Sherlock Holmes - The Lion's Mane

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: Harold’s Old Time Radio

Episode: Sherlock Holmes – The Lion’s Mane
Host: Harold’s Old Time Radio
Date: August 1, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, listeners are treated to a radio dramatization of Arthur Conan Doyle’s lesser-known Holmes adventure, “The Lion’s Mane.” Set in Holmes’s retirement on the Sussex Downs, the tale unfolds a mysterious death at a seaside school. Holmes and Watson, in a rare post-retirement reunion, collaborate to untangle a seemingly impossible case involving strange wounds, an enigmatic note, and the haunting last words: “The lion’s mane.” The adaptation captures the warmth and wit between Holmes and Watson while staying faithful to the Golden Age radio spirit.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holmes in Retirement & His Relationship with Watson

• Setting: Holmes is living alone with his housekeeper and bees in Sussex. Watson visits for a weekend.
  • “My house is lonely. It stands on the southern slope of the Sussex Downs, commanding a great view of the Channel…” (00:41, Holmes)
• Their rapport: The episode is rich in affectionate banter and classic deduction games.
  • Holmes deduces Watson’s wife’s absence, change in room arrangement, and altered habits, to Watson’s amused exasperation.
  • Notable exchange on deduction:
    Dr. John Watson: "Holmes, if you had lived a few centuries ago, they would certainly have burned you alive." (02:37)

2. Remembering Their Past Adventures

• Reflective conversations about their time together and how Watson writes up the stories.

  • Playful criticism of Watson’s tendency to make Holmes seem all-knowing, and discussion about literary adaptations featuring them:
    • Holmes: “Now, you say he plays me as well?”
    • Watson: “Yes.”
    • Holmes: “I’ve always admired versatility.” (03:52)

• Discussion about editing mistakes in Watson’s publications, including a playful correction about the spelling of “llama” (one ‘L’ vs two).

  • Holmes: “Should only have one L. L, A M, A one L. You spelled it with two.” (07:02)

3. The Crime: Introduction & Facts

• Victim: Fitzroy McPherson, science master at a local school, found dying on the beach after a swim, with inexplicable wounds.

  • Holmes: “Victim’s name was Fitzroy McPherson…” (13:16)
  • Last words: “The lion’s mane.” (18:29)

• Investigation Method: Holmes presents Watson with the facts and challenges him to solve the case as a mental exercise.

  • Holmes: “For you to solve the mystery, of course.” (13:43)

The Scene and Initial Findings (15:32-18:45)

• Holmes and local schoolmaster Stackhurst find McPherson near death, with “long, dark red lines of wheels curved right around his body” (19:05), but no sign of a human assailant.
• “It’s like a locked room mystery. A locked room mystery without walls.” (20:42, Holmes)

4. The Suspects & Clues

School Staff and Others (21:41-24:18)

• Ian Murdoch, mathematics master, has a violent past with McPherson’s dog and a reputation for aloofness and temper.
• Holmes and Watson debate the likelihood of a human murder and how the attack could have happened unseen.

The Mysterious Note (26:08)

• A feminine handwriting note found in McPherson’s pocket:
  Watson: “I will be there, you may be sure.”
• Connection to Ms. Maud Bellamy, a local beauty from a protective family, and her secret engagement to McPherson.

Interview with the Bellamys and Thematic Reflections (29:04-33:22)

• Mr. Bellamy is hostile about his daughter's contact with McPherson.
  • Holmes: “He was also in a very angry mood. I’m of the opinion, sir... McPherson’s attentions... were insulting.” (29:17)
• Maud reveals their engagement and secrecy due to potential disinheritance.
• Holmes reflects on his own emotional detachment, Watson offers gentle insight.

5. Analytical Progress & Elimination of Suspects

Reviewing the Evidence (34:33-36:01)

• Watson reconstructs the timeline:

  • McPherson usually swam with students, but Murdoch set a maths test that morning, ensuring he was alone.
  • The “locked room” problem persists; no sign of an assailant or clear motive from any suspect.

• Photographs of the wounds reveal they are fine, thin lacerations with dots of blood—a method more fitting a whip with wires or a natural cause, not a conventional weapon. (35:04-35:29)

Critical Developments (37:01-39:59)

• McPherson’s dog dies in similar agony.
• Murdoch is also attacked in the same spot, with analogous wounds after swimming.
  • Both incidents suggest a cause connected to the location and activity, not to human malice.

6. Realization & Natural Solution

Watson’s Breakthrough (41:46-43:05)

• The state of McPherson’s clothing and his oiled hair are key:

  • Body dry, hair un-wet due to oil, implying he was attacked during his swim and managed to dress himself afterward despite excruciating pain.

• Watson deduces:

  • “He wasn’t attacked before he took his swim. He was attacked during it. And the same was true of Ian Murdoch and even the wretched dog. And what’s more, it wasn’t murder. Am I right?” (42:45)
  • Holmes: “Absolutely right.” (43:05)

• Holmes directs Watson to the book "Out of Doors by J.G. Wood," which details the jellyfish Cyanea capillata—the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish.

  • “Cyania. I cried. Cyania. Behold, the lion’s mane.” (44:43, Watson)

The Solution Unveiled (45:05)

• Holmes explains that a massive jellyfish caused the wounds—deadly and far more painful than a cobra. The secret deaths were a result of a rare natural hazard, not human intent.
  • “Cyania capillata is the miscreant’s full name... the most deadly of all, the jellyfish.” (45:05, Holmes)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On deduction and routine:
  • Holmes (on Watson’s questions): “Bide your time, Watson. You’ll get your moment in the spotlight one of these days.” (03:25)
• On the trope of Watson as audience:
  • Dr. John Watson: “I’m not sure I want to go down in history as a literary device to make you seem even cleverer than you are.” (22:58)
• On emotional detachment and relationships:
  • Holmes: “Women have seldom been an attraction to me, Watson... My brain has always governed my heart.” (30:02, 30:58)
• On the case's complexity:
  • Holmes: “It’s like a locked room mystery. A locked room mystery without walls.” (20:42)
• The solution reveal:
  • Holmes: “Cyania capillata is the miscreant’s full name... the most deadly of all, the jellyfish.” (45:05)

---

Timeline of Important Segments

• Holmes’s Sussex retirement and deduction game with Watson – 00:41–07:44
• Introduction of the case; victim and circumstances – 13:16–15:10
• On the beach: reconstructing the events – 15:26–20:27
• Examining suspects (Murdoch, Bellamys) – 21:41–29:55
• Interview with Maud Bellamy – 32:04–34:15
• Evidence review and wound analysis – 35:04–36:01
• Discovery of attacks on the dog and Murdoch – 37:58–39:24
• Watson deduces natural cause (jellyfish); solution explained – 41:46–43:05
• Full reveal from Holmes’s reference book – 44:43–45:05

---

Tone and Language

The dramatization features classic dry wit, warmth, and intelligence between Holmes and Watson. There are playful digs, literary references, and meta-commentary about their roles in each other’s lives and stories, all while maintaining the suspense and wonder characteristic of vintage radio mysteries.

