Sherlock & Co. - 17 - The Red-Headed League - Part Two

Episode Date: January 23, 2024

THE BILLIONAIRESS AT THE OPERA - that was our next stop after Pinewood Studios, as The Adventure of the Red-Headed League continued to warp my understanding of just about everything. Not so much Sherlock's understanding though. For ad-free, early access to adventures in full go to www.patreon.com/sherlockandco Follow me @DocJWatsonMD or get in touch via email [e-mail] Listener discretion is advised. This podcast is property of Goalhanger Podcasts. Copyright 2024. ------- SHERLOCK AND CO. Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Paul Waggott as Dr. John Watson Harry Attwell as Sherlock Holmes Kelly Burke as Amanda Merryweather Thomas Mitchells as Vince Callaghan Jemma Revell as Zoe Additional Voices: Adam Jarrell Matthew Malthouse Written by Joel Emery Directed by Adam Jarrell Editing and Sound Design by Holy Smokes Audio Produced by Neil Fearn and Jon Gill Executive Producer Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, the moment has arrived. For just £6 a month, you can have early access, ad-free adventures in full, with merch discounts, Discord, and there's loads more. So listen in the ad break for more details, or go to patreon.com forward slash Sherlock and Co. That's patreon.com forward slash Sherlock and Co. Enjoy. Previously on Sherlock and Co. Says lost his job, company is unreachable, he's an actor, whole production has vanished. Not boring. You are kidding me. After Vince, my lodger, has set us up, I was at my meeting with Ezekiah Hopkins. He enjoyed my performance and wanted to sign me up, to manage me, to be my agent.

So I signed to the Red Headed League. The Red Headed League is the agency? That's correct. Who makes up a movie just to cast some nobody? Quite right. A nobody that had to attend table readings and rehearsals every day. A nobody that was wined and dined by a talent agent,

signed to an agency, lauded and hired by a producer. On his lodger's recommendation. Mate, I told you, the most fascinating thing about this case is his bloody postcode. Jesus, I mean, who are we helping out next?

A street cleaner with a big Ben Penthouse? Yes, you may, Dr Watson. Have a point. Where are we going? We're going to Pinewood Studios to the set of Solar Thunder. And I promise it won't be boring.

Part two. Part de. Part 2 Part 2 of the adventure of the Red Headed League where Sherlock and I begin at Pinewood Studios Oh, I dropped the thing Part 2 Part 2 of the adventure of the Red-Headed League,

where Sherlock and I begin at Pinewood Studios, the beating heart of the British film industry. No violence, no F-word. Clean as a whistle, my friends. And just to ease your concerns, no Hollywood elites were harmed during the recording of this podcast. Ta-ra! Sorry, for non-Brits,

ta-ra means bye. It's not a weird noise I just made. Yeah. Bye! You join me and my companion slash colleague slash friend slash flatmate. You join us in the glitz and glamour

of pinewood studios a big um yeah big british movie studio oh look look that says that's where they filmed some of bond says here it's been used since the 80s and was the soundstage for... Oi! Oi, where are you going? I'm climbing over this fence. Sorry, what? Why? Because I need to find some sort of disguise. Oh, okay, yeah. Otherwise what? Scooby-Doo will foil our plans. Who's Scooby-Doo? Doesn't matter. Righto, we won't get into the building unless we... Aha. Here it is. Wait, wait. Let me climb this... Ow.

Ow. Ah. Ow. Hey. There we go. Nice. What on earth was that? What?

You rolling around on the floor. That was a commando role? You can take the lad out of the army, but you can't. You've rolled through dog turd. Ah, what? Oh, God. Just as well. Here we are.

Costume department. Um, why are we going to the costume department? Oh, I look ridiculous. Don't be silly. You're a handsome prince I'm in tights yes why do you get to be the robot?

because this one fits me better and what on earth would we be starring in? smug cyborgs of Camelot? excellent title Watson no I helmets on for sake I've got a frilly little skirt thing and you look really cool.

Yes. Yes I do. Bloody hell, this is massive. No sign of any set. Any crew. Any actors. Yeah, just a couple of idiots in fancy dress. Where? Us. I mean, us. Yes, of course.

