A Study in Red
created by Yu Xia
I called upon my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, one day in the autumn of last year and found him in deep conversation with a very stout, florid-faced, elderly gentleman with fiery red hair. With an apology for my intrusion, I was about to withdraw when Holmes pulled me abruptly into the room and closed the door behind me.
“You could not possibly have come at a better time, my dear Watson,” he said cordially.
“I was afraid that you were engaged.”
“So I am. Very much so.”
“Then I can wait in the next room.”
“Not at all. This gentleman, Mr. Wilson, has been my partner and helper in many of my most successful cases, and I have no doubt that he will be of the utmost use to me in yours also.”
The stout gentleman half rose from his chair and gave a bob of greeting, with a quick little questioning glance from his small, fat-encircled eyes.
“Perhaps, Mr. Wilson, you would have the great kindness to recommence your narrative... In the present instance I am forced to admit that the facts are, to the best of my belief, unique.”
“Well, it is just as I have been telling you, Mr. Sherlock Holmes,” said Jabez Wilson, mopping his forehead; “I have a small pawnbroker’s business at Coburg Square, near the City. It’s not a very large affair, and of late years it has not done more than just give me a living. However, something really strange happended this morning.”
The portly client puffed out his chest and pulled out an envelope from the inside pocket of his greatcoat. He handed it to me, in which is nothing but some red hair.
“I received it this morning. It is not my hair. Usually, I would think it is just a joke played by someone and I wouldn't care about it. However, yesterday Mr. Martin, one of my old customers, rushed to my shop asking me whether I met Mr. Rose, a man with red hair. I had no idea who he is and said no. Then he left angrily. You could tell how surprised I was when I received the envelope this morning. I don't know what to do with it and am afraid of getting into some kind of trouble, so I came to you, Mr. Holmes. What does this mean?”
[[Examine the hair and envelope->Challenge1]]
[[Ask Mr. Wilson about how he received the envelope->Challenge2]]
[[Ask Mr. Wilson about Mr. Martin->Challenge3]]
“Mr. Wilson, please let me exmine the hair and envelope.”
Holmes took out his magnifying glass and started his observation.
“What do you think, Watson?" Holmes handed it to me, “your opinion could help my reasoning.”
“The color of the hair is as red as Mr. Wilson's but the length is much shorter. Maybe it is Mr. Rose's.” I tried to use my friend's method.
“It could be. Go on, Watson” said Holmes.
“The envelope is in good shape. I think it was sealed one or two days ago .”
“You've made great progress in observation, my dear Watson, but there is still much space to improve you deduction skill.” Holmes smiled to me like always.
[[Ask Mr. Wilson about how he received the envelope]]
[[Ask Mr. Wilson about Mr. Martin]]
“So, Mr. Wilson, please...”
“Sorry to interrupt,” inspector Lestrade came in, “Holmes, I think we need your help. A man is found dead near Pope’s Court.”
“Mr. Wilson,” Sherlock turned to our client, “we will keep you informed if we have some progress. Excuse me for the leaving.”
“Keep the envelope and take on your coat, Watson.” said Holmes.
[[Go to the crime scene]]“Mr. Wilson, could you put it more specifically about the hair and envelope? How did you get it?” Holmes lighted his pipe.
“This morning I fould it on the ground when I opened the door of my shop.”
“Did you see someone suspicious this morning?”
“No.” Mr. Wilson mused.
“Well, it could be left there last night then?” I raised my thought.
“Probably.” said Mr. Wilson.
[[Examine the hair and envelope]]
[[Ask Mr. Wilson about Mr. Martin]]
“So, Mr. Wilson, please...”
“Sorry to interrupt,” inspector Lestrade came in, “Holmes, I think we need your help. A man is found dead near Pope’s Court.”
“Mr. Wilson,” Sherlock turned to our client, “we will keep you informed if we have some progress. Excuse me for the leaving.”
“Keep the envelope and take on your coat, Watson.” said Holmes.
[[Go to the crime scene]]“Could you please describe the man who came to your shop yesterday?” Holmes fell into his armchair.
“Mr. Martin is rather tall. He has a big nose and a red face. When he left my shop in anger, his face is redder. And...”
“Is he left-handed?” said Holmes.
“No, I don't think so.”
[[Examine the hair and envelope]]
[[Ask Mr. Wilson about how he received the envelope]]
“So, Mr. Wilson, please...”
“Sorry to interrupt,” inspector Lestrade came in,“Holmes, I think we need your help. A man is found dead near Pope’s Court.”
“Mr. Wilson,” Sherlock turned to our client, “we will keep you informed if we have some progress. Excuse me for the leaving.”
“Keep the envelope and take on your coat, Watson.” said Holmes.
[[Go to the crime scene]]At the corner of Pope's Court, a body with red hair was lying against the wall.
“Have you checked his identity?” Holmes began to examine the body.