---

Summary Conclusion

This episode is a faithful, witty, and insightful radio dramatization of “The Lion’s Mane,” blending mystery, science, and the enduring friendship of Holmes and Watson. The solution—a deadly jellyfish rather than a human killer—serves both as an atmospheric twist and a nod to the breadth of Holmes’s curiosity. The interplay between Holmes and Watson, their reflective humor, and the radio drama style make this adaptation a delight for fans of classic detective stories and Golden Age radio alike.

---

Transcript

[Spinquest Advertiser]

Hanging out at the pool is great. Relaxing and playing Vegas style games on my phone at the same time. Drink in one hand and a blackjack in the other. It's all at Spinquest. Over a thousand games including your favorite slots and table games. Be cool with this summer special. New players get 30 coin packs for

[Dr. John Watson]

[e-mail] Spin Quest is a free to

[Spinquest Disclaimer]

play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Sherlock Holmes]

My house is lonely. It stands on the southern slope of the Sussex Downs, commanding a great view of the Channel. I, my old housekeeper, and my bees have the estate all to ourselves. It is therefore a most singular thing that a problem as abstruse and unusual as any I faced in my long professional career should have come to me after my retirement and be brought to my very door.

[Narrator/Radio Announcer]

The lion's mane by sir arthur conan doyle dramatized for radio by bert coulls with clive medicine as sherlock holmes and michael williams as Dr. John watson. The lion's mane.

[Sherlock Holmes]

At this time the good Watson had passed almost beyond my ken. An occasional weekend visit was the most that I ever saw of him. Watson, my dear fellow. How are you?

[Dr. John Watson]

Holmes?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Perfectly delighted to see you, my dear fellow. Perfectly delighted. Wedlock suits you, Watson. You've put on 7 1/2 pounds since I saw you last.

[Dr. John Watson]

Seven, actually.

[Narrator/Radio Announcer]

Indeed.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I should have thought a little more. Just a trifle more, I fancy. But I also infer that you're in danger of losing it again if your wife remains away from home much longer.

[Dr. John Watson]

Indeed, she returns tomorrow from a visit. But how did you know?

[Sherlock Holmes]

How do I know? I observed it. How do I know that you've moved your dressing table to the other side of your room?

[Dr. John Watson]

Holmes, if you had lived a few centuries ago, they would certainly have burned you alive.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Whereas you, my dear doctor, would be a of sort. Safest houses in any century you choose. Lucky man.

[Dr. John Watson]

Tell me how you knew. Ha.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Simplicity itself, Case. Badly shaved on your right side used to be your left. You couldn't well move your window. Must have moved your dressing table.

[Dr. John Watson]

Yes, by Jove. But how the deuce did you know that my wife was away?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ha. Where the deuce is your second waistcoat button? And what the deuce is yesterday's carnation doing in today's lapel? Oh, this is elementary, my dear Watson. Child's play of deduction. Good, isn't it?

[Dr. John Watson]

You think so?

[Commercial Voice (Ryan Reynolds/Mint Mobile)]

What?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Don't you?

[Dr. John Watson]

I do practically nothing but ask questions when I'm in it at all.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Bide your time, Watson. You'll get your moment in the spotlight one of these days. Show me that program.

[Dr. John Watson]

Here. Yes, thank you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Sherlock Holmes. Drama in poor act.

[Dr. John Watson]

I thought you'd hate it.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, yeah.

[Dr. John Watson]

You're always saying how you loathe being in the public gaze.

[Spinquest Advertiser]

Yes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Sometimes working hardly matters.

[Dr. John Watson]

Now.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Publishing stories again, aren't you?

[Dr. John Watson]

Yes, that's true.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I don't see why someone else shouldn't write a play about him.

[Dr. John Watson]

Us.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Us? Us. You say he plays me as well?

[Dr. John Watson]

Yes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I've always admired versatility. What's he like, this William Gillette person?

[Dr. John Watson]

Well, he does look like you, I suppose.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Does he get along? The surface?

[Dr. John Watson]

Ah, he's very good at the detective business. And the action scenes. He's rather good fight. But the rest it is a family entertainment. Holmes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

So this American gentleman isn't parading my less attractive faults for the world, is he? Not all of them, no. How does it end? With me triumphant, I suppose.

[Dr. John Watson]

Holmes, my dear. I was going to warn you. Ah, yes, Hear me out.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Hear me out. Holmes throws the photographs down to the desk and turns to face Alice. Now that you see me in my true light, Ms. Faulkner, we have nothing left to say but good night and goodbye. Which you ought to be very glad to do. Oh, that's excellent.

[Dr. John Watson]

Very good, very good.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Even my supposed friendship for you was a pretense, a sham. Alice. I don't believe you. Why not? From the way you speak, from the way you look. You're not the only one who can tell things from small details. Your powers of observation are somewhat remarkable, Ms. Faulkner. And your deduction concerning my friendship for you is quite correct, I suppose. Indeed. I know that I love you.

[Dr. John Watson]

Well, well.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Fascinating.

[Dr. John Watson]

You're not angry?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Should I be?

[Dr. John Watson]

Hardly in character, is it?

[Sherlock Holmes]

As you said, good family entertainment. The obligatory happy ending.

[Dr. John Watson]

Well, retirement certainly changed you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Indeed?

[Dr. John Watson]

Oh, yes. I don't think I've seen you this relaxed. Else we hear.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Relaxed. That's the very word.

[Dr. John Watson]

What's funny?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Elementary, my dear Watson. That's all good, don't you think? Nice turn of phrase.

[Dr. John Watson]

Makes my character sound like an idiot.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, so you won't be using it in one of your stories?

[Dr. John Watson]

Certainly not. Besides, I'm not in the habit of stealing the two other writers. I'm perfectly capable of making up memorable phrases of my own, thank you very much.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Of course you are. Thank you for those Strand magazines, by the way.

[Dr. John Watson]

Oh, he got them. Good. What did you think of the stories?

[Sherlock Holmes]

My housekeeper loved them.

[Dr. John Watson]

And you, of course, never gave them a glance?

[Sherlock Holmes]

No time, I'm afraid. Do you know I'm Busier now than I ever was before.

[Dr. John Watson]

Is that a fact? Oh, yes. We're not jealous of you at Scotland Yard. No, sir, we are very proud of you. And if you come down tomorrow, there's

[Sherlock Holmes]

not a man from the oldest inspector to the youngest constable who wouldn't be glad to shake you by the hand.

[Dr. John Watson]

Yes, I thought you'd like that bit. Sorry, you were too busy to read it. Oh yes, and while we're on the subject, go on.

[Sherlock Holmes]

In the empty house, about when I was in Tibet, you say I spent some time with a head llama.

[Dr. John Watson]

That's what you told me.

[Sherlock Holmes]

1L.

[Dr. John Watson]

I beg your pardon?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Should only have one L. L, A M, A one L. You spelled it with two.

[Dr. John Watson]

I did nothing of the sort.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, if not you, the typesetter at the Strand.

