No. 9 The Adventure of the Resident Patient by Arthur Conan Doyle
Section [1 | 2 | 3]
out on each occasion . their reason for choosing so unusual an hour for aconsultation was obviously to insure that there should_be no other patient in_the waiting- room . it just happened, however, that_this hour coincided with Blessington's constitutional, which seems to show that_they were_not very_well acquainted with_his daily routine . of_course, if_they had_been merely after plunder they_would at_least have_made some attempt to search for_it . besides, I_can read in a man's eye when it_is his own skin that he_is frightened for . it_is inconceivable that_this fellow could_have made two such vindictive enemies as_these appear to_be without knowing of it .I hold it, therefore, to_be certain that he_does know who these men are, and_that for reasons of_his own he suppresses it . it_is just possible that to- morrow may find him in a more communicative mood ."

" is_there not one alternative," I suggested, " grotesquely improbably, no_doubt, but still just conceivable ? might the whole story of_the cataleptic Russian and_his son be a concoction of Dr .Trevelyan's, who has, for_his own purposes, been in Blessington's rooms ? "

I_saw in_the gaslight that Holmes wore an amused smile at_this brilliant departure of_mine .

" my dear fellow," said he, " it_was one_of_the first solutions which occurred to_me, but i_was soon able to corroborate the doctor's tale . this young man has left prints upon_the stair- carpet which made it quite superfluous for_me to ask to_see those which he had made in_the room . when I tell you that his shoes were square- toed instead of being pointed like Blessington's, and were quite an inch and a third longer than_the doctor's, you_will acknowledge that there can_be no_doubt as to_his individuality . but we_may sleep on_it now, for I_shall_be surprised if we_do_not hear something further from brook street in_the morning ."

Sherlock Holmes's prophecy was soon fulfilled, and in a dramatic fashion . at half- past seven next morning, in_the first glimmer of daylight, I_found him standing by my bedside in_his dressing- gown .

" there's a brougham waiting for_us, Watson," said he .

" what's the matter, then ? "

" the brook street business ."

" any fresh news ? "

" tragic, but ambiguous," said he, pulling up the blind ." look at_this--a sheet from a note- book, with ' for god's sake come at once--P .T .,' scrawled upon it in pencil . our friend, the doctor, was hard put to_it when he wrote this . come along, my dear fellow, for_it's an urgent call ."

in a quarter of an hour or so we were back at_the physician's house . he_came running out to meet us with a face of horror .

"Oh, such a business ! " he cried, with_his hands to_his temples .

" what then ? "

"Blessington has committed suicide ! "

Holmes whistled .

" yes, he hanged himself during the night ."

we had entered, and_the doctor had preceded us into what_was evidently his waiting- room .

"I really hardly know what I_am doing," he cried ." the police are already upstairs . it has shaken me most dreadfully ."

" when did you find it out ? "

" he has a cup of tea taken in to him early every morning . when_the maid entered, about seven, there the unfortunate fellow was hanging in_the middle of_the room . he had tied his cord to_the hook on_which the heavy lamp used to hang, and he had jumped off from_the top of_the very box that he showed us yesterday ."

Holmes stood for a moment in deep thought .

" with your permission," said he at last, " i_should like to_go upstairs and look into_the matter ."

we both ascended, followed by_the doctor .

it_was a dreadful sight which met us as_we entered the bedroom door . I_have spoken of_the impression of flabbiness which this man Blessington conveyed . as he dangled from_the hook it_was exaggerated and intensified until he_was scarce human in_his appearance . the neck was drawn out like a plucked chicken's, making the rest of him seem the more obese and unnatural by_the contrast . he_was clad only in_his long night- dress, and_his swollen ankles and ungainly feet protruded starkly from beneath it . beside him stood a smart- looking police- inspector, who was taking notes in a pocket- book .

"Ah, Mr Holmes," said he, heartily, as my friend entered, " I_am delighted to_see you ."

" good- morning, Lanner," answered Holmes; " you won't think me an intruder, I_am_sure . have_you heard of_the events which led up to_this affair ? "

" yes, I heard something of_them ."

