The 'Gloria Scott': Bloodguilt

[hardboiledbaby]

Canon Story: The Adventure of the Gloria Scott
Title: Bloodguilt
Author: hardboiledbaby
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Author's Notes: In canon, Holmes said, "I think that it is most probable that Beddoes, pushed to desperation and believing himself to have been already betrayed, had revenged himself upon Hudson, and had fled from the country with as much money as he could lay his hands on."

---

"You can't escape your guilt by killing me," Hudson said, sneering.

"My guilt? Blood is on your hands as much as it is on mine, remember?" Beddoes laughed harshly and a chill went up Hudson's spine. "You gambled that I would do anything to keep the secret because I have more to lose." He pulled the trigger. "You were right."

---

A/N: Correct me if I'm wrong, but seaman Hudson must have been one of the crew bought by Prendergast, not one of the innocents, right? As well as one who was in the "leave no witnesses" camp. So, yeah, I figured pot was calling the kettle black.

Oh! And use of the prompt word "remember" :)

Comments

[snycock.livejournal.com]

Interesting take on what happened offstage, and a really good point! Hudson was hardly an innocent, yet he was terrorizing Trevor and Beddoes as if he would not have as much to lose as they if the secret was revealed.

[hardboiledbaby]

Yes, and perhaps why it turned out to be an empty threat. Trevor couldn't call his bluff, but Beddoes was willing and able (or so Holmes speculated and the muse ran with *g*). Thanks for reading!

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Oooh, dark and piercing -- my favorite. Glad to see Hudson arrive at some amount of justice.

And great work with the prompt word too!

[hardboiledbaby]

I do like Holmes' theory, definitely! Thank you :)

[bwblack.livejournal.com]

Love seeing Beddoes here, LOVE. Very plausible point here!

[hardboiledbaby]

Aw, thank you! Glad you enjoyed. :)

[impulsereader.livejournal.com]

Excellent take! It's so difficult to choose where to start with a 60; you really can do so much with it if you choose wisely. Really good work here!

[hardboiledbaby]

Yes, love reading all the different aspects of the story that folks have chosen to highlight. Thank you; so pleased you liked this :)

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

It's never a good plan to blackmail someone as desperate as Beddoes. I'm glad you got rid of him.

[hardboiledbaby]

Hee, indeed! Never blackmail anyone more ruthless than yourself, I say ;) Thanks!

[methylviolet10b]

Nice take on this with Beddoes. It was very gratifying to see Hudson get his comeuppance. :-D

[hardboiledbaby]

For all the misery he caused, it was the least I Beddoes could do ;) Thanks, V!

[debriswoman]

Chilling...

[hardboiledbaby]

Thanks for reading :)

[hisietari.livejournal.com]

Whoa, suspense and action in abundance! I love how you used this confined space of sixty words for so much BOOM.

[hardboiledbaby]

Aw, thank you! I'm delighted you found it so suspenseful :)

[musamihi.livejournal.com]

Fantastic missing moment. There's so much material to be mined from what all those men endured on that ship - not a lot of innocents came out of it, really.

[hardboiledbaby]

Thank you! Yes, any who managed to survive were guilty to varying degrees. For all that it was Holmes' first case, it wasn't a very happy one.