The Sign of Four - Part Six

40m
LONDON CALLING - we were home. The trip to India had raised more questions than it had answered. Sherlock wanted to return to the beginning, to uncover things that may have been buried beneath the surface. I just wanted to sleep off the jetlag. Mariana just wanted her new suitcase to open.

Part 6 of 10

This episode contains swearing, minors in distress, kidnapping

Listener discretion is advised.

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Copyright 2024.

SHERLOCK AND CO.

Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Paul Waggott as Dr. John Watson
Harry Attwell as Sherlock Holmes
Marta da Silva as Mariana Ametxazurra

Additional voices
Adam Jarrell
Phillip Jarrell
Lee Jarrell
Lauren Hall

Written by Joel Emery

Directed by Adam Jarrell

Editing and Sound Design by Holy Smokes Audio

Produced by Neil Fearn and Jon Gill

Executive Producer Tony Pastor
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Press play and read along

Runtime: 40m

Transcript

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Speaker 14 previously on sherlock and co my son my son is missing he told his friends he was with

Speaker 14 mohinder singh he doesn't go to the school right we all discovered that he didn't have a job a part-time job that is He told us he did. He just delivered a local magazine.

Speaker 11 Train.

Speaker 10 Train to Pondicherry. Come on, go, go, go.
Welcome to Pondicherry.

Speaker 12 Where are we going, Chuck?

Speaker 10 And we are walking to the Hidden Temple. The Hidden Temple?

Speaker 16 Let's just exercise caution.

Speaker 17 This door has trapped trespassers before.

Speaker 14 The vines haven't grown much since the last visitor?

Speaker 11 Correct.

Speaker 12 Someone has been recently.

Speaker 14 Just here?

Speaker 10 Oh, he's put his hands in with the snakes. Can I kick that one? He's done nothing but hiss at me since I came in here.

Speaker 18 You're right. It's a door.

Speaker 11 Let me close it back up.

Speaker 14 It's a massacre.

Speaker 14 What?

Speaker 2 Where is it?

Speaker 14 It's not here.

Speaker 11 It's been taken.

Speaker 10 The sign of four.

Speaker 19 Mohinda Singh, Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar.

Speaker 10 Mary, when she was in Afghanistan on her first tour, she was kidnapped and held hostage in a cave.

Speaker 11 The soldiers that had her, they were telling her that Abdullah Khan was coming.

Speaker 14 Her dad, in the stories, the bad guy, he was called Dost.

Speaker 14 So Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar.

Speaker 10 They're in the sign of four. They're hunting her, and Captain Morstan knew they would come for her.

Speaker 11 But who?

Speaker 20 What? When we first met Precia,

Speaker 16 she claimed his friends had mentioned he'd been meeting a man named Mohinda Singh.

Speaker 22 Okay, folks, the Z-Belt sign is now on as we complete our descent into London Heathrow.

Speaker 22 Apologies for that bumpy first half of the flight. We're coming in now now for some wet and windy weather, so you may get a few more lumps and bumps.

Speaker 22 Cabin crew, prepare for landing.

Speaker 10 There she is.

Speaker 4 If London is a she.

Speaker 4 Yeah, I think she's a she.

Speaker 4 Yeah?

Speaker 2 Sure. She can be a she.

Speaker 14 Oh, there's that dames. Oh, it's so wriggly and twisty, isn't it?

Speaker 12 Yeah, he is very indecisive.

Speaker 14 Well, he is very lucky right now. Is he?

Speaker 14 Yes, because El Galleon and the Lufia is in town.

Speaker 23 Oh

Speaker 10 K.

Speaker 14 It's amazing. Big, beautiful Galleon from the 16th or 17th century, I don't remember.

Speaker 24 Wow, that's done well to stay afloat.

Speaker 14 It's a replica.

Speaker 4 Oh. But still,

Speaker 14 I'm gonna visit before it sails out of my life.

Speaker 2 Well, good on you.

Speaker 4 I'll come along. Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 10 It's always quite nice when the plane has to circle a bit, isn't it?

Speaker 24 Yeah, you get to see the sights, even if they are getting absolutely pelted with rain.

Speaker 25 Yeah.

Speaker 14 And in all that, down there, all those buildings, all those

Speaker 4 people,

Speaker 14 there's a boy missing.

Speaker 14 I wish I could see him and pick him out like one of those claw machines. Just plug him out of there like a teddy bear and take him home.

Speaker 19 They never work those things, though, do they?

Speaker 25 What?

Speaker 10 The claw machines. Mate of mine told me they can tweak the tension on them.

Speaker 14 Oh, really? The little alien things?

Speaker 4 Alien things?

Speaker 14 Yeah, with um, you know, a buzz buzz light chair?

Speaker 26 Ah, right.

