Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: An Irregular Meeting
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: An Irregular Meeting Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Read the introduction below out loud to your group, then follow the instructions to investigate the case.
An Irregular Meeting
Saturday, 18th September 1880
The streets of London are a harsh place for young children. With no parents to care for us, we've been left to scrape a living in various ways – begging, chimney-sweeping, or selling goods on the street. And amongst the hardship, we have formed some strong friendships. We met Wiggins a month ago. A confident and witty 7-year old (a year older than most of us), we have already begun to see him as our natural leader. Early one Saturday morning, he gathers us together.
"Last week," he tells us, "I became acquainted with a distinguished gentleman, a 'consulting detective' so he calls his self, who goes by the name of Mr Sherlock Holmes. I helped him in a little matter, and he was flush with praise. Now, he's asked me to form a gang of plucky and sharp-witted folk, what will be like an unofficial police force, at his disposal."
"So we'd help solve crimes?" asks Tinker, the youngest of us.
"That's it," replies Wiggins, and we begin to chatter excitedly.
"And," he continues, raising his voice to be heard, "in return, we garner a shilling per day, and a guinea for a vital clue! But first, there is a test."
"A test?" exclaims Simpson, a stocky, red-haired boy. "Like at school?"
We burst into raucous laughter.
"No," replies Wiggins, grinning. "Not a jot like school. Mr Holmes needs to know we're up to the work. You've heard of Gilly the Ghost?"
We nod. Gilly the Ghost – real name Gilly Niles – is one of the most notorious thieves of the West End. An expert in disguise, she can change her appearance in seconds, making any pursuers think she's vanished into the air. Once, disguised as a male doorman, she made away with a hotel guest's entire set of luggage. She also worked as an actress, until she was caught stealing from the theatre and spent seven months in Millbank Prison. Some of us know her by sight: she is in her twenties, has brown hair and seems constantly on the alert.
"Gilly's been seen around Trafalgar Square a lot of late," Wiggins continues, "Mr Holmes believes she has some kind of skullduggery in mind. He's given us two tasks. First, we must find out what she's planning. Second, we must try to stop her plan going ahead. So lads, do you want to be detectives?" Our response is an enthusiastic roar.
"Well then, let's show Mr Holmes what we're made of!"
Instructions
Now investigate using the Directory, Map, Informants and Newspaper (above right), which all show addresses for places in London – a number followed by Area initials, e.g. '85 SW'. Go to a place by reading the entry under its address on the following 2 pages – this is called 'following a lead'. Keep a list of leads you follow – you may re-read them at any time and may return to those same places after circling new letters (see 'Letters' on the right). When you think you have solved the case (and not before!), turn to the Questions on the last page.
Investigation Tools
Directory (Abridged Version)
Alphabetical list
- Boddle, Aloysius – 29 WC
- The Colonial Institute – 86 SW
- Covent Garden Market – 28 WC
- Jeal, F. – 85 SW
- Niles, Lydia – 33 WC
List by category
- Inns & Public Houses
- The Rowdy Robert – 91 WC
- The Unicorn – 19 WC
Newspaper: The Times
The Times, London, Saturday, September 18, 1880, N° 29,518, Price 3d.
Miscellaneous
- ROOMS for RENT from August 16th at a low price, adjoining a stable yard, 68 WC.
- Allegro Theatre, 94 WC, presents POISON, 8 p.m. daily, September 19th to 25th.
- Haymarket Theatre – Grand Premiere of MOBY DICK 6 p.m. Saturday, then at 6 p.m. daily until 30th September.
- Specialist CLEANERS, all fabrics & clothing, serving the Colonial Institute and Admiralty, 52 SW.
- H. C. – Congratulations on your bachelor's degree & condolences regarding your father. All my love, R. K.
Activity at Trafalgar
The decorated arches in Trafalgar Square, commemorating those who fought in the Second Afghan War, will be removed tomorrow. On September 4th, three days after the war ended, the wooden arches were fixed between upper storey windows of buildings in the square and along many streets leading to that place.
Saldanha Diamond Sale
Mr Eraldo Sartori, the famous Italian jeweller, arrived at the Grand Hotel yesterday. He is in London to finalize the sale of Saldanha's diamond to an anonymous buyer.
Raphael in National Gallery
Raphael's Ansidei Madonna will be on display in the Upper West Wing of the National Gallery, September 1st to December 10th. The Gallery is rumoured to be in discussions to purchase the painting for a sum exceeding £50,000.
Informants
- National Archives (17 WC): Births, deaths, marriages, land and wills records.
- Scotland Yard (13 SW): The Police – Information on crime and criminal investigations.
Letters
Circle these letters when instructed: A, B, C. You can return to locations to use new circled letters.
Leads
WC Area
17 WC
Gillian Edith Niles. Born February 29th, 1860 (current address unknown). One sister, Lydia Niles, born June 3rd, 1858 (address on record: 33 WC).