Gents, can I help at all? Yeah, yeah. We just... We work on a movie called Solar Thunder. Solar Thunder? Yeah, yeah. There were some table reads going on with the actors over the last few weeks. Starring J. Bez Wilson and Tom Cruise, I think.

Right. Yeah, and we were just checking on the status of it, really. Oh, I don't know that one, mate. There was a few actors using this space. Oh, one of them is over in Studio J, if you want to go speak to her. Her name's Zoe, I think. Great, great. Thank you. Right, we're taking these off.

Oh. Off now. And you don't mind if I record, Zoe? No, yeah. No worries, that's fine. Okie dokie. Test, test, test. Yep, great. So, we're here with Zoe, who worked on Solar Thunder with Jabez.

Jabez and a few others. How many others? There was like, there was seven of us. And you'd turn up for work every day, read lines and go home? Yeah. So, yeah, we basically do that. The director hadn't really been told anything by Duncan. do that. The director hadn't really been told anything by Duncan. So it was just about lines, lines, lines and occasional blocking of scenes. And yeah, we were never given the full script. So it was like by week two, we were just playing around really. Then a couple left because it was just getting more and more sketchy.

How so? We googled the writer, Jacqueline O, and she basically didn't exist. How are you spelling that? J-A-C-L-Y-N-O-H. Like O. Understood. Continue. Well, yeah, that was dodgy,

and there was no production team. No one knew what the movie was about, who was in it, when it was going to be in principal photography right uh nothing on tom cruise and emma stone i mean i don't think anyone really bought that after a couple of days jay bez did yeah maybe he did he was kind of keen yeah but my agent had briefed me he'd been like take the money don't know what it is, but decent day rate. Whereas Jabez... He thought this was like the be-all and end-all.

Yeah, this was legit. Big break stuff. Who did your agent speak to to get you the role? Duncan. He just hired a bunch of us from the same agency. No auditions, no nothing. So weird.

Let me put something to you, Zoe. We believe the movie to be a fake, a ruse to get the attention and, crucially, the time of J. Bez Wilson. Right. Yeah. Do you or any of the other

performers have any inclination as to why somebody would want to dogfish Mr. Wilson? Catfish. Catfish, excuse me. Um, I don't know. He's, like, he's lovely, don't get me wrong, but he's well off, isn't he? Like, I don't think he needs to worry about day rates and per diems and stuff. So someone had... Yeah. Actually thinking about it,

yeah, if you were trying to get his attention, you... you can't entice him with money. You can't, like, appeal to his bank balance. You've got to appeal to his heart. And I guess this world means a lot to him. Well, that is

summed up pretty perfectly. It's like some sort of Trojan horse. He can't see anything beyond this amazing gift that's landed in his lap. Quite right. I need more answers. And I think they lie at Saxe-Coburg

Square. Thank you, Zoe. Yeah, no worries. Give Jabez my best, yeah? But he... Nothing's actually happened to him. That he's aware of. He's lost a job that never existed in the first place, right?

Right. So... What's the problem? He hasn't been kidnapped or murdered, he hasn't been robbed, he hasn't had his... I don't know, his identity stolen or anything that we know of? So what's the problem? And that, Watson, is the pressure point of this case. That's the pressure point. Indeed.

Once we apply the weight of our thinking on that singular point the case will open up so what's happened to him customers in the last carriage please move towards the front door to leave the train it's a thinker uh we're embankment, mate. Nope, Charing Cross. I think it's closer if we get off at embankment. Ah, that's a nice thought. But it's 33 metres less if we get off here at Charing Cross. Feel free to join me.

If not, I'm more than willing to wait at Saxe-Coburg Square for the four minutes it will take you to catch me up. I realise also that your bladder is full. Charing Cross has toilets. Embankment does not. Fine. Yes, yeah, yeah, let me just do the read, all right? This bit is for professional podcast host only. Oh God, stepped on the mic.

Yeah, that looks fine. Hi, listeners. We have caved to popular demand. Yes, I bought Sherlock some biscuits. But I've also done the second thing you wanted. It's the Sherlock & Co. Members Club. Yeah, only on Patreon. Patreon.com forward slash Sherlock and Co.