Speaker 23 Yeah,

Speaker 10 rigged.

Speaker 25 Wow, the world is a sick place.

Speaker 24 Telling you, mate.

Speaker 27 We will find him.

Speaker 2 I know.

Speaker 10 Thank you, mate. Thank you.

Speaker 14 I'm waiting for one of you to open the door.

Speaker 28 I didn't bring my keys.

Speaker 14 Why not?

Speaker 28 Because I was in India. I don't need my keys in India.

Speaker 20 Would you like me to make a hook device out of the wiring from this old TV cable that runs up the face of the property to then put through the top window and unlock?

Speaker 14 No, I do not want you to make a hook device from the old TV cable that runs up the face of the property.

Speaker 12 John, can you open the door, please?

Speaker 13 I gave mine to Wiggins.

Speaker 14 But he left here an hour ago.

Speaker 33 So the hook device would be lowered through the slightly open top window, and then to reach and undo the latch.

Speaker 33 Stop.

Speaker 12 Just use your key.

Speaker 23 I.

Speaker 14 Oh, goddammit. I put it in my little case that won't open because this stupid lock is broken.

Speaker 4 Look, I am.

Speaker 23 I am too tired for this.

Speaker 14 I'm looked out of my stupid apartment and it's getting late.

Speaker 4 I want to see my dog. I want to change my clothes.

Speaker 12 It's okay.

Speaker 10 It's okay.

Speaker 12 Could you make a hook device, please, mate?

Speaker 12 Yep.

Speaker 4 Mary

Speaker 4 Oh, man,

Speaker 4 Wow, dozed off.

Speaker 29 Having dreams, are we?

Speaker 23 Uh, yeah.

Speaker 23 No.

Speaker 4 Dunno.

Speaker 34 Would have thought you'd seen enough of her these past few days.

Speaker 35 I wasn't dreaming about her.

Speaker 28 You just said her name.

Speaker 4 Different Mary.

Speaker 31 Oh, I'm sure.

Speaker 26 Yeah, actually.

Speaker 15 Which Mary was it then?

Speaker 36 Mary.

Speaker 4 Mary.

Speaker 35 Mary, the Virgin Mary, the Jesus' mum.

Speaker 28 You were dreaming about Jesus's mum.

Speaker 24 Yes.

Speaker 29 You're happy saying that on the podcast are you?

Speaker 10 No, wait, not his mum, not his mum. No, actually,

Speaker 23 I think it was Mary Berry.

Speaker 34 These lies aren't even fooling Archie.

Speaker 23 Oh, blimey. Oh, surely out for the count then.

Speaker 19 That was a lot longer than a power nap, wasn't it?

Speaker 16 What sort of time span would be considered a power nap?

Speaker 23 Uh five minutes.

Speaker 29 Then, yes, it was longer.

Speaker 35 Longer by how much?

Speaker 29 Three hours and twenty-one minutes.

Speaker 36 Oh.

Speaker 35 Wow, yeah, okay, slightly overdid it.

Speaker 37 Um, there. What time?

Speaker 33 You're wearing it then?

Speaker 4 Hmm? Your heirloom.

Speaker 4 Uh, haha, yeah.

Speaker 23 Yeah, I am.

Speaker 17 Good for you.

Speaker 38 Thanks.

Speaker 26 Maybe you should have a light.

Speaker 27 Okay.

Speaker 10 You're still in the same clothes.

Speaker 26 Have you been awake this whole time?

Speaker 4 I

Speaker 39 have.

Speaker 38 Thought it was a fairly straightforward question.

Speaker 16 In times like this,

Speaker 31 my monotropic mind can run and run.

Speaker 6 It can feel infant.

Speaker 32 Or at least devoid of time.

Speaker 10 Your monotropic mind?

Speaker 19 Yes.

Speaker 4 You

Speaker 34 and most people, in fact, have polytropic minds.

Speaker 40 Focus is a hard-fought task.

Speaker 17 Thoughts are splintered and competing.

Speaker 24 Oh, I know, mate.

Speaker 12 You don't have to tell me twice.

Speaker 24 Well, I mean, actually, you do have to tell me twice a lot of the time, because I'm, you know, distracted.

Speaker 10 You know, maybe even three or four times, to be honest.

Speaker 23 And what about you?

Speaker 29 I can have polytropic moments, yes.

Speaker 33 But otherwise, thoughts, concepts, and postulation run in a single unbroken line.

Speaker 16 I work through every perception individually.

Speaker 24 Is this why you eat things in a certain order?

Speaker 29 I do. Yeah.

Speaker 36 Do you have an example?

Speaker 10 Well, on the flight, you had ravioli.

Speaker 29 Tortellini.

Speaker 10 Fine, yeah, same thing.

