Sherlock Holmes in Russia

‘First of all, we both got drunk, well, he more than I. He seemed to see in me a pack leader, and when I finally hinted that it would be mutually profitable to collaborate, he saw the point immediately. Finally, he showed his cards. He said he regretted I hadn’t appeared earlier. He found it difficult to work on his own, but he assured me that working with him, what with me as an assistant warehouse manager, could lead to us both making quite a lot of money. On the third day of our acquaintanceship, we managed to drag away a hundred books, which we temporarily placed in a room I had set aside in the warehouse.’

‘So far I am with you,’ I exclaimed. ‘But what about the conference?’

Holmes laughed merrily.

‘You have to understand that I am now, so to speak, one of the gang, having been inducted by working for it and, of course, having full right to attend general meetings of this all-Russia enterprise.’

‘Have you, at least, spoken to Kliukin?’

‘Of course, though mind you, he hadn’t even noticed the thieving that took place. He has so many books piled up in his warehouse that they cannot be properly sorted out and the only way to solve the crime is by a thorough stock-taking in the bookshop and warehouse. And that only takes place once a year.’

‘What time is the conference?’

‘At nine in the evening.’

At the hotel, we went up to our room and I lay down to rest. However short the journey, nevertheless it had tired me out and it was with considerable relief that I slept for a couple of hours on my soft bed.

VIII

I woke from my nap to find Sherlock Holmes out. With nothing to do, I began to read the papers, which took up the rest of the day and part of the evening. Holmes returned that evening at ten, somewhat depressed and dissatisfied with something.

‘You look as if all is not well,’ I asked, ‘is that so?’

‘Indeed, the day has not been much of a success,’ he answered.

‘Perhaps you didn’t get to the meeting of conspirators?’

‘I got to it, all right, except that Gavriushka turned out to be much more cautious than I anticipated,’ Sherlock Holmes began. ‘He noticed my presence at once, and although he was somewhat reassured when Buroff announced that I had already taken part in their work, despite that he had me leave on the grounds that I was insufficiently known to him.’

For some minutes, Holmes paced up and down the room, deep in thought.

‘We’ll have to see Kliukin today. I want a sudden, unexpected inventory carried out. If he agrees, I shall also go to the criminal investigation department and ask for Gavriushka’s and Semionoff’s premises to be searched. Would you like to come with me, Watson?’

‘With pleasure,’ I answered.

Wasting no time, we dressed, stopped a cab and instructed the driver to take us to Vagankovsk Alley, where Kliukin lived. He was home and immediately took us through to his office and shut the door. Holmes gave him the results of his surveillance in a few words and asked whether he would like to turn to the investigation department with a request to make a sudden search of the shops belonging to Gavriushka Voropayeff and Semionoff.

‘And so, I await only your consent to carry out a search,’ said Holmes.

For some minutes Kliukin was deep in thought. ‘All right,’ he said at last. ‘If you consider it necessary, so be it.’

‘And I may make the request to the head of the criminal investigation department in your name?’

‘Of course.’

On this, the business part of our conversation ended and we turned to other matters. We stayed till half past eleven and returned to the hotel. That night Holmes didn’t sleep in the hotel and when I asked where he intended to stay the night, he said, ‘Shared lodgings. Perhaps I’ll learn something new and interesting from Buroff.’

I only saw him at two on the afternoon of the next day.

‘Well, my dear Watson,’ he said, entering our hotel room, ‘on this occasion we didn’t err.’

‘What happened?’ I asked, knowing perfectly well that a man like Holmes wasn’t likely to waste a night and half a day in vain.

‘I had a good time with Buroff in the tavern,’ answered Holmes.

‘And you found something out?’

‘Not all that much. Yesterday’s meeting was quite stormy. Gavriushka is very tight when it comes to money and he was nearly beaten up because of it. By the way, Fomka Nikishkin did land him one in the face. I suspect Fomka somewhat lords it over him.’

‘And what were they talking about?’ I asked.