13 #3
"There should have been one further gentleman present this evening. Mr. Henry Chiswick, the senior Treasury official who recommended that the Government refuse financial assistance to the railway company. He, however, has since died."
No one spoke.
It was now unmistakably clear to every gentleman present that the invitations issued by Stanley Goode had not been the product of chance or hospitality, but of patient and deliberate selection.
The gentlemen sat staring at one another in horrified silence as the full extent of the deception practiced upon them gradually became apparent.
"Stanley Goode," Holmes continued, "played to perfection the part of the bluff, good-natured country gentleman who had simply found himself master of an old country estate, and who freely confessed to knowing little of business or finance.
He muttered vaguely about some financial misfortune that had befallen his father, but seemed to know no more about the matter than that. In reality, he knew only too well what had befallen his father—and what he believed were the principal players in that man's downfall—and, in time,
devised an exceedingly ingenious scheme by which to avenge his father."
Edmund Thane found his voice first.
"When I received the invitation, I never even thought of the affair. Of course my bank did just as you described, with me overseeing the proceedings, but it was just a matter of business. Unfortunate for a certain party, yes, but such things happen frequently."
"Precisely," said Holmes. "So when the invitation came some years later from the latest owner of the estate, the previous affair never even entered your mind. To you, at least, it had been a straightforward matter of business, nothing more."
Mr. Cedric Frobisher, the newspaper owner, now spoke.
"You surely do not suggest that poor Professor Stratton was a party to this monstrous plan?"
"I do not," said Holmes. "Indeed, my information becomes somewhat less certain at this point, nor do I imagine Mr. Goode will greatly assist the authorities when he is taken into custody. My own belief is that Professor Stratton somehow discovered what was intended and confronted Mr.
Goode concerning it. The meeting took place in an isolated part of the estate—the cemetery. Precisely how a weapon came to be drawn I cannot say, but Mr. Goode stabbed him and departed, believing him already dead.
By remarkable determination the Professor retained consciousness long enough to warn the gardener."
Holmes glanced toward the untouched pie.
"I have little doubt that Mr. Goode at first deeply regretted having failed to ensure his victim's immediate death. He then realized that the dying warning of a 'coffin,' uttered in a cemetery, pointed everyone toward precisely the wrong conclusion.
The false trail could scarcely have been more fortunate for him. When Dr. Watson and I accompanied him to the cemetery, he played his part admirably, later discussing the possibility of excavating the graves and encouraging us to pursue the deception still further."
"Goode said something about the Professor taking solitary afternoon walks," I remembered.
"Yes," said Holmes. "He subtly made it appear that the Professor had been pursuing some mysterious line of enquiry, most likely within the cemetery."
Edmund Thane leaned forward.
"Supposing he had succeeded tonight, where would he have gone? And how did he intend to support himself afterwards?"
"You perhaps noticed," said Holmes, "that, with the notable exception of this dining room, the interior of Northleigh Manor possesses a rather austere appearance."
Several heads nodded.
"I have little doubt that Mr. Goode has for some time been quietly disposing of every valuable possession that could conveniently be sold—paintings, statuary, furniture, tapestries, and various other treasures. The proceeds would have accumulated in a private account opened for the purpose.
As for the estate itself, houses of this size frequently become burdens rather than blessings. They require constant expenditure merely to preserve them. I imagine Mr. Goode would have felt little regret in abandoning it altogether. Had tonight succeeded,
I have no doubt his carriage would have conveyed him toward the coast—a distance of no more than twelve miles from this estate—from which he intended to disappear abroad."
I found my own curiosity returning.
"Surely the servants must have known something of this?"
Holmes shook his head.
"I think not. The butler was almost certainly instructed to interrupt Mr. Goode with a fabricated message immediately after the pie had been served. Thereafter both he and the maids—who had already left this room by the time the pie was served—were doubtless told to remain in the kitchen until
further notice. During that time Mr. Goode himself would have been making his escape, as his guests expired at the table."
No one spoke.
The poisoned portions still rested untouched upon every plate. More than one gentleman regarded them with visible revulsion.
At length Sir Reginald Pell cleared his throat.
"Mr. Holmes," said he quietly, "you have saved every life in this room."
He hesitated before adding,
"There is one thing I do not understand. Dr. Watson and you were yourselves invited to dine with us this evening. Yet you had no connection whatever with Matthew Goode's misfortunes."
A faint smile touched Holmes's features.
"No," said he. "But Mr. Goode's initial invitation to Watson and me to travel to Northleigh Manor was itself part of his design. He knew perfectly well that the murder of Professor Stratton would inevitably attract my attention,
and judged it far safer to draw me to Northleigh Manor than to leave me investigating from Baker Street. Once Watson and I had accepted the case, the remainder followed naturally. We saw the preparations for the banquet, became acquainted with the names of some of the guests, and,
when our initial enquiries were concluded, there could be nothing more natural than for Mr. Goode to invite us to return as his guests. He intended that we should perish alongside the others. Had his scheme succeeded,
there would have remained no Sherlock Holmes to investigate either Professor Stratton's murder or the deaths of the distinguished gentlemen gathered here tonight."