Professor Moriarty
Sherlock Holmes was busy with other cases for the
next three weeks. There were no new murders in
Whitechapel, but people were frightened and angry
with the police, who were no nearer to finding the
killer than before.
My own life was happy enough. I visited my dear
Mary Morstan, and kept this visit a secret from Holmes
- something which made me feel unusually clever!
One day Holmes and I had just finished breakfast
together.
He was standing by the window, when suddenly he
gave a cry. 'What is it, Holmes?' I asked. 'What's the
matter?'
He turned towards me. His face was white and the
look in his eyes was terrible.
'May I have an hour of your time, Watson?' he asked
in a low voice.
'Of course, but .. .'
'Then get your hat and coat.'
He ran out of the house. I followed him quickly and
the next two hours passed in a wild chase all over
London. We jumped into a cab, out of it again and
onto a train, ran down narrow streets and in and out
of a big hotel. Finally we came to rest in the peace
of a London park.
'You are a true friend, Watson,' Holmes said at last.
'You came with me without a question. Did you
realize that someone was following us?'
'I thought so. But who?' 'Can you not guess?' 'No.'
'He calls himself Jack the Ripper.'
'Holmes!' For a moment I found it difficult to speak.
Then I asked, 'Did you see him through the window?
Where was he?'
'In the empty house opposite ours. He was watching
our rooms, Watson. He knows that I am looking for
him. We must be very careful. He is one of the most
dangerous criminals in Europe.'
'But who is he?' I cried.
'Have you ever heard of Professor Moriarty?'
'Never.'
'That is the strangest and most terrible thing about
him.' Holmes laughed angrily. 'He is everywhere, but
nobody knows him. Like his crimes, he is fantastic.'
I listened in silence as Holmes told me about Moriarty.
'He is an extraordinarily intelligent man. At the age of
twenty-one he was a professor of mathematics. For
years he was one of the most important men in the
world of mathematics. Then he disappeared from
university life. Soon after that I began to realize that
crime in London was changing. Someone was telling
criminals - who are usually stupid and uninteresting
little men - what to do. They were obeying the orders
of a mastermind. It could only be Moriarty. But I
could never catch him. I hate his crimes, but I
recognize his intelligence. He is the only criminal who
interests me, because he is the only criminal who is as
intelligent as I am.
'Then, in August, everything changed. Criminals
became stupid again. In the middle of all his success,
Moriarty had disappeared. Why?'
'Holmes!' I cried. 'The reason is clear. The Whitechapel
murders began in August. It must be .. .'
'No, Watson,' Holmes said. 'It is not clear. Someone
like Moriarty does not break locks and climb through
windows himself. He gave orders to others. He was
the commander-in-chief of the criminal world, not a
foot-soldier.'
'Then why ... I mean, how ... ?'
'Success is too easy for him. He needs change and
danger as others need drugs. He was the best at
mathematics, then the best at crime. Now he has
chosen murder.'
'Do you mean that he kills just to amuse himself?' I
asked. 'Yes. He enjoys the danger. But there is
another reason. He wishes for a battle with me - the
most successful criminal against the most successful
detective. It will be a fight to the death.'
'Then these women that he kills .. .'
'They mean nothing to him. He just uses them
because they are necessary to his plan.'
'His plan?'
'Yes. I have said that he kills because he is bored and
because he wishes for a fight to the death with me.
There is a third reason. He wishes to destroy the world
we know.'
'He is mad!'
'No. He is not mad. He is evil itself. He wants to bring
fear into our lives, to make everyone in London afraid
to go out at night, afraid of every sound and
shadow. London will become a city of strangers,
seeing danger in every neighbour. How can people
live like that?'
He was silent for a moment. Then he said, 'I alone
can stop him. And stop him I shall.'
Several days later, Inspector Lestrade called to see
us again. 'Are you ready to arrest the Whitechapel
killer yet?' Holmes asked him.
'We are continuing to make all possible ... ' 'Enough,
Lestrade! Have you caught him yet?' 'In a difficult
case like this .. .'
'Yes or no?'
'No,' Lestrade said, 'but we hope .. .'
'Of course we hope. We must always hope. But the
people of London will not wait for ever for the police
to arrest Jack the Ripper. Do you think you could
enjoy life as a policeman in Canada, Lestrade?'
Lestrade tried to smile. He said, 'I believe we shall
only catch him if we have the luck to find him while
he is actually murdering some poor woman.'
He looked surprised when Holmes said, 'That is the first
sensible thing I have heard any policeman say about
these murders. We must catch him red-handed. A
drink, Inspector?' 'Yes, please, Mr Holmes. But who
can say when or where he will kill again?'
'I can,' Holmes said coolly. 'Let us look at the dates of
the murders. He kills, waits a week, kills again and
waits three weeks before the next murder. This
changes only when he has, as he tells us, 'no time to
rip', and has to kill twice on the same night. The
following week there is no murder. I tell you, Lestrade,
this is no crazy killer. This is a man who is following a
plan. He works only in Whitechapel, and in the early
hours of the morning.'
Lestrade looked helplessly at him. 'What shall we do?'
he asked.
Holmes jumped to his feet. '1 think he will try to kill
again on Monday night. The first murders were on a
Friday, a Saturday and a Sunday. He moves a day
forward each time. We must close up Whitechapel
like a box which he cannot escape from.
We shall need every policeman you have.'
Lestrade looked worried. 'I'll do what 1 can, Mr
Holmes, but I don't know if my chief will like it.'
'Your chief,' Holmes said, 'will give you all the men
you need.
I am sure that you will be interested to learn that your
chief has asked me to do anything I can to catch this
killer. 1 am free to give you orders, Lestrade, and you
are free to obey me.'
When Lestrade had gone, Holmes said, 'Now I need
a bath, my dinner and a good sleep. Moriarty wishes
to destroy me. He has already, my dear Watson, tried
three times to kill me! He is a terrible enemy, and I
must get ready for the battle.'
I stared at him in horror, and decided that I would
never leave my friend's side while he was in this
danger.