The Final Problem - When Colonel Moriarty Wrote a Letter in His Brother’s Defense

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Watson did as was told and Sherlock appeared after an anxious wait dressed as an old

Italian. Sherlock revealed that he trusted no other than his brother, Mycroft to be

Watson’s brougham driver and last night his place at Baker street had caught fire. This

was required as a preventive measure to shake Moriarty of his trail and ensuring that

Moriarty missed boarding the Oriental giving both of them 15 minutes of way ahead.

Sherlock brushed off the idea of getting Moriarty arrested as it would endanger the big

plant to indict Moriarty and offered to make a cross country journey to Newhaven and

then to Dieppe instead. Sherlock assumed that Moriarty would be in Paris on their

luggage track and would wait for two days for their return at the depot during which they

would travel to Switzerland via Luxembourg and Basle.

At Canterbury they learned that it was 1 hour for the train to Newhaven and watched the

luggage train and the special in its pursuit.

They made their way to Brussels for two days that ensued moving to Strasburg on the

third. In the evening Holmes got a reply to the wire from London police: The whole gang

was secured albeit Moriarty. Holmes advised Watson to return to his practice as

Moriarty would be dangerous in his revenge. This however fell on deaf ears and they

started on their journey towards Geneva.

On 3rd March they reached a little village of Meirigen and put up at Englischer Hof.

Following afternoon, they set off to cross the hills and spend the night at Rosenlaui.

During their journey a young swiss boy came to them from Merigen seeking the doctor

to attend an English lady suffering from hemorrhage. Watson hesitantly went back

where the inn- keeper denied sending the letter. Watson made his journey where he last

left Sherlock and found Sherlock’s silver cigarette case and a piece of paper addressed

to him. He could make out that there was a tussle there and Moriarty had finally caught

on Sherlock and further investigation proved that they both plunged to their death from

the cliff.

Sherlock’s note to Watson was neatly written with details of all evidence to be handed

over to Police and reminded him of their great companionship.