Sherlock Holmes Faces Death Page #3

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I hope so.

Excuse me.

Poor chap was

at Singapore,

escaped from a

Japanese prison camp,

ghastly experience.

He's suffering from...

Escape complex obviously.

Yes.

He's a very nice

chap, though.

The next fellow I

want you to meet

is young Clavering

an army engineer.

Saw a lot of men blown to

bits by Nazi booby traps.

He's a bit on edge.

Not unnaturally.

Coming.

Well, Dr. Watson.

Come in, won't you?

Sorry to keep you so long.

You see I, uh,

I was lying

down, resting.

This is my friend,

Mr. Holmes,

who's here for a few days.

Mr. Clavering.

Glad to meet you.

How do you do?

Sorry to disturb you.

Not at all.

I say, you don't

happen to have

some cigarettes

about you, do you?

That's one of the

reasons I came.

I brought you some of

those American cigarettes

that you're so fond off.

It's all right,

open it up.

No hurry, no hurry at all.

No, no, no.

Of course there isn't.

Shall we go.

Yes, well we must be off.

We've got a lot to do.

See you later.

Yes, I'll be back.

Good night.

He seems afraid

there might be a

bomb in that package.

Well he'd find them

in less likely places

than that the poor chap.

The man in this room is an

American Flying officer.

Captain Vickery,

nothing really much

matter with him.

What's he here for then?

On a rest, had a

pretty long go.

He needs all the

rest he can get.

Vickery,

Vickery,

doesn't seem to be in.

No one at home.

Hmm.

Apparently not,

not since teatime

at any rate.

Now what's this?

Captain Vickery,

here's your tea.

If it's cold

don't blame me.

That sounds like

Brunton's work.

The butler?

He fancies himself a poet

but only when

he's drinking.

I see.

Wasn't there an American

killer given to verse?

Holmes, you don't

think that Brunton...

Excuse me.

I merely stated

there's an American

killer given to verse.

Dr. Watson, oh

where are you?

Oh there you are.

Steady my dear, steady.

Please make me

wake up, won't you?

It's just a bad

dream, I know,

Geoff and Pat...

Now, now, now, my dear.

You got to get a

grip on yourself.

Come on, come on,

come sit down.

My brother,

Geoff, murdered.

Poor ol' Geoff.

And I hadn't

spoken to him

since we had the fight

yesterday on Pat,

I mean, Captain

Vickery's account

and now he's dead.

Now, now my dear you must

pull yourself together.

But you don't understand.

They're trying to

say that Pat...

they're trying to prove

that Pat killed Geoff.

No, no, no.

Yes.

Funny isn't it.

Awfully funny,

awfully funny,

awfully funny.

Stop it.

Who are you?

My name is Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes?

Yes.

Then you'll help us,

won't you Mr. Holmes,

Pat and me.

I'll try to.

Now tell me, wasn't

there bad blood

between your brother,

Geoffrey and Captain Vickery?

That's got nothing

to do with it.

It may have everything

to do with it.

If you think Captain

Vickery ever murdered anyone

you're no more of

a detective than,

than Dr. Watson.

My dear.

Oh, I'm sorry.

You're very much in

love, aren't you?

I'm out of my

mind, Mr. Holmes.

I'm out of my mind.

Oh please forgive me

and please,

please help me.

Of course, of

course I understand.

But you don't understand,

that appalling man

from Scotland Yard

is questioning Pat

at this very moment.

Now this here rake,

it's the identical one

you got from the

garden this afternoon,

now isn't it?

It smells like it.

Hey what is this?

Are you trying to prove

that Geoffrey Musgrave

was killed with a rake?

No, I'm try...

never mind what I'm

trying to prove.

Just incriminate

yourself, Captain Vickery.

That's all Lestrade wants.

I'll thank you to keep

out of this, Mr. Holmes.

This is Mr.

Sherlock Holmes.

How do you do?

How do you do?

He's promised to

help you dear.

There's nothing to

worry about now.

Only his neck, miss.

Let me see your rake.

What do you say

you're using it for?

I told you.

I got it to fish my

cap out of the pond.

It blew in.

Oh, so you were using

it down at the pond,

were you?

For the tenth time, yes.

And how did it happen

to turn up alongside

Musgrave's body, eh?

I don't know.

Uh-huh, Well that's that.

Oh, Mr. Holmes.

Any fingerprints on

the rake, inspector?

No, Mr. Holmes.

That's the point.

If Vickery was only using

it to fish his hat out

well no he

wouldn't bother

to wipe his fingerprints

off now would he?

It's beyond

imagination, I suppose,

that somebody else could

have used the rake

and wiped off both

sets of fingerprints.

Highly interesting

but very unlikely.

Now you admit that you

had a regular set to

with Jeffrey Musgrave

yesterday didn't you?

You threatened to

bash his head in.

I merely made the offer.

He didn't accept it.

Who told you so?

He did.

Oh, no, he did.

I only stated

what I heard.

Captain Vickery did

threaten my brother.

That's right, Mr. Holmes

and it's no good

saying it ain't.

This Yankee lad had

motive and opportunity

and the rake ties him

right up tight

to the corpse.

All right.

Come along.

Do you really think he

killed old Musgrave?

You know very

well he didn't.

Stop clicking

those needles.

Oh, Pat.

Take it easy, Sally.

Now look, don't

worry a bit.

I'll tell you everything's

gonna be all right.

Let's go, inspector.

Mr. Holmes.

Steady.

Steady.

Aren't you on our side.

Yes, Sally.

Then why don't

you do something.

Because Captain Vickery

will be much safer

in the local police

station tonight

than he would be

in this house.

Oh, Mr. Holmes, what

am I going to do?

Watson, get your sedative.

I'll get it at once.

Calm down, Sally.

She's a bit upset but

she'll get over it.

You think so?

She'll have to.

She's got an ordeal

ahead of her.

She has to go through

that tiresome

ritual tomorrow.

Ritual?

This is an old family

ceremony, Mr. Holmes.

Sally's next in line

now that I'm head

of the household.

Blast this thing.

Does this help?

Oh yes, thanks.

Knitting needle, isn't it?

Yes.

Handy little things.

As my heir.

Sally has to recite

a sort of formula

over Geoff's body in

front of the fireplace

and the library in the presence

of the entire household.

There, that's better.

Just what sort of formula?

Well it's some

meaningless words,

Musgrave ritual,

they call it.

It's an old family custom

been handed down

for generations.

Can you remember

the words?

No, no, not at all.

But you had to speak them

when you're brother

Geoffrey took over.

Yes, that's right, I did.

Let me see now.

Who first shall find it

were better dead

Who next shall find it

perils his head.

The last to find it

defies dark powers.

Who first shall find it

were better dead.

Who next shall find it

perils his head.

The last to find it

defies dark powers

and brings good fortune

to Hurlstone Towers.

Where was the light on

the face of the messenger?

Where did he speed?

To guard the queen's page.

(Inaudible) in advanced

the bishop's page brashly

and who to repel,

the king's cautious page.

What then the...

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