<s> I LEFT HIM THERE THE SAFE OPEN AND THE PAPERS MADE UP IN PACKETS UPON THE TABLE </s><s> IT WAS SO LATC THAT I COULD NOT GET BACK TO BLACKHEATH SO I SPENT THE NIGHT AT THE ANERLEY ARMS. AND I KNEW NOTHING MORE UNTIL I READ OF THIS HORRIBLE AFFAIR IN THE MORNING </s><s> ANYTHING MORE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK MR. HOLMES SAID LESTRADE WHOSE EYEBROWS HAD GONE UP ONCE OR TWICE DURING THIS REMARKABLE EXPLANATION </s><s> QUOTE NOT UNTIL I HAVE BEEN TO BLACKHEATH QUOTE </s><s> YOU MEAN TO NORWOOD SAID LESTRADE </s><s> OH YES NO DOUBT THAT IS WHAT I MUST HAVE MEANT SAID HOLMES WITH HIS ENIGMATICAL SMILE </s><s> LESTRADE HAD LEARNED BY MORE EXPERIENCES THAN HE WOULD CARE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT RAZOR LIKE BRAIN COULD CUT THROUGH THAT WHICH WAS IMPENETRABLE TO HIM </s><s> I SAW HIM LOOK CURIOUSLY AT MY COMPANION </s><s> I THINK I SHOULD LIKE TO HAVE A WORD WITH YOU PRESENTLY MR.  SHERLOCK HOLMES SAID HE </s><s> NOW MR. MCFARLANE TWO OF MY CONSTABLES ARE AT THE DOOR AND THERE IS A FOUR WHEELER WAITING </s><s> THE WRETCHED YOUNG MAN AROSE AND WITH A LAST BESEECHING GLANCE AT US WALKED FROM THE ROOM </s><s> THE OFFICERS CONDUCTED HIM TO THE CAB BUT LESTRADE REMAINED </s><s> HOLMES HAD PICKED UP THE PAGES WHICH FORMED THE ROUGH DRAFT OF THE WILL AND WAS LOOKING AT THEM WITH THE KEENEST INTEREST UPON HIS FACE </s><s> THERE ARE SOME POINTS ABOUT THAT DOCUMENT LESTRADE ARE THERE NOT SAID HE PUSHING THEM OVER </s><s> THE OFFICIAL LOOKED AT THEM WITH A PUZZLED EXPRESSION </s><s> QUOTE I CAN READ THE FIRST FEW LINES AND THESE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SECOND PAGE AND ONE OR TWO AT THE END </s><s> THOSE ARE AS CLEAR AS PRINT SAID HE BUT THE WRITING IN BETWEEN IS VERY BAD AND THERE ARE THREE PLACES WHERE I CANNOT READ IT AT ALL </s><s> WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT SAID HOLMES </s><s> WELL WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT </s><s> THAT IT WAS WRITTEN IN A TRAIN </s><s> THE GOOD WRITING REPRESENTS STATIONS THE BAD WRITING MOVEMENT AND THE VERY BAD WRITING PASSING OVER POINTS </s><s> A SCIENTIFIC EXPERT WOULD PRONOUNCE AT ONCE THAT THIS WAS DRAWN UP ON A SUBURBAN LINE SINCE NOWHERE SAVE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF A GREAT CITY COULD THERE BE SO QUICK A SUCCESSION OF POINTS </s><s> GRANTING THAT HIS WHOLE JOURNEY WAS OCCUPIED IN DRAWING UP THE WILL THEN THE TRAIN WAS AN EXPRESS ONLY STOPPING ONCE BETWEEN NORWOOD AND LONDON BRIDGE </s><s> LESTRADE BEGAN TO LAUGH </s><s> QUOTE YOU ARE TOO MANY FOR ME WHEN YOU BEGIN TO GET ON YOUR THEORIES </s><s> MR. HOLMES SAID HE </s><s> HOW DOES THIS BEAR ON THE CASE </s><s> WELL IT CORROBORATES THE YOUNG MAN'S STORY TO THE EXTENT THAT THE WILL WAS DRAWN UP BY JONAS OLDACRE IN HIS