Lucien Moriarty has been spotted in Thailand. I asked my brother to fit him with a microchip, like the kind they have for dogs, and he categorically refused. Ergo, we are relying on Milo’s operatives to trace his movements.

We will be back at Sherringford in the spring. Watson’s scholarship meant he was paid up through this year, so we have decided to stay. His family hasn’t any money and I don’t much care where I study, as my most important work is independently accomplished. Milo agreed that it was best to remain here, for now, though naturally my parents were displeased.

I’m rather beginning to enjoy displeasing them.

I am one week clean and don’t wish to say any more on the subject.

A final note on Watson. He flagellates himself rather a lot, as this narrative shows. He shouldn’t. He is lovely and warm and quite brave and a bit heedless of his own safety and by any measure the best man I’ve ever known. I’ve discovered that I am very clever when it comes to caring about him, and so I will continue to do so.

Later today I will ask him to spend the rest of winter break at my family’s home in Sussex. (I must remember to tell my parents, though I’m sure they’ve already deduced my intentions.) My always-amusing uncle Leander is due in for a visit. We will look for a good murder or, at the very least, an interesting heist to solve. Watson will say yes, I’m sure of it. He always says yes to me.