Sherlock & Co. - The Man with the Twisted Lip - Part Three

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

THE LITTLE ANGELMAN - To say I was chuffed that our final act of this year was the arrest of a sick, twisted murderer would be an understatement. Everything had fallen into place and the Christmas dinner was about to taste all the sweeter for it. Cheers to justice. Cheers to life. And to love. Peace on earth to all mankind! God bless us everyone!! Merry Christmas one and all!!!! Those were my thoughts at least. Turns out.. I was alone in that mindset. Part 3 of 3 This episode contains swearing, references to murder, drug abuseListener discretion is advised. A new clothing store has opened: www.sherlockwear.comFor merchandise and transcripts go to: www.sherlockandco.co.uk For ad-free, early access to adventures in full go to www.patreon.com/sherlockandco To get in touch via email: [e-mail] me @DocJWatsonMD on twitter and BlueSky, or sherlockandcopod on TikTok, instagram and YouTube.  This podcast is property of Goalhanger Podcasts. Copyright 2025.SHERLOCK AND CO. Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Paul Waggott as Dr. John Watson Harry Attwell as Sherlock Holmes Kimberley Nixon as Ruby St Clair Thomas Mitchells as Hugh Boone John Brannoch as Wiggins Ant McGinley as D.I Tom Gregson Myles Le Blanque as Langdale Pike Additional Voices: Nola Emery Darcey Ferguson Joel Emery Adam Jarrell 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

Audio books, ad free early access adventures, mailbag episodes, case file episodes, AMAs, behind the scenes, microadventures, authored by Watson himself, a Discord channel with nearly 2,000 chatter little members, merchandise discounts, exclusive events, and yes, done. Yeah, miss the most important bit, mate. Oh, patreon.com forward slash Sherlock and Co. Thanks. Basically six months or so before he disappeared, he'd been awful, depths of despair, anger, misery. He'd go out to work every day just almost grey. Everything was piled up and just crushing him. But I say he'd go out to work.

He wasn't? He wasn't. They found his coat, didn't they? When was that? March 2021. Dredged from the Thames. Really battered up, wasn't it? But his wallet was in there.

Yeah, that was. rough. That was heartbreaking. But then, I saw him, didn't I? He did? She did. Where, when? In that horrible place. Clinic, is it? Clinic with a K. Indeed. Something inside me told me to look up. Just this once, total off chance, and I did. And there he was.

When was this? About six months after his disappearance, I'd say And that's when I got Sherlock involved Upon entering clinic for the first time all those years ago I observed the actions of a man by the name of Hugh Boone Mr Boone was questioned by police when the coat was found He was nearby with stains up to his knees of dark Thames silt and sludge He refused to cooperate

I brought to their attention sometime later That he seemed to be now wearing Neville's watch Well, no corpse, but also you said there's gifts each year. They say from daddy on them. Speaking of gifts, I have something for you, Sherlock. You do? I do. What exactly?

Noah. I was speaking to Mrs. Wallace yesterday, and she said that there was a friend at the window. You saw a man? I saw a man. Did you know him, Noah? Yes, the man with the twisted lip. Mr Boone, you are under a rest. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence.

If you do not mention, it won't question. Something that you may rely on. I said, yes! Hello and welcome to the final part of the man with the twisted. lip. This episode contains snow. That's right. Snow in London. I know that doesn't affect you as a listener, but yeah, I like to flag important things and a white Christmas is important, I feel. Actual warnings and such will be in the episode description. I'll see you at the end. Oh, and Merry Christmas.

Oh, the weather outside. Shh. What? It's snowing. May. Can this Christmas get any I'm on the phone. It's Christmas Eve. Yet the phone still works. Remarkable. Bradstreet says it ain't a goer. Bradstreet? D.I. Bradstreet?

For goodness sake. Yeah. This has nothing to do with him. Boone has to be charged now. It has everything to do with him. Bradstreet has heard John's audio, but so is Boone's lawyer. It's not... Look, it doesn't look like this is going to go through any time soon.