JOURNEY YESTERDAY </s><s> IT IS CURIOUS IS IT NOT THAT A MAN SHOULD DRAW UP SO IMPORTANT A DOCUMENT IN SO HAPHAZARD A FASHION </s><s> IT SUGGESTS THAT HE DID NOT THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE OF MUCH PRACTICAL IMPORTANCE </s><s> IF A MAN DREW UP A WILL WHICH HE DID NOT INTEND EVER TO BE EFFECTIVE HE MIGHT DO IT SO </s><s> WELL HE DREW UP HIS OWN DEATH WARRANT AT THE SAME TIME SAID LESTRADE </s><s> QUOTE OH YOU THINK SO QUOTE </s><s> DON'T YOU </s><s> WELL IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE BUT THE CASE IS NOT CLEAR TO ME YET </s><s> NOT CLEAR </s><s> WELL IF THAT ISN'T CLEAR WHAT COULD BE CLEAR </s><s> HERE IS A YOUNG MAN WHO LEARNS SUDDENLY THAT IF A CERTAIN OLDER MAN DIES HE WILL SUCCEED TO A FORTUNE </s><s> WHAT DOES HE DO </s><s> HE SAYS NOTHING TO ANYONE BUT HE ARRANGES THAT HE SHALL GO OUT ON SOME PRETEXT TO SEE HIS CLIENT THAT NIGHT </s><s> HE WAITS UNTIL THE ONLY OTHER PERSON IN THE HOUSE IS IN BED AND THEN IN THE SOLITUDE OF A MAN'S ROOM HE MURDERS HIM BURNS HIS BODY IN THE WOOD PILE AND DEPARTS TO A NEIGHBOURING HOTEL </s><s> THE BLOOD STAINS IN THE ROOM AND ALSO ON THE STICK ARE VERY SLIGHT </s><s> IT IS PROBABLE THAT HE IMAGINED HIS CRIME TO BE A BLOODLESS ONE AND HOPED THAT IF THE BODY WERE CONSUMED IT WOULD HIDE ALL TRACES OF THE METHOD OF HIS DEATH TRACES WHICH FOR SOME REASON MUST HAVE POINTED TO HIM </s><s> IS NOT ALL THIS OBVIOUS </s><s> IT STRIKES ME MY GOOD LESTRADE AS BEING JUST A TRIFLE TOO OBVIOUS SAID HOLMES </s><s> QUOTE YOU DO NOT ADD IMAGINATION TO YOUR OTHER GREAT QUALITIES BUT IF YOU COULD FOR ONE MOMENT PUT YOURSELF IN THE PLACE OF THIS YOUNG MAN WOULD YOU CHOOSE THE VERY NIGHT AFTER THE WILL HAD BEEN MADE TO COMMIT YOUR CRIME </s><s> WOULD IT NOT SEEM DANGEROUS TO YOU TO MAKE SO VERY CLOSE A RELATION BETWEEN THE TWO INCIDENTS </s><s> AGAIN WOULD YOU CHOOSE AN OCCASION WHEN YOU ARE KNOWN TO BE IN THE HOUSE WHEN A SERVANT HAS LET YOU IN </s><s> AND FINALLY WOULD YOU TAKE THE GREAT PAINS TO CONCEAL THE BODY AND YET LEAVE YOUR OWN STICK AS A SIGN THAT YOU WERE THE CNMINAL </s><s> CONFESS LESTRADE THAT ALL THIS IS VERY UNLIKELY </s><s> AS TO THE STICK MR. HOLMES YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THAT A CRIMINAL IS OFTEN FLURRIED AND DOES SUCH THINGS WHICH A COOL MAN WOULD AVOID </s><s> HE WAS VERY LIKELY AFRAID TO GO BACK TO THE ROOM </s><s> GIVE ME ANOTHER THEORY THAT WOULD FIT THE FACTS </s><s> I COULD VERY EASILY GIVE YOU HALF A DOZEN SAID HOLMES </s><s> HERE FOR EXAMPLE IS A VERY POSSIBLE AND EVEN PROBABLE ONE </s><s> I MAKE YOU A FREE PRESENT OF IT </s><s> THE OLDER MAN IS SHOWING DOCUMENTS WHICH ARE OF EVIDENT VALUE </s><s> A PASSING TRAMP SEES THEM THROUGH THE WINDOW THE BLIND OF WHICH IS ONLY HALF DOWN </s><s> EXIT THE SOLICITOR </s><s> ENTER THE TRAMP </s><s> HE SEIZES A STICK WHICH HE OBSERVES THERE KILLS OLDACRE AND DEPARTS AFTER BURNING THE BODY QUOTE </s><s> WHY SHOULD THE TRAMP BURN THE BODY </s><s> FOR THE MATTER OF THAT WHY SHOULD MCFARLANE </s><s> TO HIDE SOME EVIDENCE </s><s> POSSIBLY THE TRAMP WANTED TO HIDE THAT ANY MURDER AT ALL HAD BEEN COMMITTED </s><s> AND WHY DID THE TRAMP TAKE NOTHING </s><s> QUOTE BECAUSE THEY WERE PAPERS THAT HE COULD NOT NEGOTIATE QUOTE </s><s> LESTRADE SHOOK HIS HEAD THOUGH IT SEEMED TO ME THAT HIS MANNER WAS LESS ABSOLUTELY ASSURED THAN BEFORE </s><s> WELL MR. SHERLOCK HOLMES YOU MAY LOOK FOR YOUR TRAMP AND WHILE YOU ARE FINDING HIM WE WILL HOLD ON TO OUR MAN </s><s> THE FUTURE WILL SHOW WHICH IS RIGHT </s><s> JUST NOTICE THIS POINT MR. HOLMES THAT SO FAR AS WE KNOW NONE OF THE PAPERS WERE REMOVED AND THAT THE PRISONER IS THE ONE MAN IN THE WORLD WHO HAD NO REASON FOR REMOVING THEM SINCE HE WAS HEIR AT LAW AND WOULD COME INTO THEM IN ANY CASE </s><s> MY FRIEND SEEMED STRUCK BY THIS REMARK </s><s> I DON'T MEAN TO DENY THAT THE EVIDENCE IS IN SOME WAYS VERY STRONGLY IN FAVOUR OF YOUR THEORY SAID HE </s><s> I ONLY WISH TO POINT OUT THAT THERE ARE OTHER THEORIES POSSIBLE </s><s> AS YOU SAY THE FUTURE WILL DECIDE </s><s> GOOD MORNING </s><s> I DARE SAY THAT IN THE COURSE OF THE DAY I SHALL DROP IN AT NORWOOD AND SEE HOW YOU ARE GETTING ON </s><s> WHEN THE DETECTIVE DEPARTED MY FRIEND ROSE AND MADE HIS PREPARATIONS FOR THE DAY'S WORK WITH THE ALERT AIR OF A MAN WHO HAS A CONGENIAL TASK BEFORE HIM </s><s> QUOTE MY FIRST MOVEMENT WATSON QUOTE SAID HE. AS HE BUSTLED INTO HIS FROCKCOAT QUOTE MUST AS I SAID BE IN THE DIRECTION OF BLACKHEATH QUOTE </s><s> AND WHY NOT NORWOOD </s><s> BECAUSE WE HAVE IN THIS CASE ONE SINGULAR INCIDENT COMING CLOSE TO THE HEELS OF ANOTHER SINGULAR INCIDENT </s><s> THE POLICE ARE MAKING THE MISTAKE OF CONCENTRATING THEIR ATTENTION UPON THE SECOND BECAUSE IT HAPPENS TO BE THE ONE WHICH IS ACTUALLY CRIMINAL </s><s> BUT IT IS EVIDENT TO ME THAT THE LOGICAL WAY TO APPROACH THE CASE IS TO BEGIN BY TRYING TO THROW SOME LIGHT UPON THE FIRST INCIDENT THE CURIOUS WILL SO SUDDENLY MADE AND TO SO UNEXPECTED AN HEIR </s><s> IT MAY DO SOMETHING TO SIMPLIFY WHAT FOLLOWED </s><s> NO MY DEAR FELLOW I DON'T THINK YOU CAN HELP ME </s><s> THERE IS NO PROSPECT OF DANGER OR I SHOULD NOT DREAM OF STIRRING OUT WITHOUT YOU </s><s> I TRUST THAT WHEN I SEE YOU IN THE EVENING I WILL BE ABLE TO REPORT THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO SOMETHING FOR THIS UNFORTUNATE YOUNGSTER WHO HAS THROWN HIMSELF UPON MY PROTECTION </s><s> IT WAS LATE WHEN MY FRIEND RETURNED AND I COULD SEE BY A GLANCE AT HIS HAGGARD AND ANXIOUS FACE THAT THE HIGH HOPES WITH WHICH HE HAD STARTED HAD NOT BEEN FULFILLED </s><s> FOR AN HOUR HE DRONED AWAY UPON HIS VIOLIN ENDEAVOURING