The Scarlet Claw Page #2

to take on the case.

Quite.

Telephone the airport

and cancel our

reservations will you?

Certainly sir.

Consider Watson the

irony, the tragic irony,

that we accepted the

commission from the victim

to find her murderer.

For the first time

we've been

retained by a corpse.

Doesn't seem to be a bell.

Never mind come along.

Do you think we should?

What a cold, cheerless

looking room.

Yes.

What do you want?

Who are you?

Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

I apologize for

this intrusion.

Would you mind gentlemen?

Mr. Holmes

is it your custom

to burst into

people's houses

without ringing the bell?

We couldn't find

the bell sir.

If you've come here

to use the death of my

wife to prove your theories

I must ask you to leave.

Penrose, I

received this letter

from Lady Penrose

this morning.

I say that was

devilish awkward.

I'm afraid you're a

little late Mr. Holmes,

my wife's dead.

And I've come here

to find her murderer.

You might have saved

yourself the trouble.

I'm convinced that

the solution to

this horrible deed

lies in an understanding

of psychic phenomenon.

Although I don't expect you

to admit that Mr. Holmes.

I assure you Penrose

I neither believe

nor disbelieve

in anything including

psychic phenomena.

If I could just

see Lady Penrose

it might help dispel

much of the mystery

that surrounds these

happenings in La Morte Rouge.

Drake!

Why don't you answer

the blasted thing?

Sergeant Thompson has

charge of the case.

You'll find him

at the police station

and now I must

ask you to go

and take your

assistant with you.

You'll excuse me if

I don't show you out.

Drake?

Drake?

Drake where are you?

Watson!

Holmes I've

seen her before.

Right Watson you have.

Yes but where?

Never mind that now

we must examine

the wound

before Penrose returns

and has us thrown

out of the house.

Clumsy job.

Just missed her

jugular vein.

She must have

bled to death.

Must have bled for

several hours hey?

Possibly more.

Long enough for Penrose

to leave La Morte Rouge

and reach Quebec in

time for the meeting?

Holmes you don't

suspect Penrose?

I suspect nobody Watson

I was just

asking a question.

I beg your

pardon gentlemen.

There is another

who desired

the death of her ladyship.

I saw it last

night in the fields

moving in and

out of the shadows.

You're the butler

aren't you?

I was the butler.

I've given notice.

Drake?

Get out.

Get out of this.

I trust you found what

you're looking for?

Two things have been

made clear to me Penrose.

That you're

wife was murdered

and that she's

Lillian Gentry.

Lillian Gentry?

Will you leave or must

I call the police?

That will not

be necessary.

We're on our way to

the police station now.

The wounds found on

Lady Penrose's throat

are identical with those

found on the throats

of the dead sheep.

Now I'm not a

superstitious man Mr. Holmes

but I don't

know of any weapon

capable of

inflicting such wounds

except an animal's claw.

Of course it

could be done

by a five prong

garden weeder.

Not that garden weeder

Mr. Holmes, that's mine.

I use it to

weed the garden

at the back of the jail.

I'm inclined to agree

with the Sergeant, Holmes.

A weapon such as that

would of severed

the jugular vein.

Death would have

followed immediately.

Lady Penrose

lived long enough

to drag herself

to the church

and toll the bell

in a frantic effort

to call for help.

Yes, yes I know

all about that

but there must be

some logical motive

instead of all these

goblins and monsters.

Sergeant have you ever

heard of a Lillian Gentry?

No.

No can't say that

I have Mr. Holmes.

She was a famous actress

who came to America

some time ago.

She appeared

for many years

in the

United States and Canada

and then suddenly

she disappeared.

Her disappearance

was never explained

and she was

soon forgotten.

But what's the

connection between

Lillian Gentry's

disappearance

and the death

of Lady Penrose?

Lillian Gentry

and Lady Penrose

are one in

the same person.

The same person?

Precisely.

One more question

Sergeant.

Do your files show anyone

with a prison record

living in La Morte Rouge?

No Mr. Holmes.

The only person

having any connection

with the prison

is Emile Journet.

He came here two years

ago with his daughter

and bought the hotel.

He was a guard

at Talon Prison.

Thank you Sergeant.

I hear there are a

lot of prairie chicken

in these parts.

I'd like to have a

bang at them some day.

I think that can

be arranged Doc.

Yes we can stop

over at a farmyard

and you can shoot all

the chickens you want.

That's all very

funny Holmes.

Here you are old fellow.

We're going to

engage rooms

of Monsieur

Journet's hotel.

Landlord!

I say landlord!

Place seems deserted.

Won't be for long if

you bellow like that.

Land... oh sorry Holmes.

Got to try and make some...

Yes monsieur?

My dear will you

rent a room for us?

Yes monsieur.

Good.

Sign here please.

I'll sign for us both.

Oh thank you.

You seem very young

to be in charge here.

Yes monsieur.

You a

Mademoiselle Journet?

Marie Journet monsieur.

My dear you've

been crying.

Why?

Papa's going away.

Oh come now.

That's the tragedy?

Wouldn't you cry

if you're papaw were

going away Watson?

I don't believe I so.

This way monsieur.

Bring your bags.

Yes of course.

Wouldn't I be unhappy

if my father went away?

Haven't seen my

father for years.

Only died about

two years ago...

Bills, bills, bills.

That's the way

it goes Emile.

It costs money to be born

and it costs money to die.

Do you know who

that was in the car?

It was Sherlock Holmes.

He's here now.

What do you

think he'll find?

Ghosts and monsters.

What else is there

for him to find?

I don't know.

You're afraid Emile.

Of course I am

and so are you.

Who isn't?

Why should Sherlock

Holmes come here?

To investigate the death

of Lady Penrose what else?

I'm afraid Mr. Holmes

will return to London

a sadder but a wiser man.

Why do you say that?

Well you can't arrest

ghosts and monsters

can you now?

Well I'm on my way

the mail must

be delivered.

Much better.

This room gives

me the creeps.

It's very seldom

used, monsieur.

It isn't often that

strangers come

to La Morte Rouge

and when they do

they never stay.

I can't say that

I blame them.

Will your father

be away for long?

I don't know monsieur.

When is he leaving?

I don't know.

Marie?

If you need anything

just ring monsieur.

That girl's

frightened Holmes.

Obviously.

She made the

mistake of telling us

that her father

was leaving.

You don't think

that Journet...

Suppose we have a little

talk to Monsieur Journet,

might prove illuminating.

Didn't I tell you not

to answer any questions?

Yes.

Didn't I tell you

to keep a silent

tongue in your mouth?

Yes papaw.

So you told them

I was going away?

Yes papaw.

That'll teach you to

keep your mouth shut.

Uh Monsieur Journet,

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