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I know you will too. So, thank you. What are we expecting to find? We or me? You. Building works. Building works. Building works? Like what? Like a new office building or something? Likely a renovation. It's all about clay, Doctor. Clay is the key.

Clay is the key. Right. Our first meeting with Jabez. In the theatre. Oh, I remember it well, unfortunately. After he performed, he changed back into his normal clothes to chat with us in the theatre bar. Yeah? What did you notice about his clothes? Ah, this is why you grabbed his top. Brick dust caught in the fibres. Specifically, London brick.

London brick uses a particular clay. So, he had some brick dust on him? Yes. Maybe he was doing some DIY? Does he seem like the type of person to do DIY? Er, no. Exactly. Here we are again.

But now in daylight. Saxe-Coburg Square. And there is Mr Wilson's residence. And, of course course that of his lodger Vince right oh let's have a quick look here ah going through his bins lovely so you could work for the Sun mate yes okay you found anything interesting or at least not disgusting? I have indeed.

Now, let me just take this. Sherlock, what are you doing? That's someone's Amazon parcel. It was next to a bin. Yeah, because it's been put behind their bin in a safe place. Not at all safe. Come along, Watson. Jeez, Sherlock.

Oh, God, what are you doing? Jabez Wilson is out. How do you know that? His bike lock is out. How do you know that? His bike lock is gone. How do you know? The railing there. See the red scuffs where he locks his bike? Right. Yeah. Lock is gone. Bike is gone. He's out. Which means we can meet Vince the lodger.

OK, but that's not his parcel. That's some neighbour's. Yep. Package for Mr. Wilson? Yeah, no problem. Can I ask who is receiving the parcel? Yeah, it's Vince. Vince... Callaghan. Vince Callaghan, and you are just a tradesman, doing some work in the

property? Eh? No, I'm his flatmate. Apologies. Bit? No, I'm his flatmate. Apologies. Bit of DIY, is it? I... Your jeans. Oh, yeah. Brit dust. From, yeah, the ceiling. Just fixing the ceiling. Terrific. Thank you so much. Have a good day, mate.

Well, yeah, he seems nice, doesn't he? He's a liar. How so? The ceiling is how so. I'm all ears. Brick dust on his knees. Same as what was on Jabez's sweatshirt. Ceilings aren't made from brick.

And even if they were, are we supposed to believe he's crawling along it upside down? Right. Yeah. Okay. Good point. Yeah. Okay. Good point. Yeah. Do you not feel bad about the parcel? Because that belongs to...

Okay. Some plasterboard remnants in that bin. Oh, not allowed. Council will bollock you for that. Indeed. Hence why they have only disposed of a few pieces in the bin. There must have been a skip for the rest. Maybe. Not sure.

God, look at this place. As if this bloke needs help from us. What would you reckon? Ten million? I bet it's ten million. He's got this house. He's got a perfect lodger, according to him. He swans about London, indulging his craft. I life o'reilly and now he's whinging to us that something hasn't gone right i mean come on what else do you want to complain about margot robbie hogging his duvet what are you doing looking for what everything next door is an investment bank that says it all honestly i mean usually renting something out like this that'd be what 10 grand a month robbery yeah daylight robbery too bloody right mate no there's a robbery an actual robbery going on here bluetech uh sherlock is searching in his phone for bl Tech Investment Bank.

He's scanning the screen, scrolling past news articles about the investment bank's recent demise. Stop it. I'm providing some visual context. He searches again, this time for... Wait, hold on, hold on. Blue Tech, that's... Thingy, that's Meriwether, Amanda Meriwether. And who are they? Are they a person? Are they a person? Are you channeling your inner robot again?

Are they one of your celebs? Is she strictly dancing or stuck in a jungle or baking off? She, she's, you know, she's Amanda Meriwether. The, like, I don't know, American socialite, bazillionaire, pops up at centre court and royal weddings. Right, and does she have any enemies? Any enemies? No. Why not?

