The Secret of Flat 35

[Darren]

In Gunmen, Gallants and Ghosts (which was recently published as the latest DW ebook by Bloomesbury) there is a story called The Case of the Red Headed Women. In the introduction DW states that it is based on a real location that remained tenantless for several years because of a succession of suicides that eventually put off future residents. All the suicides were by the same method – the tenants threw themselves out of the window.

DW provides a fictional explanation (in Flat 35, Collingburn Court, South Kensington) for the suicides but in his introduction he invites readers who feel that they “have a gift for story-tellingâ€￾ to write their own story to provide a different explanation as to the series of suicides.

Craig Cabell (who has written a couple of non-fiction DW related works) didn’t exactly take up DW’s challenge – but he has published a story based upon the Gunmen, Gallants and Ghosts book and The Case of the Red Headed Women story in particular.

The Secret of Flat 35 by Craig Cabell (available on kindle) is an interesting read for DW fans and I enjoyed the mystery. I won’t spoil your reading experience other than warn you that though it is a good story – and I do recommend it - it is quite short and has a sweet, syrupy ending that makes me wonder whether Craig Cabell was writing a story to work his own way through a period of personal grief. The initial premise of the story was really encouraging and I would encourage Craig Cabell to continue (and be a little more adventurous) with his DW related fiction.

[Cibator]

Omigosh - that number 35 again!! The occult number shared by the Duke and Simon Aaron (as demonstrated in TDRO), and the age at which DW started his writing career ... Plus of course the digits add to 8, and we all know the significance of that.

[Darren]

Excuse my DW ignorance, but the significance of number 8 didn't hit me so I looked up "numerology" in the most appropriate occult book for this site, DW's own The Devil and All His Works and there is 9 pages on numerology staring on page 46. Number 8 is discussed at length as it is DW's own occultic number and he provides a long list of coincidences about the number 8 and his life to explain why. It's quite fun to read and confirm how the number 8 influences his life.

Not being particularly enthustiastic about the reality of such ideas I smiled to myself and was about to move on when I noticed the page number that discussed the subject of number 8 - it is on page 53.

5 + 3 = 8

Weird.