Lycée George-Sand La Châtre

Last but not least, the third prize was awarded To Hugo FOSSE and Nathan LEDENT, for their story of humiliation and revenge, set in seedy streets of ill-repute still echoeing with the steps of Jack the Ripper

VENGEANCE WREAKED HAVOC

A week after the last crime of Jack the Ripper, a new corpse was found in Whitechapel, which didn’t quite look like his usual modus operandi…

One morning of November 1888, Holmes and Watson were called by inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard. A men was killed in a creepy little street near a house of ill-repute.
G.Lestrade and his policemen were already on the crime scene when Holmes and Watson arrived :

“ Hello inspector, said Holmes in a sarcastic tone. I can see we are safe in London under police protection.
Hello gentlemen, in a good mood again Holmes !
Always, so what have we got here ? Watson could you please make a first analysis of the victim’s body.
Good morning inspector, excuse him, he’s testy because he missed the Queen’s garden party. “

Watson went to the victim. A man apparently, he was lying down on his back, on the muddy floor soaked with his blood. The murderer had left the knife which he had used for the killing. He looked like a man of the middle society but his jacket had more holes than it should have had. Watson checked the pockets, he only found money, maybe for the prostitute he was about to visit. The last clue he discovered, was an elegant lace handkerchief , in the hand of the victim.

“ So Watson, who is the murderer ? Holmes asked.
I am not sure but I think the knife is for something in this tragic story. But why is there a fine handkerchief like this one here ?
Good question, but you forgot some clues, which are maybe most important. First the nail scratches in the neck suggest that the killer is a woman. The two types of hair on the coat confirm this hypothesis : he was with two women, One of them is guilty. Then don’t you see something else with the shoes ?
No, they are just muddy.
Yes, but surely if you open your eyes, you are going to see differences with his clothes ?
No, I don’t see any differences. And what’s the matter with them, pray ?
You are definitely blind. They are characteristically the shoes of a magistrate, of course. They match his hidden pocket watch. Could you give me the watch please, it is inside the coat.
Are you kidding me ? These are such tiny details that they can’t be important. And how could you know he had a watch ?
Tiny details are by far the most important clues. So now, give me the watch ! “

Watson searched the victim’s pockets and found the watch where Holmes told him before. He was amazed, Holmes was right again. He gave it to him preciously. Holmes opened the watch cover, exposing a picture of the victim’s wife and a lock of hair. Same colour and hair type as one he had found earlier. Holmes said :

“ Elementary my dear Watson… ,
Oh not again, it is impossible to find the culprit with those clues ! Watson sighed.
This man is from the most respectable society and was disguised to be incgonito, he came here to see a prostitute but he was followed by his wife, also disguised. When she saw him in this street with another woman, she grabbed him by the neck and stabbed him. He tried to defend himself but he only managed to grab the handkerchief which must have been in the cuff of her jacket, “

A few hours later the wife was arrested and confessed her guilt. A new murder case had been solved by the brilliant Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Doctor Watson.