TO SOOTHE HIS OWN RUFFLED SPIRITS </s><s> AT LAST HE FLUNG DOWN THE INSTRUMENT AND PLUNGED INTO A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF HIS MISADVENTURES </s><s> IT'S ALL GOING WRONG WATSON ALL AS WRONG AS IT CAN GO </s><s> I KEPT A BOLD FACE BEFORE LESTRADE BUT UPON MY SOUL I BELIEVE THAT FOR ONCE THE FELLOW IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND WE ARE ON THE WRONG </s><s> ALL MY INSTINCTS ARE ONE WAY AND ALL THE FACTS ARE THE OTHER AND I MUCH FEAR THAT BRITISH JURIES HAVE NOT YET ATTAINED THAT PITCH OF INTELLIGENCE WHEN THEY WILL GIVE THE PREFERENCE TO MY THEORIES OVER LESTRADE'S FACTS </s><s> QUOTE DID YOU GO TO BLACKHEATH QUOTE </s><s> YES WATSON I WENT THERE AND I FOUND VERY QUICKLY THAT THE LATE LAMENTED OLDACRE WAS A PRETTY CONSIDERABLE BLACKGUARD </s><s> THE FATHER WAS AWAY IN SEARCH OF HIS SON </s><s> THE MOTHER WAS AT HOME A LITTLE FLUFFY BLUE EYED PERSON IN A TREMOR OF FEAR AND INDIGNATION </s><s> OF COURSE SHE WOULD NOT ADMIT EVEN THE POSSIBILITY OF HIS GUILT </s><s> BUT SHE WOULD NOT EXPRESS EITHER SURPRISE OR REGRET OVER THE FATE OF OLDACRE </s><s> ON THE CONTRARY SHE SPOKE OF HIM WITH SUCH BITTERNESS THAT SHE WAS UNCONSCIOUSLY CONSIDERABLY STRENGTHENING THE CASE OF THE POLICE FOR OF COURSE IF HER SON HAD HEARD HER SPEAK OF THE MAN IN THIS FASHION IT WOULD PREDISPOSE HIM TOWARDS HATRED AND VIOLENCE </s><s> HE WAS MORE LIKE A MALIGNANT AND CUNNING APE THAN A HUMAN BEING SAID SHE AND HE ALWAYS WAS EVER SINCE HE WAS A YOUNG MAN </s><s> YOU KNEW HIM AT THAT TIME SAID I </s><s> YES I KNEW HIM WELL IN FACT HE WAS AN OLD SUITOR OF MINE </s><s> THANK HEAVEN THAT I HAD THE SENSE TO TURN AWAY FROM HIM AND TO MARRY A BETTER IF POORER MAN </s><s> I WAS ENGAGED TO HIM </s><s> MR. HOLMES WHEN I HEARD A SHOCKING STORY OF HOW HE HAD TURNED A CAT LOOSE IN AN AVIARY AND I WAS SO HORRIFIED AT HIS BRUTAL CRUELTY THAT I WOULD HAVE NOTHING MORE TO DO WITH HIM </s><s> SHE RUMMAGED IN A BUREAU AND PRESENTLY SHE PRODUCED A PHOTOGRAPH OF A WOMAN SHAMEFULLY DEFACED AND MUTILATED WITH A KNIFE </s><s> THAT IS MY OWN PHOTOGRAPH SHE SAID </s><s> HE SENT IT TO ME IN THAT STATE WITH HIS CURSE UPON MY WEDDING MORNING </s><s> WELL SAID I AT LEAST HE HAS FORGIVEN YOU NOW SINCE HE HAS LEFT ALL HIS PROPERTY TO YOUR SON </s><s> NEITHER MY SON NOR I WANT ANYTHING FROM JONAS OLDACRE DEAD OR ALIVE SHE CRIED WITH A PROPER SPIRIT </s><s> THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN MR. HOLMES AND THAT SAME GOD WHO HAS PUNISHED THAT WICKED MAN WILL SHOW IN HIS OWN GOOD TIME THAT MY SON'S HANDS ARE GUILTLESS OF HIS BLOOD </s><s> WELL I TRIED ONE OR TWO LEADS BUT COULD GET AT NOTHING WHICH WOULD HELP OUR HYPOTHESIS AND SEVERAL POINTS WHICH WOULD MAKE AGAINST IT </s><s> I GAVE IT UP AT LAST AND OFF I WENT TO NORWOOD </s><s> QUOTE THIS PLACE