You have to free him tomorrow if you haven't charged, Gregson. I'm aware of how he's not. the process works show long. Did you just hang up on Tom? Yes, I did. Can this Christmas get any worse? Bring me my advent calendar. I wish to console myself with the large chocolate found behind its 24th door. Why are you looking at me? Like, you bastard? Sorry. There's a Deceased Friend guiding you...

Put me on record. Blackburn 3, Burnley Nill. There is so much on. Then just pick something to watch. I can't. It's too much choice, mate. Christmas telly. Um, well, we could watch the Christmas parade going through London.

I can tell by that. frown that that's a no from you. I don't agree with the traffic and commuting complications it causes. Yeah, no problem. Ebenezer Homes. Uh, what else? Uh, some adverts with Santa in them. His agent will be pleased this time of year. It's Father Christmas.

Santa, Father Christmas. Same bloke. Yes, but you always say Santa. I have international listeners, mate. I'm just providing clarity. Please. Turn the TV off or stop talking. Walking, or ideally both.

Why? It's distracting. Distracting you from what? Drinking Bailey's. It's distracting me from deep thought, Watson. Why do we require deep thought? We are in our comfies, big fluffy socks. Please stop saying comfies.

We've got the telly on. Yes, I see that. We've got an enormous, delicious meal coming our way tomorrow for the big day. Tree is twinkling, snow is falling. It's the most wonderful time of the year, mate. He's going to be freed, Watson. Well, that is out of our hands. But it shouldn't be.

I should have... Should have... I should have... I should have done more. Once again, I have made the same mistake with the same man. Every Christmas the same. Every time Hugh Boone has a new resolution of freedom and I drift onto another case with no resolution at all

for poor Ruby and Noah St. Clair. Sherlock, look, what more can you do, mate? I mean, that was a perfectly executed sting operation. Not perfect. All right, near perfect. Yeah. Look at it this way. Right, Ruby and Noah, at least they're safe.

At least this isn't going to be another Christmas where that utter weirdo slips into their house to leave presents under the tree. Right, at least there's that. Sherlock. Sherlock! Free him, Gregson. What?

Free Chew Boone! Right now! Let him out without charge. Are you out of your fucking mind? You made me arrest this block! Do it! And this case is solved once and for all! Sherlock, what the hell is going on? We must go, Watson. Yeah, yeah, we must go home and change out of our pyjamas and fluffy slippers, you idiot. We must go and board the trains and leave to the home of Ruby Smithers. Claire. It is snowing. We are in Britain. You honestly believe the trains will be running. You honestly believe that.

Huh. They wouldn't cancel a train on Christmas Eve. The trains are currently delayed with cancellations affecting all lines. Bloody hell. Can we please? Yes, hi, hello. Yeah, I'm in my pyjamas. No, no, I'm not raising money. Hey, this is my coffee. It's not a cup of change. God's sake. You need to get to Ruby and Noah's house. Yeah, well, I'm not jumping in a cab. Roads look awful. Outside. Outside. On to the Strand.

Great. Thousands of shoppers who get to see me and my gym jams. Nice. God bless you. Yeah, thank you. I collected like four quid here. I've lost the coffee. It's worth four quid. So, you know, the Lord giveth and the Lord...

What are you doing? Thinking. Okay, thinking about how we get home. Now, see the roads. Jammed, mate. Not the bus lanes. Because there's hardly any running, mate. Quite right.

They've diverted their roots because of the Christmas parade. Yep, and now all the night buses are screwed because of the snow anyway, so yeah, thanks again for bringing me out in my nice warm flat. Really appreciate it, Sherlock. We need... We need to find the floats for the parade. No, we don't. Yes, we do.

This way, there'll be parked up in the south square. What about Sherlock? Can you wait a minute? Where is he? Just... Are you there? You! Oh my God, he's going to carjack father of Christmas.

