Chapter 26: A Coded Message

Previous: A Gift Of Logic

Which papers?" asked Hughes.
"All of them!" replied Holmes.

When all the other guests had departed, William Hughes invited us into his study for another chat. "I'm sorry to say I haven't had enough clarity of mind to ask you about your fees, Mr. Holmes. We're not wealthy, as you can see, but --"

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Hughes," replied my companion. "Over the years, I have been approached many times by wealthy and powerful people who have wished nothing more than my help in covering up their indiscretions. Sometimes I have acted on their behalf, and they have paid me very handsomely, to the benefit of all my other clients.

"In other words, money is not a problem for us," the detective continued. "We appreciate your hospitality, and you have been most helpful."

"Thank you, sir," said Hughes. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Will you be going out tomorrow?" Holmes inquired.

"We're going to church in the morning, sir," said Hughes. "You and Dr. Watson are welcome to join us if you wish."

"I think not," said Holmes, "provided you don't mind leaving us behind."

"Not a bit," said our host.

"In that case," said my friend, "would you be so kind as to bring the morning papers with you when you return?"

"Which papers?" asked Hughes.

"All of them!" replied Holmes, reaching for his wallet.

"Yes, of course," said Hughes with a chuckle. "I should have known you would read them all. No, no, keep your money, sir. It's quite all right.

"We’ll return around noon, and Ceri and Chris will join us for lunch," he continued. "You will have a chance to speak with them privately after the meal, sir."

Hughes thanked us again and wished us good night, Holmes and I retired to our rooms, and I spent a fitful time trying to sleep amid visions of the man in the bag, a struggle which served to increase my empathy for the grieving family. Finally, after several hours of tossing and turning, I fell into a deep slumber.

My companion, as usual, had no trouble sleeping. He arose early, asked Hughes to let me sleep, and left a tray of breakfast in my room along with a note.

Watson,

I've gone for a walk while the family attends church.

Please enjoy your breakfast in time for lunch.

SH

Holmes returned just as I finished eating, having met a few of the neighbours.

"Our host is a politician," said my friend, "and well-respected in the area, as far as I can find out."

"A local politician, I take it," I said, knowing the sort likely to rise to national prominence.

"Indeed," said Holmes. "He's a councillor here on Anglesey."

"Perhaps his success in politics accounts for his spine in the face of the smear campaign mounted against Gareth," I suggested.

"It is entirely possible," said Holmes. "Or it could be that his spine accounts for his success in local politics. In any event, the other members of the family are fortunate to have such a man representing them in public -- unless I'm reading this all wrong!"

"I don't think you are," I said.

"You never do," said he.

When the family returned from church, Hughes handed Holmes a stack of morning papers and said, "I saw one of Gareth's former schoolmates at church this morning, and I've invited him here as well, Mr. Holmes. I don't know if he will have much to tell you, but I thought you might like to hear from him directly."

Holmes nodded and Hughes continued. "Lunch will be served in about half an hour, sir. If you wish to spend some time alone with these papers, you're welcome to use my study."

"We need to get back to London tomorrow," said Holmes a few minutes later, in the privacy of the study.

"What's happening?" I asked.

He held out the classified section of The Times. "Look at this," he said, pointing to a small advertisement which read:

Vladimir,

He was here on Monday. Too bad you missed him.

Estragon

"What? Waiting For Godot?" I exclaimed. "What is the meaning of this?"

"It's the message I've been expecting," he said, "from Buckingham Slate!"

Next: Lloyd Phillips

Chapter 27: Lloyd Phillips

Previous: A Coded Message

"I'm not accusing anyone of anything," he said.

Holmes tore through the other papers in his usual rapid manner, slowing down only once and then not for very long. "Not much of substance in the papers today, Watson," he said. "The Independent has an article that may prove to be of some value, but all the other London dailies are silent. We seem to be on our own for the moment."

Having scanned all the papers and left them in a ragged heap, he then required my assistance to fold and stack them, a task we had nearly finished when William Hughes knocked on the door. "Lunch is almost ready," he said. "We can eat whenever it suits you."

