Welcome to Sherlock Holmes short stories.

I'm Hugh Bonneville and from the Noiser podcast network, this is The Adventure of the Abbey Grange, part two.

Last time, Holmes and Watson were summoned to investigate the brutal murder of Sir Eustace Brackenstall in Kent.

Brackenstall, a wealthy aristocrat, was well known in the community as a violent drunkard.

He had been found dead in his dining room, bludgeoned over the head with a firepoker.

His wife, Lady Brackenstall, was present during the attack but survived.

She told a harrowing tale of three burglars who broke in, tied her to a chair, struck her when she tried to scream,

and killed her husband when he came to investigate. Her loyal maid, to raise a Wright, corroborated her story.

Based on her description of the attackers, the police were convinced that the culprits were

the notorious Randall gang, who had committed a robbery nearby.

Holmes and Watson left, thinking the case was already solved.

But something troubled Holmes about the crime scene.

Particularly three wine glasses the culprits had supposedly used and left on a sideboard.

On the way back to London, Holmes suddenly pulled Watson off the train and made his suspicions known.

Now the mystery-solving duo have returned to Abbey Grange to question Lady Brackenstall and her

maid. The household at the Abbey Grange were much surprised at our return, but Sherlock Holmes, finding that Stanley Hopkins had gone off to report to headquarters, took possession of the dining room, locked the door upon the inside,

and devoted himself for two hours to one of those minute and laborious investigations

which formed the solid basis on which his brilliant edifices of deduction were reared.

Seated in a corner like an interested student who observes the demonstration of his professor, I followed every step of that remarkable research. The window, the curtains,

the carpet, the chair, the rope. Each in turn was minutely examined and duly pondered.

The body of the unfortunate baronet had been removed,

and all else remained as we had seen it in the morning.

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