A False Alarm

Yusuf Zulfikar
Sep 7, 2018 · 4 min read

There is a knock on the door while I was listening to Holmes recollection about his previous case from the Empty House with my utmost attention while he was smoking his pipe.

Holmes: “Watson, can you please go and check who is knocking on the door?”

I: “Yes,with pleasure.”

I open the door and saw a lady standing.

Lady: “My name is Edith Woodley, is Mr Holmes there?He had told me to come.”

I: “Yes, he is in, come inside.”

I (To Holmes): “A lady named Edith Woodley has come to meet you, and she says that you have told her to come.”

Holmes (To Me): “Yes,I told her to come as I wanted you to listen to her case and help me solve it.”

Holmes (To Woodley): “Miss Woodley, this is my friend Watson and you can speak freely in front of him. Do you want some wine?”

Woodley: “No, thank you.”

Holmes (To Woodley): “ I think you should pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable, and after you are comfortable enough you can begin with your story.”

Woodley: “I think I am fine and I should begin my story without wasting much time.”

Holmes: “If you say you are comfortable enough then you may begin your story.”

Woodley: “My house is two storeyed building and I have a tenant named Charles Hardy, while I live in the first floor and he in the second floor. One day some friends of Mr Hardy came to meet Mr Hardy.”

Miss Woodley gets interrupted by me.

I (To Woodley): “Do the friends of Mr Hardy come to meet him everyday?”

Woodley: “No,two or three days per week.”

I (To Woodley): “Sorry for interrupting, you may continue with your story.”

Woodley: “So, that day while I was going to the attic, I overheard Mr Hardy and his friend talking about attacking some place.”

I (To Woodley): “Did you hear the name of the place they are going to attack?”

Woodley: “No”

I (To Woodley): “ Can I ask you another question?”

Woodley: “Yes”

I: “What work does Mr Hardy do?”

Woodley: “He says he a immigrant in London and is searching for a job.”

I (To Holmes): “Holmes, can that be a lie?”

Holmes: “Yes, it can be a lie.”

Holmes: “So, what can you deduce from this story?”

I: “Mr Hardy and his friends can be a group of terrorists.”

I: “What do you think?”

Holmes: “I also think that Mr Hardy and his friend can be a group of terrorists.”

Holmes: “Tomorrow, while Mr Hardy is out I will go to Miss Woodley’s house and check Mr Hardy’ room and I will also take a locksmith with myself in case the door is locked then the locksmith can come in handy. While I am searching Mr Hardy’s room, you will follow Mr Hardy wherever he goes and he is returning to Miss Woodley’s house you will call in Miss Woodley’s telephone from a call-booth.”

I (To Woodley): “When does Mr Hardy leave?”

Woodley: “8 in the morning and returns approximately at 2 in the afternoon.”

Later when Miss Woodley leaves.

Holmes: “Tomorrow we will have a secret meeting between us.”

I: “Fine, but for now tell me about the remaining part of the Empty House case.”


Next day, I was following Mr Hardy wherever he went, first he went to a restaurant and drank coffee then he went to a building and when I looked up to see the name of the building I saw Military Headquarters was written in huge font on the building.

I (To myself): “Is he going to surrender? if he comes out of the headquarters it will be clear that he is not a criminal.”

I wait outside the headquarters till 1:30, then I see Mr Hardy coming out of the headquarters and I follow him and see him going to the restaurant. While Mr Hardy is in the restaurant, I reach a call — booth and call in Miss Woodley telephone.

Miss Woodley: “Yes,who is it?”

I: “Watson, is Mr Holmes still in the house?”

Woodley: “No, Mr Holmes has left a long time ago.”

I: “Thank you.”

I end my call and then I am on my way to Holmes’s house. I knock on the door after reaching Holmes’s house and Holmes opens the door.”

Holmes: “Here you are my friend. Do you want coffee or wine?”

I: “I want none of these, anyway thanks.”

After some time.

I: “So Holmes what did you find in Mr Hardy’s room?”

Holmes: “I found a military commander batch with Mr Hardy’s name and picture.”

I: “How do you know that the man in the picture was Mr Hardy?”

Holmes: “I asked Miss Woodley.”

I: “Did you find any other clue that is important in the case?”

Holmes: “The map of the place they are going to attack.”

I: “What was the name off the place in the map?”

Holmes: “The name of the place was Peckham.”

I: “Peckham,that gangster area?. Are you sure?”

Holmes: “Yes, I am absolutely sure.”

Holmes: “Now tell me what all places Mr Hardy went?”

I: “First he went to a restaurant,then to the military headquarters and while he was returning he entered a restaurant again.”

Holmes: “Watson, so what can you deduce about Mr Hardy?”

I: “I think Mr Hardy is a military commander. What do you think?”

Holmes: “I also think Mr Hardy is a military commander.”

I: “So, the talk Mr Hardy overheard was that Mr Hardy is going to attack some place and the some place was Peckham.”

Holmes: “Tomorrow, I will go to Miss Woodley’s house and tell her that Mr Hardy is no a danger but a military commander trying to attack a city of gangsters.We should also tell her to keep this matter a secret”

I: “So this case is over?”

Holmes: “No, not till we inform Miss Woodley about Mr Hardy.”

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