Speaker 16 Different shape, size, texture, and name, but fine.

Speaker 33 Right, sure, yeah.

Speaker 4 Anyway, you unpacked the tortellini.

Speaker 24 You know, you took out the innards and put them to one side, and then the pasta shells on the other side.

Speaker 10 You ate the pasta shells first, and then the innards.

Speaker 29 Uh doesn't everyone do that?

Speaker 4 Uh no.

Speaker 4 Oh.

Speaker 10 I mean sometimes when you're making it, the bits can fall out, which is really annoying, you know, especially in the pot and it turns you past the water or google.

Speaker 17 Can we stop talking about Tortellini? Yeah.

Speaker 26 What do you want to talk about?

Speaker 28 I don't really wish to talk.

Speaker 38 Sure.

Speaker 12 Seem like you've got a lot on your monotropic mind.

Speaker 12 What you thinking?

Speaker 6 I am thinking

Speaker 20 about our failings as an organisation. Come on.

Speaker 29 Only 1% of people that have been missing longer than a week are ever found, Watson.

Speaker 33 And that's in adults.

Speaker 12 What?

Speaker 12 What's the rate in missing kids?

Speaker 15 Not something I wish to speak aloud at this point.

Speaker 4 May have

Speaker 28 buggered this up with that excursion to India.

Speaker 29 What are you on about?

Speaker 10 We've got a ton of information and nearly caught a killer.

Speaker 16 I suppose I just feel responsible.

Speaker 27 Sherlock, look at me. Look at me, mate.

Speaker 23 Sorry, John.

Speaker 20 Just feel like shutting down a bit.

Speaker 35 Hey, no, that's okay.

Speaker 27 Don't.

Speaker 35 Yeah, just um, I understand.

Speaker 37 You're okay, though, right?

Speaker 10 Are you stewing or

Speaker 10 yay, nay?

Speaker 10 Do you want to scoop out some of that thought stew and put it in my bowl?

Speaker 38 I'm very tired, sorry.

Speaker 41 It had been gone for some time.

Speaker 19 The Suricula?

Speaker 4 Mm-hmm.

Speaker 12 Yeah, Yeah, it had. Dust had collected.

Speaker 6 Yet.

Speaker 15 The sign of four

Speaker 31 didn't know that.

Speaker 17 The defenders of the temple didn't know that.

Speaker 28 But somebody did.

Speaker 33 Get your laptop. Okay, okay.

Speaker 4 Um,

Speaker 38 Windows update. Nope.

Speaker 4 Bugger off.

Speaker 10 Oh, just bugger.

Speaker 27 Okay, fine. Remind me later.

Speaker 4 Fine, okay.

Speaker 4 Uh, laptop is on, fired up, and ready to go.

Speaker 35 What do you want?

Speaker 20 The audio from Mary's meeting with Sholto.

Speaker 10 Audio from Mary's meeting with Sholto. That'll be right with you, sir.
One moment.

Speaker 26 Right.

Speaker 10 Um, let's have you

Speaker 35 here.

Speaker 4 Play it.

Speaker 37 And play.

Speaker 43 He has one of your diamonds.

Speaker 10 What? Some investigators found it in his house.

Speaker 36 Ah, wait, who's the star?

Speaker 15 No, this is fine.

Speaker 22 I sent everything to you.

Speaker 4 Do you have it?

Speaker 4 Oh no,

Speaker 4 no, no, no, no, no, no.

Speaker 4 Mary, listen to me. Lead.

Speaker 4 They they

Speaker 4 may come

Speaker 4 for

Speaker 4 the temple.

Speaker 36 They

Speaker 2 put it back.

Speaker 36 Eight seconds.

Speaker 22 Ah, thank you. Mary,

Speaker 22 look at me.

Speaker 4 Do you have it or not?

Speaker 22 Have what?

Speaker 24 What is it?

Speaker 10 Waiter's voice? That's our killer.

Speaker 11 No, no, no.

Speaker 15 It is.

Speaker 4 But

Speaker 20 it's disguised anyway.

Speaker 27 Listen to Sholter. Listen to me.

Speaker 28 Do you have it or not?

Speaker 28 Look at me.

Speaker 12 Do you have it or not?

Speaker 35 Yeah, he's talking about the little diamonds he sent. Is he?

Speaker 10 Yeah, because the previous thing she said.

Speaker 41 But why would his concern be the smaller diamonds, of which he sent numerous?

Speaker 4 Yeah.

Speaker 4 No.

Speaker 15 He doesn't have the Suricula.

Speaker 33 And the killer now knows he doesn't have it because he's at the table during this part of the conversation.

Speaker 20 Okay.

Speaker 17 The sign of four went to the temple to find it.

Speaker 29 It wasn't there.