A few minutes later we joined the family in the dining room, where Hughes introduced us to Gareth's sister Ceri and her husband Chris. Once again we expressed our condolences, and once again family members thanked us for our interest in the case. "We'll talk after lunch," said Holmes, and we sat down to eat.

We had nearly finished dessert when Hughes got up to answer the door and returned with Gareth's former schoolmate, Lloyd Phillips. Ceri and Chris were planning to stay until early evening, so we quickly changed the plan; we took our coffee to the study, and Phillips joined us there.

"According to William Hughes, you and Gareth Williams attended school together," said Holmes. "Is that correct?"

"Yes sir," replied Lloyd Phillips, "we attended secondary school together in Bodedern."

"Was that the extent of your acquaintance?" asked Holmes.

"No, sir. We were friends, too," said Phillips.

"How was Gareth regarded by the other students?" asked Holmes.

"We all knew he was going places, sir," said Lloyd Phillips. "He stood out because at every level at school he was so far ahead of everyone else in the class."

"Apart from his academic prowess," said Holmes, "what sort of classmate was he?"

"He was a very nice lad," said Phillips, "quiet and hard-working."

"That seems to be the image he presented to everyone," said the detective.

"I don't think it was image, sir," said Phillips. "That was him. He was always quiet, not just in class."

"Did you ever glimpse the personality behind the quiet?" asked Holmes.

"Yes, sir, I did," said Lloyd Phillips. "He was a decent, honest person."

"How do you know that?" asked Sherlock Holmes.

"I'll tell you how I know that," said Phillips. "One day we both had some money and a bit of free time, and we decided a treat was in order, so we went to the local sweet shop. Gareth bought some candy, and of course in those days we were paying for everything in cash, sir. When the clerk gave Gareth his change, she didn't count it out for him, she just put it in his hand.

"Gareth looked at the change for a moment, then dumped it onto the counter and said, 'Would you mind counting this again, please?'

"The clerk gave him a bit of a snarl and said, 'What's the matter, lad? Are you accusing me of short-changing you?'

"Gareth smiled and said, 'Oh no, ma'am, I'm not accusing anyone of anything. I'd just like to see you count the change again, if you'd be so kind.'

"He was so polite about it, she couldn't object, sir, and when she counted it again, she saw that she had made a mistake -- in Gareth's favour! Then she turned a bit sheepish, and thanked him for pointing out her error.

"Gareth smiled and took up the change that was rightfully his, and that was the end of it as far as he was concerned, Mr. Holmes."

"Remarkable," said Sherlock Holmes.

"It's not very remarkable at all, sir," said Phillips, "if you'll forgive me for saying so. That was his way. He probably couldn't have done any different.

"He had noticed her mistake immediately, of course, him being Gareth. He never had to think about arithmetic, sir, it just came to him in a snap.

"And he never would have taken more than the correct change. That was always the way with him. He wanted things done right -- even little things. He didn't want to profit from the mistakes of others. He wanted to succeed on his own merit."

"He seems to have had plenty of that," said Holmes.

"Indeed, sir," said Phillips. "He used to get so many perfect scores on tests, I think he lulled some of our teachers to sleep."

"Oh yes?" said the detective. "How so?"

"Not literally, sir," said Lloyd Phillips, "but they were accustomed to giving him full marks, and every now and then he would make a mistake on a test and they wouldn't catch it, sir."

"How do you know?" asked Holmes.

"We used to go over all the questions in class, after every test. We all checked our papers like hawks, trying to spot any potential half-mark which the teacher hadn't awarded. Sometimes you could get an extra mark or two that way.

"Well, most of us, anyway, sir, but not Gareth. He would usually have perfect marks, so he would look over his test to see that he had answered all the questions correctly -- and if he hadn't, and if his incorrect answer hadn't been marked wrong, he would point out his mistake to the teacher."

"He would complain about getting too many marks?" Holmes asked in amazement.