19 WC
"Gilly Niles? My, she knows how to hold a grudge, that one. Not been in today, but two weeks ago she was making eyes at Aloysius. Her sister Lydia comes in occasionally too."
20 WC
An arch runs from the station wall to an open window.
21 WC
We speak to one man who thinks he's seen Gilly on Maiden Lane.
22 WC
The doorman refuses to send street children to speak to a guest. However, Wiggins distracts him while we glimpse the room log, and a moment later we are at Mr Sartori's room on the upper floor.
"Hello," says Wiggins, "We're with hotel security." Mr Sartori squints, then removes his glasses and cleans them. He replaces them, then squints at us again.
"We wanted to check the diamond is secure," adds Wiggins.
Sartori tells us it is and gestures to a safe near the locked window.
23 WC
We speak to an opera singer, practising her scales in the open air. "You adorable ragamuffins!" she exclaims, "I do not know Gilly the Goat I'm afraid. Ask in The Unicorn."
24 WC
We follow the crowds to the Ansidei Madonna. It is very large – perhaps 5 by 7 feet. Through the formidable locked and barred window, we see an arch going to a window in the Haymarket Theatre. A warden tells us only the Head Warden has access to the window keys.
25 WC
"I think I saw Gilly loitering on Haymarket last week."
26 WC
"Ah, Gilly the Ghost," says police constable Griggs, who is stationed outside the bank. "She wouldn't rob Drummonds – she's a petty thief, nothing more."
27 WC
No one can help us at the Metropole Hotel.
28 WC
Have you circled B? If not, you go elsewhere. If you have, read on:
We spot Gilly picking up discarded rotten fruit and putting it in a bag. Then she buys a sailor's knife – the type normally used for gutting fish and cutting rope. As we follow her out of the market, she looks round, and seems to realise we're following her. A moment later, she's vanished.
29 WC
"I know Gilly – we share a love of ale. We met just over two weeks ago when she fell onto me, burped, and asked if the Afghan War arches would be put up along Haymarket. She lodges next to a stable yard, in the house on the end of the row."
Circle the letter A.
30 WC
"I know that thieving rascal. I saw her staggering up Bedford Street late one evening about two weeks ago."
33 WC
"I'm ashamed to be her sister. Gilly blames The Haymarket for ruining her acting career, but it's her own fault. She can make amazing wigs and makeup, and acts so well, but she's never been able to resist taking other people's things. She took new lodging in August – said it's a ground floor room, end of the row, and mentioned something about the smell of horse manure."
Circle the letter A.
68 WC
There is a row of lodgings at 68 WC. In the yard, pieces of rotten fruit lie next to a barrel marked with a chalk cross, as if they've been thrown at it.
Have you circled A? If not, you must leave, but can come back later. If you have circled A, read on:
Ducking out of sight of a boy scooping up horse manure, we approach the house at the end of the row and stop outside a window. Just then, a woman leaves the house, counting money, and heads for the market at Covent Garden.
"That's her," mutters Simpson. "And this is her lodging. The window is fastened inside but it looks weak. We need something to break it open."
"A crowbar or piece of pipe?" asks Tinker. "I find stuff like that all the time! I'm a mudlark, see, and traipse through river mud looking for bits to sell. We might find something north of the railway bridge." He points to the south-east.
Circle the letter B. Have you circled C? If not, you must leave, but can come back later. If you have circled C, read on:
"We'll have one chance," says Wiggins, "Do we know what to look for?"
Do not read the rest of this entry until you want to break in – after breaking in, you may not return to Gilly's lodging.
Inside, we find a pamphlet for Moby Dick with a drawing of a whale suspended by two ropes and 'Saturday 6pm' circled in pencil. Next to it are a wig and moustache. Simpson throws them into the fireplace and holds up a box of matches. "I sell matches on the street," he says, as he strikes one and sets the fire blazing.
You have time to burn one more thing – warden's uniform, footman's uniform or cook's uniform. Write down your choice.
90 WC
An arch crosses the Strand from a window of the Charing Cross Hotel to a wall of The Grand Hotel. From a scullery maid, we learn the window belongs to a room occupied by a retired military doctor.
91 WC
One man says he saw Gilly in The Unicorn.
92 WC
Have you circled B? If not, you learn nothing. If you have, read on:
"Welcome to the river, friends!" says Tinker, stepping into the mud. His legs disappear completely. With some uncertainty, we follow, grimacing as the cold sludge slips between our toes. Ten minutes later, Tinker shouts, and holds up a strip of metal.
Circle the letter C. You can return to locations to use new circled letters.
94 WC
The stage is set with a table, two chairs, and a teapot. Backstage, we find an actress with long ornate eyelashes, applying makeup. "Ah, that cunning rapscallion," she says, "We've never employed her, and never will. I did see her on Maiden Lane last week, drunk."