Speaker 17 Then they came for Sholto.

Speaker 28 We saw signs of torture in the dead, did we not?

Speaker 35 Uh yes, strangulation, burnings.

Speaker 30 Maybe one of them directed the four to Sholto.

Speaker 29 That he had the diamond.

Speaker 20 He's from Pondicherry.

Speaker 29 He and Morstan obviously had this powerful bond over safeguarding the Suricula.

Speaker 28 They didn't want it to be in potentially corrupt government hands, or the hands of the four.

Speaker 4 What

Speaker 12 what is it?

Speaker 21 The killer knew.

Speaker 4 Knew what?

Speaker 17 Knew where Sholto would be and when.

Speaker 36 And Indian police say Mary's water was also poison.

Speaker 32 A Sholto and the Morstan together.

Speaker 20 Defenders of the duel against the sign of four.

Speaker 31 A two for one for our killer.

Speaker 10 It's not Captain Arthur Morstan, it's Mary.

Speaker 36 Heirlooms, Watson.

Speaker 42 Heirlooms. Don't you see?

Speaker 20 It's about continuity, birthrights.

Speaker 32 This matters to the people who revere the stone.

Speaker 10 But Mary doesn't know anything about it.

Speaker 20 Because her father was killed, Watson.

Speaker 42 He left clues.

Speaker 10 The story. They're just bedtime stories.

Speaker 19 Come on.

Speaker 10 So, you're saying she knows more than she's letting out.

Speaker 28 That's not what I'm suggesting.

Speaker 36 Sholto knew it all.

Speaker 32 Mary didn't know enough.

Speaker 30 Do you have it or not?

Speaker 21 That's what he asked her.

Speaker 28 So Sholto doesn't have it.

Speaker 32 The people of Pondicherry don't have it.

Speaker 30 The sign of four don't have it.

Speaker 20 But who does?

Speaker 26 But murder.

Speaker 21 Killing Mary Morstan and Sholto.

Speaker 20 That wouldn't allow the four access to the stone.

Speaker 30 You kill to eliminate threats.

Speaker 40 To tie up loose ends, to settle grudges.

Speaker 12 Do we think Mary has the Surakula or not?

Speaker 10 Is this why you don't like her?

Speaker 29 I never said I didn't like her.

Speaker 4 Or uh wait, did I?

Speaker 15 It's possible it slipped out.

Speaker 4 No, you didn't. Good.

Speaker 17 Jonathan Small told us that the bond between the Sholtos and Morstans went went back over a century.

Speaker 32 If Mary was ever intended to receive the Surakula, to become its guardian.

Speaker 10 I don't think she is, mate.

Speaker 29 Just saying.

Speaker 36 Remember his words, Watson.

Speaker 16 Sholtos' words.

Speaker 10 Do you have it or not?

Speaker 40 Exactly.

Speaker 12 She's not lying to us, Sherlock.

Speaker 10 Is she not? She's not.

Speaker 33 Time will tell.

Speaker 10 No, I will tell. I'm telling you now, she's not lying.
She's not.

Speaker 40 It nearly slipped out again.

Speaker 19 Well, stop it.

Speaker 26 I like her.

Speaker 29 Yes, I've noticed.

Speaker 35 Cow, don't kick me.

Speaker 24 You deserve it.

Speaker 2 On the killer thing.

Speaker 35 Yes.

Speaker 4 I'm just putting it out there.

Speaker 10 Only a handful of people knew that Sholto and Mary would be.

Speaker 35 Indeed.

Speaker 33 And according to Sholto, our killer is white.

Speaker 6 Exactly.

Speaker 26 Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar, and Mohinda Singh.

Speaker 35 They don't sound like white guys to me.

Speaker 40 Our fourth member is white then.

Speaker 10 And look at the people who knew. I remember what happened in there.

Speaker 12 Agent Jones, a white guy, stood up and left, and we haven't seen him since.

Speaker 26 Yes.

Speaker 15 And that is a thought, Watson, that competes in my mind.

Speaker 20 Its cries for attention get louder and louder.

Speaker 10 How do we know he's an Interpol agent anyway?

Speaker 12 I mean, like you pointed out, he faked the gun.

Speaker 10 What else can he fake?

Speaker 29 Can he fool Tom Gregson?

Speaker 38 Well, he's Tom Gregson, he's not Stephen Hawking.

Speaker 4 What are you doing?

Speaker 15 Pacing in thought.

Speaker 10 Do it in the pacing area.

Speaker 20 But the luggage is in the way.

Speaker 12 Then move it. Nope.

Speaker 20 I'd rather pace here.

Speaker 10 God's sake. Keep that area clear for pacing in thought, and you never use it.

Speaker 2 The priority is Tonga.

Speaker 35 Correct.

