Все приключения Шерлока Холмса. Сборник. Уровень 2

At the door of the house, a tall, white-faced, flaxen-haired[19 - flaxen-haired – с льняными волосами] man met us. He had a notebook in his hand. He rushed forward and wrung my companion’s hand with effusion.

“It is indeed kind of you to come,” he said, “My colleague, Mr. Lestrade, is here.”

Holmes glanced at me and raised his eyebrows sardonically.

“With two such men as yourself and Lestrade here, I am useless,” he said.

Gregson rubbed his hands.

“I think,” he answered; “it’s a queer case, and I knew your taste for such things.”

“You did not come here in a cab?” asked Sherlock Holmes.

“No, sir.”

“Nor Lestrade?”

“No, sir.”

“Then let us go and look at the room.”

And Sherlock Holmes entered the house.

A short passage led to the kitchen and offices. I saw two doors to the left and to the right. One of these was closed. The other belonged to the dining-room, where the mysterious affair occurred. Holmes walked in, and I followed him.

It was a large square room without furniture. A vulgar paper adorned the walls. Opposite the door was a showy fireplace, surmounted by a mantelpiece. On one corner of this was the stump of a red wax candle. The window was so dirty that the light was hazy and uncertain. All these details I observed afterwards.

A single grim motionless figure lay upon the floor. It was a man about forty-three or forty-four years of age, middle-sized, broad shouldered, with curling black hair, and a short stubbly beard. He was dressed in a frock coat[20 - frock coat – сюртук] and waistcoat, with light-coloured trousers. A top hat[21 - top hat – цилиндр] was placed upon the floor beside him. His hands were clenched and his arms thrown abroad[22 - thrown abroad – раскинуты], while his legs were interlocked[23 - legs were interlocked – ноги были скрючены]. On his rigid face there stood an expression of horror and of hatred. This malignant and terrible contortion, the low forehead, blunt nose, and prognathous jaw[24 - prognathous jaw – выступающая вперёд челюсть] gave the dead man an ape-like[25 - ape-like – обезьяноподобный] appearance.

Lestrade was standing by the doorway, and greeted my companion and myself.

Sherlock Holmes approached the body. He knelt down and examined it intently.

“You are sure that there is no wound?” he asked. He pointed to numerous gouts and splashes of blood which lay all round.

“Yes!” cried both detectives.

“Then, of course, this blood belongs to somebody else, maybe to the murderer, if it is a murder?”

As he spoke, his nimble fingers were flying here, there, and everywhere. They were feeling, pressing, unbuttoning, examining. Finally, he sniffed the dead man’s lips, and then glanced at the soles of his patent leather boots.

“You can take him to the mortuary now,” he said.

Four men entered the room, and they lifted and carried the stranger out. As they raised him, a ring tinkled down and rolled across the floor. Lestrade took it.

“There was a woman here,” he cried. “It’s a woman’s wedding-ring.”

He held it upon the palm of his hand. We all gazed at it.

“This complicates matters,” said Gregson.

“You’re sure it doesn’t simplify them?” observed Holmes. “What did you find in his pockets?”

“Here,” said Gregson. “A gold watch, No. 97163, by Barraud[26 - by Barraud – фирмы Барро], of London. Gold chain, very heavy and solid. Gold ring, with masonic device. Gold pin-bull-dog’s head, with rubies as eyes.

Russian leather card-case, with cards of Enoch J. Drebber of Cleveland. No purse, but seven pounds thirteen. Pocket edition of Boccaccio’s ‘Decameron,’[27 - Boccaccio’s ‘Decameron’ – «Декамерон» Бокаччо]with name of Joseph Stangerson upon the fly-leaf[28 - with name of Joseph Stangerson upon the fly-leaf – с именем Джозеф Стэнджерсон на форзаце]. Two letters-one addressed to E. J. Drebber and one to Joseph Stangerson.”

“At what address?”

“American Exchange, Strand-to be left till called for[29 - American Exchange, Strand-to be left till called for – Стрэнд, Американская биржа, до востребования]. They are both from the Guion Steamship Company[30 - Guion Steamship Company – пароходная компания «Гийон»], and refer to the boats from Liverpool. It is clear that this unfortunate man wanted to return to New York.”

“What about this man, Stangerson?”

“I sent advertisements to all the newspapers, sir,” said Gregson. “And one of my men went to the American Exchange.”

“What about Cleveland?”

“We telegraphed this morning.”

“What were your inquiries?”

“We simply detailed the circumstances, and said that we were glad to receive any information which could help us.”

Sherlock Holmes chuckled to himself. Suddenly Lestrade reappeared.

“Mr. Gregson,” he said, “I made a discovery of the highest importance! I carefully examined the walls. Come here. Now, stand there!”

He struck a match on his boot.

“Look at that!” he said, triumphantly.

In the corner of the room, across the wall there was in blood-red letters a single word – RACHE.

“What do you think of that?” cried the detective. “The murderer wrote it with his or her own blood. Why that corner? I will tell you. See that candle on the mantelpiece. It was the brightest corner of the room.”

“And what does it mean?” asked Gregson.

“Mean? It means that the writer was going to write the female name Rachel. But he or she had no time to finish. You can laugh, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. You may be very smart and clever, but the old hound is the best here!”

“I really beg your pardon!” said my companion. “You are certainly the best. I had no time to examine this room, but with your permission I shall do so now.”

And he whipped a tape measure[31 - tape measure – рулетка] and a large round magnifying glass[32 - magnifying glass – увеличительное стекло] from his pocket. With these two implements he trotted noiselessly about the room. Sometimes he stopped, occasionally knelt. For twenty minutes or more he continued his researches. In one place he gathered up very carefully a little pile of grey dust from the floor, and packed it in an envelope. Finally, he examined with his magnifying glass the word upon the wall. After that he was satisfied, for he replaced his tape and his glass in his pocket.

Gregson and Lestrade watched the manoeuvres of Sherlock Holmes with considerable curiosity and some contempt.

“What do you think of it, sir?” they both asked.

“You are doing so well now,” remarked my friend. “that I can’t interfere.” There was sarcasm in his voice as he spoke. “If you let me know how your investigations go,” he continued, “I shall be happy to give you any help I can. But I want to speak to the constable who found the body. Can you give me his name and address?”