"Oh, no, sir. He wouldn't actually complain," said Phillips. "But he would always point it out, which would cause a bit of laugher in the class. The teachers would never penalize him for errors he'd made that they hadn't caught, and I think that may have frustrated him, Mr. Holmes. He would have preferred a lower mark if he thought it would be more accurate."

"That's amazing," said Holmes.

"But that was Gareth," said Lloyd Phillips. "He was an amazing fellow.

"Gareth had a special feeling for numbers, sir. He always wanted the numbers to be right.

"And he didn't really need the marks, Mr. Holmes. He could have gone anywhere he wanted, with a brain like his, whether his marks were perfect or just slightly below."

"But what about the money?" asked Holmes. "Surely, as a youngster, he could have used any extra change that came his way."

"I suppose he could have used it, sir," replied Phillips. "But he didn't want it unless it belonged to him."

Holmes gave Lloyd Phillips a quizzical look, but did not speak.

"He knew arithmetic was difficult for many people, sir," said Phillips, "and he didn't want to take advantage of them."

"He sounds like an extraordinary young man," said my companion.

"Exactly, sir," said Lloyd Phillips. "He was the sort you might meet once in a lifetime, if you're lucky.

"I don't expect to see his like again. Not in this life, sir."

Next: Chris And Ceri Subbe

Chapter 28: Chris And Ceri Subbe

Previous: Lloyd Phillips

Gareth Williams' brother-in-law, Chris Subbe

After Lloyd Phillips had departed, Gareth Williams' sister Ceri and her husband Chris joined us in the study.

"Thank you for coming to see us," said Holmes to the young couple.

"It's an honour, sir," said Chris Subbe. "It's been such a horrible tragedy for the family. The press seem to be lined up against us -- for what reason, we do not know. But if not for you and Dr. Watson, we would be facing this all alone, sir."

"Tell us about your brother-in-law," said Sherlock Holmes.

"He was fun," said Chris, "funny, and very friendly, sir. It was a joy to speak with him. He always provided subtle and thoughtful conversation."

"We've been told he was very quiet," said Holmes.

"He was, sir," said Chris. "He spoke softly and slowly, and you had to pay attention to catch what he was saying. But he was always worth listening to, sir."

"We understand he was a very gifted mathematician," said my friend.

"Oh yes, sir," replied Chris. "He was unbelievably gifted, Mr. Holmes. But he remained so modest and humble, he was a source of joy to his family."

"When did you last see him?" Holmes asked.

"It was in June," said Chris. "Ceri and I spent a day in London, and we met Gareth for lunch at The Ritz."

"How did he seem?" asked Holmes. "Was he happy?"

"Yes, sir," Chris replied. "He was in fine spirits. We spent the afternoon with him, laughing and joking the whole time."

"Did he ever give you the impression that anything was bothering him?" my friend inquired.

"No, Mr. Holmes," replied Chris. "Never."

Gareth Williams' sister, Ceri Subbe

Holmes turned to Ceri and said, "Tell me about your brother."

"I adored him, Mr. Holmes," said Ceri. "He was both brother and best friend to me. It's a horrible loss, sir."

"Were you in the habit of speaking with Gareth frequently?" asked Holmes.

"When he was in the country, yes, sir," replied his sister. "Sometimes he would travel to the United States for work, and the time difference could be a problem. But when he was in England, we spoke to each other at least a couple of times a week."

"When was the last time you spoke with Gareth?" inquired my friend.

"Well, sir," replied Ceri, "I'm not sure whether I can answer that question."

"Have you forgotten the answer?" asked Holmes.

"No, sir," said Ceri.

"Well then?" prompted Holmes.

"I'm sorry, sir," said Ceri, "but I've been instructed not to talk about it."

"By whom?" inquired the detective.

"I'm not at liberty to say, sir," she replied.

"Can you tell us whether you phoned the police and asked them to check on Gareth on August 23rd?" asked Holmes.

"No, sir," Ceri replied, "I'm afraid I cannot answer that."

"Have you been instructed not to do so?" Holmes asked.

"Yes, sir," said Ceri.

"Who gave you those instructions?" Holmes asked again.