Oh, Slay Jack, I suppose... Sherlock, please, just stop. Where do you live? Your accent. I heard it the other day during your rehearsal. Me, Lapland. Ho! No, no, no.

You, the real, you. The parade is over and you must need to get home. The... The... the traffic. To where, Mr. Clause? Where is home? Sorry, he's... We're having a difference.

Difficult Christmas. I'm going south-east. Barvellous. I knew it. So are we. Watson, on the sleigh. Sorry, what? You what?

On this gentleman's sleigh. You are aware that this won't actually fly, those opponents, not reindeer. Can you bloody, can you keep your voice down? There's still kids about, isn't that? Sorry. Bus lanes are empty, and the parade vehicles have access to them until this evening. So, climb aboard. Look, you honestly think I'm going to drive you

on my sleigh with my ponies all the way to South East London. Name your price. Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho! Now we're picking up some speed, Watson. Watson, why aren't you looking? I'm hiding my face. I'm hiding my face. For what?

The snowfall? The shame. The shame. Sherlock. Yes, hi, hello. May Christmas! I think I'm going to hypothermic. We're here now.

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! What the bloody hell are you two doing, your daphic? We're here now. See, Ruby and Noah are at the window. Hello! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!

What the bloody hell are you two doing, your daft gits? We've come to spend a big day with you. If you'll have us... bus. Oh, this fire is just perfect. Now it is. There you go. What's that?

Chestnuts. Go roast them on that open fire. Yes, now you're talking. What you reckon? No, I think I can manage this without burning myself? No. Yeah. Yeah, I'm pretty doubtful myself.

Oh, that's hot. Now you're complaining about being too hot. I nearly froze to death on that. in my pyjamas, I'd just like a heads-up on stuff. Can we not have a lover's tiff on Christmas, please? Best thing about this house, say, Noah, no arguing. There's no husband, and my son can't speak, so that helps. Mommy, smells.

You cheeky little bugger! Oh, you got her good there, Noah. Can you get you a top-up, John? No, no, just sit down. Sherlock? What John said? Good tree, by the way. Oh, thanks. It's plastic, I mean, but it's got the smell and all that, like.

It's good. It's good missing a little something at the top there. Couldn't decide between a star and an angel. That's why I put a Swindon town cap on mine. Ah, yeah. Well, that was... Neville would do that. Ruby, sorry, that was...

No, it's okay. Sorry. Stop it. The bloody thing is nine feet tall. I could stand on two chairs and still not be able to do it. So, yeah. Well, I would offer, but, you know... You're short.

Yeah, it was meant to be unsaid, mate. Oh, off he goes. Did Has he run upstairs because of what I said? No, no, no. He mentioned the tree angel. He likes the song it plays, so. We have a, it's a little boy angel thing

that we used to put up there. When Noah got his Angelman syndrome diagnosis, we used to call him our little angel man. And then Neville got one at one of those Christmas markets. I just put it on the side upstairs these days. But yeah, as I've always said, One day. Oh, here he is.

There's the angel. Yeah, it's a good, eh, good song. It'll bore into your brain eventually. You listen to it a lot? God, yes. Somebody is tired and needs to have all the energy for presents in the morning, don't they? Come on, you. Can I help, Puddle?

No, he'll kick you in the ballacks if you try, John. Still fancy it? No, not really. Yeah, good decision. Come on, lovely boy. Up we go for a bath. Yep, up we go. T'was the night before Christmas went all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads, and Mama in herkerchief and I in my cap had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window, I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash. Watson! Hmm. Hudson. What?

I heard something. Had something where? Out on the street below. It's only 11 o'clock. You think that is too risky for Boone? Yeah, way too risky. Do you actually see anything out there? No. Well then, just relax.

How can I relax? It's my shift. Wait, we're doing shifts? Yes. Yes, of course we're doing shifts. Why wouldn't we do shifts? Because you always stay awake at night. That's rather selfish of you to sleep through this forthcoming trial, Watson.

