Press On
After the police questioned the three women and the driver, he stated that he would be happy to drive the ladies anywhere they wished free of charge for having witnessed such a harrowing event.
They graciously accepted his generosity and quietly got into the carriage for the ride to Ellie Buckley's home. There was no explanation from the police as to why a member of the Special Branch seemed to be following Laura, or the possible identity of the gentleman abductor and his motive.
But one thing was clear: both men were very interested in Laura.
It had occurred to Martha that there was no mention of Laura's dead fiancé nor were the police particular interested in talking with Laura. Perhaps the Inspector was unaware of Mr. Solabrini's murder because it occurred in a different division's area. Still, whatever the reason, Martha was unsure if Laura knew about the fate of her fiancé.
Looking across the carriage at Ellie and Laura, Martha was buttressed in her decision to help Laura and not to play detective. Allow Scotland Yard to do their work, and she and Ellie would provide what neither the police nor Mr. Holmes could, the empathy and consolation of experienced loss.
"My dear, we contacted you because we noticed you on the train platform and you seemed in some distress... you appeared to be waiting for someone..." stated Martha in a tone of real compassion.
"Yes, I was waiting for someone, but he did not show... something must have happened," replied Laura as she looked from Martha to Ellie and back; her hands were clutching the lap of her coat.
Martha looked at Ellie, and the two women, friends for so long, communicated a thought in that look. Martha knew what to do, and now she knew that Ellie agreed.
"My dear, we were not at the station by chance, we were looking for you," started Martha.
Laura looked at Martha with a hint of confusion.
"Your name is Laura, is it not, and you work at Parklane Bakery - correct?"
"Yes Ma'am, that is correct... have we met before? Are you a customer?"
"No my dear, we have not met before today. The man you were waiting for at the train station, did this belong to him?" and Martha removed Mr. Solabrini's business card from her coat and passed it to Laura.
The young lady looked at the card, then back at Mrs. Hudson in confusion, "yes, I was waiting for Walter, but how did you get his card, did he pass on a message to give to me? Who are you?" The initial blush of confusion had quickly been replaced by fear.
"Laura, we were out for a walk this morning in Regent Park when we came across Mr. Solabrini," began Martha with a quivering voice. There was no easy way to say this and no easy way for the listener to hear it; subtle or blunt, the facts will remain unaltered.
Ellie reached across and took Laura's hand, and the girl responded by squeezing it tight.
"We found him sitting on a bench, where he had been feeding the birds. He was dead."
"Dead? What do you mean he was dead?"
"He had been murdered, there in the park. There was nothing we could do, so we summoned the police... I found his card while checking on his condition."
"Murdered?" The young woman sat back against the carriage seat, gripping Ellie's hand tightly. She whispered "murdered" over and over again as if the word was new and unfamiliar.
But "murdered" was one of the words in English that held no ambiguity, no uncertainty, no issues in translation. It meant someone was dead, and that the death was at the hands of another, and that's all.
Tears were now freely running down Ellie's face.
The carriage came to a stop at Mrs. Buckley's residence, and young Laura was led inside by two women who had lost their loves but had learned to press-on, just as Laura must eventually learn to do.
***
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Not Strictly Sherlock
Fanfiction"She reached up and ran her fingertips down his jaw and across his lips. They were close, very close, and she found his warm breath exciting. He smelled of tobacco and danger." Excerpt from "Twice on the Divan" Do you love Sherlock Holmes? Well, th...