[Dr. John Watson]

Oh dear.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You're familiar with the word?

[Dr. John Watson]

Enough to know that it's not exactly appropriate an animal, isn't it?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Sort of. Mountain goat. Popular for its skin and its milk and given to congregating in small herds. I don't believe they have heads.

[Dr. John Watson]

Of course they have heads.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Not in the hierarchical sense they don't.

[Dr. John Watson]

I spent some time with a head mountain goat. Oh God.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. No, no, I doubt if his supreme radiance will be offended. I don't think the Strand sells many copies in Tibet.

[Dr. John Watson]

The air here is wonderful.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, yes, isn't it?

[Dr. John Watson]

And that view.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You can see the entire bay from this spot.

[Dr. John Watson]

Glorious.

[Sherlock Holmes]

And the beach was a short walk away. Plus the long descent down the cliff path, of course.

[Dr. John Watson]

Does anyone ever go there?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, certainly, as I do for one.

[Narrator/Radio Announcer]

You do?

[Sherlock Holmes]

To the beach? There are places where the water's trapped between tides. Natural swimming pools.

[Dr. John Watson]

Don't think I ever imagined you as a swimmer.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Did I ever show you my trophies?

[Dr. John Watson]

No, no you didn't.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Of course, it was a long time ago.

[Dr. John Watson]

Was it? Hmm.

[Sherlock Holmes]

One doesn't lose the knack. It's a remarkably agreeable pastime.

[Dr. John Watson]

You know, Holmes, in many ways I envy you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

And in others.

[Dr. John Watson]

I don't mean to be rude, my dear child. Well, it's not a life I could lead.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Not for long.

[Dr. John Watson]

The isolation would get to me.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Each his own.

[Dr. John Watson]

Oh yeah, of course. But do you ever see anyone?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, from time to time.

[Dr. John Watson]

Who? People who get lost. They don't seem to be over endowed with neighbors.

[Sherlock Holmes]

It's quite a large place. About half a mile away that direction.

[Dr. John Watson]

You wouldn't know it.

[Sherlock Holmes]

No, no, I'm well hidden here. A geographical quirk.

[Dr. John Watson]

Who lives there?

[Sherlock Holmes]

An assortment of people. It's a school. School?

[Dr. John Watson]

Right out here in the middle of nowhere.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Quite a famous school actually. The Gables?

[Dr. John Watson]

No, no, never heard of it I'm afraid. How big is it?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Fairly select a score of pupils. Only a few masters run by one Howard Stackhurst.

[Dr. John Watson]

Never heard of him either.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Shame on you, Doctor. He's an excellent all round scholar.

[Dr. John Watson]

No, you, you know him well, do you?

[Sherlock Holmes]

We've been friendly ever since I came here. Oh really? Drop in on each other sometimes in the evenings.

[Dr. John Watson]

I see.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You haven't mentioned my garden.

[Dr. John Watson]

It's very nice.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I'm surprised that I've taken it up.

[Dr. John Watson]

Well, you must admit it's not the first thing that leaps into mind where you're concerned.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Has no knowledge of practical gardening.

[Dr. John Watson]

Oh please, not that damned list again. Must be nearly 20 years ago.

[Sherlock Holmes]

24.

[Dr. John Watson]

24. Good Lord, practically a quarter of a century.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yeah.

[Dr. John Watson]

And you still know it by heart?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Some of it. I spent a good deal of my time thinking about the past.

[Narrator/Radio Announcer]

Holmes.

[Dr. John Watson]

That can be an unhealthy sort of practice.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ever the Doctor, of course. Well, I'm grateful for your concern, but in this case it's unfounded. I give at least as much time to other matters.

[Dr. John Watson]

Such as?

[Sherlock Holmes]

But look around you. Nature, the natural world, infinite diversity in infinite combinations. What could be more fascinating?

[Dr. John Watson]

Come on. Where are we going?

[Sherlock Holmes]

It's time for you to meet my fellow students. Open channel d. Channel d

[Dr. John Watson]

open.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Excellent. Now we wait.

[Dr. John Watson]

Nothing's happening.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Patience, Doctor. Their sense of time isn't the same as ours. Or yours at least.

[Dr. John Watson]

What did you mean, fellow students?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, sometimes I'm convinced that they're learning far more about me than I am about them. Oh really?

[Dr. John Watson]

I never quite believed it, you know.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, I know. I mean b, you shouldn't have been surprised. They really are the most fascinating study and the most demanding.

[Dr. John Watson]

None of us will argue with you. What's supposed to be happening?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, by opening that particular channel you double the number of exits from this hive. Yes, the question is, how long would it take them to realize the fact? And once they do know, what will happen?

[Dr. John Watson]

And that's the sort of thing you do all day.

[Sherlock Holmes]

All night too sometimes. Martha's quite convinced that I'm mad.

[Dr. John Watson]

A woman of great perception, your housekeeper.

[Sherlock Holmes]

This kind of work does call for

[Dr. John Watson]

a particular temperament, I suppose.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Pass me the COVID will you?

[Dr. John Watson]

Yes, thank you. Sorry.

[Sherlock Holmes]

No, don't be. The conditions aren't ideal anyway. Your visit was singularly ill timed.

[Dr. John Watson]

It was? Yes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You really should have been here 10 days ago. There was excitement.

[Dr. John Watson]

You're after.

[Commercial Voice (Ryan Reynolds/Mint Mobile)]

Why?

[Dr. John Watson]

What happened? Some of your bees escaped, did they? Not exactly.

[Sherlock Holmes]

There was a murder.

[Bretzky (Spinquest Advertiser)]

What's up everybody? It's Bretzky. And America is turning 250. And I can't think of a better way to celebrate that than playing on an American owned so social casino spinquest.com with all of your favorite games, live crafts, bubble craps, live blackjack, there's no better place to play for free and win real cash prizes.

[Spinquest Disclaimer]

Spinquest.com Spin Quest is a free to play Social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Drew McIntyre (Chumba Casino Advertiser)]

Drew McIntyre here from WWE. Wielding the Claymore can be a life of chaos, but I'm not dominating in the ring. Chumba Casino is how this warrior takes a wee break. With hundreds of online social games and new weekly releases, there's always something fresh to try and those daily boosts next level. Even my free time feels like Valhalla. So when life feels like a battle, kick up your feet, have some fun, and let's Chumba.

[Sherlock Holmes]

No purchase necessary. VGW Group voidware prohibited by law. CTs and Cs 21 plus sponsored by Chumba Casino. Victim's name was Fitzroy McPherson. He was the science master at the Davis School. Watson, are you listening?

[Dr. John Watson]

I can't believe you didn't mention this the minute I arrived.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I wanted you to settle in first.

[Dr. John Watson]

Settle in? I'm only here for the weekend, for goodness sake. It's back to work on money for some of us, you know.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, I'm sorry, but you still have all day today. Well, that should be ample.

[Dr. John Watson]

Ample for what?

[Sherlock Holmes]

For you to solve the mystery, of course.

[Dr. John Watson]

What on earth are you talking about?

