The Classified Dossier: Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula(102)
“I should like to drop Mina and Watson off on the platform together,” Holmes said. “For I believe that while Dracula and I would be spotted at once by any agents Moriarty has keeping watch, Mina would be an unknown to them, and Watson, being slightly more nondescript, should be harder to spot, particularly in the company of a woman.”
Certainly, both Holmes and Dracula, each with their height and lean, aquiline features, would both stick out severely. Still, I thought to object to Holmes’s plan, partly because they might very well be on the lookout for Kitty Winter. While Mina certainly didn’t have any of Miss Winter’s wildness, she was still a woman to attract attention, with her long black mane, striking looks, and pale, pale skin. Also, while I did not quite possess Holmes’s aquiline features, certainly being in his company for as long as I had would make me almost as likely to be spotted as he was. Still, Holmes often had reasons beyond the stated ones for his actions and something about the gleam in his eye as he made this request made me hold my tongue.
“I have no objection,” I said.
“Nor I,” Mina said.
“Will it be dangerous?” Dracula asked, his gaze slipping to Mina.
“I am not a wilting gardenia, my dear husband,” Mina said mildly. Her tone was calm, but I could see that this comment touched on some other argument they had had previously, for there was a slight current of tension between the two of them. Mina’s expression did not change and she continued to watch Holmes.
“We are battling Moriarty,” Holmes said. “There will be danger the moment any of us step out of this carriage. There is danger if we let Moriarty work unfettered. We are encompassed all round with danger.”
“I am not a wilting gardenia,” Mina repeated firmly and Dracula nodded his reluctant acquiescence.
“But shall we not need you to pare down our choices of which trains to search?” I asked Holmes.
“He might attempt to go in stealth, hiding alone among the public crowd on any of the trains,” Holmes said, “but that would be a great exposure to him, should he be discovered. It is my opinion that he shall engage a special, private train, peopled with what remains of his forces who are themselves likely to be his most loyal and stalwart vampire henchmen. This is suggested by these proceedings happening at night. It is my guess that he is relying on speed and plans to be gone by the time we would have followed his red herring to the docks and discovered our mistake. Look for anyone out of place, very likely in a railway uniform. While you are doing this, Dracula and I shall pursue our own line of investigation.”
“Your logic seems sound,” Dracula said, “but it is not, by any means, the only possible answer.”
“Let us say the balance of probability,” Mina said, interrupting my friend before he could answer. “This is where our literary studies give us our instructions, my dear, for it is very clear to me that Holmes has additional plans that he is reluctant to tell us.” She looked at me with a dark twinkle in her eye, as if something about all this amused her. “It falls to us, Doctor, to play both the hounds in Holmes’s plan, does it not? Flushing out Holmes’s quarry while he and my husband circle in from the rear?”
“Madam…” Holmes said, sounding a trifle uncomfortable.
“Still,” she said, “we all know enough from the Doctor’s stories not to question your methods, don’t we? I am quite sure there will be enough danger, as you said, for all concerned. I hope the Doctor and I can play our parts to the final denouement – and here we are.”
The carriage had drawn up to the outside of the station as she spoke. She put a pale hand briefly on her husband’s face. “Be careful, my love.” Then, without waiting for the driver to come around and open the door, she opened it herself and stepped out into the street.
“Let us away, Doctor,” she said, smiling.
A short bark of a laugh burst out of Holmes and he sat looking both a little chagrined and very amused by Mina’s statement. “Is she always like this?” he asked the Count.
“Yes,” Dracula said. His face was a stony mask and not one that invited comment or question, but I thought a slight shadow of a proud smile played at his lips when he thought we weren’t looking.
“Very curious,” I said to Holmes as I climbed out. “That is usually the question that everyone asks me about you.”
Holmes laughed and called out to the driver to circle around to the other side of the station and the four-wheeler pulled away.
“Come along, Doctor,” Mina said, holding out her arm for me to take. I was a little taken aback by this gesture, too, wondering what the Count might say, but she would not take no for an answer and certainly it would make us harder to spot, as Moriarty’s lookouts would not be on the lookout for any kind of couple. Mina’s outfit was sombre, mainly of dark red with a grey shawl, but certainly nothing seemed untoward about us as a couple or suggested anything unearthly. She even drew the shawl up a little around her face, which would not hide her identity from close inspection, but would certainly hide her exceptional beauty from the casual passer-by.
The station was busy, as it always was of an evening, with several trains standing, steaming idly, while another pulled into the station. People of all class and character milled around in wait.
It was no trouble for Mina and I to wander the station and observe the doings without ourselves attracting attention. We had done this for only a dozen minutes or so before Mina pointed at one of the black engines backing slowly up to five train cars so as to link them all together. A red light hung in the engineer’s compartment that seemed dull in the brightly lit station, but would undoubtably throw a hellish pall over everything once it moved into the darkness. The cars were painted red, too, gleaming dully.