" have_you formed any opinion ? "

" as far as I_can_see, the man has_been driven out of_his senses by fright . the bed has_been well slept in, you_see . there's his impression deep enough . it's about five in_the morning, you_know, that suicides are most common . that_would_be about his time for hanging himself . it seems to_have_been a very deliberate affair ."

" i_should say that he has_been dead about three hours, judging by_the rigidity of_the muscles," said I .

" noticed anything peculiar about_the room ? " asked Holmes .

" found a screw- driver and some screws on_the wash- hand stand .Seems to_have smoked heavily during the night, too . here are four cigar-ends that I picked out_of_the fireplace ."

" hum ! " said Holmes, " have_you got his cigar- holder ? "

" no, I_have_seen none ."

" his cigar- case, then ? "

" yes, it_was in_his coat- pocket ."

Holmes opened it and smelled the single cigar which it contained .

"Oh, this_is an Havana, and these others are cigars of_the peculiar sort which are imported by_the Dutch from their east Indian colonies . they_are usually wrapped in straw, you_know, and_are thinner for their length than any_other brand ." he picked up the four ends and examined them with_his pocket- lens .

" two of_these have_been smoked from a holder and two without," said he ." two have_been cut by a not very sharp knife, and two have_had the ends bitten off by a set of excellent teeth . this_is no suicide, Mr Lanner . it_is a very deeply planned and cold- blooded murder ."

" impossible ! " cried the inspector .

" and why ? "

" why should any_one murder a man in so clumsy a fashion as by hanging him ? "

" that_is what we_have to_find out ."

" how could they get in ? "

" through_the front door ."

" it_was barred in_the morning ."

" then it_was barred after them ."

" how do_you_know ? "

" I_saw their traces . excuse me a moment, and I may_be_able to_give_you some further information about_it ."

he went over to_the door, and turning the lock he examined it in_his methodical way . then he_took out the key, which_was on_the inside, and inspected that also . the bed, the carpet, the chairs the mantelpiece, the dead body, and_the rope were each in turn examined, until at last he professed himself satisfied, and with my aid and_that of_the inspector cut down the wretched object and laid it reverently under a sheet .

" how about_this rope ? " he asked .

" it_is cut off this," said Dr .Trevelyan, drawing a large coil from under the bed ." he_was morbidly nervous of fire, and always kept this beside him, so_that he might escape by_the window in_case the stairs were burning ."

" that must_have saved them trouble," said Holmes, thoughtfully ." yes, the actual facts are very plain, and I_shall_be surprised if by_the afternoon I_cannot give_you the reasons for_them as_well . i_will take this photograph of Blessington, which I_see upon_the mantelpiece, as it may help me in my inquiries ."

" but you_have told us nothing ! " cried the doctor .

"Oh, there can_be no_doubt as_to_the sequence of events," said Holmes ." there were three of_them in_it: the young man, the old man, and a third, to whose identity I_have no clue . the first two, I_need hardly remark, are the same who masqueraded as_the Russian count and_his son, so we_can give a very full description of_them . they were admitted by a confederate inside the house . if I_might offer you a word of advice, inspector, it would_be to arrest the page, who, as I understand, has only recently come into your service, doctor ."

" the young imp cannot_be found," said Dr .Trevelyan; " the maid and_the cook have just been searching for him ."

Holmes shrugged his shoulders .

" he has played a not unimportant part in_this drama," said he ." the three men having ascended the stairs, which they_did on tiptoe, the elder man first, the younger man second, and_the unknown man in_the rear--"

" my dear Holmes ! " I ejaculated .

"Oh, there could_be no question as_to_the superimposing of_the footmarks .I had the advantage of learning which_was which last night . they ascended, then, to Mr Blessington's room, the door of_which they found to_be locked . with_the help of a wire, however, they forced round the key . even without the lens you_will perceive, by_the scratches on_this ward, where the pressure was applied .

