In the 30 odd cases Sherlock has solved in my company, there
have been comic, tragic and strange stories. Out of all of these, I think one stood out as the easiest....
The events in question occurred in the early days of my
association with Holmes, when we were sharing rooms in 221 B Baker Street. That
morning I woke up to see Holmes standing by my bed.
“Scotland Yard’s Lestrade is outside, there’s been a robbery
gone wrong in 46, Audley Court, Kennington Park Gate.” I quickly got ready and
into the cab waiting outside with Holmes. WE reaches the house of the crime and
got out of the cab. Lestrade came out of the house to greet us.
“The victim’s name is Enoch Drebber. The house is ransacked,
although nothing is missing. The cause of death is stabbing.” We followed him
into the house.
The living room was on the right, and Mr. Drebber was
sprawled across the floor. There was a woman standing beside his limp body with
tears streaming down her face.
“Lucy please move away.”
Another officer pulled her away so that Holmes could
investigate. He bent down and examined the wound. Then he got up and walked
round. Lestrade showed us the entry point of the intruder which was a small
window by the kitchen.
“So was it a robbery or a murder Holmes”
Holmes ignored him but walked out of the house. He walked
around the house until he reached the window where the robber had entered.
“I know who the murderer is.”
This sentence took us all by so much surprise, we didn’t
know how to react.
“wh-wh-what?!” said Lestrade. “And how did you come to that
conclusion?”
“Arrest the wife”
Lestrade didn’t object this time. He simply walked back into
the house mumbling something to himself. I was especially surprised and in awe
of Holmes. Although I had solved cases before with him, I never cease to be
amazed by his deduction skills.
“How did you know?” I asked a he started to walk of.
“It was quite obvious really. Well the kitchen window is
quite small so the chance of a man being the murderer is quite unlikely. The
window was not even broken properly, leaving a very small gap for the person to
enter. Outside the window, as you can see, the mud is very clayey, and so if
someone had stepped in it, their footprint would be clearly visible. However
the only footprints visible is that of the heavy constable. So it’s quite
obviously a murder and not a robbery as the criminal didn’t actually enter
through the window but the front door. And the lock of the front door was
intact so it was quite obviously the wife”
I was amazed but one thing didn’t quite add up.
“But what was the motive”
“they were a wealthy family so Enoch Drebber’s life was most
probably insured. Thus in case of his death, his wife Lucy Drebber would get
all the money.”