Because she's not Darth Vader, Sherlock. I mean, who has enemies? Me? Oh, of course you do. Look, on my Instagram. Right, so there's her story. Some fancy beach, some fancy car, car on a motorbike thanking investors nope apologizing to investors tickets to the opera tonight hey what are you doing where are you going sherlock

sherlock where are you going dr watson this is the part where you tell our listeners that miss amanda merriweather is being robbed. Her banking firm has been infiltrated by a hostile perpetrator who's been sucking out funds, harvesting data and driving her company into the dirt. And if you come with me, we can catch those responsible. What do you say? Well, where are we going? To the opera.

Ah, what? Is he in it? The theatre. There's lots of people still into this shit. Excuse me. Sorry. There you go. Thank you.

Enjoy the show. Should be a good'un, eh? I quit this programme. Well, you shouldn't have bought one then. Whilst being nice. Supporting the arts. Put your head down. Immediately. Jesus, you shouldn't have bought one then. Whilst being nice. Supporting the arts. Put your head down. Immediately. Jesus, why? Is it a sniper?

No, I'm just trying to see if I can spot her. Oh. A sniper, Watson. Come on. What? You made me jump. You told me this whole time this case is going to be exhilarating. And now look. I've been dragged along to the bloody opera and I've dragged the listeners along too. Right, I should probably give them some shout outs to keep them happy um so gene from the philippines uh shout out to south suns to uh book elf from melbourne australia to my mate lexi to

katie to basler from brunei to amanda who seems to have binged all the episodes in record time. So congrats, Amanda. Yeah, shout-out's complete, I think. Yeah, so, sat at the opera with my programme for the show. What opera? I hear you cry. Who cares, is my answer. Oh, look, Sherlock. My phone.

My phone. Found Drunken Ross on IMDb. A bunch of films I've never heard of. I mean, is that a real fate? Is that an AI fate? Is that real? I mean, look, that looks AI, doesn't it? Hello? Master Detective.

Great. Great. I'll just read my eight quid programme, shall I? Could have bought a best-selling paperback for that. Bohemia. The reimagined homage to Puccini's masterpiece. Yep, sure. Oh, cast list. Adriana Jarvinen as Mimi.

Luca Sanna as Marcello Irene Adler as Musetta Francesek Becker as Rodolfo There, I see our victim Who? Meriwether? Indeed Right, well, let's go have a chat, shall we?

No, we mustn't Why not? We must wait until the intermission Oh, God. Oh, God, can we leave now? No. Right, unless you tell me why we're here, I'm going. Okay.

No, tell me. Tell the microphone. Recording devices are prohibited in the theatre. Sherlock, documenting the case could prove very useful. I told you why we're here. No, you... Ah, alright, fine, fine. Just elaborate on what you said. Interval. Oh, thank God for that. Ah, quite fancy a pint pint We are working Oh, so we draw the line at beer, not class A drugs

Watson Prepare for the performance of the night What? Oh my goodness, golly golly gosh goodness Amanda Merriweather, it's been bloody yonks On earth Do I know you? Don't recognise me without the dinner jacket

Sorry, I can't quite place you on Earth. Do I know you? You don't recognise me without the dinner jacket. Sorry, I can't quite place you. We had a table together at the wedding. The royal wedding. Which one? Gary and Meg. Harry. Harry and Megan. Ah, right.

Yeah, I think you look familiar, actually. Been following your work at Bluetech Capital. Sure it'll turn around. Difficult week. Tough markets for us at the moment. Really, uh... Yeah, really tough. The market is quite strong now, isn't it?

Especially with your usual track record in this part of the industry. Hmm? I've seen your competitors are doing brilliantly. Strange how Bluetech is falling away so emphatically. I thought a rising tide lifts all super yachts. What are you getting at? I work on behalf of one of your biggest clients, and they want answers before we pull the plug. What?

You heard me. You're just buying time to calculate the correct response. Allow me to give you three seconds. Would that suffice? Can... Can I get you a drink? Now that is the correct response. I can't believe Amanda Merriweather bought me a drink. Yep.

