their quarrel, could react, he picked up a saucer from the table and let fly at Seriogin with it. If Seriogin hadn’t managed to duck, the saucer would have smashed into his face. But it had been thrown with such force that it hit the opposite wall and with a ring fell to pieces on the floor.

Seriogin, in turn, seized a cup of tea and threw the contents into Gavriushka’s face. ‘Freshen up with that and calm down, because I can smash all this china over your blasted head,’ he said, looking at the panic-stricken Gavriushka, now wiping his scalded face with a table serviette.

The hot shower, it seemed, had its intended effect on Gavriushka. He threw a series of curses at his friend and sat down again, curtly dismissing the waiter who had appeared, saying to him, ‘What are you doing here! Go about your own business! We have our own to look after and we know each other well enough. Don’t bother us.’

The brief outburst also seemed to have an effect on Seriogin. Both began to give ground and before long I noticed that they shook hands in the friendliest manner.

‘So, thirty-five,’ said Gavriushka

‘I’ll be bringing the stuff to the station in four hours,’ said Seriogin, ‘and then that’ll be that.’

Their haggling over, they ordered vodka and bits and pieces to eat and began to speak so softly I could no longer follow what they were saying.

Not wishing to arouse their suspicions, I left and walked my way to the railway station, where I waited for them to appear. There was still plenty of time to dine.

Soon Gavriushka appeared. An hour or so later he was followed by Seriogin in a cab with two sizable baskets. Gavriushka took the baskets and counted out thirty-five roubles. Judging by the expression on his face, he parted with the money only very reluctantly.

Seriogin left, while the thrifty Gavriushka, sitting on one of the baskets, patiently waited for a train. As soon as the train arrived, Gavriushka began to lug his cargo into the coach. Not one to spend so much as ten kopecks on a porter, he carried them in himself, perspiring from the effort, having also spent a good five minutes in a heated argument with the conductor who hadn’t wanted to let him on board with such large-sized baskets.

Eventually the matter was settled and Gavriushka, heaving and blowing, managed to accommodate his cargo on shelves above the seats. I lost him on the way to Moscow, as we travelled in separate coaches.

Before departing from Petersburg, I managed to send Holmes a telegram and he met me in Moscow. I described briefly for him everything I had seen and heard, and asked, shouldn’t we be watching Gavriushka further.

‘Oh, no, there’s no point,’ answered Holmes. ‘It goes without saying that he will take his goods to the bookstore, and we’re better off dropping in on him in an hour’s time, when he will be going through what he has brought with him.’

We hired a cab and drove back to our hotel, chatting and asking each other about the results of our endeavours during the last few days. Just as I had expected, Holmes had wasted no time during my two-day absence.

‘My dear Watson, it would appear we are dealing with a fairly large and well-organized gang, operating under Gavriushka’s leadership in major centres throughout the whole of Russia with the criminal, Fomka Nikishkin, graciously contributing to the success of the enterprise. They are meeting today and I have already taken steps by which I can enter into their conspiracy.’

‘How did you do it?’ I asked.

‘Very simply,’ said Holmes with a smile. ‘Once you find one end of the thread that, in itself, is enough to unravel the entire ball of thread. On this occasion I undertook a very simple action. As you know, at least temporarily I am assistant warehouse manager at Mr Kliukin’s place. That day, when we sat in the tavern opposite Gavriushka Voropayeff’s place, I saw one of Kliukin’s employees going in for some reason. I made inquiries, only to discover he hadn’t been sent by anyone. This was enough for me to conclude that this employee must be on the best of terms with Gavriushka. Two days’ work in the warehouse and I uncovered the fact that this chap, Ivan Buroff by name, also helps out packing cargo dispatched to the provinces. It was no problem for me to get to know him. An evening in his company in Zvereff’s Tavern in Kozitzky Alley and we were fast friends.’

‘You are, indeed, a wizard,’ I exclaimed, listening to Holmes’s account. ‘And what did your friendship lead to, then?’