Speaker 20 Think back to the temple.

Speaker 45 The names.

Speaker 20 Tonga lied to his parents, claiming he had a job.

Speaker 28 Police investigations led to somebody named Mohinda Singh.

Speaker 23 Right, how do they know that?

Speaker 20 Tonga's friends reported it.

Speaker 12 And they said Mohinda didn't go to the school.

Speaker 2 Correct.

Speaker 28 But this incomplete assumption has skewered this entire investigation. He didn't go to the school because he's not a child.

Speaker 34 He's a grown man. and a member of the sign of four as we discovered in the temple.

Speaker 10 Then we need to tell the police that he wasn't just hanging out with some cool boy from another school. An adult male was in contact frequently with a missing boy.

Speaker 40 I've messaged Gregson that already.

Speaker 4 Oh, uh, well done.

Speaker 32 But how did he

Speaker 17 convince Tonga?

Speaker 6 Aside from money,

Speaker 6 brainwashing?

Speaker 26 Brainwashing.

Speaker 44 Tonga had cash.

Speaker 31 And a photo of Mary.

Speaker 20 And a travel card.

Speaker 28 Diamonds had been taken from her.

Speaker 20 He was obviously being used by the four

Speaker 32 to monitor Mary, to take from her whenever this correspondence from Sholto would arrive.

Speaker 21 They knew its value.

Speaker 44 How do you get a 14-year-old boy on your side?

Speaker 4 Money, yes.

Speaker 34 But you stir them up.

Speaker 17 Appeal to fledgling shoots of anger and mistrust of...

Speaker 20 of perceived enemies of his identity.

Speaker 17 Fill him with nationalist fury.

Speaker 28 They whipped whipped him up against the Morstan attachment to this talisman of his country's heritage, then paid him off.

Speaker 31 He was the shadow that hunted Mary all this time.

Speaker 19 But the trust,

Speaker 4 the money,

Speaker 20 and only went so far.

Speaker 12 Because he took a diamond for himself.

Speaker 28 That he did, Watson, as we discovered in his little music box.

Speaker 20 And the sign of four do not forgive such a transgression.

Speaker 28 Their retribution, as we have witnessed, will be dark, brutal, and bloody.

Speaker 4 Yeah.

Speaker 4 God.

Speaker 10 Well, let's let's keep thinking on this. This is good.

Speaker 12 This is good detectiving.

Speaker 24 In the meantime, I better feed Arch.

Speaker 4 I think I slept through this dinner time.

Speaker 4 Well, well, well, what will it be this evening, Archie boy?

Speaker 24 I've got I've got two choices, sir.

Speaker 10 It's it's mushy chicken and some jelly, I think.

Speaker 10 And then there's some beef sludge with peas.

Speaker 10 So what are we thinking? I mean, this one pairs well with a lovely crisp white, I believe.

Speaker 43 Or, of course, yeah, a bowl of water.

Speaker 23 Okay, yeah, okey-dokie.

Speaker 10 Mushy chicken it is.

Speaker 10 Yummy, yummy, yum, yum, yum.

Speaker 35 Oh, God, he loves that stuff.

Speaker 10 You know, the problem is it sticks to the bowl and then you get flies if you turn it's gone.

Speaker 4 Yeah, Sherlock's gone.

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Speaker 10 it's not even particularly new

Speaker 43 I probably look like a bit of a dick holding it but it was that or a purple one that said it's giving rainy day vibes which

Speaker 43 yeah no thanks so

Speaker 35 anyway here I am in Hounslow at West Hounslow or Hounslow West to be exact.

Speaker 10 It's 10 o'clock at night and I am soaking wet. So

Speaker 12 yeah I got a message from Sherlock saying he's in Hounslow but I did remind him that we have a podcast that documents our adventures and it's not great when he disappears without warning so I followed him here and now he's not answering his phone.

Speaker 10 So you know, John Podcast Watson is going to have to do a little bit of deducing himself. How is he going to do do that?

Speaker 35 I hear you ask. Well,

Speaker 43 I don't know, so just give me a second.

Speaker 38 There's no way he's gone to the bajwoods.

Speaker 38 That's the family, of course, Tonga's family.

Speaker 10 There's no way they would have let him in at this hour.

Speaker 38 So,

Speaker 10 why is he here?

Speaker 27 Why is he here? Well, why?

Speaker 6 Why are we all here?

Speaker 35 Hey,

Speaker 10 um,

Speaker 10 There's nothing really open, apart from your odd convenience stores, a pub over there, corner shop, news agents type.

Speaker 10 Wait.

Speaker 4 Wait, then.

Speaker 38 Magazine.

Speaker 10 Tonga's apparent job.

Speaker 10 He delivered a magazine. God, I wish my jet lag brain could cope better with this.