[Sherlock Holmes]

I gave the matter a lot of thought. Oh, yes, and it seemed to me that we had three alternatives. One, I could simply tell you what happened.

[Dr. John Watson]

I presume you rejected that one immediately as being far too straightforward.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Absolutely. Two, I could write it up and present you with a manuscript to read on your journey home.

[Dr. John Watson]

You could write it up.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Why not?

[Dr. John Watson]

The way you wrote up the Adventure of the Blanched Soldier?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Perhaps not exactly like that.

[Dr. John Watson]

No. Watson has some remarkable characteristics of his own. A companion to whom each development comes as a perpetual surprise, and to whom the future is always a closed book, is indeed an ideal helpmate.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I see I'm not the only one with a good memory.

[Dr. John Watson]

You just wait until it gets published. The letters will roll in three.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Three? I could give you the basic facts, show you the evidence, take you around to the sites, and you could try to solve it.

[Dr. John Watson]

Are you saying that it hasn't been worked out yet.

[Sherlock Holmes]

No, no, no, no. I've cleared the whole thing now.

[Dr. John Watson]

So you're proposing that we traipsed around together and I make a fool of myself while you look on, is that it? No.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Of course, if you'd rather. We'll forget the whole thing.

[Dr. John Watson]

It's just. What?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, I. I hoped you might bother. Enjoy it.

[Dr. John Watson]

I. I thought it might be fun.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Fun? Well, I didn't think that my bees would grip you for very long. I didn't want you to be bored.

[Dr. John Watson]

Oh, my dear child.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Of course, if you think it might be beyond you, it.

[Dr. John Watson]

That is the most transparent bit of persuasion I've heard in a long time.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I'm not surprised. I'm somewhat out of practice.

[Dr. John Watson]

Well, why not?

[Sherlock Holmes]

You'll do it.

[Dr. John Watson]

How many days did it take you?

[Sherlock Holmes]

3.

[Dr. John Watson]

I've only got one.

[Sherlock Holmes]

True enough.

[Dr. John Watson]

And why are we wasting time here? Tell me about the victim.

[Sherlock Holmes]

What do you want to know? Everything.

[Dr. John Watson]

Give me all the facts.

[Sherlock Holmes]

His name was Fitzroy McPherson, late 20s. An athlete in his youth, but rheumatic fever left him with a weak heart and he turned to science. He went swimming every day, whatever the weather. I often joined him.

[Dr. John Watson]

Always in the same place?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, more or less. Ah, here we are.

[Dr. John Watson]

Is that the path down the cliff? The one you mentioned?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes. Stackhouse and I were about where we are now when we saw McPherson.

[Dr. John Watson]

What time was this?

[Sherlock Holmes]

About 7 in the morning. A stroll before breakfast.

[Dr. John Watson]

What day of the week?

[Spinquest Advertiser]

Tuesday.

[Dr. John Watson]

The weather.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Why do you want to know?

[Dr. John Watson]

Because it might be relevant, of course. And because it's what you would ask.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Very good, Watson. Still and calm, the temperature already warm and getting hotter. There had been a storm the night before, a real gale. But that morning all nature was newly washed and fresh.

[Dr. John Watson]

Cut out the poetry, Holmes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Sorry. The weather was calm and clear. The day promised hot.

[Dr. John Watson]

Very good. Now, you say you saw the victim. Where was the body lying?

[Sherlock Holmes]

It wasn't, Holmes. At that moment, McPherson was still alive, though. Only. Just stay here. I'm going to go down the path a short way.

[Dr. John Watson]

Don't move. All right. Can you see me?

[Spinquest Advertiser]

No.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Very good. Now you're me. Right. This is what happened.

[Dr. John Watson]

Good God.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Help me.

[Dr. John Watson]

Wait. Don't move. Excellent, Watson.

[Sherlock Holmes]

My actions to the intro.

[Dr. John Watson]

I thought you were supposed to be dead.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Not quite.

[Dr. John Watson]

How close?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Very close. Well, then. I'm sorry then.

[Dr. John Watson]

That's better. Now, are you in exactly the same position as he was?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Let me see. Face down, left arm outstretched, legs twisted. Yes. Yes, I am.

[Dr. John Watson]

Good. Thank you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

But there is one Important difference. Go on. McPherson was naked from the waist up. And wasn't wearing any shoes or socks.

[Dr. John Watson]

Right. What happened next?

[Sherlock Holmes]

This.

[Dr. John Watson]

And then he died.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I'm afraid there was nothing we could have done.

[Dr. John Watson]

Must have been a horrible experience. Yes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I can't deny it. I've seen more death than I care to remember. But this. This was particularly unpleasant.

[Dr. John Watson]

Such a young man.

[Sherlock Holmes]

And on a morning that made one feel good to be alive.

[Dr. John Watson]

Those words. I couldn't quite make them out. The lying man.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I tried to reproduce exactly what Stackhurst and I heard. Try again.

[Dr. John Watson]

The lion's man.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Surely not. The only sense I could twist out of the sounds was the lion's mane.

[Dr. John Watson]

The lion's mane. That's hardly more likely than my versions. What did it mean?

[Sherlock Holmes]

I had no idea. And so?

[Dr. John Watson]

So I remember it. Filed it away for later. New information. May well throw some light on it.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Bravo. Oh, excuse me. Yes, that's now. Can I tell you anything more?

[Dr. John Watson]

Of course you can. Was there any obvious cause of death?

[Sherlock Holmes]

The man had been flogged. Longed. His back was covered with dark red. Lines of long wheels curved right around his body.

[Dr. John Watson]

My God. Still bleeding?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, yes. The wounds were obviously fresh.

[Dr. John Watson]

Anything else?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Blood. All over his chin.

[Dr. John Watson]

His chin?

[Sherlock Holmes]

It beckoned through his lower lip with the pain.

[Dr. John Watson]

So he had just enough strength to get up the cliff path. He looked down onto the beach.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Of course. Of course. And it was deserted. McPherson's footprints were perfectly clear. Come down the path with a spring in his step. And staggered back up. As much on his hands and knees as on his feet.

[Dr. John Watson]

The erratic footprints, they started from here at the bottom of the path. Yes. What about signs on the beach?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Unfortunately, this shingle holds hardly any marks.

[Dr. John Watson]

So you weren't able to read anything?

[Sherlock Holmes]

A little storm tide had left a sizable lagoon bigger than usual. His intention was to use it for

[Dr. John Watson]

his swim, but he didn't get that far.

[Sherlock Holmes]

He started to undress. By these rocks. He started. Towel and the rest of his clothes were still here, neatly folded. And there were a few bare footprints.

[Dr. John Watson]

Do we know how long he was here?

[Sherlock Holmes]

According to Stackhurst, it couldn't have been longer than 10 minutes, or 15 at the most. He watched McPherson leave the school.

[Dr. John Watson]

Right. Let me make sure I've got this. He came down the cliff path in high spirits. Put his towel down just here. Took off his shoes, his socks and his shirt. And then he was attacked?

[Sherlock Holmes]

That's how I read it. Yes.

