The
Watson Letters Volume 6: The Haunting of Roderick Usher
An invitation. A
ghostly spectre. A criminal mastermind.
When Sherlock Holmes is invited to visit an old
school friend, he and Doctor Watson are plunged into the first of three adventures
involving the Dark Arts and the supernatural. From the ghostly spectre of a
dead sister to the search for an ancient book of spells, the detecting duo
learn that each case is connected, leading them into a final showdown with
their deadliest adversary yet.
Adult humour throughout.
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Link - https://geni.us/dymvutk
Extract from: The Watson Letters Volume 6:
The Haunting of Roderick Usher by Colin Garrow
Following an invitation to visit Sherlock’s
old school chum, Roderick Usher, Holmes and Watson travel by train to the
village of Clovenhoof, where they are dropped off at the lane leading to the
House of Usher. Setting off towards the house, the pair begin to experience a
sense of despair.
Doctor Watson’s Diary.
‘I have to say,
Watson,’ muttered Holmes as we advanced towards the house, ‘a certain feeling
of trepidation has come upon me about this place.’
‘The geography does
have a sense of gloom about it,’ I said, gazing around. ‘But I expect your chum
will make us feel welcome.’
Gradually, the house
itself came into view and I discerned a drabness to it that reflected the state
of the surrounding area. It may indeed have at one time been a truly grand
edifice, but its best days were behind it. As we drew nearer, I could make out
a few details—carved into each of the pillars at the main door, were a series
of hideous gargoyles and other mythical creatures, their repugnant features
doing nothing to allay the growing feeling of melancholy that seemed to engulf
the place.
Eventually, we
advanced to the great door and Holmes raised the goblin-like face of its
massive iron knocker. Letting the thing go, it made a terrific clatter that
gave me a start and must surely have echoed throughout the house.
Nevertheless, if was a
minute or two before we heard footsteps approach.
The door opened and
standing there before us was a tall man with a face etched in pain. Dark sunken
eyes glowed in the increasing darkness and his downturned mouth did little to
brighten an unhappy outlook.
‘Ah, Holmes,’ he said,
in a deep baritone voice. ‘How overjoyed I am to see you at last.’ He grasped
my companion’s hand in his and shook it vigorously. Then, turning to me, he
muttered, ‘And the infamous Doctor Watson. How wonderful to meet you. I am a
fervent fan of your fascinating tales.’
I shook the man’s
hand, wondering which ‘fascinating tales’ he might be talking about.
Our host stepped back
and said, ‘Please, come into our humble abode.’
He clumped off like a
small elephant wearing pit boots. We followed him into a vast hall where he
took our coats and waved us into what I found to be a well-stocked library.
Seating myself next to
Holmes on one of several dusty sofas, I marvelled at the range of reading
matter on display. There were volumes on every subject under the sun, from alchemy and modern science to vampirism and sexual abnormalities. Usher stood
before us, hands clasped, as if waiting to deliver some pre-planned homily.
‘Dinner will be served
at eight, gentlemen, and then, if you will permit, I shall tell you a little of
our lives here.’
‘Jolly good,’ said Holmes
with more enthusiasm than I would have expected.
‘And will your sister
be joining us, Mr Usher?’ said I, eager to meet the mysterious sibling.
‘Alas, Doctor,
Madelaine’s condition has deteriorated since my recent missive, and she is now
confined to bed.’
‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ I
said. ‘Perhaps, might I examine her?’
‘I think not, Doctor,’
he said, then with a forced smile, added, ‘Perhaps I could interest you in an
aperitif?’
We thought this a good
idea and Usher disappeared back into the hall.
‘Jolly rum place,
this,’ I said to Holmes. ‘I’d rather share a house with Moriarty. At least he
has a sense of humour.’
‘Yes, Roddy does
appear to have altered a little since we last met.’
We sat on a sofa that
looked out onto the front aspect. Though the day had darkened considerably,
there was no mistaking the figure of a woman walking past the windows, her pale
face and staring eyes turned towards us.
‘I say, Holmes,’ I
whispered, in case Usher happened to be listening at the door, ‘d’you think
that’s the sister?’
‘Hardly likely,
Watson, not if she’s ill in bed. Probably one of the servants out for a walk.’
This seemed a
reasonable assumption, if a little odd, but I couldn’t help thinking Roderick
Usher’s sister would prove to be even more of a weirdo than her brother.
Unfortunately, I was
right.
True-born Geordie Colin Garrow
grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland and has worked in a plethora
of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator,
theatre director and fish processor. He has also occasionally masqueraded as a
pirate. Colin’s published books include the Watson Letters series, the Terry
Bell Mysteries and the Rosie Robson Murder Mysteries. His short stories have
appeared in several literary mags, including SN Review, Flash Fiction
Magazine, The Grind, A3 Review, Inkapture and Scribble Magazine. These days he
lives in a humble cottage in Northeast Scotland.
Website
(Adults) https://colingarrow.org/
Website
(Children) https://colingarrowbooks.com/
The
Watson Letters https://thewatsonletters.com/
Amazon
Author Page https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B014Z5DZD4
Twitter
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