The last entry of Dr Watson's journal. London, 1894

Another triumph for Holmes! We have recovered the stolen jewel and will be returning it to the Museum in the morning. For now, Holmes plans to lock it up safe in his strong box where I surmise that even the trickiest of docklands housebreakers would struggle to get in. The papers are full of this so called Demon Gang and their acrobatic escapes into the dark places of this city, but I think tonight we would defeat even them.

Holmes will remain at Baker Street should anybody try for the gem, and I will go myself to the Museum to tell them the glad news.

This case has been one of our strangest and I trust that Holmes will permit me to write of it once a suitable length of time has passed. The Museum losing its most precious gem – a gem so secret and valuable that it is not on view to the public, nor indeed listed in any catalogue, but kept in their vaults, locked away in the dark. A scandal indeed. They knew at once that there was only one man in London who could help them find the person who has broken in, broken through their traps and locks, stolen the gem and made away before the first guard could raise the alarm – only one man whose knowledge of London's criminal underworld would be broad and deep enough to identify the criminals – only one man whose razor mind could make the links between the vault, the mud, and the bloodthirsty gang whose work this was. The man with whom I have been privileged these many years to work, my colleague and intimate friend, Sherlock Holmes.

I will go now and give the Museum the news. When I return Holmes has promised us a fine dinner of roast pheasant. He sits now, fascinated by the jewel, and I have barely had a word out of him all evening. But he will be talkative later, especially if I collect his favoured brand of cigarettes on the way home.