“In fact, Mr. Holmes, I will leave the train the stop prior to entering London, I cannot afford to be identified as being in England and especially associated with you. You need to report back to Mycroft” Jack informed me. “Now that we have covered the overall developments, please go through the details of the death of this shrimp merchant that you are aware of and how you became involved with it. By the way, will you have some more honey for your bread, it is my own you know?” I enquired while my eyes were quietly pulled to the panorama of the green summer countryside we were transporting through. I suddenly missed the fresh air, tranquil orderliness of my retirement villa we just left as I hastened to the murder scene amid London’s familiar raucous working class. But I turned my focus back to Jack and his information. “It seems inconsistent with our inquires that this would peak our interest, but the fact is that we had been cognizant of the premises because of a link with an individual of consideration on the continent that should have no known reason to conduct business with Mr. Rawlings, of Rawlings, Winster and Prudy Fish Merchants. But in our trade, it happens that some unlikely lead will open a path that directs us to previously unknown yet critical items of concern. Rawlings, Winster and Prudy, called RWP by their business associates, deal in international trading in marketable fish. Normal transactions deal with bulk purchase of British fishing fleet catches and resale to Continental wholesalers. What our agent had discovered was a special arrangement by a third party buyer of fresh shrimp. But a particular species called snapping shrimp was contracted for, not only specified that they be fresh but that they be alive. Lobsters are known to be shipped live, but most fish and shellfish are iced and speedily dispatched. We are in the process of trying to determine where and why these crustaceans are being transported. One of our English agents had an appointment with Mr. Rawlings this morning, but it never occurred because Mr. Rawlings was dead in his home. Mycroft was alerted to the fact from the agent through me as I was briefing him this morning. Mycroft immediately queried the police on site about the circumstances and crime scene. That is when he decided to dispatch me straight away to you to secure your help in this matter.” “Did Mycroft discuss with you why he considered it murder rather than death by misadventure as the police were called in on?” I asked. “Mr. Prudy called the police in to report a break in at their offices. He at that time was informed of the death of his partner. The offices were being search as Mycroft and I were meeting. Nothing of value had been identified as missing, and they are currently going through their records to see what if anything had been stolen. There was nothing so far to tie in the apparent accidental death of Mr. Rawlings at his home and the office break in. The fact that the death occurred the same night the break in occurred and we were interested in the queer shipment handled by Mr. Rawlings, something the police have not been informed of yet, alerted your brother to the chance that the death was in fact a murder committed to keep the appointment from happening.” “The lead officer on scene, Inspector Morrish is keeping the household isolated and the small staff held there for your interrogation. He has been informed you are arriving this afternoon and has his orders to assist you rather than you assist him in this investigation. He is awaiting at the house to brief you on what they have found so far.” “And, as the station I must get off at is next, I will gather up my reports and bid you successful hunting.” With that Jack scooped up all the papers, locked them in his briefcase and left the compartment as unobtrusively as he had appeared at my home. As the train entered the outskirts of London, many memories of my former career came back to me. I did not try to prejudge what I would be investigating, as conjecture might cause me to fit the facts to my speculation rather build a case based on the facts I would find. But the knowledge of the apparently perplexing commercial dealings would funnel my sifting of facts with a particular inclination. As the train pulled into the station, and all of us passengers hastily disembarked, everyone was scattering to pursue their own important