After that I dashed, as I most certainly did not want stepfather to catch me! I felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off from upon me!
Gosh, I had been eagerly expecting them for what certainly seemed to be an everlasting time! When Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson had finally arrived and they surprised me ever so and informed me of my stepfather’s rude unexpected intrusion almost immediately after I had left. He had monitored me, and then stormed in after me. They said he was very aggressive and had threatened them, and he was a very dangerous man, as my stepfather had apparently even said himself, everybody knows this is true though.
Yet nevertheless, Holmes did arrive with some good news, which he believed provided a strong motive. I noticed he was holding a blue sheet of paper. He said that he found my mother’s will from the Doctors Commons. It stated that he would receive £1100 (which was now down to £750 due to the fall of agricultural prices). It also declared that £250 can be claimed by each daughter on the occasion of a marriage. This would mean that if I and dear Julia had each taken this sum of money with us into our blissful marriages, stepfather would be left with a mere £250 himself. Holmes had a suspicion about this.
Following that the pair looked at Dr. Roylott’s house. After entering, they went up to the three bedrooms, where they began to look around. They examined each detail in these rooms ever so carefully and thoroughly. They found it strange that we locked our doors and the window was solid shut, and still Julia was killed somehow.
After closer inspection they discovered that the bell pull was a dummy; it turned out that it did not even ring! The positioning of the ventilator had always made me wonder, but I would never dare question stepfather and nor would anyone else for that matter. It turned out I was right, it did not work and the ventilator was on a wall, not leading outside, and instead it turned out to have communication with my step father’s chamber. Lastly, how I had been moved from my previous room due to repairs intro Julia’s old room, Holmes and Watson believed there was nothing to need repairing! In Dr. Roylott’s room they found a safe with a saucer of milk on top of it and a lead lying in his room. We were all desperately baffled by these many strange things which I had never even thought about before; it was an utter mystery to us all.
He came to the decision that he and Dr. Watson were to stay for the night in Julia’s room; where I have been sleeping recently. When my stepfather had retired to his room, I would signal to them as they carefully watched from the village inn. Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson would then come in and spend the night in my current room. Mr. Holmes has come to a conclusion as to what he believes happened to my sister that unforgettable night, but he has decided to presently keep his thoughts to himself until he has solid evidence and is absolutely certain of his current conclusion as to what happened that fateful night.
I have been sitting here since 9pm awaiting my step father to retire to his chamber for the night and I will then signal. Two hours have slowly passed. Aha! He now is in his chamber because I hear him! I have signalled and I shall now quickly and quietly slip back into my old room.
April 7, 1883
Oh goodness gracious, I sat there hoping everything was alright. I had been constantly tossing and turning all night, without a wink of sleep. I honestly could not put my mind to rest last night. I was desperately eager to see what the pair had to say about their experiences and conclusion to the case of poor Julia and how she met her unfortunate fate. Luckily I soon heard a knock on my door and quickly got up and answered.
I met them in the hall outside our rooms to discuss their thoughts and I was keen to know what happened last night. They explained to me what happened to my sister and now also my stepfather...
It seemed that my stepfather did not want to give up £250 for Julia, so he killed her which he was also planning to do to me. Each night he let out a deadly snake, a swamp adder, from his collection of exotic animals. This snake’s vicious bite killed in seconds which is why Julia collapsed to the floor so suddenly. When he let out this snake it slipped though his ventilator and slithered its way along to Julia and slid through, down the bell pull, which was merely a rope for this snake to crawl down and if Julia had happened to move in her sleep the creature would attack. But if not, the snake would sneak back up the rope into the vent and was lured back into its cage by the saucer of milk awaiting it, and for all we knew Julia went through this night after night after night until she met her end. For all I knew this could have been happening to me every night, until I was to move and that would be my end. So I could have been close to encountering death every night for who knows how long, having a slithering, slimy, sneaky snake crawl all over me and I was completely oblivious.
It seemed stepfather had gotten a taste of his own medicine. This morning Holmes recounted the events of yesterday evening: a whistle was heard by the pair and they immediately lit a match and began lashing aggressively at the rope. Dr. Roylott’s scream of terror was heard by Holmes and Watson from through the ventilator and they went in to investigate. The snake obviously came back through the ventilator and due to just being attacked; it lashed out at my stepfather. The safe was open and Dr. Roylott sitting there stiff, with a peculiar patterned band tightly clinging to his head, soon it rose itself and they knew it was a swamp adder. They then came into my room to inform me of the news and took me to a place of safety and security.
It is with great sadness that I now say my step father is dead. Although he was a dangerous man, I lived with him and there is not a cruel bone in my body to say that I hated him. Also now I am the only person left in my family, since mother, sister and stepfather have all passed away.
However; I can now go off into my blissful, delightful future marriage to Percy Armitage. Which I hope will be lovely for many years to come; also we will receive that extra money too.
I am sure my stepfather would have been overjoyed if my death were to have occurred as he had planned, so justice has finally been served and Julia is finally at peace. Rest in peace my beloved. He finally got what he deserved. I am glad that my mind is finally at rest and all my questions answered.
I now sit here thinking, if I were to have never gone to see Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson who knows where I would be today- maybe not even here now presently writing this. I am forever and eternally in debt to that delightful duo, Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson for their services, and what now seems their bravery also. Not only did they save me from my near death, but they also found the answers to my wonders and questions which have been pestering and worrying me for two years, only now do we know the tragic tale of the horrific mystery of which dear Julia met her fate. I wish Holmes and Watson well in their futures. I cannot thank them enough. God bless them both.
