Part 1


"I can assure you, Holmes," said Inspector Lestrade, sucking in air through his teeth, "it was not a pretty sight. The victim lay in a pool of blood with half a dozen knife wounds; his nose was broken and he had received a hard blow to the back of his head. But I think it was no more than he deserved. I actually pity the murderer more." Holmes raised his eyebrows. "You mean you've already found the murderer?" "Well, it was quite simple really," continued Lestrade. "The murder victim was not a very popular chap. As a private investigator, he'd found out a lot of unpleasant things about a whole variety of local people, mostly important people like the new Liberal candidate, Brian Longman who was tipped to win the forthcoming election. He's got no chance now, of course!"

	"Why on earth not?" Holmes interjected. "Well, you see, we've arrested his wife, Alice, for murder. Sad case really. It seems the victim was blackmailing her about a love affair she'd had with a certain Andrew Leamington, a close friend of the family and head of a rival detective agency. If the news had got out, it would have meant ruin for her marriage and her husband's political career. No-one would have suspected her except for a blackmail note we found on the floor near the victim’s corpse. It was addressed to A.L. and demanded £1,000."

"Was there no address?" Holmes inquired. "No, she must have left the envelope at home. You see she came to his flat to pay him off, then, in a fit of anger, picked up this heavy ashtray and hit him on the back of the head. He fell flat on his face.” "That would explain the broken nose, but not the knife wounds in his back." "I was coming to that. She probably wanted to make absolutely sure he was dead. But then she did a stupid thing. Maybe she had a twinge of conscience, or perhaps she hoped she hadn't really killed him, so the stupid woman called on the doctor who lives almost opposite. She hammered on the door, shouted for help and ran off into the night. She'd left a hurried note on the ground with the victim's address. Our good Dr. Harrap, who is chairman of the local Committee for the Preservation of Moral Values, went to the scene of the crime as soon as he could..." "How do you mean?" asked Holmes. "Didn't he go immediately?" "No, he couldn't. He was examining a very important patient, Mr. Lonsdale the Tory MP He couldn't have left such an important person halfway through an examination. But he went as soon as he'd finished, about 15 minutes later. As it happens it was the patient who recognized the woman's voice. As soon as we went round to her house, she broke down and confessed to the murder. So, you see, a perfectly simple case really." "I have a strange feeling," said Holmes, "that you have been a little too hasty, my friend."


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