Free Sherlock Holmes & The Master Engraver (Sherlock Holmes Revival) by Ross Husband Page A

Holmes, and indeed many lesser commercial locks can be defeated by this means.” Holmes chose neither to confirm nor deny von Huntziger’s speculation.
    At this juncture Pollitt looked up from his work and snorted derisively. “As you see gentlemen, Pollitt agrees with me on this point. These Chubb high-security safes incorporate a mechanism designed to disable the entire system after one failed try at picking the lock; at this point any further attempts are quite futile, and the safe can now only be returned to normal operation by use of a special key which would be held by the registered owner.
    “The need to employ this special key would immediately alert him to the fact that an illicit attempt had been made.
    “By far the safest and simplest method is, therefore, with a working key, either one held by a legitimate key-holder or, greatly more challenging, to manufacture a perfect replica.
    “The former route presents the not insignificant problem of purloining a key and returning it without being detected, or of co-opting, how do you say it – an inside man? This is not unusual in large robberies.
    “The second, though more involved and complex, has the great advantage that the safe may be opened and closed at such an opportune time, and on such an occasion, that detection may be delayed for some hours or even days, thus much facilitating a safe and undetected escape.
    “I may add, Doctor Watson, that Mr Pollitt and I are entirely in accord with this analysis – our expert credentials you have already heard from Mr Holmes.” This last was delivered without the smallest hint of irony.
    Throughout this extraordinary dissertation, which in any other circumstance would surely be tantamount to conspiracy to burglary, I observed that Pollitt had ceased working with his massed burners, and was now engrossed in many intricate operations involving the use of exceedingly fine and thin files and a small metal vice which he had clamped to the bench, confirming my belated but growing suspicion that Holmes was in train of somehow manufacturing duplicate keys!
    At this point in our somewhat improbable convocation, the long-suffering Mrs Hudson entered bearing a tray piled with meat and cheese sandwiches, along with a glass of wine for von Huntziger and small beer for Pollitt, showing no particular sign of disapproval beyond a sniff in the shabby little locksmith’s direction, before sweeping out of the room in a rustle of bombazine.
    A further hour or two passed, during which time Holmes and I took turns at watching Pollitt closely. In Holmes’ case, clearly to ensure that only one of each key was made, whereas my interest lay rather in marvelling at the precision, speed and dexterity of the man – a true craftsman at work.
    Eventually Pollitt clambered down from the laboratory stool and approached Holmes deferentially. “’ere you are Mr ’olmes” and he dropped four complex, gleaming zinc metal keys into my colleague’s outstretched hand.
    I remained silent as Holmes scrutinised them minutely through his lens from every angle.
    Von Huntziger strolled over and peered down at the newly-formed keys. “May I look please?” Holmes passed him his lens. Von Huntziger examined them closely and smiled. “They are fine, very fine, indeed quite perfect. I believe I have never seen better.”
    Holmes nodded languidly. “Now Mr Pollitt, what assurance do I have that these would open a lock, assuming of course, that there are locks to match?”
    Obsequiously, the diminutive Pollitt replied through a mouthful of meat sandwich “Well Mr ‘olmes, Sir, there ain’t no guarantees in this kind of what you might call private consultin’ work, but my guess is that if – only if there was a safe to match o’course, just supposin’…” again his snigger “heugh heugh – these will likely work first time out, sweet as a nut.
    “They’re as perfick as anyone could make from what you give me. An’ there ain’t many as could