THE ADVENTURE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE

Itwasinthespringoftheyear1894thatallLondonwasinterested,andthefashionableworlddismayed,bythemurderoftheHonourableRonaldAdairundermostunusualandinexplicablecircumstances.Thepublichasalreadylearnedthoseparticularsofthecrimewhichcameoutinthepoliceinvestigation,butagooddealwassuppresseduponthatoccasion,sincethecasefortheprosecutionwassooverwhelminglystrongthatitwasnotnecessarytobringforwardallthefacts.Onlynow,attheendofnearlytenyears,amIallowedtosupplythosemissinglinkswhichmakeupthewholeofthatremarkablechain.Thecrimewasofinterestinitself,butthatinterestwasasnothingtomecomparedtotheinconceivablesequel,whichaffordedmethegreatestshockandsurpriseofanyeventinmyadventurouslife.Evennow,afterthislonginterval,IfindmyselfthrillingasIthinkofit,andfeelingoncemorethatsuddenfloodofjoy,amazement,andincredulitywhichutterlysubmergedmymind.Letmesaytothatpublic,whichhasshownsomeinterestinthoseglimpseswhichIhaveoccasionallygiventhemofthethoughtsandactionsofaveryremarkableman,thattheyarenottoblamemeifIhavenotsharedmyknowledgewiththem,forIshouldhaveconsidereditmyfirstdutytodoso,hadInotbeenbarredbyapositiveprohibitionfromhisownlips,whichwasonlywithdrawnuponthethirdoflastmonth. ItcanbeimaginedthatmycloseintimacywithSherlockHolmeshadinterestedmedeeplyincrime,andthatafterhisdisappearanceIneverfailedtoreadwithcarethevariousproblemswhichcamebeforethepublic.AndIevenattempted,morethanonce,formyownprivatesatisfaction,toemployhismethodsintheirsolution,thoughwithindifferentsuccess.Therewasnone,however,whichappealedtomelikethistragedyofRonaldAdair.AsIreadtheevidenceattheinquest,whichleduptoaverdictofwillfulmurderagainstsomepersonorpersonsunknown,IrealizedmoreclearlythanIhadeverdonethelosswhichthecommunityhadsustainedbythedeathofSherlockHolmes.Therewerepointsaboutthisstrangebusinesswhichwould,Iwassure,havespeciallyappealedtohim,andtheeffortsofthepolicewouldhavebeensupplemented,ormoreprobablyanticipated,bythetrainedobservationandthealertmindofthefirstcriminalagentinEurope.Allday,asIdroveuponmyround,Iturnedoverthecaseinmymindandfoundnoexplanationwhichappearedtometobeadequate.Attheriskoftellingatwice-toldtale,Iwillrecapitulatethefactsastheywereknowntothepublicattheconclusionoftheinquest. TheHonourableRonaldAdairwasthesecondsonoftheEarlofMaynooth,atthattimegovernorofoneoftheAustraliancolonies.Adair’smotherhadreturnedfromAustraliatoundergotheoperationforcataract,andshe,hersonRonald,andherdaughterHildawerelivingtogetherat427,ParkLane.Theyouthmovedinthebestsociety—had,sofaraswasknown,noenemiesandnoparticularvices.HehadbeenengagedtoMissEdithWoodley,ofCarstairs,buttheengagementhadbeenbrokenoffbymutualconsentsomemonthsbefore,andtherewasnosignthatithadleftanyveryprofoundfeelingbehindit.Fortherest,theman’slifemovedinanarrowandconventionalcircle,forhishabitswerequietandhisnatureunemotional.Yetitwasuponthiseasy-goingyoungaristocratthatdeathcame,inmoststrangeandunexpectedform,betweenthehoursoftenandeleven-twentyonthenightofMarch30,1894. RonaldAdairwasfondofcards—playingcontinually,butneverforsuchstakesaswouldhurthim.HewasamemberoftheBaldwin,theCavendish,andtheBagatellecardclubs.Itwasshownthat,afterdinneronthedayofhisdeath,hehadplayedarubberofwhistatthelatterclub.Hehadalsoplayedthereintheafternoon.Theevidenceofthosewhohadplayedwithhim—Mr.Murray,SirJohnHardy,andColonelMoran—showedthatthegamewaswhist,andthattherewasafairlyequalfallofthecards.Adairmighthavelostfivepounds,butnotmore.Hisfortunewasaconsiderableone,andsuchalosscouldnotinanywayaffecthim.Hehadplayednearlyeverydayatonecluborother,buthewasacautiousplayer,andusuallyroseawinner.Itcameoutinevidencethat,inpartnershipwithColonelMoran,hehadactuallywonasmuchasfourhundredandtwentypoundsinasitting,someweeksbefore,fromGodfreyMilnerandLordBalmoral.Somuchforhisrecenthistoryasitcameoutattheinquest. Ontheeveningofthecrime,hereturnedfromtheclubexactlyatten.Hismotherandsisterwereoutspendingtheeveningwitharelation.Theservantdeposedthatsheheardhimenterthefrontroomonthesecondfloor,generallyusedashissitting-room.Shehadlitafirethere,andasitsmokedshehadopenedthewindow.Nosoundwasheardfromtheroomuntileleven-twenty,thehourofthereturnofLadyMaynoothandherdaughter.Desiringtosaygood-night,sheattemptedtoenterherson’sroom.Thedoorwaslockedontheinside,andnoanswercouldbegottotheircriesandknocking.Helpwasobtained,andthedoorforced.Theunfortunateyoungmanwasfoundlyingnearthetable.Hisheadhadbeenhorriblymutilatedbyanexpandingrevolverbullet,butnoweaponofanysortwastobefoundintheroom.Onthetablelaytwobanknotesfortenpoundseachandseventeenpoundsteninsilverandgold,themoneyarrangedinlittlepilesofvaryingamount.Thereweresomefiguresalsouponasheetofpaper,withthenamesofsomeclubfriendsoppositetothem,fromwhichitwasconjecturedthatbeforehisdeathhewasendeavouringtomakeouthislossesorwinningsatcards. Aminuteexaminationofthecircumstancesservedonlytomakethecasemorecomplex.Inthefirstplace,noreasoncouldbegivenwhytheyoungmanshouldhavefastenedthedoorupontheinside.Therewasthepossibilitythatthemurdererhaddonethis,andhadafterwardsescapedbythewindow.Thedropwasatleasttwentyfeet,however,andabedofcrocusesinfullbloomlaybeneath.Neithertheflowersnortheearthshowedanysignofhavingbeendisturbed,norwerethereanymarksuponthenarrowstripofgrasswhichseparatedthehousefromtheroad.Apparently,therefore,itwastheyoungmanhimselfwhohadfastenedthedoor.Buthowdidhecomebyhisdeath?Noonecouldhaveclimbeduptothewindowwithoutleavingtraces.Supposeamanhadfiredthroughthewindow,hewouldindeedbearemarkableshotwhocouldwitharevolverinflictsodeadlyawound.Again,ParkLaneisafrequentedthoroughfarethereisacabstandwithinahundredyardsofthehouse.Noonehadheardashot.Andyettherewasthedeadmanandtheretherevolverbullet,whichhadmushroomedout,assoft-nosedbulletswill,andsoinflictedawoundwhichmusthavecausedinstantaneousdeath.SuchwerethecircumstancesoftheParkLaneMystery,whichwerefurthercomplicatedbyentireabsenceofmotive,since,asIhavesaid,youngAdairwasnotknowntohaveanyenemy,andnoattempthadbeenmadetoremovethemoneyorvaluablesintheroom. AlldayIturnedthesefactsoverinmymind,endeavouringtohituponsometheorywhichcouldreconcilethemall,andtofindthatlineofleastresistancewhichmypoorfriendhaddeclaredtobethestarting-pointofeveryinvestigation.IconfessthatImadelittleprogress.IntheeveningIstrolledacrossthePark,andfoundmyselfaboutsixo’clockattheOxfordStreetendofParkLane.Agroupofloafersuponthepavements,allstaringupataparticularwindow,directedmetothehousewhichIhadcometosee.Atall,thinmanwithcolouredglasses,whomIstronglysuspectedofbeingaplain-clothesdetective,waspointingoutsometheoryofhisown,whiletheotherscrowdedroundtolistentowhathesaid.IgotasnearhimasIcould,buthisobservationsseemedtometobeabsurd,soIwithdrewagaininsomedisgust.AsIdidsoIstruckagainstanelderly,deformedman,whohadbeenbehindme,andIknockeddownseveralbookswhichhewascarrying.IrememberthatasIpickedthemup,Iobservedthetitleofoneofthem,TheOriginofTreeWorship,anditstruckmethatthefellowmustbesomepoorbibliophile,who,eitherasatradeorasahobby,wasacollectorofobscurevolumes.Iendeavouredtoapologizefortheaccident,butitwasevidentthatthesebookswhichIhadsounfortunatelymaltreatedwereverypreciousobjectsintheeyesoftheirowner.Withasnarlofcontemptheturneduponhisheel,andIsawhiscurvedbackandwhiteside-whiskersdisappearamongthethrong. MyobservationsofNo.427,ParkLanedidlittletoclearuptheprobleminwhichIwasinterested.Thehousewasseparatedfromthestreetbyalowwallandrailing,thewholenotmorethanfivefeethigh.Itwasperfectlyeasy,therefore,foranyonetogetintothegarden,butthewindowwasentirelyinaccessible,sincetherewasnowaterpipeoranythingwhichcouldhelpthemostactivemantoclimbit.Morepuzzledthanever,IretracedmystepstoKensington.Ihadnotbeeninmystudyfiveminuteswhenthemaidenteredtosaythatapersondesiredtoseeme.Tomyastonishmentitwasnoneotherthanmystrangeoldbookcollector,hissharp,wizenedfacepeeringoutfromaframeofwhitehair,andhispreciousvolumes,adozenofthematleast,wedgedunderhisrighta