Sherlock Holmes and the Secret of Colonel Warburton’s Insanity

By Paul D. Gilbert

Giallo - short story (22 pagine) - Investigation into a life of misery and misfortune for a distinguished soldier...

Doctor John Watson finds that his dark and disturbing memories of the war in Afghanistan begin to resurface when he and his friend, Sherlock Holmes, are asked to save a distinguished soldier from a life of misery and disgrace. Employing an unusual disguise, they set about seeing that justice is finally done…

Paul D Gilbert was born in London in 1954. He now lives in Harrow with his wife 'and editor' Jackie. They have two sons, Stephen and Philip and a four year old Grandson, Dylan. Besides his beloved writing, Paul also enjoys all aspects of ancient history, movies, science fiction and a vast array of different kinds of music and sport. He is currently employed as a full time undertaker and is close to completing his eighth Sherlock Holmes pastiche.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Delos Digital
• Release date: Sep 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9788825412994

Book preview

9788825409307

1

The asylum of St. Jude’s had always held for me the most harrowing of memories and had forever been associated with the conclusion of the Isadora Persano affair.

As my more diligent readers might recall, my friend Sherlock Holmes had inveigled his way into that awful establishment and had subjected himself to the most awful sights and sounds in his efforts at obtaining the truth and thereby saving a man’s life. His experiences that night, had had the most profound and detrimental effect upon his own mind and it was to be some considerable time before he would allow me to finally commit ‘The Mumbling Duellist’* to print.

Therefore, my consternation upon our receiving a letter from Mr. Nathaniel Brewer, the custodian of St. Jude’s at the time of Persano’s incarceration, might be well understood. The significance of the name had not been lost on my friend either, but despite the threat posed by his suppressed memories, Holmes had been willing to accept Brewer’s request for help and advice with barely a moment’s hesitation.

Once Holmes had penned and despatched his brief reply, he offered the request from Brewer for my perusal. It had been as brief as it had been lacking in detail and yet the name of the inmate, to whom he had referred, shook me to the core and the look of disbelief upon my face had not been lost upon my friend.

So Watson, I see that the name of Colonel James Warburton is familiar to you. Holmes stated simply.

I shook my head slowly back and forth before replying.

It is inconceivable to me that a man such as he has come to so sorry a pass. I replied gravely.

You know, Watson, I can think of only two other occasions on which you have had prior knowledge of a case upon its inception and I have a feeling that your military background might well prove to be invaluable to me. Pray, what do you know of the man?

Holmes had undoubtedly been referring to the matter of the naval treaty* and the strange case of the engineer’s thumb*, both of which had found their way into my printed journals of