After the weekend I had just returned home. As usual when I was home Holmes was digging from the newspaper, but what made me amazing is that, for the first time tobacco did not smell.
Sounds of boot heard at our doorway, what a punk, it was making a lot of noise.
A man entered our room, of nearly 50, little confused and worried. Holmes was glad to have his new client.
"Good morning Mr. Holmes"
"Welcome Mr. please have your seat and take some time"
The man after taking a long breath "Am Alexander Werner, of Strasbourg"
“Let me come to the matter”
“Last night a dead man found on my garden, police is in confusion of the cause
My only daughter Cassandra, her marriage is fixed to be held next week, the bride is Mr. Abel Norrington, one of the richest horse man in Strasbourg.”
“And I afraid this dead man may bring problem to it.”
“Who is your suspect?” Holmes asked.
“How do you know I have a suspect?”
“That's just, your explanation made me to guess.”
“Okay, I do have a suspect, a village boy who told he is in love with my daughter. He told he will block the marriage function at any cost, before one week.
“Then why we are waiting so, let’s have a visit at your home, right Watson?”
Even though, I had reached minutes before, I decided to go.
We took the coat and went down the park and left for a train.
Mr. Werner’s house was a small bungalow, where he and his daughter live alone.
“How many servants at home?”
“Five. Two maids and their husbands and my manager.”
“Did your daughter loved that boy?”
“No she always hates him; she hates all the village boys because they are dirty.”
“Where did the body lied?”
“It was in the garden.”
“Who saw it first?”
“It was my Gardner.”
“Means one of your maid’s husband?”
“Right.”
“Did you have any visitors that day?”
“No. But my daughter and her fiancée came that day after their leisure trip.”
“How did they come? In vehicle?”
“Yes, our motor car.”
“Then who uses horse drawn vehicle here?”
He was little bit amazed by this question and replied “it’s our property, we use it for our market purposes”
“Is that well conditioned?”
“Of course, it’s made of imported teakwood from India.”
“So which of your servant is one legged?”
Mr. Werner’s mouth gone wide, “how did you know that?”
“Answer for my question please.”
“It’s the Gardner.”
Mr. Werner invited us to his home, but Holmes was walking around his home, while once he entirely laid on the ground too.
Mr. Werner asked me, “Do he has any sort of trouble?”
“No, it’s his method of investigation.”
We were sitting in the hall, while Holmes came hurrily and told,”Mr. Werner, sorry for the tea, I was busy and still”
“Watson it’s time to go”
I hadn’t finished my tea yet.
While going back, I asked him “how did you know, that one servant was one legged?”
“Oh, Watson how many times I had told you, just look at the foot prints, Near the horse caravan.”
“So how long it will take to solve the case?”
“By tomorrow evening.”
“Watson I had to meet some one, so meet you at the opera”
“Okay, then at 6pm.”
Later at 6pm I was having a chat with Miss Elizabeth, One of my colleague, Holmes appeared between the crowds.
He was wearing black and white, which we wears at the death ceremony.
We didn’t talk too much, we had our dinner with Miss Elizabeth and went home.
Next day, Holmes informed me, that we have to get to Mr. Lesnicker.
Mr. Lesnicker, he is the man who dug graves of London graveyard.
When we reached his shabby place, Holmes made me to stand outside and went in.
After half an hour, he came out.
“What’s it Holmes? Is everything okay?”
“Yes, except one thing.”
“What?”
“The case is over.”
“How?”
“Come, let’s go and see Mr. Werner and I would explain it in front of him.”
We left to Strasbourg in the noon train.
When we reached Mr. Werner’s home, we were known that Mr. Abel Norrington was there.
Watson, this will make us easy.
Mr. Werner welcomed us and invited us for the lunch.
“I think I must have a short talk with Mr. Norrington” said Holmes.
“Mr. Werner, as you suspected, it wasn’t the village boy. It was some friend of Mr. Norrington, who was jealousy in this marriage and the fortune Mr. Norrington will receive after this marriage.”
“How do you conclude that?”
“The dead body was not a fresh one indeed. The place where it was on the garden had a smell of formalin, which is used to preserve dead bodies. As the police failed to recognize its presence I was sure that the dead body was very new and will be of some unknown person. So I went to the Mr. Lestrade, who is my friend of Scotland yard. With his help, I was able to get the list of unknown deaths. Then I eliminated the lists with the help of identification that you have already given me. Then it was easy. The dead body was coffined at London public graveyard. Then I guessed the chance of stealing a body and all else. I had only one more job, to get the person behind this. I blackmailed the grave keeper and made him to tell about the body and the villain. He only knows he was a horse rider, so easily I guessed that it might be an trap made for Mr. Norrington, so I asked about him few minutes ago and he had replied that he has only a single opponent in his field and he ensured that he would take care of it very well.”
“Great Mr. Sherlock Holmes, great. Tell me how much do you want, I have the check with me.”
“Let Mr. Norrington write it for me, he will choose the amount.”
“Okay well.”
“Later, while returning, Holmes told me “while you type this case, there is a little more mystery”
“What is it?”
“You will have to correct the villain as Mr. Norrington in the story”
“Wow, how’s that? Then what about his opponent?”
“His opponent is Mr. Werner, he just want the money of Mr. Werner to play his betting’s at Strasbourg. The entire case was Norrington’s brain work. Where I got the grip is, the poor grave keeper told me his name.”
“Then I made the case as mine.”
“Wouldn’t he hurt that man more?”
“No, Not much. He was entirely shocked when I opened the chest of mystery. He pleaded me, so that we are able to pay our rent of last six months”
Its common that Holmes take care of every single things and ensures his safety, while in between he will fills his stomach too.