"I'm, sorry, sir, I can't tell you that," said Ceri.

"Was there a time when you were able to answer such questions as these?" the detective asked.

"Yes, sir," she said.

"When was that?" he asked.

"When we first found out about Gareth, sir," said Ceri. "I spoke quite freely with family members in the next day or two."

"But then something happened?" asked Holmes.

"Well, sir," she replied, "I was invited down to London by the police. They said they wanted my help, sir, but, um, well, I don't think I should say any more, Mr. Holmes. I have probably said too much already."

Next: A Burst Of Anger

Chapter 29: A Burst Of Anger

Previous: Chris And Ceri Subbe

"Have you sold your house yet, Dr. Subbe?"

"Never! Just never!!" Sherlock Holmes exclaimed, in a burst of anger the likes of which I had not seen for many years. "This will never do!"

"I'm very sorry, sir," said Ceri Subbe, visibly shaken.

Holmes spun and looked at the young woman. "Did you think I was angry at you?" he asked.

"That's what it looks like, sir," she replied. "Do you mean to say you're not?"

"Of course not," he answered. "What have you done wrong? I'm angry at what has been done to you, and to your brother, and to your parents..."

His voice trailed off, leaving a silence which no one dared to break.

Finally Holmes, composing himself, turned to Chris Subbe and said, "Have you sold your house yet, Dr. Subbe?"

"No, sir," he replied.

"Can you take it off the market for a while?" asked the detective.

"I suppose we can. But what? How? I'm sorry, Mr. Holmes," said Chris Subbe, "but I don't follow you. How did you know we were trying to sell our house? How did you know I'm a doctor? And what do either of these things have to do with Gareth?"

"I make it my business to know things," said Sherlock Holmes. "And if I were you, in light my wife's situation, I would take my home off the market, if only to keep random strangers out for a while. Bad enough, we have to assume the walls have ears by now. Who knows how many chances they've had to install some?"

"Install what?" asked Chris.

"Surveillance equipment," replied Holmes."Microphones, transmitters, who knows what else?

"If it ever comes up," the detective continued, "it may be very important for you both to be able to say truthfully that I asked Ceri certain questions and she refused to answer me."

Chris and Ceri both nodded, and my friend continued, "However, we are trying to run an investigation. That's why we came here, and it is never good policy to walk away from information. Do you understand?"

"Yes, of course," said Chris Subbe, nodding.

His wife, barely moving, said softly, "I think so, sir."

Holmes smiled at Ceri and said, "Please don't worry. I won't ask you any more questions."

Then he turned to Chris and said, "When did Ceri last speak with Gareth?"

"It was Wednesday, the 11th of August, sir," said Chris. "She spoke with him on the phone that evening."

"And how was he?" asked the detective.

"He seemed very well, sir," said Chris. "If anything was wrong, he didn't mention it to his sister."

"Would he have done so, normally?" asked Holmes.

"Yes, I think so, sir," answered Chris.

"Was it Ceri who phoned the police?" asked Holmes.

"Yes, sir," said Chris. "She had phoned Gareth several times in the previous week, leaving messages for him each time and getting more nervous with every call that he didn't return. She finally got upset enough to phone the police on the 23rd. That was the Monday, Mr. Holmes."

"Excellent, " said Holmes. "Thank you. I have all the information I wanted, and Ceri never answered these questions. Isn't that remarkable?

"When you get home," Holmes continued, "you mustn't say a word about this part of the conversation, even to each other. Not even a whisper. Assume the walls have very good ears. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," said Chris. Ceri said nothing. She appeared to be wondering whether she had made a terrible mistake.

"Have either of you been threatened?" asked Holmes.

"Not I," said Chris. Ceri didn't seem so sure.

"Ceri," said my friend, "you should continue to follow the advice you got from the police, and say nothing of these perplexing questions to anyone.

"As for you, Dr. Subbe," continued the great detective, "this conversation never happened. Do you read me?"

"What conversation?" asked Chris.

