Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were sitting around 221-B Baker
Street reminiscing about old times.
Holmes: Watson, which of our cases did you
enjoy the most? (Now Holmes glances out the window.)
Watson: Well Holmes, that is a tough one.
“The Musgrave Ritual” was fascinating and so was The
“Sign Of The Four.” Something about the busts in
“The Six Napoleons” always intrigued me. If it
wasn’t any of these then I’d say “The Red-Headed
League,” or ”The Final Problem.”
Just then there was a knock at the door.
Watson: Why who could be calling at this hour
of the morning?
Holmes: I believe it will be a tall man with
broad shoulders, large hands and a warm smile. It is possible that
his name is Tom.
Watson: Really Holmes, you amaze me.
Holmes: Elementary my dear Watson. When the
door opens a man will present himself. He will seek my services as
a consulting detective. Around his neck will be a thin yellow cord.
It will contain a hook, to which will be attached an electronic
device to receive signals from a global positioning system. Oh, and
if I’m not mistaken, in his left vest pocket will be a golf
ball, and a metal badge with the characters C0BKE6 on it.
Watson: Nonsense Holmes. Don’t be
preposterous.
Holmes: (opens the door) Hello Mrs. Hudson.
Hudson: Good morning Mr. Holmes. There is a Mr.
Thomas Richardson to see you.
Holmes: You may show him right in. Thank you
Mrs. Hudson. We won’t be needing you the rest of the
morning.
Mr. Richardson enters.
Richardson: Good morning Mr. Holmes, I am Mr.
Thomas Richardson.
Holmes: Good morning Mr. Richardson. This is my
friend, Dr. Watson.
Richardson: Mr. Holmes, I am in very desperate
need of your help.
Holmes: Please come in, take off your coat, and
sit down. You make speak freely in front of Dr. Watson. He assists
me on many of my adventures.
Mr. Richardson enters, removes his coat and takes a seat. As he
takes off his coat Dr. Watson notices an object hanging from a
yellow cord around his neck.
Holmes: Now how can we help you.
Dr. Watson now clears his throat loudly, and looks at Mr.
Richardson chest.
Holmes: Oh excuse me, before we begin. Is that
a global positioning system receiver hanging on the cord around
your neck?
Richardson: Yes it is Mr. Holmes. I use it for
one of my hobbies.
Dr. Watson clears he throat again.
Holmes: Oh, and if is not too much of an
imposition, will you take out the contents of your left vest pocket
and show them to Dr. Watson.
Richardson: Why I’d be happy to Mr.
Holmes.
Mr. Richardson removes a golf ball and a small metal badge from
his vest pocket, and a big smile comes to his face.
Richardson: Dr. Watson, this is my tracking
tag. I take it with me wherever I go.
Holmes: Please read the letters on the tag.
Richardson: C0BKE6
Holmes: Thank you Mr. Richardson.
Watson: Amazing Holmes, truly amazing.
Holmes: Elementary my dear Watson, elementary.
You see Mr. Richardson sent me his card the other day, wishing to
arrange a meeting. His card said he was a member of the South
London And Greenwhich Association. This is a group of geocachers,
waymarkers, and benchmarkers. Knowing this, I placed a cache out on
Baker street. I knew that members of the South London and
Greenwhich Association (SLAGA) would check to see if there were
geocaches, waymarks, or benchmarks in an area before traveling
there. As it happened, when I looked out the window I saw this big
man lifting the skirt of a lamppost. I knew this must be a
geocacher, and that most geocachers travel with their tracking
travel bug or geocoin. The coin would be in the left pocket because
it would rarely need to be taken out, except to show other
geocachers.
Watson: Amazing Holmes.
Richardson: Why that is correct Mr. Holmes. You
see I am here because a woman has been strangled. I fear it is the
work of The Hoxton Creeper. By means which I cannot divulge, I have
come to know the strangled victim, Irene Adler.
Holmes: Oh, the woman. Please
continue.
Richardson: She was in possession of rare set
of pearls, though I cannot tell you how I know this. She feared
that they might be stolen and that she might be murdered. She told
me there was a note, behind a fake panel in her wall, of where she
kept the pearls.
Watson: How do you know all of this Mr.
Richardson?
Richardson: I cannot tell you. I have retrieved
the note, but it doesn’t make any sense to me. I can show you
the note.
Mr. Richardson produces the note.
Watson: Why it looks like a lot or gibberish to
me.
Holmes: Let me see that note. It looks like the
check for a meal, but there are some extra words on it.
Richardson: Oh, can you help me Mr. Holmes?
Holmes: I don’t have an answer as of yet,
but if you return in a fortnight I think I can return your pearls
to you.
Richardson: I never said that I gave her the
pearls.
Holmes: A man who knows as much about Ms. Adler
as you do must have been very close to her. To care about a
woman’s pearls is very strange, unless you know the woman and
have given her the pearls. Return in a fortnight and I will see
what I can do.
Richardson: Oh thank you Mr. Holmes. Thank
you.
Holmes: Is there anything else you want to tell
me before you go? Anything you can think of?
Richardson: No sir, Mr. Holmes, but if I think
of anything I will contact you.
Holmes: Thank you Mr. Richardson. I think I
will have this case solved very soon.
Mr. Richardson leaves.
Holmes: Well Watson, what do you make of
it.
Watson: Perhaps this is the work of the Hoxton
Creeper, because Ms. Adler was strangled?
Holmes: I don’t think so Watson. The
Hoxton Creeper broke the victim’s back.
Watson: What about Professor James
Moriarty?
Holmes: I don’t think so. He is a
brilliant man, and this work is a little crude for Professor
Moriarty.
Watson: Perhaps we should contact Inspector
Lestrade of Scotland Yard?
Holmes: Don’t be silly Watson. Mr.
Richardson needs real help. He also doesn’t want anything
about this in the papers or he would have gone to Scotland Yard
straight away.
Watson: Well then Holmes, it doesn’t make
any sense. Do you suspect anyone?
Holmes: Well Watson. Yes I do. I think I know
who the murderer is, but that won’t help find the lost
pearls. You see we have a difficult puzzle before us. The murder
victim has been strangled. If it is a difficult puzzle connected
with a strangling I suspect the work of a Mr. (my editor has asked
me to remove this name – until the murderer has been
convicted and placed behind bars ).
Watson: Why is that Holmes?
Holmes: Because of something I read in the
paper. But for now let me sit down and consider the clues we have.
If I can eliminate the impossible, whatever else is left, no matter
how improbable, must be the truth.
Holmes retires to the back room. After some time there is a
shout.
Holmes: Watson come quick, I need you!
Watson runs to the back room.
Watson: I’m here Holmes, What is it?
Holmes: I’ve got it, I’ve solved
the mystery. Now all we have to do is go pickup the pearls.
Watson: I don’t get it Holmes. It seems
that things are all messed up?
Holmes: It has been staring us in the face all
along Watson, and we've been too blind to see it. Why it’s
elementary my dear Watson, elementary. Don’t you see it?
…
Having found the location of the pearls, Watson and Holmes head
off and find them in a small container. The pearls were given to
Mr. Richardson who was very thankful for the return of his rare
pearls, and for keeping the matter quiet. Another adventure is
complete, and Dr. Watson has another story to write in his
journal.
If you think you know where the pearls are you can check your
solution here.
Geochecker.com
The pearls will be in a small container. You should bring a pen
with you and sign the log.
Congratulations and FTF honors to
sgtmta.