" on entering the room their first proceeding must_have been to gag Mr Blessington . he_may_have been asleep, or he_may_have been so paralysed with terror as to_have_been unable to cry out . these walls are thick, and it_is conceivable that his shriek, if he had time to utter one, was unheard .

"Having secured him, it_is evident to_me that aconsultation of some sort was held . probably it_was something in_the nature of a judicial proceeding . it must_have lasted for some_time, for it_was then that_these cigars were smoke . the older man sat in_that wicker chair; it_was he who used the cigar- holder . the younger man sat over yonder; he knocked his ash off against the chest of drawers . the third fellow paced up and down .Blessington, i_think, sat upright in_the bed, but of_that I_cannot_be absolutely certain .

" well, it ended by their taking Blessington and hanging him . the matter was so prearranged that_it_is my belief that_they brought with_them some sort of block or pulley which might serve as a gallows . that screw- driver and those screws were, as I conceive, for fixing it up .Seeing the hook, however they naturally saved themselves the trouble .Having finished their work they made off, and_the door was barred behind them by their confederate ."

we had all listened with_the deepest interest to_this sketch of_the night's doings, which Holmes had deduced from signs so subtle and minute that, even when he had pointed them out to_us, we_could scarcely follow him in_his reasoning . the inspector hurried away on_the instant to_make inquiries about_the page, while Holmes and I returned to baker street for breakfast .

"I'll be back by three," said he, when we had finished our meal ." both the inspector and_the doctor will meet me here at_that hour, and I_hope by_that_time to_have cleared up any little obscurity which the case may still present ."

our visitors arrived at_the appointed time, but it_was a quarter to four before my friend put in an appearance . from_his expression as he entered, however, I could_see that all had gone well with_him .

" any news, inspector ? "

" we_have got the boy, sir ."

" excellent, and I_have got the men ."

" you_have got them ! " we cried, all three .

" well, at_least I_have got their identity . this so- called Blessington is, as I expected, well known at headquarters, and so are his assailants . their names are Biddle, Hayward, and Moffat ."

" the Worthingdon bank gang," cried the inspector .

" precisely," said Holmes .

" then Blessington must_have been Sutton ."

" exactly," said Holmes .

" why, that makes it as clear as crystal," said the inspector .

but Trevelyan and I looked at each_other in bewilderment .

" you_must surely remember the great Worthingdon bank business," said Holmes ."Five men were in_it-- these four and afifth called Cartwright .Tobin, the care- taker, was murdered, and_the thieves got away with seven thousand pounds . this_was in 1875 . they were all five arrested, but the evidence against them was by no means conclusive . this Blessington or Sutton, who was_the worst of_the gang, turned informer . on_his evidence Cartwright was hanged and_the other three got fifteen years apiece . when_they got out the other day, which_was some_years before their full term, they set themselves, as_you perceive, to hunt down the traitor and to avenge the death of_their comrade upon him . twice they tried to_get at him and failed; a third time, you_see, it came off . is_there anything further which I_can explain, Dr .Trevelyan ? "

" i_think you have_made it all remarkable clear," said the doctor ." no_doubt the day on_which he_was perturbed was_the day when he had seen of_their release in_the newspapers ."

" quite so . his talk about aburglary was_the merest blind ."

" but why could he not tell you this ? "

" well, my dear_Sir, knowing the vindictive character of_his old associates, he_was trying to hide his own identity from everybody as long as he_could . his secret was a shameful one, and he_could_not bring himself to divulge it . however, wretch as he_was, he_was still living under the shield of British law, and I_have no_doubt, inspector, that you_will_see that, though that shield may fail to guard, the sword of justice is still there to avenge ."

such were the singular circumstances in connection with_the resident patient and_the brook street doctor . from_that night nothing has_been seen of_the three murderers by_the police, and it_is surmised at Scotland yard that_they were among_the passengers of_the ill- fated steamer Norah Creina, which_was lost some_years_ago with all hands upon_the Portuguese coast, some leagues to_the north of Oporto . the proceedings against the page broke down for want of evidence, and_the brook street mystery, as it_was called, has never until now been fully dealt with in any public print .

Section [1 | 2 | 3]