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.