Next: Invaluable Knowledge

Chapter 30: Invaluable Knowledge

Previous: A Burst Of Anger

Sunset over Colwyn Bay, North Wales

"I've been trying to get in touch with Terry Hewitt," said William Hughes, after the conversation with Chris and Ceri that never happened, "but I can't seem to catch him. He was Gareth's faculty advisor at Manchester University, sir, and I thought you might like to talk to him."

"Indeed I would," said Sherlock Holmes.

"He's in Bangor now," said Hughes, "and perhaps you could meet him on your way back to London."

"We are due in London tomorrow," said Holmes, "so unless you can reach him tonight, we'll wait and meet Mr. Hewitt on another visit."

"If you please, sir," said Chris, "we could take you as far as Chester this evening, put you up overnight, and drive you to the station in the morning on our way to work. You could be in London by noon, if that suits you."

"It's a very generous offer," said Holmes. "We cannot accept it."

"It's nothing, sir," said Chris. "We'd be happy to help you in any way we can."

"A ride to Chester would be very helpful," replied Holmes. "But we cannot spend the night in your home, which is almost certainly being watched. You will need to be as subtle and nonchalant as possible there, and that will be difficult enough without a consulting detective in your guest room. Can you drop us at a hotel near the station on your way home?"

"Yes, of course," said Chris. So the next step in our plan was set. We packed our few belongings, enjoyed a very tasty Sunday dinner with Chris and Ceri and the Hughes family, and spent an hour and a half riding with the Subbes across the north of Wales and down to Chester.

Along the way we spoke of many things, most of them unrelated to the case. Chris and especially Ceri seemed to have had enough -- enough of being interviewed, enough of having their lives disrupted, enough of being bereaved.

It seemed we could help them most by chatting about other things, so we spoke about horse racing, football matches, and classical music, among other subjects. But as we neared our destination, Chris turned the conversation back to the death of his brother-in-law.

"If I may be so bold as to ask, Mr. Holmes," he said, "are you getting anywhere on this case? We all appreciate your support and your presence very much, but I can't help wondering why you're here at the moment, rather than in London, sir."

"It's because I wanted to meet you," said Holmes. "And I wanted to meet Ceri, and Ian and Ellen, and I was hoping to meet one of Gareth's former teachers, and maybe even one of his former friends. Thanks to Mr. Hughes, we have managed to do all this.

"Some of the people we have met here have spoken to reporters, and they have told us very little that we could not have gleaned from a careful reading of the papers," my friend continued. "But I wanted to meet them, shake their hands, watch them as they talked, ask them questions, and learn what I could, not only from their answers, but from their body language, and their manner of answering -- or not answering, as the case may be," he added, with half a wink in Ceri's direction.

"Dr. Watson," Holmes turned to speak to me, "you have met all these people. You have watched and listened as they spoke. Have you met anyone on this trip whom you were not inclined to trust?"

"Only one," said I. "I have some doubt about the hotel clerk in Holyhead. I thought there was something very odd about the way he said he couldn't find our reservation."

"Yes, I noticed that too," said Holmes. "But of the people connected with this investigation?"

"They all seem perfectly trustworthy to me, Holmes," I said.

"And I believe you are correct," said my friend.

Then, to Chris, he said, "We have gained invaluable knowledge this weekend, Dr. Subbe, and we could not have done so without coming here.

"As for London," Holmes continued, "we'll be there soon enough. I have no doubt that the solution to our puzzle lies in the great city. But without the background knowledge we have obtained in Wales, our chance of finding it would have been very slim indeed."

"So you are making progress?" asked Chris hopefully.

"You might say that," said Holmes. "If nothing else, we're getting closer to Chester."

A few minutes later we were saying our goodbyes at the hotel. "When you get home," said the detective to the young couple, "remember my admonition about speaking freely there."

"That," said Chris, "may be the only part of our conversation that we will remember -- at least officially."

"Good for you," said Holmes. "I think you'll be fine. Take good care of Ceri. She's been through an awful lot lately."

"Indeed I will," said Chris. "Thanks very much again. And best of luck to both of you."

Next: A Very Curious Matter