Only in the abstract. I did not fool myself. My friend was a tireless warrior for the wronged, possessing gifts in the realm of genius, and making contributions to justice far beyond anything I could imagine. His work was life changing, his intellect beyond compare.

The world was indeed a better place for the existence of Sherlock Holmes.

I smiled as I placed the letter in my breast pocket. A sense of peace, of purpose, washed over me. I knew exactly what I needed to do. I covered Holmes with the afghan and rang down for lunch. And then I picked up my pen to write.

My mother, I was sure, would be pleased.

For interesting facts and photos of people, places and things mentioned in this novel, see the online annotations here: https://macbird.com/the-three-locks/notes

Acknowledgements

Thank you to my wonderful editor David Brawn and agent Linda Langton, and, to quote Dorothy Parker, my severest friends and dearest critics Harley Jane Kozak, Luke Kuhns, Miguel Perez, Robert Mammana, Alex Bennett, Patricia Smiley, Jonathan Beggs, Linda Burrows, Bob Shayne, Craig Faustus Buck, Matt Witten, Andrew Rubin, and Jamie Diamond. Also my very grateful thanks to the incisive Dana Isaacson, Lynn Hightower, and Dennis Palumbo. Hugs to a young woman who inspires me and to whom this book is dedicated: Miranda Andrews, a nurse on the front lines of the pandemic, working ER at Mass General and FEMA. And to Kirstin Kay, a deep Sherlockian and courageous spirit. Thanks to Jonathan and Elaine McCafferty, accomplished Sherlockians and Cantabrigians, and to Sherlockian experts and good friends Les Klinger and Catherine Cooke. Thanks also to the expertise and kind consultation of E.J. Wagner and D.P. Lyle, forensics, Brian Morland, lock expert and curator of Master Locksmith’s Association museum, Dr Christopher Stray on classics and Cambridge, and Tom Larnach, River Manager of the Cam, and Dr Tony Hughes for confirmation of medical details. A very special thanks to Dan Stashower, Victorian magic expert and deep Sherlockian. Thanks to Shakespeare experts and theatre makers Rob and Sarah Myles whose ‘The Show Must Go Online’ gave me such a boost, and to Richard Crabtree for spirit-lifting violin lessons and laughs. To dear friends Rob Arbogast and Paul Denniston, the Holmes and Watson of the cover art. And to actors Luke Barton and Joseph Derrington for some ‘Holmes on Lockdown’ fun which lightened a dark moment and Jonathan Le Billon for earlier Holmes fun.

Biggest thanks of all goes to my husband Alan Kay, my port in this battering storm of 2020, giver of hugs, cooker of omelettes, and Voice of Reason, who bought an actual Ruhmkorff coil and installed it in our London flat, just because.

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