SW Area
4 SW
Wiggins glances upwards and his jaw drops. Looking up, we see a huge plaster whale suspended above the stage by two ropes.
"It's for Moby Dick," the theatre manager says. "Our most ambitious production to date. At the end, two stagehands climb up and lower it down." He points at a rope ladder leading to a narrow balcony, which runs round the entire upper storey of the theatre. "And yes, we know Gilly Niles. She worked here from '74 to December '79, when we caught her stealing and got her sent to Millbank. She's still bitter and angry, and has never come back. Not that she'd be welcome anyway – we can't have her thieving from our patrons. And she's a great actress, but we'd see through any disguise she could muster. Trust me, we've seen all her tricks."
10 SW
"You can't come in here lads. Entering requires identification papers and 3 passwords." And as far as we can see, all the windows are strong and securely locked.
11 SW
An arch crosses from the Admiralty to a closed window of the War Office, and we can see a guard on the inside.
13 SW
We manage to convince a junior constable by the name of Peterson to tell us about Gilly the Ghost. "She's a petty thief," he says. "Spends most of her ill-gotten gains on ale. I can't see her pulling off any grand thefts, although she is cunning and devious. No idea where she's living."
52 SW
"A footman's uniform for the Colonial Institute went missing recently."
85 SW
An arch connects an open window of number 85 to a closed window in the Grand Hotel across the street.
86 SW
The Colonial Institute contains books and papers concerning British colonies. It is open to the public but they refuse to let in a group of street children. An arch runs from an upper-storey window of the Institute to an open window of the theatre across the road. A kitchen girl is throwing out food waste. "The window keys are kept in the staff office," she tells us. "I can use 'em if I so please, as can any of them that work here – footmen, librarians, and wardens." As we leave, we see two maids carrying bags of uniforms away down the street, presumably to get them cleaned.
Turn this page over only when you are ready to answer the questions.
Questions
- Which two buildings does Gilly intend to enter?
- What items did she acquire at the market and why?
- What is her motive?
- Have you burnt her costume? And which one?
After writing down your answers, read the Solution below.
Solution
Holmes would have solved this case in 5 leads: Lydia Niles (33 WC), Gilly (68 WC), Covent Garden (28 WC), the Haymarket (4 SW) and Colonial Institute (86 SW). He scored 100 points.
Your score:
- Colonial Institute (15 points) and the Haymarket (15 points);
- Rotten fruit to throw at actors and patrons (20 points), knife to cut ropes (20 points);
- Revenge (30 points);
- If you burnt the wig and moustache you gain 20 points, and another 20 if you burnt the footman's uniform (clue at the cleaners advertised in The Times). Decrease your score by 5 points for every lead after the 5th (do not include re-visiting places).
SCORE:
- 0 or less: At least you tried.
- 5 – 30: Okay.
- 35 – 70: Good!
- 75 – 100: Excellent!
- 105+: You surpassed the master!
In a lofty chamber of St Bart's Hospital, a lone figure is hunched over a bench, working feverishly with a set of bubbling test tubes. He turns, and in the flickering blue light of the Bunsen lamps, a pair of alert eyes fix on us.
"Wiggins," he says. "I have seen rooms on Baker Street I intend to take, if only I can find a fellow willing to share them. With luck, you will not have to visit this dim laboratory again. But now – Gilly the Ghost! I assume you went to her sister Lydia first, whose description of Gilly's lodging leads to the stable yard rooms listed in The Times. Lydia also said Gilly worked for the Haymarket, and they say they caught her stealing and got her sent to prison in '79. Aha! Perhaps Gilly wants revenge but has found it difficult because the Haymarket staff say they recognize her even when disguised. Today, she went to Covent Garden Market to collect old fruit and purchase a sailor's knife. So, disguised as a staff member, she plans to enter the Colonial Institute – the National Gallery would have too much security – and then cross the arch to the theatre, just as Moby Dick begins. Cutting the rope ladder to the balcony, she will pelt the actors with rotten fruit, carried in the bag – note she had been conducting target practice on a barrel in the stable yard at 68 WC. Finally, she could cut the ropes on the plaster whale, letting it fall and shatter, putting an end to the production. However, with your particular talents, I imagine you may have found a way to destroy her disguise and foil her plan."
The detective walks over and crouches. "Wiggins, I am impressed enough to appoint you and your associates as my unofficial force – the Irregulars!" He turns to address us directly. "You must know that working for me will test you to your limits, and perhaps beyond. It will not be easy. But I can promise you this my young friends: you will never want for excitement. There is nothing like the thrill of the chase when the game is afoot!" He thrusts a copy of The Times into our hands – a death notice circled in red – and then leans forward with an enigmatic smile we will come to know well.
"So," he whispers, "Shall we begin?"