“Ducan Rose, a lawyer aged fifty. He drank with his friends last night and failed to get back to his house. His son named Adam Rose, a young man with no job.” said Lestrade.
“Dr. Watson, tell me the cause of his death.” Holmes pulled out an envelope from the dead's pocket.
“He is...poisoned.” said I.
“Look at it.” Holmes opened the envelope he got from the body, “The same envelope Mr. Wilson received. It seems like our client has some trouble.”
[[Go to Mr. Wilson's shop]]
[[Find more about Ducan Rose's son]]“Mr. Wilson, I believe you are in some kind of danger.” said Holmes, “Now I would like to see the account book if you don't mind.”
“If you can help to keep me safe, do whatever you want, Mr. Holmes.”
Holmes glanced through the book, “Of course, Mr. Wilson.” He then pointed at a name, Rose, and smiled to me.
“What do you think of the red hair in this envelope?” Holmes handed it to Mr. Wilson, “It is from the body of Mr. Rose.”
“This...this is horrible.” said Mr. Wilson nervously, “Am I the next one?”
“Possibly.” Holmes walked out, “Come on, Watson. We've got work to do.”
[[Find more about Ducan Rose's son]]
[[Find the murderer]]“Mr. Rose, my father, was a good lawyer. I mean he was good at his job and therefore he often used his power to take a little advantage of others. He borrowed a wooden pipe from his friend, Mr. Martin, and hadn't returned it yet. Maybe he sold it. I don't know.” said Adam Rose, the son of Ducan Rose who did not inherit the red hair from his father.
“It is not a surprise to me that he would be killed. He made lots of enermies because of his job.” said Adam，“But now it is over and I can get his money.”
“Can you tell whether it is your father's hair?” Sherlock motioned me to give him the envelope from Mr. Wilson.
Adam took it over and observed the hair, “No, it couldn't be.”
“Thank you, Mr. Rose.” I followed Holmes out of the house.
[[Go to Mr. Wilson's shop]]
[[Find the murderer]] “Holmes, you must have got a theory.” said I, “What does the envelope from the body mean? I am so confused.”
“Ha, there is not any envelope on the body. I faked it with a new envelope and the hair from a red dog.” Holmes laughed.
“Now, tell Lestrade that we have found the murderer.”
[[Adam Rose]]
[[Ducan Rose]]
[[Mr. Wilson]]
[[Mr. Martin]]“Adam Rose?” said Holmes, “Use your brian, my friend. If he wants to frame someone, why would he say that the hair is not his father's? The young man is just an idler who cares only on himself. He would not poison his father for the legacy, which is actually not too much money.”
[[Ducan Rose]]
[[Mr. Wilson]]
[[Mr. Martin]] “Mr. Rose killed himself?” said I, “Holmes, are you serious?”
“Just kidding. No reason for him to doing this. He had relatively good social status and enough money for a living. Of course he would not kill himself.” Holmes laughed.
[[Adam Rose]]
[[Mr. Wilson]]
[[Mr. Martin]] “Yes, Mr. Wilson is the murderer.” said Holmes, “He poisoned Mr. Rose because the lawyer often forced him to accept something with high price. The wooden pipe was the last straw.”
“But Mr. Wilson came to us himself. Why would he do that? You must have got it wrong, Holmes.” I screamed.
“He wants people like you to believe so. Then, he could get away with it.” Holmes smiled, “But I am Sherlock Holmes.”
“What about the envelope with red hair?”
“It's a trick. If you observe more carefully, Watson, you could see that the end of the hair is not complete. It is cut by someone to make it shorter so that everyone believe it is Mr. Rose's.” Holmes added, “The envelope is very clean with no sign of been posted or left on the ground. Mr. Wilson assumed the envelope came in the morning bacause he knew it could not be last night. He knew Mr. Rose well but denied it when Mr. Martin asked. Did you see the face when I told him that I found an envelope on Mr. Rose's body? He was surprised because he knew there was only one envelope.”
“The only explanation is that Mr. Wilson was fed up with Mr. Rose. And Mr. Martin's anger gave him the chance to kill Mr. Rose. Mr. Wilson cut his own red hair pretending himself to be framed so that he could frame someone else. He is a clever liar. He wants to cover up the crime with the most risky but high-return method.”
“But it won't work with me.” said Holmes.“No, it is not Mr. Martin.” said Holmes, “Could you imagine a man would poison his friend because of a pipe? And it makes no sense for him to left an envelope for someone else.”
[[Adam Rose]]
[[Mr. Wilson]]
[[Ducan Rose]] If you are confident with yourself, click the button at the end in next page.
[[Examine the hair and envelope]] If you are confident with yourself, click the button at the end in next page.
[[Ask Mr. Wilson about how he received the envelope]] If you are confident with yourself, click the button at the end in next page.
[[Ask Mr. Wilson about Mr. Martin]]