he deftly reached inside Samuels jacket and took out a bundle of £10 Bank of England notes. “Well, let’s call that six cases,” he said with a smile.
Samuel Turner and Alfred Jones looked first surprised, annoyed and then dejected.
Holmes, who had only ever referred to them as the Fat and Thin man, surprised even myself who knew better than anyone my friends never ending abilities to pull rabbits out of his hat.
Holmes said next “Men, the game is up. I have all the evidence to ensure you both serve long sentences. The only choices left to you is to give me a full account of your misdeeds and Hopkins here will ensure you serve your sentence together and in the same jail cell, otherwise he will see to it that you are in different prisons and won’t see your friend again.”
Sam looked at his accomplice and said “The jobs up Alfie, we might as well tell him everything and at least we get to stay together.”
A crestfallen Alfie looked at Sam, then Holmes and just nodded. Holmes told him to begin from when they first met.
Whilst Hopkins took out his notepad, Holmes poured the men a large Whisky from a decanter before Alfie began his story.
“I was born into a bad family in Stepney with my father and uncles always in trouble. By the time I was 16, I was well known to the local police and knew that if I stuck around I would end up in the same place as my relatives. I moved to Brighton and got a job as a waiter in a good restaurant. It was here I met Sam and as by this time we both learnt manners and had a talent for accents. We lost our jobs when some money went missing from a guest's room. As Sam and I were such pals we were both sacked even though they didn’t have any proof.”
He sat back in his chairs and asked if the handcuffs could be loosened slightly. Hopkins nodded and allowed a constable to do this. Alfie then continued, “Me and Sam played the 3 card monte circuit for a while around London. We were good at it, so much so that local gangs would continually look to take a cut of our earnings, no matter where we plied our trade. We were also caught a couple of times and given a month inside the nick. We decided it wasn’t lucrative enough or worth the hassle and we decided that during the summer season we would target the greed of south coast restaurant owners and that’s exactly what we did.”
Holmes said “Yes, I was following your exploits, first in Plymouth then Exeter, Bournemouth , Southampton and Portsmouth .You were clever by never staying in one place for too long. I knew that when the season ended you would probably be in London and were expecting you.”
Sam said his first words in this narrative “So, it was you who was following me from the restaurant in Monument?” Holmes nodded in affirmation. Sam somberly nodded in reply.
Alfie said “How is the boy? I didn’t mean to bash him up too much, I just wanted to find out who was following us.”
Holmes replied that all was well with Johnston and that he was the only Irregular not out in the streets for fear by Holmes that he would be recognised by Alfie, but he would no doubt be delighted to hear of the capture.
I took the opportunity to ask “What I don’t know about Holmes is how you knew the names of these men?”
“Simplicity itself” answered my friend “ the day after I followed Samuel I went to the Yard and went through mugshots until I found a younger Alfred Jones and Samuel Turner”
Sam, who by this time had found his voice said “We quickly scarpered from London and made for Manchester and lay low for a few months. We played a few turns in Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh but then decided to get out of the game and by that time we had almost enough to open our own restaurant. Alfie wanted to touch a couple more restaurants and argued that the heat would have died down in London where the pickings were always bigger. I didn’t want to but we agreed on two last jobs then out.”
“Where have you stored the loot from your ill gotten gains?” asked Hopkins.
Alfie shook his head “Sorry Inspector, as we have no intentions to return to a life of crime once we finish our sentence, that money will be our nest egg that won’t be given up. Threaten us as you may, it’s safely hidden away.”
When further questioned, Alfie and Sam wouldn’t elaborate either on the identity of the violin maker citing that they didn’t want to implicate an innocent man. Holmes shrugged. “A mere trifle.”
Alfie looked at Holmes and then Inspector Hopkins. “We have told you everything we can. I believe we have kept our side of the bargain, I hope you are both gentlemen of your word and ensure we stay together after our trial.”
Sherlock Holmes nodded his assent and Hopkins made to escort the pair out to a waiting police van.
“Please,” said Holmes “Just one final question. Just what was the painting that you got the money for this evening?”
Alfie said “Oh, you are a cunning one and no doubt. Have a look for yourself under the bed.” With that they were led out.