Itwasinthespringoftheyear1894thatallLondonwasinterested,andthefashionableworlddismayed,bythemurderoftheHonourableRonaldAdairundermostunusualandinexplicablecircumstances.Thepublichasalreadylearnedthoseparticularsofthecrimewhichcameoutinthepoliceinvestigation,butagooddealwassuppresseduponthatoccasion,sincethecasefortheprosecutionwassooverwhelminglystrongthatitwasnotnecessarytobringforwardallthefacts.Onlynow,attheendofnearlytenyears,amIallowedtosupplythosemissinglinkswhichmakeupthewholeofthatremarkablechain.Thecrimewasofinterestinitself,butthatinterestwasasnothingtomecomparedtotheinconceivablesequel,whichaffordedmethegreatestshockandsurpriseofanyeventinmyadventurouslife.Evennow,afterthislonginterval,IfindmyselfthrillingasIthinkofit,andfeelingoncemorethatsuddenfloodofjoy,amazement,andincredulitywhichutterlysubmergedmymind.Letmesaytothatpublic,whichhasshownsomeinterestinthoseglimpseswhichIhaveoccasionallygiventhemofthethoughtsandactionsofaveryremarkableman,thattheyarenottoblamemeifIhavenotsharedmyknowledgewiththem,forIshouldhaveconsidereditmyfirstdutytodoso,hadInotbeenbarredbyapositiveprohibitionfromhisownlips,whichwasonlywithdrawnuponthethirdoflastmonth.
ItcanbeimaginedthatmycloseintimacywithSherlockHolmeshadinterestedmedeeplyincrime,andthatafterhisdisappearanceIneverfailedtoreadwithcarethevariousproblemswhichcamebeforethepublic.AndIevenattempted,morethanonce,formyownprivatesatisfaction,toemployhismethodsintheirsolution,thoughwithindifferentsuccess.Therewasnone,however,whichappealedtomelikethistragedyofRonaldAdair.AsIreadtheevidenceattheinquest,whichleduptoaverdictofwillfulmurderagainstsomepersonorpersonsunknown,IrealizedmoreclearlythanIhadeverdonethelosswhichthecommunityhadsustainedbythedeathofSherlockHolmes.Therewerepointsaboutthisstrangebusinesswhichwould,Iwassure,havespeciallyappealedtohim,andtheeffortsofthepolicewouldhavebeensupplemented,ormoreprobablyanticipated,bythetrainedobservationandthealertmindofthefirstcriminalagentinEurope.Allday,asIdroveuponmyround,Iturnedoverthecaseinmymindandfoundnoexplanationwhichappearedtometobeadequate.Attheriskoftellingatwice-toldtale,Iwillrecapitulatethefactsastheywereknowntothepublicattheconclusionoftheinquest.
TheHonourableRonaldAdairwasthesecondsonoftheEarlofMaynooth,atthattimegovernorofoneoftheAustraliancolonies.Adair’smotherhadreturnedfromAustraliatoundergotheoperationforcataract,andshe,hersonRonald,andherdaughterHildawerelivingtogetherat427,ParkLane.Theyouthmovedinthebestsociety—had,sofaraswasknown,noenemiesandnoparticularvices.HehadbeenengagedtoMissEdithWoodley,ofCarstairs,buttheengagementhadbeenbrokenoffbymutualconsentsomemonthsbefore,andtherewasnosignthatithadleftanyveryprofoundfeelingbehindit.Fortherest,theman’slifemovedinanarrowandconventionalcircle,forhishabitswerequietandhisnatureunemotional.Yetitwasuponthiseasy-goingyoungaristocratthatdeathcame,inmoststrangeandunexpectedform,betweenthehoursoftenandeleven-twentyonthenightofMarch30,1894.
RonaldAdairwasfondofcards—playingcontinually,butneverforsuchstakesaswouldhurthim.HewasamemberoftheBaldwin,theCavendish,andtheBagatellecardclubs.Itwasshownthat,afterdinneronthedayofhisdeath,hehadplayedarubberofwhistatthelatterclub.Hehadalsoplayedthereintheafternoon.Theevidenceofthosewhohadplayedwithhim—Mr.Murray,SirJohnHardy,andColonelMoran—showedthatthegamewaswhist,andthattherewasafairlyequalfallofthecards.Adairmighthavelostfivepounds,butnotmore.Hisfortunewasaconsiderableone,andsuchalosscouldnotinanywayaffecthim.Hehadplayednearlyeverydayatonecluborother,buthewasacautiousplayer,andusuallyroseawinner.Itcameoutinevidencethat,inpartnershipwithColonelMoran,hehadactuallywonasmuchasfourhundredandtwentypoundsinasitting,someweeksbefore,fromGodfreyMilnerandLordBalmoral.Somuchforhisrecenthistoryasitcameoutattheinquest.
Ontheeveningofthecrime,hereturnedfromtheclubexactlyatten.Hismotherandsisterwereoutspendingtheeveningwitharelation.Theservantdeposedthatshehear