[Dr. John Watson]

And then he struggled back up the path to get help.

[Sherlock Holmes]

What are you looking for?

[Dr. John Watson]

Hiding places. Somewhere. Our Murderer could have concealed himself. That doesn't make sense. I can't see the cliff top from here. So he couldn't possibly have known that you were so close. He had no reason to hide, did he?

[Sherlock Holmes]

I thought not. If it'd still been on the beach as I came down the path, I'd have seen him at once. It's like a locked room mystery. A locked room mystery without walls.

[Dr. John Watson]

Virtually unique. Amazing that you should just chance to be on the scene.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, at the risk of spouting cliches, to a writer, life is supposed to be stranger than fiction.

[Dr. John Watson]

Especially your life, seemingly.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Now, is there anything else I can tell you?

[Dr. John Watson]

Yes, there is. There was nobody on the beach. What about the sea? Any boats? Excellent.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Two fishing boats, but a considerable way out. And no signs of any craft being beached.

[Dr. John Watson]

Very well. There's obviously no more to be learned here. Back to the top, I think. Did your companion. What was his name? Stackers? Yeah. Did he wait with a body while you went down to the beach?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, but there was a development I haven't mentioned yet.

[Dr. John Watson]

Oh, good. I could do with some new material.

[Sherlock Holmes]

What happened a minute or so after Paul McPherson died?

[Dr. John Watson]

Before you went down the path?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes. Stackhurst and I were kneeling over him when a shadow fell across us. Ian Murdoch.

[Dr. John Watson]

For a deserted cliff, it seems to have been positively swarming. Is he from the school, too?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Mathematics master. Tall, thin, dark, somewhat aloof. A fierce temper, so I'm told. Though usually he managed to contain it.

[Dr. John Watson]

A friend of the dead man?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Apparently not. There'd been some incident with MacPherson's dog. Murdoch threw it through a plate glass window.

[Dr. John Watson]

Good God. This is a man in charge of children.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Stackers told me he'd have dismissed him on the spot, but he was too valuable as a teacher.

[Dr. John Watson]

How did he react to the sight of the body?

[Sherlock Holmes]

He seemed to be. Honestly, shocked. Poor fellow. Poor fellow. What can I do?

[Dr. John Watson]

How can I help? An act, do you think?

[Sherlock Holmes]

A good one? If it was.

[Dr. John Watson]

Which direction did he approach from?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Hard to say, I'm afraid. Our attention wasn't exactly on our surroundings.

[Dr. John Watson]

So he could have come up the cliff part?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, if he did, he was very gingerly. I didn't see any footprints.

[Dr. John Watson]

Did you suspect him at that particular moment?

[Sherlock Holmes]

He was close at hand. Logically, he was a suspect, yes.

[Dr. John Watson]

But how did he strike you? Was he acting suspiciously at all? You know, this is just like that damn stage play.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The similarities elude me.

[Dr. John Watson]

Questions? All I'm doing is asking an endless string of questions. It's always you who Gets the interesting speeches.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I thought you liked it that way.

[Dr. John Watson]

Amazing homes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

That's incredible, Holmes.

[Dr. John Watson]

It all seems so simple now. You explain it. Holmes. I'm not sure I want to go down in history as a literary device to make you seem even cleverer than you are.

[Sherlock Holmes]

8.

[Dr. John Watson]

Not to mention lending credence to your more dubious deductions. Eight?

[Sherlock Holmes]

What do you mean, dubious?

[Dr. John Watson]

Eight what?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Consecutive sentences without a question mark.

[Dr. John Watson]

Oh, for goodness sake. I'm talking about fiction. This is real life.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Is it?

[Dr. John Watson]

Please. If we start discussing your precious Tibetan mysticism, we'll be here all day. You think that will be long enough?

[Commercial Voice (Ryan Reynolds/Mint Mobile)]

No.

[Dr. John Watson]

No, I don't. Let's get back to something more concrete before I forget everything you've told me so far. Now, you and Stackhurst were standing over poor McPherson's body when this dog hurling mathematics tutor turned up. What then?

[Sherlock Holmes]

I sent Murdoch to inform the police in Fulworth. That's the nearest village. Then I left Stackhurst to guard the boy and went to look at the beach. By the time I got back, Murdoch had returned with the official representative of the law, Constable Anderson. A member of that peculiar slow Sussex breed. Holmes are fund of good sense under a silent exterior.

[Dr. John Watson]

You certainly have mellowed good sense.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Which he instantly demonstrated by asking me for advice.

[Dr. John Watson]

On the other hand, maybe not. What did you tell him?

[Sherlock Holmes]

To let no one touch the body until the doctor had seen it. And to stop people trampling all over the scene. And then?

[Dr. John Watson]

And then what?

[Sherlock Holmes]

And then I went home for breakfast.

[Dr. John Watson]

Here you are. The lunch will be a few minutes. The landlord was slightly taken aback by your request for something with no meat in it.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Was he able to rise to the challenge?

[Dr. John Watson]

Not with any great creativity. You're getting a cheese and pickle sandwich.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, Spanish you.

[Dr. John Watson]

I'm afraid I couldn't resist the roast beef. You did say you wouldn't mind.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Not in the least. I've no desire to inflict my idiosyncrasies on others.

[Dr. John Watson]

Thank you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The walk wasn't too much for you? No, no, not at all, no. No. Good, good.

[Dr. John Watson]

What was it, a couple of miles?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, near a three. Well, to your success with the case.

[Pura Fragrance Advertiser]

Mmm.

[Dr. John Watson]

You can't beat a real country brew.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, I thought you'd appreciate it.

[Spinquest Advertiser]

Forget whatever plans you have this weekend because you're staying at home and playing on spinquest. And there's never been a better time to sign up than right now. New users get $30 coin packs for just $10. All the table games you love, with hundreds of slot games and Real cash Prizes. That's at spinquest.com S P-I-N Q U-S-T.com

[Spinquest Disclaimer]

Spinquest is a free to play social casino. Void where prohibited. Visit spendquest.com for more details. At Arizona State University, we're bringing world class education from our globally acclaimed faculty to you. Earn your degree from the nation's most innovative university online. That's a degree? Better learn more at ASU online. Asu.

[Dr. John Watson]

Edu.

[Sherlock Holmes]

But that's not why I brought you here.

[Dr. John Watson]

Well, I hardly thought he was. So, come on. What's the Fulworth connection?

[Sherlock Holmes]

This.

[Dr. John Watson]

What is it?

[Sherlock Holmes]

You have a look.

[Dr. John Watson]

Torn from a cheap writing pad, but done carefully. No jagged edges or bits missing. Felt it once. And look how exact the alignment is. This was done by someone exceptionally neat and meticulous.

[Sherlock Holmes]

A clear thinker, probably quite intelligent. Watson, that is positively scintillating.

[Dr. John Watson]

Thank you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Unfortunately, it's also totally irrelevant. Oh, you were supposed to simply look at the message.

[Dr. John Watson]

You're the one who told me that the outside of a letter can be as informative as the inside.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Not, alas, in this case, the message.

