Conan DoyleCHAPTER ONE
WATSON INVESTIGATES
I was sitting in Sherlock Holmes's rooms in Baker Street. He was looking at my boots.
'Why Turkish?' he asked.
'They're made in England,' I replied. 'I bought them yesterday.'
'I can see that!' he said. 'Anyway, I didn't mean your boots. I meant the bath. Why did you have a Turkish bath?'
'It's good for my health,' I said. 'I wanted a change.'
'You shouldn't let the assistants at the baths tie your boot laces. You tie them better yourself.'
I looked at my laces and saw the knot was in fact tied a little differently to the way I usually tied my knots.
'Incredible!' I thought. 'He notices the smallest differences!'
'If you really want a change, Watson, I have a job for you. You can go to Switzerland, all expenses paid. I have a case I must investigate there but I don't want to go too far away. Besides, I prefer my housekeeper's cooking to the food abroad. Mrs Hudson makes an excellent lunch, if you'd like to stay.'
'Thank you,' I replied. 'But I can't stop, I must go back home.' Holmes ordered lunch anyway.
'I think Scotland Yard would prefer to see me in London,' he continued. 'There's one criminal in particular who will happily take advantage of my absence, but that is not something I can discuss at this moment.'
'I'd like to hear more,' I said.
'Lady Frances Carfax,' he began, 'the daughter of the late Earl of Rufton, is around forty years old. She is very beautiful for her age. She has the advantage of wealth and the disadvantage of having none of her own. Her brother owns the family home whereas she has no fixed address and no husband. She has some valuable Spanish jewellery, which she carries with her everywhere. I'm afraid that she may be in danger.'
'I don't understand,' I said. 'Is Lady Frances Carfax in Switzerland?'
'An interesting question,' he replied. 'Is she there or somewhere else? Is she alive or is she dead? Her family last heard from her more than five weeks ago. She has a friend in England she often writes to. She has had no letters from her.'