Analysis of a Hat

By Annette Siketa

A man's home is crammed with antiques, and yet when it is burgled, only certain items are stolen. Moreover, the only clue is a grubby hat.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Annette Siketa
• Release date: Oct 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005421427

Annette Siketa

For those of you who have not yet made my acquaintance, my name is Annette Siketa, and I am totally blind. Were you aware that most blind and visually impaired people are extraordinarily perceptive? To sighted people, this ability must seem like ESP, and I suppose to a certain extent, it is. (I'm referring to the literal meaning of Extra Sensory Perception, not the spooky interpretation.) To compensate for the lack of vision, the brain and the other four senses become sharper, so that we can discern a smell or the identity of an object. I promise you there's no trickery involved. It's simply a matter of adapting the body to ‘think’ in another way.Being blind is no barrier to creativity. Like most things in this world, life is what you make of it, and after losing my sight due to an eye operation that went terribly wrong, I became a writer, and have now produced a wide variety of books and short stories, primarily of the ghost/supernatural/things that go bump in the night genre.So, how does a blind person write a book? On the practical side, I use a text-to-speech program called ‘Jaws’, which enables me to use and navigate around a computer, including the Internet, with considerable ease. Information on Jaws can be found at www.freedomscientific.comOn the creative side...well, that’s a little more difficult to explain. Try this experiment. Put on your favourite movie and watch it blindfolded. As you already ‘know’ the movie – who does what where & when etc, your mind compensates for the lack of visualisation by filling in the ‘blanks’. Now try it with something you’ve never seen before, even the six o'clock news. Not so easy to fill in the blanks now is it?By this point you’re probably going bonkers with frustration – hee hee, welcome to my world! Do not remove the blindfold. Instead, allow your imagination to compensate for the lack of visualization, and this will give you an idea of how I create my stories. Oh, if only Steven Spielberg could read my mind.

Book preview

Analysis of a Hat

by Annette Siketa.

Copyright 2022 by Annette Siketa.

No part of this book may be reproduced or manipulated in any manner whatsoever, without the express permission of the author. All rights reserved. Please respect the authors’ rights. Only through honesty can the insidious practice of illegal copying be curbed.

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Contents.

Analysis of a Hat.

Extra Story! Natural Remedy -tickle your funny bone with this zany adventure.

Other Books and Freebies.

Extract from 'GHOSTLAND'.

About me.

*****

Holmes often criticised the newspapers, not for their content, but the order in which the stories were presented. It is most important, he once remarked to me, to pursue a train of thought to the end, instead of flitting indolently from one topic to another as the newspaper reader is compelled to do.

I mention this because he was working on his index books when he handed me a paragraph cut from a morning paper. I had glimpsed the article a little earlier, but as the headline had not caught my attention, I'd skipped over it. The story was a few lines about the theft of a valuable vase from a private collection.

It was probably a crime of opportunity, said I, handing back the cutting.

You think so? Six people in the house, and yet the vase was the only item stolen. No, my friend, this theft was 'to order', and yet the instigator can never put the vase on display. The qualities that gave it it's value, almost guarantee it will never see the light of day again.

Our discussion was interrupted by a knock at the door, and a moment later, two gentlemen entered the room. The first I recognized at once. He was a solicitor named Marchmont, for whom Holmes had acted before. The second man was a stranger. Aged in his late 20's, he was good-looking and faultlessly dressed. He was carrying a bandbox and seemed in a great state of agitation.

Thank you for seeing me without an appointment, said Marchmont, shaking hands cordially. This is my client, Mr Simon Lovell, who has a rather unusual problem.

It is a horrible affair! the young man burst out. I am ruined. I am in disgrace. He banged the bandbox down on the table, tossed his hat onto the floor, and flinging himself onto the couch, buried his face in his hands.

Come, come, said Marchmont soothingly, you must be brave. Compose yourself and tell Mr Holmes your story.

Lovell wiped his eyes before commencing, My brother Isaac is a great collector and dealer. His house in Howard Street, Piccadilly, is both a museum and an art gallery. The rooms are filled with cases of antique jewellery, coins and historic relics. The walls are covered in paintings, and there is a superb collection of ancient weapons and armour. Then there are the rare books, manuscripts, papyri, and antiquities from Egypt, Assyria, and Cyprus.

Quite an eclectic collection, remarked Holmes.

His knowledge of rare and curious art is probably second to none. No forgery has ever deceived him. Hence the great prices he can command, for an item purchased from Isaac is guaranteed to be genuine.

Holmes lit a cigarette before asking, And the 'horrible affair' as you put it?

Mr Lovell ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath. "Yesterday morning, Isaac set off for Florence, but his route was uncertain. He intended to break his journey at various points as circumstances determined. He asked me to take charge of his collection in his absence, and it was arranged that I should occupy his house. Accordingly, I sent my things round and took possession.

"I usually spend most evenings at my club