A wounded man arrives at Watson's practise, early in the morning. His thumb has been chopped off. Exhausted and confused, he can hardly provide any explanation, but Watson understands that it's a case for Holmes.
Once healed, and after a solid breakfast, the man tells his nightly adventure: Victor Heatherley, 25, is an hydraulic engineer. Having inherited, he decided to set up his own affair. But business is very low, if not nil.
So when a man, calling himself Colonel Lysander Stark, offers a very generous fee for a discreet mission, Heatherley cannot decline, despite the lack of details about the job. His mysterious client, who requests an absolute secrecy, doesn't inspire trust. But the engineer has no other prospect at all.
He is to join Eyford station at 11:00 PM. From there, he is driven in a carriage to an unknown place, where two other people live: a beautiful woman named Elise and a "Mr Ferguson". A giant machine is shown to him. Heatherley easily finds a leak and explains how to fix it. But he has the curiosity to try to understand what this machine is designed for... Angry, his client tries to kill him, mutilating his hand. The poor engineer avoid his deadly fate thanks to the help of the two accomplices, obviously less keen to murder.
Despite Holmes quick and efficient intervention, backed up by Scotland Yard, the gang escape.
* see source below
This story provides a fresh break. Sherlock Holmes listen, makes some decisive deductions, but he is not central in the adventure. Having it told by a new character, who is not a recurrent one, is rather pleasant between other Holmesian stories.
It's also interesting because this time, there is a division inside the gang. One person is ready to kill, another one is just a con man, and the last one a passive accomplice. Two non-violent will overcome a cold murderer.
It's a pity the story is so short, I would have liked to know more about them. But I appreciated the realistic end: nobody wins, and we have to imagine what may happen later to the main protagonists.
* source : http://www.wpthm.com/
It's also interesting because this time, there is a division inside the gang. One person is ready to kill, another one is just a con man, and the last one a passive accomplice. Two non-violent will overcome a cold murderer.
It's a pity the story is so short, I would have liked to know more about them. But I appreciated the realistic end: nobody wins, and we have to imagine what may happen later to the main protagonists.
* source : http://www.wpthm.com/
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