Speaker 10 So.

Speaker 12 Right. Okay.

Speaker 23 Let me

Speaker 10 go into this one here Hounds Low News

Speaker 10 Hi hi there

Speaker 12 Have you seen a guy come in here?

Speaker 10 Tall lean

Speaker 10 Long coat evasive but curious manner kind of an intense stare from time to time earlier

Speaker 32 20 minutes ago.

Speaker 37 Oh, okay, um

Speaker 23 what did he do? Are you gonna buy anything?

Speaker 4 Yeah.

Speaker 10 Um.

Speaker 23 What then?

Speaker 37 Um.

Speaker 24 This.

Speaker 10 Chewing gum.

Speaker 32 That's seventyp,

Speaker 23 so.

Speaker 23 Yeah.

Speaker 4 What?

Speaker 10 You're gonna buy anything else? Will you tell me where he went if I do?

Speaker 35 Mm-hmm. Cool.
Right.

Speaker 10 Uh I will get um

Speaker 45 that

Speaker 37 and

Speaker 12 uh some lottery tickets.

Speaker 9 Five, yeah.

Speaker 38 Well, I was gonna go one.

Speaker 10 But, yeah, five.

Speaker 24 Yes.

Speaker 26 Two pound each. Lovely.

Speaker 32 Let's send seventy, please, sir.

Speaker 32 He loads of the magazines.

Speaker 23 I didn't get any of them. When he left the shop, he went right down that way.

Speaker 10 Wonderful. Thank you, mate.

Speaker 4 Not bad.

Speaker 10 Not bad. Only cost me 10.70, and I nabbed myself a bit of info.
So, down the street, this way. Apparently, I'll hit another couple of shops on the way and soon enough I will track him down.

Speaker 10 Can't wait to see his face when he realises I tracked him.

Speaker 12 Although tell you what, I hope he hasn't gone too far.

Speaker 38 This whole bribery thing could cost me a f ⁇ ing.

Speaker 10 The pineapple vape juice, how much is that?

Speaker 38 E-liquid. E-liquid.

Speaker 27 Who's calling it that?

Speaker 10 Alright, fine. The pineapple E-liquid.

Speaker 26 It's six quid.

Speaker 10 Great, I'll get that too, please.

Speaker 10 Phone charger, yep, and the lighter, please.

Speaker 14 I think he crossed the street and went in that one.

Speaker 36 Great, thanks.

Speaker 10 You know these cans are not to be sold separately, by the way. So yeah, the Daily Mirror and the Telegraph too, please.
Sorry, could I get a bag?

Speaker 38 Sake, Sherlock.

Speaker 10 And the energy drink, too.

Speaker 23 I've already told you where they went.

Speaker 43 Yeah, I'm just.

Speaker 10 I'm absolutely fing hell.

Speaker 12 Three quid for a bag of MMs.

Speaker 13 Market inflation.

Speaker 10 Yeah, sorry, I didn't realise, you know, global market exposure to the MM was so volatile.

Speaker 35 God's sake.

Speaker 46 He's at the back.

Speaker 46 It. What? Your man.
He's at the back of the shop.

Speaker 23 Oh.

Speaker 46 With the magazines.

Speaker 12 Cool. Thank you.

Speaker 10 These are out of date. They went off in 2021.

Speaker 12 We don't have a return policy. Yeah, I'm sure.

Speaker 35 Yeah.

Speaker 10 2021 MMs with 2024 prices. Thanks, mate.

Speaker 24 Thanks a lot.

Speaker 34 Very good, Watson.

Speaker 10 Yeah, thanks.

Speaker 32 You pieced it together.

Speaker 10 Yeah, and I bought you some MMs as well, actually.

Speaker 45 Thank you.

Speaker 32 Very kind.

Speaker 13 You're welcome.

Speaker 19 Been shopping?

Speaker 4 Uh, yeah.

Speaker 10 Yeah, want anything? Yeah, daily mirror, mints, pineapple e-liquid.

Speaker 10 By the way, bloke behind the counter, honestly, some people.

Speaker 15 You have a grudge against the most important person so far in this case, Watson.

Speaker 12 I do.

Speaker 34 He recognises Tonga Bajois.

Speaker 40 The boy was telling the truth.

Speaker 28 He did have a job.

Speaker 4 Really?

Speaker 10 Yes.

Speaker 28 Once a week, he'd park his bike outside, collect a local magazine, and distribute it to the residents who were paid subscribers.

Speaker 37 A paper round?

Speaker 39 Almost.

Speaker 32 Much lighter workload with such a small circular, and one that could take place after school, rather than before it.

Speaker 10 Has the guy told the police this?

Speaker 29 Indeed, he has.