Well, obviously, wake me when he shows up and I can... Yeah, help with the apprehending. Otherwise, do I need to be awake? Exactly. Sleep now. Then when your shift starts... Oh, you stop with the shifts. Great. Now I'm properly awake.

Great. There is no quieter night. Is there... No quieter night than that of a frosty 24th of December. How many times have I gazed out at these stars, John, on the cusp of Christmas Day? So close to it, but the hours on this fabled evening, they stretch and lengthen. How many times have I counted each of those bright dots in the sky and imagined each one a gift? and all these years they have watched me back

watched me grow and age behind changing window panes all the while we he's here what? Oh no, folks alarm I for God's sake I can hear you. Forgive me.

Just so I know, are you excited or nervous? It can be a bit of both. It may well be that, yes. Right, well, just, you know, try to relax, treat it like any other case. Not a simple task. No, I know, but... We are in her house. Her child is here, and I feel like we're luring.

dangerous man into it. Yeah, like you said, he does this every Christmas. Mate, this is... This is part of his ploy, right? This is how he walks the street still because of this stunt where everyone thinks that Neville is still alive. This was gonna happen every Christmas. Yeah, you didn't bring this down on them, alright?

He's... He's gonna come down the street. We're gonna go down to the lounge. The second he reaches to put that gift under the tree. We get him. Whack! We get him. No more Hugh Boone. I don't mean to murder. him under their tree, Watson.

Oh, no, no, I'm saying we apprehend him. I call the police for breaking and entering. Let Ruby see the truth. Then they can't, you know, it's impossible for him to wriggle out of this then. Right? Right. The night is full of anxious bellies, Watson. But not for the arrival of a killer.

But for that of Father Christmas. Yeah, well, get our task out of the way and maybe Santa will popp. Father Christmas. Yes, I know, I'd just like to say Santa for the international listeners. Well, the international listeners aren't in this room, are they? Well, actually, I like to talk to the listeners, as if they're alongside us in every adventure. You have not referenced them once. Yes, I have.

No, you haven't. You haven't spoken to them this whole time. I have, you just, you weren't there. We had a chat in Regent's Park. Quite a while ago now. Hello, listeners, Merry Christmas. There, is that better? Better.

I hope Santa brings you lots of gifts, listeners. Father Christmas. It's the same person. Okay? Just relax. Santa Claus, Father Christmas, same person. You okay? Sherlock.

What? What is it? Is he there? Is he Sherlock? Same person. Same. Same. Same person.

How much Baileys did you drink? Same person. Same. Good Lord. Same person. Same person. Same person. He's the same person, Watson. No. And he, he approaches... In position, downstairs by the tree, yeah? Yes. Um, yes. Hey, you've got it. All right, you've got it.

Hello, I'm Professor Hannah Frye. And I'm Michael Stevens, creator of Vsauce. We thought we would join you for a moment, completely uninvited. We are not going to stay too long, unless you want us to, of course. We're here to tell you about our brand new show. The rest is science. Every episode is going to start with something that feels initially familiar. And then we're going to unpick it and tear it apart until you no longer recognize it at all.

Yeah, banana flavor doesn't taste like bananas. Yeah, what is that about? So it is supposed to taste like an old species of banana that was wiped down in a banana apocalypse. And now you will only find it in botanical collections in the gardens of billionaires. Wow. Banana candy is actually the ghost of a long extinct banana. So if you like scratching the surface, thinking a little bit deeper or weirder. Yes, definitely that too. You can join Michael and I every Tuesday and Thursday wherever you go.

get your podcasts. Merry Christmas. And Merry Christmas to you, Neville, St. Clair. No! No, not this time. Welcome home, Neville. Did you just say? I said, welcome home.

Where the police hide this time then, eh? Behind the couch, under the stairs. There are no police here. Sure I'm being truthful And now I'm asking the same of you, Neville Don't fucking call me that And don't touch me

It all mounted up, didn't it? The pressure of such a job The fear and worry for your child With extensive needs What was it, Neville? A bad trade You lost somebody some money, didn't you? Yes

That's what happened They came for your job and then they came for you. You took quite the beating, didn't you? Five Christmas Eve's ago. Don't! Who was it? I...

