‘Dead!’ he screamed. ‘He is trying to kill me! How can he be dead?’
‘But you told me that he was dead.’
‘I was mistaken,’ Holmes said. ‘He is not dead. I told you that.’
‘You told me? But when? Where?’
‘In my letter, man! The Berlin case-every third word! A very easy hidden message, Watson. I thought even you… Oh, it doesn't matter. The fact is,Moriarty is alive and free in London. He killed a woman only three weeks ago. He will kill again if I do not stop him. It is a fight to the death between us. Come with me and help me, Watson. Say that you will come!’
‘Of course I will come, old fellow,' I said.
He smiled and lay back in the chair. In a second, he was asleep. Quickly, I gave him an injection to keep him asleep. Then, with the help of my cook, I put him to bed and locked the bedroom door. After that I had a drink and sat down to think about what I must do.
Perhaps I did not understand Holmes's hidden messages, but did understand what was happening to the man. He was mad I knew that now. All that was evil in him he called Moriarty The fight with Moriarty was a battle that was taking place inside own head
I had hoped that Jack the Ripper was dead. He was not, and now another woman had been murdered. I felt that her blood was on my hands. The time had come when I must tell Holmes what I knew about him. First, had to be sure that I understood everything