Speaker 37 And

Speaker 33 the police, quite rightly, point out that the timeframes don't match the demand of the circular.

Speaker 28 Meaning, there were only two subscribers to the magazine.

Speaker 32 Meaning, Tonga's work would be completed within 20 minutes. But he would disappear for hours.

Speaker 28 Hence, why they began looking into gang-related activity.

Speaker 32 A rabbit hole that will take some time to burrow out of, let me tell you.

Speaker 12 I see. So we are looking for an exceptionally dull magazine.

Speaker 32 We are.

Speaker 10 A spectator down there? Thoughts?

Speaker 32 I prefer this shelf here.

Speaker 10 Can't the guy behind the counter just tell us, or have I got to to buy 40 quid worth of Arab?

Speaker 28 He can't recall, but if we scan the barcodes, he can tell us the recipients of the subscribed copies.

Speaker 12 Lubbly jubbly.

Speaker 29 And looky here, Watson.

Speaker 12 What's that?

Speaker 34 Three editions of Hounslow, Feltam, and Brentford Chronicle.

Speaker 31 One for this week, one for the week before,

Speaker 30 and one for the week before that.

Speaker 12 Tonga didn't deliver these issues because he'd gone missing.

Speaker 17 And nobody came to claim me.

Speaker 4 Chop, chop.

Speaker 33 Hello again.

Speaker 4 Yeah.

Speaker 12 Could you scan this, please?

Speaker 28 I need to confirm a subscription.

Speaker 10 Uh, yep, this is the one.

Speaker 10 Two subscribers there.

Speaker 33 Let me see.

Speaker 34 Mrs. G.
Balakrishnan

Speaker 30 and Mr. M.

Speaker 6 Singh.

Speaker 20 34 Heathdale Avenue.

Speaker 32 Let's go pay him a visit.

Speaker 43 I'll call the police.

Speaker 29 And I'll have an MM to celebrate.

Speaker 4 oh, oh, good lord.

Speaker 10 28.

Speaker 13 30.

Speaker 46 32. Here.

Speaker 14 Here.

Speaker 34 Where are the bloody police?

Speaker 39 Did you call them?

Speaker 46 Yes, I called them.

Speaker 14 Bugger. It's okay, just we can wait here.

Speaker 30 I fear we cannot wait much longer.

Speaker 12 Hey, it's gonna be a couple of minutes at best. Just get off his lord.

Speaker 15 Look, Watson.

Speaker 6 Turf.

Speaker 18 Removed

Speaker 20 Here from the front garden.

Speaker 10 Maybe he's doing a flower bed.

Speaker 13 I don't know.

Speaker 25 Follow me.

Speaker 21 Lose the umbrella.

Speaker 26 Sherlock.

Speaker 18 I'm not going into the house.

Speaker 5 Where are you going then?

Speaker 6 Into the back garden.

Speaker 25 What?

Speaker 4 Why?

Speaker 25 We will merely walk down the side path of the house.

Speaker 35 I won't touch anything.

Speaker 21 I won't break anything. Just

Speaker 12 wait for the police, then we can do whatever you want to do.

Speaker 36 I think we both know the police won't section that.

Speaker 4 Sherlock!

Speaker 12 Please!

Speaker 12 You see, on the path here,

Speaker 45 clumps of dirt.

Speaker 18 The lawn turf was moved back here.

Speaker 38 Yeah, that's not amazing, mate, to be honest.

Speaker 21 Oh, but it is.

Speaker 45 Wait, what was he planting?

Speaker 45 This time of year?

Speaker 10 Who do I look like to you, Monty Don?

Speaker 4 I don't know, Sherlock.

Speaker 18 He wanted additional grass to cover

Speaker 6 a burial.

Speaker 13 You're not serious.

Speaker 21 Look, you see?

Speaker 18 The patchwork of transplanted grass.

Speaker 42 Not enough sunlight at all for it to actually take.

Speaker 21 Seems waterlogged as well.

Speaker 15 Pass me the shovel.

Speaker 21 By the back door. I.

Speaker 21 Mate, Watson.

Speaker 37 Fine, fine.

Speaker 38 Hello, listeners.

Speaker 43 Yep, I know.

Speaker 10 Right, but it's not breaking and entering, is it?

Speaker 34 Just the trespassing tonight, right when the police are gonna show up, so yeah, it looks like I'll be able to catch up on my sleep in a prison cell.

Speaker 38 So that's nice, isn't it?

Speaker 43 There's no sign of anyone in the house, which is a relief.

Speaker 38 No lights on. It's a fairly basic terraced house, front garden, back garden, as you've heard.

Speaker 21 Um,

Speaker 18 gonna go give him this shovel, although might accidentally smack him over the head with it.

Speaker 35 Who knows?