[Dr. John Watson]

Very well. This is your handwriting.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Of course it is. The police would hardly have let me keep the original. It was vital evidence.

[Dr. John Watson]

Well, how was I supposed to know what it was? Right. I will be there, you may be sure.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Morty. The original was folded inside a card case in McPherson's left hand trouser pocket.

[Dr. John Watson]

He took it with him on his morning stroll.

[Sherlock Holmes]

He did.

[Dr. John Watson]

What was the writing like?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Undoubtedly feminine, rather scrawling, done with a well worn nib and perfectly ordinary ink. And the paper? Rather better quality than my cheap writing.

[Dr. John Watson]

It wasn't meant as a criticism. Did you know this, Maudie?

[Sherlock Holmes]

No, but Stackhurst enlightened me. Ms. Maud Bellamy lives in Fulworth with her father and her brother. She's the beauty of the neighborhood.

[Narrator/Radio Announcer]

Homes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Quite a one.

[Dr. John Watson]

Did Staghurst know about her connection with macpherson?

[Narrator/Radio Announcer]

No.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The full details only came to light later when the Police went through McPherson's things at the school. The romance had been conducted in great secrecy.

[Dr. John Watson]

The soup begins to thicken.

[Sherlock Holmes]

See what you meant about memorable phrases of your own?

[Dr. John Watson]

What else do you know about the girl, Father?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Something of a man of substance in this village. Owns all the fishing boats and bathing hats. He worked his way up from nothing.

[Dr. John Watson]

Someone like that can be fiercely protective. And the dead arranged an assignation with his daughter.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Was he married, McPherson? No.

[Dr. John Watson]

And he had a good job with excellent prospects. Why the secrecy?

[Sherlock Holmes]

That was obviously something that had to be investigated. Stackhurst and I came here to talk to the Bellamies and same afternoon and. Ah, here come the sandwiches. A supreme example of how enthusiasm and can triumph over limited technique.

[Dr. John Watson]

Oh, you think so?

[Commercial Voice (Ryan Reynolds/Mint Mobile)]

Very.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You?

[Dr. John Watson]

I don't know. The triumph is exactly the word I'd use.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The stress and strain of city life seems to be taking its toll on you, Watson. Whatever happened to the tolerant man I used to live with?

[Dr. John Watson]

A man only has certain much tolerance in his soul, Holmes. He soaked it out in me like a sponge.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Take you me for a sponge, my lord.

[Dr. John Watson]

Macbeth. Oh.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 2. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. I'm surprised you didn't remember that, Holmes.

[Dr. John Watson]

No one remembers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Most of the time he can't even tell them apart.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I can't say I've ever had any problems. We're wasting time. What do you mean we?

[Dr. John Watson]

Tell me about your interview with the Bellamy.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Would you care for a toffee apple?

[Dr. John Watson]

No, I would not care for a toffee apple, thank you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Mr. Bellamy proved to be a middle aged man with a flaming red beard and a generous head of hair. Did he indeed turn your enthusiasm, doctor? But I must admit that I had much the same thought.

[Dr. John Watson]

The lion's mane.

[Sherlock Holmes]

He was also in a very angry mood. I'm of the opinion, sir. And my sons of like mind. Mr. McPherson's attentions to Maud were insulting.

[Dr. John Watson]

Insulting? That's a strange attitude.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The word marriage was never mentioned. And there were letters and meetings and a great deal more of which neither of us could approve.

[Dr. John Watson]

So much for the secret liaison. I was right then predicted. Unless of course Young McPherson really was just using the girl. You knew him pretty well. What did you think?

[Sherlock Holmes]

It was a respectful old fashioned sort, mother.

[Dr. John Watson]

Quiet.

[Sherlock Holmes]

An admirable son in law. Or so I'd have thought.

[Dr. John Watson]

Did you ask Bellamy just why he objected so strongly?

[Sherlock Holmes]

I was about to when the lady herself came in.

[Dr. John Watson]

Well, what was she like?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Women have seldom been an attraction to me, Watson.

[Dr. John Watson]

Seldom. Are you saying that she was an exception?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Certainly not,

[Dr. John Watson]

Holmes. You're supposed to be giving me data, remember? Just tell me what she was like.

[Sherlock Holmes]

She would have graced any assembly in the world. A perfect clear cut face, delicate coloring, poise and control. No young man could have crossed her path unscathed.

[Dr. John Watson]

Watson. What?

[Sherlock Holmes]

I've devoted my life to exploring the dark side of humanity. What have I missed?

[Dr. John Watson]

There's no way to answer that.

[Sherlock Holmes]

No logical way. Perhaps My brain has always governed my heart.

[Dr. John Watson]

Not always.

[Sherlock Holmes]

What was it you wrote all emotions were abhorrent to his cold, precise mind.

[Dr. John Watson]

Early days. I hardly knew you then.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I've always prided myself on my detachment. A woman would have been a distraction.

[Dr. John Watson]

I must remember to tell Jean you said so.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I meant my own wife, not yours.

[Dr. John Watson]

Holmes, are you deliberately trying to stop me solving this mystery?

[Sherlock Holmes]

No, no, certainly not. But it's infernally noisy here. Let's see what other delights Polwarth village has to offer. That's better.

[Dr. John Watson]

Cooler certainly.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Earth, thickness of the walls. Norman's built to last. It's not too cold for you?

[Dr. John Watson]

No, no, no, no. What a splendid window.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yeah, Ms. Maud Bellamy was one.

[Dr. John Watson]

Wide eyed and intent. I know that Fitzroy is dead. Don't be afraid to tell me the details. Remarkable composure.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, indeed. Who told her the full story, you or Stackhurst? Stackhurst.

[Dr. John Watson]

And I imagine she took it well. Extremely well.

[Sherlock Holmes]

When Stackhurst had finished, she turned to me. It seemed that she knew who I was.

[Dr. John Watson]

Prize of fame. What did she say? Mr. Holmes, you have my sympathy and my help bring them to justice, whoever they may be.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Them?

[Dr. John Watson]

Why did she say that? My question exactly, sir. Fitzroy macpherson was a brave and strong man. No single person could have done this to him. The note in the dead man's pocket.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, I asked you about it.

[Dr. John Watson]

What did it mean? I see no reason for any more mystery, Mr. Holmes. We were engaged to be married. Why did you keep it a secret, Ms. Bellamy? Because Fitzroy stood to be disinherited if he married against his family's wish. But why not tell your father and your.

[Sherlock Holmes]

My life is my own.

[Dr. John Watson]

I would have told them if they'd ever shown the slightest sympathy. I will be there, you may be sure. Where, Ms. Bellamy? There was a place on the beach where we used to meet. And when? Just after sunset tonight.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Any more questions?

[Dr. John Watson]

Did she know if McPherson had any enemies? None in the world. And yourself? Is there anyone who would want to harm you?

[Sherlock Holmes]

No one.

[Dr. John Watson]

Anyone who might be jealous of your fiance? Have you had any previous admirers? Yes, Mr. Holmes, several. Including Mr. Ian Murdoch? There was a time when I thought so. Was there indeed? I can't think of anything else. Have I missed anything that you asked?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Not a thing.