I can't ever say. I can't say. What did his men do to you? I... It... It's time for the truth, Neville. Please. Please, don't calling me that.

You give her the truth. You give her, Neville St. Clair. Please! Don't do this to me. Please. If you give her Hugh Boone, then it's imprisonment for a long time, Neville. I asked you. I asked you, did you kill Neville St. Clair?

And you nodded. But how can you kill a man and leave no remains? You simply delete him. You stopped being Neville St. Claude. You started being Hugh Boone. This is... Oh, God. Oh God.

Oh, God! Is everything... Oh, my God. Oh, my God. That man... What's he doing in my house? Is Noah... All right?

Is Noah all right? Is Noah all right? Ruby. Okay, we caught him. We knew he was going to come. What do you want from us? I know who you are. I know who you are.

You're that... You don't. You fucking boon. Yeah, you, I know who you are. You don't. I know who you are. You don't! I...

I need... I need to. I feel like I'm gonna pass out. I just... What? Just breathe. Just breathe with me. Hey, hey, all right. No, no, no, no, no, no. No, we're staying here. We're gonna resolve. We're gonna resolve it, yeah? Resolve what? Ruby. I... Ruby.

It... Holy fucking hell. No. Ruby. ruby no no no it neville is it is yeah it is you were him you were him is that yeah yeah I was I was him yeah I was him Boone yes I was yeah You. Right. Okay. You, so you, you left and then...

Some things happened. I knew you'd come back. I knew you'd come back. I said I told her you'd be here again. You did. I told her every day you were going to be here. Every day after bottle, I said it. You did that for me. I did that for us. I did that for us. I'd wrap him. in his towel and I tell him over and over he's coming back he loves you um oh god uh I need to um I need to sit down here here no no no I need to stand I need to stand um yep you're gonna tear him

to pieces aren't you me yes you I um I think so yes yes Who did you owe money to, Neville? I can't say. I can't ever say. Why? Because my face, my lip, my eyes, that will be the least of it. To a man of organized crime. I can't say, Sherlock.

A man of finance. I see. Why didn't you come back? I can't. I couldn't be... Be what, be a father? Because you weren't at all. I know.

I know. You don't know, Neville. You don't know. Everyone thinks they know, but they don't for crying out loud. Oh, aren't kids a pain? Aren't kids tricky sometimes, aren't they? You have no fucking idea! I have given everything to that boy.

Everything. Never as a parent, as a mum. I am a, I'm a carer. Do you understand that? I am a 24-7 carer, and I will be to the day I die for every possible want and need. I will never hear him say thank you.

I will never hear him say I love you. I'll never hear him say, Mommy, and you think that the burden of your financial mishaps would scratch the fucking surface of how I fucking feel. No. I know.

I needed you. Yeah. I needed you. Look, um, we're gonna... No, you stay. You need privacy, I think. Stay and watch me give this man a proper bollicking! Isn't that what we've just watched?

Shh! Sit! Okay. I needed you. I don't... I don't know how you could do that, how you could walk away from the woman you love, from your son. Did I do something wrong? No. Did he?

Of course not. Then fucking, am I completely, why, Neville? If I can't provide for you. Do me a favour. Seriously, do me a favour. Providing for my family is... I don't want what's in your wallet. I want what's in your fucking chest, man. I want you to tell me I'm doing a great job. I want you to take our kid to the pot.

I want you to help me with form after form after form from every bloody teacher and therapist and council worker and educational psychologist and I... My whole world, my... Everything was just collapsing. Everything and... I could. I could, I could see a way out when I came around in hospital after what had happened. I could see that I could just, you know, just... Just rot in the underworld, knowing that you and him would be safe. And it, I was just, it was supposed to be for life insurance.