Cheers. Cheers. What's that? Oh, I'm doing a podcast. You can't record this. No, I'm serious. Turn it off. Oh, right. No, I'm serious. Turn it off. Oh, right. No worries.

Let me just switch it off. There. That's that done. Ah, here he is. Miss Merriweather, you have a hunch. I do? Yes. Otherwise, you wouldn't currently be seeking help from the authorities.

How did... Yeah, yeah. I'm working hard with the cops and others to indulge a particular... hunch of mine, yeah. What's your hunch? Some sort of foul play, I think. In what respect? Look, in my industry

I compete with a bunch of men that hate me. Hate me. This is always how it goes. And my problem is... I don't know. Just something isn't right. My network security team are clueless.

I've fired a staff member under suspicion of exposing trade secrets. I'm suing people for possible breaches of NDAs. Something is going on, goddammit, and I've got to fix it. I've got to fix it now. Your losses began last week, Miss Merriweather. That's not... Yeah. Yeah, that's probably right.

A week? All that for one bad week? You fired someone and cracked open a lawsuit? You don't understand. This is a great week for the market. Like he said, it's a rising tide, but we are the only ones drowning, despite normally being the best swimmers.

So, bad investments, basically. They're not. You don't get to where I am with bad investments. They're... Look, we target a particular stock. We do our research. Often we'll talk to

the teams behind the products and platforms we invest in. It's been the very same process from when talk to the teams behind the products and platforms we invest in. It's been the very same process from when we were the best in the world. Nothing has changed. But everything has changed. God, the second half is starting. I don't care. Miss Merriweather, go on.

Last week was a big portfolio shift for us. We were moving a lot of capital. We use a number of trading platforms. They're the quickest. They're the safest. I've tried new ones. I've gone back to old ones. I've tried everything.

And the same thing happens. We go to make a large-scale investment to buy up huge sums of stock in a company, and without fail, the second, no, the half second we go to execute the purchase, the share price jumps. 5%, 10%, 15%. More often than not, we back out of the purchase. Sometimes we swallow the loss and buy it at a higher rate, invariably losing our margin. And we've missed out on two vital IPOs. So, yeah, it's, uh, it's not right.

Now this is something. Miss Merriweather, I'm going to speak to my friends at the Met Police. Enjoy the rest of your show and meet me outside your headquarters at Saxe-Coburg Square. Watson, let's go. Oh, right, yeah, hold on. You're going to finish that, Sherlock, come on. Right, well, thanks for the interview. Enjoy the, uh, yeah, that stuff. What interview? Was that recording?

Uh, oh, this, nah, this, yeah, that stuff. What interview? Was that recording? Oh, this. Nah, this wasn't. Yes, this is Sherlock Holmes. Put me through to Lestrade. She's not available right now. Could I take a message? Of course she's not. Look, I need an officer at Saxe Coburg Square immediately.

We have a bank robbery in the form of a cyber attack. Hurry. Sherlock, give me the mic. we have a bank robbery in the form of a cyber attack. Hurry. Sure. Sherlock, give me the mic. Ah, so you're ready to continue your podcast and put the alcohol aside for a moment or two? Look, you've been dragging me around London all day. It's late.

It's not every day you meet Amanda Merriweather, all right? I'm thirsty. Slow down. This way. Where are we going? To the scene of the crime. Right, yeah, this supposed robbery you seem convinced of. Watson, be prepared to use your gun tonight.

Er, your what? Your army pistol. The Colt 42 you spoke of. I want it loaded and ready for use from my say-so. What planet do you live on? You think I checked my gun in at Heathrow Customs? Brought it along to the opera in case I get a seat behind Abraham bloody Lincoln. So you're unprepared, that's what you're saying? I'm a normal human being, is what I'm saying. I don't wander around with a gun. Well, I do. On occasion. Here, got myself a new one for my birthday. Shit.

I know. It's rather light. It only has four bullets, so hopefully there's just a few of them. A few of what? A few of who? The bank robbers. Right, well, this case got out of hand pretty quickly. Didn't it? Hey, folks.

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forward slash Sherlock and Co. Lovely and jubbly. Oh, God, now he's got me saying it too. Thank you.