[Dr. John Watson]

Bravo. Thank you. I'm not sure he's got me anywhere.

[Sherlock Holmes]

There is one thing I haven't told you yet.

[Dr. John Watson]

To do with Ms. Bellamy?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Most definitely. You remember her words at the beginning of the interview?

[Dr. John Watson]

You mean about bringing them to justice, whoever they might be?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes.

[Dr. John Watson]

As she said that, it seemed to me that she looked Straight at her

[Sherlock Holmes]

father and her brother.

[Dr. John Watson]

345 on to the next place.

[Sherlock Holmes]

There isn't one.

[Dr. John Watson]

You're staying in Fort Worth.

[Sherlock Holmes]

That's not what I meant. You're now in possession of practically all the facts.

[Dr. John Watson]

Practically all. What about the findings of the inquest?

[Sherlock Holmes]

It was adjourned for further evidence.

[Dr. John Watson]

What will you have done? You examined the beach again.

[Sherlock Holmes]

There was no more success than the first time.

[Dr. John Watson]

The dead man's room at the school.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Nothing.

[Dr. John Watson]

Then you would have gone over the whole case and tried the old eliminate the impossible approach.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Be my guest.

[Dr. John Watson]

Right. The facts first, then. A popular and talented young man sets off as usual for his morning swim. Did he always go alone, by the way?

[Sherlock Holmes]

I asked Stachurst that very question. No, he didn't. Quite the contrary. A few of the students almost always went with him.

[Dr. John Watson]

Did they indeed? What happened that morning?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ian Murdoch set them a maths test before breakfast.

[Dr. John Watson]

That's downright suspicious.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I thought so. Carry on.

[Dr. John Watson]

Mapherson gets to the beach, prepares for his swim. But before he can get into the water, he savagely attacked with some sort

[Sherlock Holmes]

of flail or whip. Look at these.

[Dr. John Watson]

Yes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Photographs of the wounds.

[Dr. John Watson]

Good God, that's inhuman. Why didn't you show me these earlier?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Because I didn't get them myself until this stage of the investigation. I hadn't seen the wounds in this much detail until now.

[Dr. John Watson]

Right. These lacerations are remarkably thin.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes.

[Dr. John Watson]

As if they were made with very fine wires. Do you have your lens with you? Yes. Here. Thank you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Now,

[Dr. John Watson]

these wounds aren't even. There are dots of blood spaced all along them. A very fine cat and nine tails. It's devilish, whatever it was. After all these years, I still find it hard to believe that one human being can do something like that to another.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?

[Dr. John Watson]

True, I suppose. Cynical, but true. Now, suppose Murdoch said it. Hey, everybody.

[Lady Luck (Spinquest Advertiser)]

Lady luck here. And we're celebrating America's 250th birthday. Now, all summer long I'm going to be celebrating by playing on finquest.com which is an American owned social casino. It obviously features over a thousand slot games and live blast blackjack, live craps, live bubble craps. Head on over to spinquest.com. get yourself a 30 coin pack for just 10 bucks.

[Spinquest Disclaimer]

Spin Quest is a free to play social casino, boy. And we're prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Commercial Voice (Ryan Reynolds/Mint Mobile)]

Hi, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Are you looking for a beach read this summer? May I suggest your big wireless bill? It's got suspense, mystery, a slightly flat emotional arc and a shocking twist where you realize you've been overpaying the entire entire time. Fortunately, though, Mint Story is better. Every plan. 15amonth. Even unlimited. That's it. Happy ending, zero tears. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment

[Lady Luck (Spinquest Advertiser)]

of 45 for three months, 90 for six months or 180 for 12. Month plan required 15 per month. Equivalent taxes and fees. Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes. May slow when network is busy. See terms test.

[Dr. John Watson]

Then hurried out to the beach. No stackers would have seen him. Is there another room? Yes, another path.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Down the cliff, nearer the school and then along the beach.

[Dr. John Watson]

So he sets his test, rushes out on scene, gets to the lagoon and attacks McPherson. Then he hides in one of the grottoes in the cliff face until he can slip.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I thought you decided that he had no reason to hide because the top

[Dr. John Watson]

of the cliff isn't visible from the beach. Yes. Perhaps he's just afraid that there might be someone about. Criminals or cowards. Superstitious.

[Commercial Voice (Ryan Reynolds/Mint Mobile)]

Yeah.

[Dr. John Watson]

It's not very convincing. What about other possible murderers? The Bellamys, I suppose. Father and son.

[Narrator/Radio Announcer]

Yes.

[Dr. John Watson]

I really believe it. A man with money and local influence doesn't need to resort to murder just to get rid of an unwelcome lover. Could you have been mistaken about that, Clowns?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes. I could

[Dr. John Watson]

eliminate the impossible.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Time to give you the next developments.

[Dr. John Watson]

I think I'm listening.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Macpherson's dog was found dead on the beach at the very place where his master died.

[Dr. John Watson]

His dog. Did you examine it?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Shortly after it was found. The body was stiff and his eyes were bulging. There was agony in every line of it.

[Dr. John Watson]

Killed by the murderer. But why, for God's sake?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Some sort of revenge.

[Dr. John Watson]

I didn't know you said developments plural.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I think it's only fair to tell you that I had the first glimmerings of an idea about that.

[Dr. John Watson]

May I ask what sort of glimmerings? Or would that be cheating?

[Sherlock Holmes]

It was something I couldn't quite put my fingers. Have you ever had one of those nightmares where you feel that there's some all important thing? You search for it, you know it's there, but you don't know exactly what it is. And it's always just out of your reach. That's how I felt.

[Dr. John Watson]

Yes, I know what you mean. The harder you try, the more elusive it gets. Precisely. The best solution is to give up the struggle. Let it surface in its own good time.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well put.

[Dr. John Watson]

Eliminate the impossible. What with the other developments.

[Sherlock Holmes]

There was just one. Someone else was attacked exactly as MacPherson had been. Ian. Murdoch.

[Dr. John Watson]

Murdoch. 2.

[Spinquest Disclaimer]

Yes,

[Sherlock Holmes]

yes.

[Dr. John Watson]

What exactly happened? I was at home.

[Sherlock Holmes]

He burst into my sitting room with Stackhurst close behind him. He found Murdoch down on the beach.

[Dr. John Watson]

The same spot?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Almost exactly. Murdoch's shoulder was marked with the same wound and he was in agony.

[Dr. John Watson]

Brandy to dend the pain. Something soothing on the cuts. Did you have any cream? Soft butter? Something like that?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Salad?

[Dr. John Watson]

Yes, that would have done it.

[Sherlock Holmes]

A pinch. It seemed to help. Murdoch was already half in a faint, and the brandy put him right out. We sent word for a doctor, and while we were waiting, Stackhurst told me what had happened. Well, Holmes, I was walking.

[Dr. John Watson]

Wait, wait. Let me see if I'm right. No, let me ask you this first. What was Murdoch wearing?