It would have been millions. Millions. Oh, whoopty-do, I could get an even bigger house. Great, thank God for that. Cheers, Nev. But they wouldn't pay out. Because no remains were found. Exactly.

By this point, I had sort of fled from the medical system. Self-medication, keeping the wounds under control, building up the person of Hugh Boone. I thought, you know, I'll give this a few months, and then I saw you. you. Yeah. And I saw you. Through that window in 2021. And you looked so. Mackett? Alive. What? I hadn't seen you like that in since.

Before Noah, you were just in. mission mode. Yeah, that'll happen when your husband goes missing. That was exactly it. Reality of our life, of our son, was kept at arm's length and the urgency of this hunt for me. Just drove you on. I remember seeing you on news channels and the interviews,

and you were just this full flow of facts and details and hope. There was hope. Ketamine is a horrible, horrible drug. It literally blinds you at times, takes over your whole body. You can feel your mind sort of shrink being wrung out like a wet sponge, but the pain. It goes away. Reality goes away, and this awful, awful thing becomes the new search, and it...

I saw it in you, the invigoration. And that just... It piled more onto me. The shame, the burden, the guilt, the fear. And now this, with the return of me, With the return of Neville Sinclair comes reality. I would take Neville Sinclair

and our reality over every possible fantasy I could imagine. But I can never forgive... Oh, no, uh, Noah, LaVille. Let me get you back upstairs. Yes, tree. Angel, tree. Daddy. Daddy can do that, yeah.

I, I can. Let me just... Thank you, Noah. Going to look great, isn't it? Might need to just stand on. There we go. There we go. Oh, we're clapping.

Clapping. Yes. Good idea, Noah. Very good. Lovely. Well then, lovely boy. I told you he'd come home Smy

Silent night, Holy Night All is calm Oh, I cannot eat anything else, anything at all. What about you? Me? Well, I was asking Sherlock, but fine. I can't breed little on eat.

Too much food and booze and chocolate. This is substance abuse, man. Never mind clinic, Jesus. How you doing, Shales? Thinking of... Passing out before you tell more Christmas cracker jokes. Yeah, not a bad idea, Langdale. What about you?

Well, just regaining my story. before Christmas karaoke. We're not doing karaoke. Yes, we are. We are not doing karaoke. Wait, can I do Springsteen? Oh, absolutely not. Springsteen.

I do a great Springsteen, thank you very much. Hey, Archie boy. Looking pretty full there, mate. John, man. How long have you had that shirt? Oh, this is a Swindon Town Away shirt. Got it today. You like it?

It's too small, man. What? Your belly is polka. Oh, lovely. Thank you. Thanks for that. That would be this delightful Christmas dinner. That would be multiple Advent calendars, including my Advent calendar. Right, nine days of it. Nine. Has anyone got any cigars?

What do you mean? I got you a box of cigars like four days ago. Thank goodness I have a phone call. Excuse me. Out of the way. Out of the way. Hello? Hello? Don't you mean Merry Christmas? Merry Christmas, Ruby. I hope you're having a lovely day. Yes. That. Merry Christmas. This is not an apology, right?

So don't fucking go thinking it is. Of course. But I appreciate I may have let everything out in front of you, even after your hard work. And yeah, that's not cool. Or maybe it is cool. I don't know. But, yeah, he's... Neville is still here. He stayed in the spare room.

And Noah has adapted really, really well to him being back, actually. Yeah. How are you? I am happy. We all are. Unusually happy. Thank you for the man with the twisted lip. I can tell you, a bit of gossip this.

Neville is still under the roof at the St. Clair residence. Hey, I'm not saying forgiveness. I will wait for Ruby to tell me. that, but they are at least working on things. Right, you lot, that is your lot for 2025. I hope you've had a great year, and I will see you in 2026. If you've still got any Christmas money, get yourself to the shop and the Patreon, if you fancy. That's in the episode description.

Hope you have, slash had a wonderful Christmas, and I will see you next year. Okay, bye now. Gonna join a gym. See ya. Thank you.