DEEP DENE HOUSE IS A BIG MODERN VILLA OF STARING BRICK STANDING BACK IN ITS OWN GROUNDS WITH A LAURELCLUMPED LAWN IN FRONT OF IT </s><s> TO THE RIGHT AND SOME DISTANCE BACK FROM THE ROAD WAS THE TIMBER YARD WHICH HAD BEEN THE SCENE OF THE FIRE </s><s> HERE'S A ROUGH PLAN ON A LEAF OF MY NOTEBOOK </s><s> THIS WINDOW ON THE LEFT IS THE ONE WHICH OPENS INTO OLDACRE'S ROOM </s><s> YOU CAN LOOK INTO IT FROM THE ROAD YOU SEE </s><s> THAT IS ABOUT THE ONLY BIT OF CONSOLATION I HAVE HAD TO DAY </s><s> LESTRADE WAS NOT THERE BUT HIS HEAD CONSTABLE DID THE HONOURS </s><s> THEY HAD JUST FOUND A GREAT TREASURE TROVE </s><s> THEY HAD SPENT THE MORNING RAKING AMONG THE ASHES OF THE BURNED WOOD PILE AND BESIDES THE CHARRED ORGANIC REMAINS THEY HAD SECURED SEVERAL DISCOLOURED METAL DISCS </s><s> I EXAMINED THEM WITH CARE AND THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT THEY WERE TROUSER BUTTONS </s><s> I EVEN DISTINGUISHED THAT ONE OF THEM WAS MARKED WITH THE NAME OF HYAMS WHO WAS OLDACRE'S TAILOR </s><s> I THEN WORKED THE LAWN VERY CAREFULLY FOR SIGNS AND TRACES BUT THIS DROUGHT HAS MADE EVERYTHING AS HARD AS IRON </s><s> NOTHING WAS TO BE SEEN SAVE THAT SOME BODY OR BUNDLE HAD BEEN DRAGGED THROUGH A LOW PRIVET HEDGE WHICH IS IN A LINE WITH THE WOOD PILE </s><s> ALL THAT OF COURSE FITS IN WITH THE OFFICIAL THEORY </s><s> I CRAWLED ABOUT THE LAWN WITH AN AUGUST SUN ON MY BACK BUT I GOT UP AT THE END OF AN HOUR NO WISER THAN BEFORE </s><s> WELL AFTER THIS FIASCO I WENT INTO THE BEDROOM AND EXAMINED THAT ALSO </s><s> THE BLOOD STAINS WERE VERY SLIGHT MERE SMEARS AND DISCOLOURATIONS BUT UNDOUBTEDLY FRESH </s><s> THE STICK HAD BEEN REMOVED BUT THERE ALSO THE MARKS WERE SLIGHT </s><s> THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT THE STICK BELONGING TO OUR CLIENT </s><s> HE ADMITS IT </s><s> FOOTMARKS OF BOTH MEN COULD BE MADE OUT ON THE CARPET BUT NONE OF ANY THIRD PERSON WHICH AGAIN IS A TRICK FOR THE OTHER SIDE </s><s> THEY WERE PILING UP THEIR SCORE ALL THE TIME AND WE WERE AT A STANDSTILL </s><s> ONLY ONE LITTLE GLEAM OF HOPE DID I GET AND YET IT AMOUNTED TO NOTHING </s><s> I EXAMINED THE CONTENTS OF THE SAFE MOST OF WHICH HAD BEEN TAKEN OUT AND LEFT ON THE TABLE </s><s> THE PAPERS HAD BEEN MADE UP INTO SEALED ENVELOPES ONE OR TWO OF WHICH HAD BEEN OPENED BY THE POLICE </s><s> THEY WERE NOT SO FAR AS I COULD JUDGE OF ANY GREAT VALUE NOR DID THE BANK BOOK SHOW THAT MR. OLDACRE WAS IN SUCH VERY AFFLUENT CIRCUMSTANCES </s><s> BUT IT SEEMED TO ME THAT ALL THE PAPERS WERE NOT THERE </s><s> THERE WERE ALLUSIONS TO SOME DEEDS POSSIBLY THE MORE VALUABLE WHICH I COULD NOT FIND </s><s> THIS OF COURSE IF WE COULD DEFINITELY PROVE IT WOULD TURN LESTRADE'S ARGUMENT AGAINST HIMSELF FOR WHO WOULD STEAL A THING IF HE KNEW THAT HE WOULD SHORTLY INHERIT IT </s>