[Sherlock Holmes]

A dating costume. Covered by his coat?

[Dr. John Watson]

Yes. And Stackhurst found him at the very edge of the lagoon.

[Sherlock Holmes]

He'd been swimming. Bravo, Doctor.

[Dr. John Watson]

Have another question?

[Sherlock Holmes]

I rather thought you might have.

[Dr. John Watson]

Where do you find McPherson? You said he was naked from the waist up.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I did.

[Dr. John Watson]

Describe his trousers.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Gray wolf.

[Dr. John Watson]

Oh, damn it, Holmes.

[Lady Luck (Spinquest Advertiser)]

You know what I mean.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Clumsily fastened, somewhat crumpled.

[Dr. John Watson]

You might have told me that at the very beginning.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I didn't realize the importance of it myself until considerably later.

[Dr. John Watson]

And his head? What about his hair?

[Sherlock Holmes]

I rather think you can answer that yourself.

[Dr. John Watson]

He was in the habit of anointing it with oil, slicking it down close to his scalp.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Absolutely correct.

[Dr. John Watson]

Do you have the solution? Not all of it, not yet. Did you? At that stage?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes. But I had a distinct advantage not available to you.

[Dr. John Watson]

You were in your own home.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I was.

[Dr. John Watson]

With your own books.

[Sherlock Holmes]

With my own books.

[Dr. John Watson]

And you've always been quite a cunning of books. Every subject under the sun.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I'm an omnivorous reader.

[Dr. John Watson]

It was something you'd read, the thing you couldn't recall. It was something you'd read in your own library. So you were able to find it again. Or did you just remember it out of the blue?

[Sherlock Holmes]

As you said, it surfaced.

[Dr. John Watson]

Home.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Home, Watson.

[Dr. John Watson]

Yes. Well done. Now, which one would you like me to shoot? No, no, no, no, no. Just give me a moment.

[Pura Fragrance Advertiser]

Damn.

[Dr. John Watson]

But I'm close. I must be close. Extremely. Then here we are. Show Me.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Out of Doors, by JG Wood, the famous observer.

[Dr. John Watson]

That's high praise coming from.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You never read it? No.

[Dr. John Watson]

But you haven't. Recently, too. There's a clear fingerprint in the dust along the top, you see?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Seems I must speak to Martha about her standards of cleanliness.

[Dr. John Watson]

You're changing the subject. Now I know I'm right.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, aren't you going to look inside?

[Dr. John Watson]

Not yet. I rather think that this is that moment in the spotlight you promised me. I want to enjoy it. You deserve it.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The stage is yours.

[Dr. John Watson]

Thank you. Now, the most important clues were the dead man's trousers and the oil on his hair. But why?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ho. His. I mean, what?

[Dr. John Watson]

Together with the unusually high temperature that day. Even before breakfast when you find the body, you were too distracted to realize the significance of the trousers. But you couldn't have missed noticing it. If the man was soaking wet, he wasn't. And so you concluded that he hadn't got as far as going for his swim.

[Sherlock Holmes]

But you were wrong.

[Dr. John Watson]

The early morning sun had dried his body and the oil prevented his hair from getting wet. The trousers? Trousers.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Puzzled.

[Dr. John Watson]

But you said it yourself. McPherson was an old fashioned, withdrawn, very proper sort of man.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, even so, perhaps I've had more

[Dr. John Watson]

experience of it than you. It may be hard to accept, but it's true. Even if the body's in terrible agony, there's a part of the brain that concerns itself with the most ordinary, mundane, everyday thoughts, such as not leaving a secluded bathing beach and going into a public place without first making oneself decent.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I was forced to accept it. In the end, what.

[Dr. John Watson]

What it all adds up to is this. He wasn't attacked before he took his swim. He was attacked during it. And the same was true of Ian Murdoch and even the wretched dog. And what's more, it wasn't murder. Am I right?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Absolutely right.

[Dr. John Watson]

Does this book have an index page you want?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Is 73.

[Dr. John Watson]

Oh, yes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, yes.

[Dr. John Watson]

Behold the lion's mane.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You enjoyed the weekend, I hope?

[Dr. John Watson]

Enormously. I hope we can do it again sometime.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, I hope so.

[Dr. John Watson]

Sometime soon.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Holmes, I can't promise you another murder.

[Dr. John Watson]

You didn't give me one this time.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Don't be pedantic.

[Dr. John Watson]

Not pedantic. Accurate.

[Spinquest Advertiser]

Did you?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Did I what?

[Dr. John Watson]

Enjoy the weekend? Or will you be glad to get back to your peace and quiet?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Stand back.

[Narrator/Radio Announcer]

Right.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Have a good trip.

[Dr. John Watson]

Thank you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, yeah. What is it? Something to read on the journey.

[Dr. John Watson]

Thank you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Goodbye, Watson.

[Dr. John Watson]

Goodbye.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Start on page 12.

[Commercial Voice (Ryan Reynolds/Mint Mobile)]

Right.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Goodbye.

[Dr. John Watson]

See you soon. The adventure of the lion's mane by sherlock holmes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Page 12.

[Dr. John Watson]

I led the way along the beach, peering eagerly into the waters. I had reached the deepest and stillest part of the lagoon when my eyes caught it. Cyania. I cried. Cyania. Behold the lion's mane.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The strange object did indeed look like a tangled mass torn from the mane of a lion. It lay some three feet under the water. A curious, waving, vibrating, hairy creature with streaks of silver among its yellow tresses. It pulsated with a slow, heavy dilation and contraction. Cyania capillator is the miscreants full name. Gentlemen. The gale must have blown him into the shore. As dangerous as the bite of the cobra and far more painful, the most deadly of all, the jellyfish. The constable stared at me in silence. Well, you done it, he said at last. I'd read about you, but I never believed it. It's wonderful. I was forced to shake my head. To accept such praise was to lower one standards.

[Dr. John Watson]

Really, Holmes, Couldn't you come up with a better ending? Thank you.

[Narrator/Radio Announcer]

In the Lion's Mane, Sherlock Holmes was played by Clive Medicine and Dr. Watson by Michael Williams. The violinist was Leonard Friedman. The Lion's Mane was dramatized for radio by Bert Coulls and directed by Patrick Rayner.

[Spinquest Advertiser]

Happy Birthday America. It's time to celebrate and play your favorite Las Vegas casino games by American owned sports spin quest.com what's better than fireworks and American Pie? Hitting a blackjack in the palm of your hand and you won't lose your fingers. Over a thousand games, including slots and live dealers and $30 coin packs are on sale for 10 spinquest.com buy American players for American players, Spin Quest is

[Spinquest Disclaimer]

a free to play social casino boy where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Pura Fragrance Advertiser]

Summer Smells like summer road trips, ocean breezes and long evenings under the stars, it a feeling you want to hold onto. Restore your sense of place with Pura's new Summer fragrance collection. We've captured the magic of the season in clean, premium scents that transform your home into your favorite destination. Discover the art of scentscaping and bring the summer in. Visit pura.com to explore the collection.