Watson stood there as his brain processed the revelation that Holmes had just dropped that turned the entire case upside down. Since he was nowhere near as sharp as the genius detective it clearly took the good doctor a little time to catch up to the level where Sherlock's mind was cooking. When Watson managed to see where Holmes was going with his new theory, it hit the poor man's already taxed brain with the subtly of a two by four between the eyes. His eyes grew wide as the most important detail of the case dawned on him: the duchess was likely still in danger. He looked back at Holmes with a look a dear might have when stunned to see something it should not and was clearly at a loss for words.

     "Are you sure about this?" Watson finally spat out. "Can this be true?"

     "I'm positive," Sherlock said, pacing the room like a caged tiger that was yearning to get back out in the wild again. "This is not mere progress, Watson, but a revelation. It was naïve of us to believe that this man was making threats against the Duchess's life. Even I was foolish enough to think of it that way based on how her grace described it."

     "But you don't think that now?" Watson asked.

     "No, I do not." Sherlock confirmed, "These were, in fact, warnings."

     Watson stood there and blinked in surprise. Even though it wasn't the first time Holmes had used that word, Watson had hoped he was just hearing things but rather than being closed it meant that this case was far from being over.

     "Warnings?" Watson repeated, "What does that mean?"

     "It means our man had no ill will towards our Duchess," Sherlock explained, "By telling her when she would die, we can conclude this man might have been trying to protect her!"

     "What changed your mind about that?" Watson asked, eager to know his thinking.

     "I was thinking about when I sat on the couch," Sherlock replied, "I was camouflaged and invisible to the average person, the man had no audience to show off to. How he conducted himself that night was no different than every other night when he came to her grace's bedside. When he informed her that she would die, detected no hostility in his tone. He didn't appear angered, or with malice of any kind when delivering the detail of her death. After careful thought and analysis, one can surmise he was afraid and unsure how to handle it."

     "That's fascinating," Watson said, "Who was he afraid of that the only person he could trust this information to would be the woman whose very life was in danger."

     "What does that one detail tell us, Watson?" Sherlock asked, testing him again.

     "It could be an issue of trust," Watson answered, "And that the duchess was the only one he could trust to do something about it."

     "Precisely!" Sherlock called out, leaning back in his chair. "This man's methods were crude and his demeanor unsettling, but his words were deliberate. The countdown was not an ultimatum but a signal—a desperate attempt to prepare the Duchess for what is to come. He was hoping she'd take whatever measure she needed to prevent the event from occurring."

     "But why would he approach her in the middle of the night in such a manner?" Watson asked, as that was the part that lost him. "Surely, there are fewer terrifying ways to deliver such a message to someone of such prestige?"

     Holmes steepled his fingers, his expression thoughtful as he knew Watson was coming closer to a conclusion he reached far earlier.

     "Consider this, Watson," Sherlock started, "This man has access to the estate through hidden passages known only to a select few. He is aware of the Duchess's movements and schedule and that allowed him to avoid detection for days. Such knowledge suggests he is no ordinary criminal, but someone deeply entangled with the estate, perhaps even someone with deep, loyal connection to her late husband."

     "If this knave was unable to trust anyone around him," Watson replied, thinking long and hard about it, "Does this mean you're suggesting that the Duchess was being warned of a threat that was coming from within her own estate itself?"

     "Indeed," Sherlock replied, as he nodded in quiet approval.

     "What drew you to this conclusion, Holmes?" Watson demanded.

     "It was his urgency and clandestine methods," Sherlock answered, "They suggest our intruder feared being discovered, not by us, but by the very villains who pose the true danger to the Duchess. And that, my dear Watson, is the mystery we are now charged to unravel!"

     Watson sank into his chair, the weight of this new revelation settling on his reasonably broad shoulders. This was clearly above his paygrade, but the burden was falling on them to solve it anyway, and the doctor knew Holmes wouldn't want it any other way.

     "If what you say is true," Watson speculated, "Then that means the Duchess is in even greater danger than we realized!"

     "Precisely!" Sherlock concurred, as his voice low but intense. "The key to understanding this all lies in the man's identity. Who is he, and what does he know that compelled him to act so recklessly? Until we answer those questions, Watson, then the Duchess remains a pawn in a game we have yet to fully comprehend."

     Holmes walked across the room, his energy undimmed despite the long hours of work, as he raced for the door as he quickly grabbed his coat.

     "Come, Watson!" Sherlock called out, "The morning papers may hold clues, or at the very least, corroborate my suspicion but we need to go right to the source. I trust you'll join me for another round of deduction?"

     Watson sighed, as his fatigue momentarily forgotten in the face of Holmes's relentless drive. Despite how sore his body felt, the doctor knew better than to interrupt Holmes when he was in the zone.

     "Of course, Holmes," Watson said, standing back up. "Lead the way."

     "We need to meet with Lestrade and our knave at the station," Sherlock informed his partner, wrapping a scarf around his slender neck. "We must confirm our suspicions before putting her grace through another ordeal. If he was truly trying to help the old lady, then our prisoner will have no problem confirming what I already suspect."

     "Sounds quite reasonable," Watson said, grabbing his cane, "If he was just looking out for her, then I believe he would welcome having someone new on his side."

     "Onward, my dear Watson!" Sherlock said as he held the door open, "Once again the game is afoot!"