Wewereseatedatbreakfastonemorning,mywifeandI,whenthemaidbroughtinatelegram.ItwasfromSherlockHolmesandraninthisway:
“Haveyouacoupleofdaystospare?HavejustbeenwiredforfromthewestofEnglandinconnectionwithBoscombeValleytragedy.Shallbegladifyouwillcomewithme.Airandsceneryperfect.LeavePaddingtonbythe11:15.”
“Whatdoyousay,dear?”saidmywife,lookingacrossatme.“Willyougo?”
“Ireallydon’tknowwhattosay.Ihaveafairlylonglistatpresent.”
“Oh,Anstrutherwoulddoyourworkforyou.Youhavebeenlookingalittlepalelately.Ithinkthatthechangewoulddoyougood,andyouarealwayssointerestedinMr.SherlockHolmes’cases.”
“IshouldbeungratefulifIwerenot,seeingwhatIgainedthroughoneofthem,”Ianswered.“ButifIamtogo,Imustpackatonce,forIhaveonlyhalfanhour.”
MyexperienceofcamplifeinAfghanistanhadatleasthadtheeffectofmakingmeapromptandreadytraveller.Mywantswerefewandsimple,sothatinlessthanthetimestatedIwasinacabwithmyvalise,rattlingawaytoPaddingtonStation.SherlockHolmeswaspacingupanddowntheplatform,histall,gauntfiguremadeevengaunterandtallerbyhislonggreytravelling-cloakandclose-fittingclothcap.
“Itisreallyverygoodofyoutocome,Watson,”saidhe.“Itmakesaconsiderabledifferencetome,havingsomeonewithmeonwhomIcanthoroughlyrely.Localaidisalwayseitherworthlessorelsebiassed.IfyouwillkeepthetwocornerseatsIshallgetthetickets.”
WehadthecarriagetoourselvessaveforanimmenselitterofpaperswhichHolmeshadbroughtwithhim.Amongtheseherummagedandread,withintervalsofnote-takingandofmeditation,untilwewerepastReading.Thenhesuddenlyrolledthemallintoagiganticballandtossedthemupontotherack.
“Haveyouheardanythingofthecase?”heasked.
“Notaword.Ihavenotseenapaperforsomedays.”
“TheLondonpresshasnothadveryfullaccounts.Ihavejustbeenlookingthroughalltherecentpapersinordertomastertheparticulars.Itseems,fromwhatIgather,tobeoneofthosesimplecaseswhicharesoextremelydifficult.”
“Thatsoundsalittleparadoxical.”
“Butitisprofoundlytrue.Singularityisalmostinvariablyaclue.Themorefeaturelessandcommonplaceacrimeis,themoredifficultitistobringithome.Inthiscase,however,theyhaveestablishedaveryseriouscaseagainstthesonofthemurderedman.”
“Itisamurder,then?”
“Well,itisconjecturedtobeso.IshalltakenothingforgranteduntilIhavetheopportunityoflookingpersonallyintoit.Iwillexplainthestateofthingstoyou,asfarasIhavebeenabletounderstandit,inaveryfewwords.
“BoscombeValleyisacountrydistrictnotveryfarfromRoss,inHerefordshire.ThelargestlandedproprietorinthatpartisaMr.JohnTurner,whomadehismoneyinAustraliaandreturnedsomeyearsagototheoldcountry.Oneofthefarmswhichheheld,thatofHatherley,waslettoMr.CharlesMcCarthy,whowasalsoanex-Australian.Themenhadknowneachotherinthecolonies,sothatitwasnotunnaturalthatwhentheycametosettledowntheyshoulddosoasneareachotheraspossible.Turnerwasapparentlythericherman,soMcCarthybecamehistenantbutstillremained,itseems,upontermsofperfectequality,astheywerefrequentlytogether.McCarthyhadoneson,aladofeighteen,andTurnerhadanonlydaughterofthesameage,butneitherofthemhadwivesliving.TheyappeartohaveavoidedthesocietyoftheneighbouringEnglishfamiliesandtohaveledretiredlives,thoughboththeMcCarthyswerefondofsportandwerefrequentlyseenattherace-meetingsoftheneighbourhood.McCarthykepttwoservants—amanandagirl.Turnerhadaconsiderablehousehold,somehalf-dozenattheleast.ThatisasmuchasIhavebeenabletogatheraboutthefamilies.Nowforthefacts.
“OnJune3rd,thatis,onMondaylast,McCarthylefthishouseatHatherleyaboutthreeintheafternoonandwalkeddowntotheBoscombePool,whichisasmalllakeformedbythespreadingoutofthestreamwhichrunsdowntheBoscombeValley.Hehadbeenoutwithhisserving-maninthemorningatRoss,andhehadtoldthemanthathemusthurry,ashehadanappointmentofimportancetokeepatthree.Fromthatappointmenthenevercamebackalive.
“FromHatherleyFarmhousetotheBoscombePoolisaquarterofamile,andtwopeoplesawhimashepassedoverthisground.Onewasanoldwoman,whosenameisnotmentioned,andtheotherwasWilliamCrowder,agame-keeperintheemployofMr.Turner.BoththesewitnessesdeposethatMr.McCarthywaswalkingalone.Thegame-keeperaddsthatwithinafewminutesofhisseeingMr.McCarthypasshehadseenhisson,Mr.JamesMcCarthy,goingthesamewaywithagununderhisarm.Tothebestofhisbelief,thefatherwasactuallyinsightatthetime,andthesonwasfollowinghim.Hethoughtnomoreofthematteruntilheheardintheeveningofthetragedythath