Chapter 1: The Red Envelope
It was a familiar morning at 221B Baker Street. Dr. Watson was enjoying his tea while Holmes tuned his violin.
A knock sounded at the door.
Mrs. Hudson entered, holding a dark red envelope.
"Mr. Holmes, the gentleman refused to give his name. He only asked me to deliver this and left at once."
Holmes took the envelope and immediately said,
"Watson, the man was in a hurry… but a gentleman. Mud on the sole of his shoes — he came from the Hyde Park direction."
Watson stared.
"How can you possibly know that without even opening the letter?"
Holmes smiled faintly.
Inside the letter was a single line:
"At midnight tonight, a murder will occur at Blackwood Manor. You may stop it—if you can."
Watson gasped.
"Is this a joke or a threat?"
Holmes' eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Watson… we shall not be sleeping tonight."
Chapter 2: The Shadows of Blackwood Manor
11:40 PM. A massive mansion stood in darkness — Blackwood Manor.
Inside lived the elderly Lord Blackwood, a man of immense wealth.
Residing with him were three people:
His nephew, Edward
His personal physician, Dr. Mallory
The old butler, Jenkins
Just before midnight, a scream pierced the silence.
Holmes and Watson rushed inside.
Lord Blackwood lay on the library floor… dead.
The door was locked from the inside.
The windows were shut tight.
Watson whispered,
"A locked-room murder!"
Holmes knelt beside the body and said calmly,
"No, Watson… this is not merely a murder. This is a carefully staged performance."
Chapter 3: The Invisible Killer
Everyone was gathered in the drawing room.
Edward was sobbing.
Dr. Mallory claimed it was a heart attack.
Jenkins the butler was trembling.
Holmes returned to the library and pulled a book from the shelf.
Behind it was a thin thread.
The thread was attached to the door lock mechanism.
Watson's eyes widened.
"You mean someone locked the door from outside?!"
"Precisely," Holmes replied. "The killer was never trapped inside the room."
Then Holmes pointed at the dead man's fingers.
Beneath Lord Blackwood's nails was a faint trace of blue paint.
"Watson, before he died, Lord Blackwood scratched his attacker."
Chapter 4: The Real Motive
Holmes assembled the three suspects.
"Lord Blackwood changed his will last week. In the new will, his entire fortune goes to—"
Holmes paused dramatically.
"—Dr. Mallory."
The room fell silent.
Dr. Mallory turned pale.
"Do you have proof?"
Holmes raised the doctor's hand.
There was a faint blue stain near his fingernail.
"The library doorframe was freshly painted this evening. While tying the thread to the lock, you touched the wet paint. Lord Blackwood realized your intentions and scratched you while resisting."
Watson exhaled sharply.
"So it wasn't a heart attack?"
Holmes replied quietly,
"No. Poison was mixed into his night medicine."
Chapter 5: The Final Smile
The police arrested Dr. Mallory.
As he was taken away, he turned to Holmes.
"How did you even receive the letter?"
Holmes smiled slightly.
"Your mistake was your pride. You wanted to challenge me. Criminals sometimes crave an intellectual duel… and that is where they lose."
On the way back to Baker Street, Watson asked,
"Holmes, do you ever make mistakes?"
Holmes opened his violin case and answered—
"I do make mistakes, Watson…
but criminals usually make a greater one first."
Outside, London disappeared into fog.
Inside, the sound of Holmes' violin filled the room once more.
Sherlock Holmes waited for the next mystery. 🎻🔍