Speaker 21 Here, who are you talking to?

Speaker 12 Listeners.

Speaker 47 Oh,

Speaker 21 lovely.

Speaker 21 Give them my best. No,

Speaker 35 what are you looking for?

Speaker 21 I'd like to see what Mr.

Speaker 45 Mohinda Singh is up to.

Speaker 38 What do you think this could be?

Speaker 38 Sherlock,

Speaker 10 what do you think

Speaker 12 is under here?

Speaker 30 As I have mentioned before,

Speaker 47 I'd rather not verbalize the thought.

Speaker 6 Oh, God.

Speaker 45 What was that?

Speaker 45 I think it's

Speaker 4 hold on.

Speaker 4 help me,

Speaker 6 come on,

Speaker 6 come on,

Speaker 4 lift it,

Speaker 6 Tonga's bike.

Speaker 4 Oh, please, God, no!

Speaker 21 I don't think he's down there with it.

Speaker 37 You don't?

Speaker 21 He doesn't smell that way, anyway.

Speaker 13 What do we do?

Speaker 47 We rescue him.

Speaker 47 All good. Yeah, we're good.

Speaker 47 Now,

Speaker 12 what do you reckon? Wait for him to come down.

Speaker 45 No car.

Speaker 45 No lights.

Speaker 21 No bins collected.

Speaker 21 Post not picked up.

Speaker 21 I think we have an empty house, Watson. Good.

Speaker 21 Good. Just.

Speaker 38 One last look before I step over the threshold to see if there's police yet.

Speaker 38 Nope.

Speaker 23 Great. Okay.

Speaker 4 Ah, crime it is. Here we go.

Speaker 12 What are you thinking?

Speaker 6 Before correct.

Speaker 21 And the boy has been kidnapped and taken into this house.

Speaker 32 You have to think like the kidnapper.

Speaker 21 We don't want to disturb too much of the scene.

Speaker 21 Where would you take him?

Speaker 4 Um

Speaker 12 basement?

Speaker 21 There's no basement.

Speaker 45 Okay, uh bedroom. Which one?

Speaker 10 I don't know. Does it matter?

Speaker 21 To you? The kidnapper? It does.

Speaker 47 The boy could be loud.

Speaker 36 But it's a terraced house.

Speaker 47 Neighbours attached on both sides.

Speaker 21 But the wall that's shared with number thirty-two offers an opportunity.

Speaker 4 Why?

Speaker 4 Um, cause

Speaker 38 they're

Speaker 35 deaf.

Speaker 10 Elderly deaf neighbors.

Speaker 6 No?

Speaker 21 How would I have deduced that?

Speaker 26 I don't know, you deduce loads of stuff.

Speaker 15 It's for sale and has been for a while.

Speaker 10 Yeah, not surprised in this market, so it's empty then.

Speaker 10 Exactly.

Speaker 21 Which gives us this bedroom just here,

Speaker 31 the bedroom that has a lock

Speaker 47 on this side of the door.

Speaker 4 It's unlocked, though.

Speaker 21 Then I fear

Speaker 21 our rescue operation may be a little late.

Speaker 4 Okay,

Speaker 45 right.

Speaker 45 Well,

Speaker 4 here we go.

Speaker 4 Good luck.

Speaker 21 And to you.

Speaker 27 Holy shit.

Speaker 6 He's gone.

Speaker 35 But he was here.

Speaker 12 They had somebody here.

Speaker 34 Against their will.

Speaker 17 Look, the cuffs.

Speaker 42 Made from rope.

Speaker 10 And the mattress on the floor.

Speaker 33 Small amount of blood.

Speaker 21 A minor injury, I'd say.

Speaker 33 Curtains closed and untouched for a long while.

Speaker 41 Windows locked and barred.

Speaker 12 Some plates here, a few crumbs and stuff, so they were feeding him.

Speaker 29 They want to keep him alive, then.

Speaker 32 Or at least they wanted to for a time.

Speaker 4 Sherlock, look.

Speaker 12 What is it? Do you know what this is?

Speaker 39 A hat.

Speaker 43 It's a Chelsea hat.

Speaker 10 Tonga is a Chelsea fan.

Speaker 12 What are you doing?

Speaker 47 Examining

Speaker 34 the floor.

Speaker 4 The walls.

Speaker 6 They moved him.

Speaker 20 He was dragged out by his hair.

Speaker 32 A few here

Speaker 36 and here.

Speaker 40 He kicked out, caught this plug socket here.

Speaker 32 As they got him off the mattress, he scratched the floorboards as he was dragged towards the doorway.

Speaker 32 But

Speaker 13 where did they drag him to?

Speaker 12 Binge This Adventure, right the way up to part 10, now available in full at patreon.com forward slash Sherlock and Clutch.