How Holmes Cleaned Up the Messy Case of "Mrs. Emerson's Troubled Tenants"
Esteemed Investigators,
Thank you for helping Holmes– not to mention Mrs. Emerson and Mr. Nextworth– crack this particularly tough nut. Our Featured Detective for this case will soon be revealed, but until then, read on below for Holmes’ own approach to solving this mystery! Did you suspect that one of Mrs. Emerson’s Troubled Tenants would benefit from a change in business partners?
Looking forward to the next case,
The Dear Holmes Team
——
13 November 1898
Dear Mr Nextworth,
I am glad to report that your brother Harrison is in good health, and that since receiving your letter earlier this morning, I have been able to solve this conundrum. Someone has indeed been attempting to profit from your new invention, however, I regret to inform you that the culprits may be closer to you than you might have anticipated.
The events described in the letter I first received from your landlady, Mrs Esmeralda Emerson, did not seem extraordinarily peculiar until I learned that your neighbours’ stolen belongings had been returned. This curious detail, coupled with the fact that Mrs Emerson had been negotiating the purchase of a neighbouring property, led me to suspect that Mrs Emerson herself was perhaps the intended victim. At this stage, I wondered if the supposed burglary was a blind; a mere attempt to defame Emerson Lodgings in the eyes of Mr Rupert Moore. I also admit that I saw no substantial evidence that suggested you were being specifically targeted, Mr Nextworth, but the following letter– that is, your first letter to me– quickly altered my hypothesis.
The note addressed to N. N., which your brother Harrison discovered upon arriving to visit you, made it resoundingly clear that your livelihood was indeed being threatened, and as you were inclined to believe, that the responsible party was intimately acquainted with your industry. The timing and nature of Clarke & Company’s promotional demonstration made their involvement seem quite likely, especially after learning that you had previously received substantial offers for your ‘Suction Sweeper’. However, I was unsure of what their ultimate goal could be until your third letter illuminated a number of details.
Clarke & Company’s visits to Mr Moore’s property on 7 and 8 November seemed rather pointedly timed, but as you know, the burglary at Emerson Lodgings had happened two days prior. Perhaps his men were attempting to surveil you, I posited, which would help explain how they might have located Harrison’s apartment. How they managed to sneak in and start a fire while Mrs Belford cooked remained a question, but their announcement regarding the Annual Innovations Exposition identified a possible goal: selling your invention at the event. Yet, my theory was complicated after your mention of Cecil Elton. You claimed he was Harrison’s dear friend, but his proximity to you and your brother, and his existing relationship with Nextworth Bros. Co., were not to be overlooked. Your third letter in hand, I wondered if this Mr Elton was perhaps colluding with Clarke & Company and taking advantage of your brother’s friendship. After all, Mr Elton seemed to be aware of both your and Harrison’s residences, and would likely possess knowledge of your general customs and usual whereabouts. Not to mention, both he and Clarke & Company’s men would likely possess the knowledge to employ parkesine as a combustible. This line of reasoning was again considerably amended shortly upon receipt of your fourth and final letter.
I commend your bravery in agreeing to approach Mr Robert Clarke and reveal elements of your project, for that meeting provided me with sufficient evidence to conclude that Clarke & Company was largely irrelevant to the events recently plaguing you. Mr Clarke’s reaction to your offer was all but alarming; if anything, it indicated a sincere interest in fair collaboration. Thus, I turned my attention to your brother’s friend, Mr Elton. Your previous letter mentioned his proclivity for gambling, so I began to analyse the facts before me with this possible motivation in mind. In turn, I began to notice aspects of your previous letters that made his accomplice, and the explanation for Harrison’s sudden disappearance, increasingly evident.
Mr Nextworth, it is my unfortunate duty to inform you that it has not been Clarke & Company, but rather, your own brother, Harrison, who has been attempting to profit from your Suction Sweeper with Mr Elton. Your brother’s kidnapper, and the author of both threatening notes, is none other than Harrison himself.
As you explained, following the initial burglary at Emerson’s, it was your brother who first urged you to relocate to his apartment, where he would have easier access to your workings. When you declined, he conveniently offered to take those very work documents to his apartment ahead of you, where he would later dispose of them under the cover of a dramatic blaze. Harrison and Cecil’s motivations subsequently came to light as I reviewed your earlier letters anew. Your second letter established that Harrison thought little of Clarke & Company; I suspect that his eagerness to agree with your own suspicions and cast doubt upon your competitor was but a ploy to deflect attention. Knowing that you and your neighbours would have occasion to celebrate on the evening of 5 November, Harrison began with what would be the first of several deceptive maneuvers. I imagine he first shattered your windows to ensure that nobody remained inside that night, as well as to create the appearance of a typical house robbery, and naturally, when he realised Mrs Moseley was locked in her bedroom, he hastily began to make his exit. Then, when visiting you on 8 November, he made sure to conveniently ‘discover’ the threatening note left at your building’s doorstep. As Mrs Emerson noted, the postman had delivered mail only thirty minutes prior, which supports my theory that Harrison simply authored the note before personally delivering it to you.
Examining your third letter again, I began to discern the evidence suggesting Harrison’s involvement with the fire. To start the fire without alerting Mrs Belford, he likely traveled from Shaw’s courtyard, through neighbouring yards, and into the Belfords’ back door, by which he left sets of muddy footprints. Mrs Belford herself noted that Harrison was ‘there to assist in what felt like no time at all’, but this was due to his shortened travel distance, not his bravery. Rather than running over from the nearby celebration, your brother had simply raced back out of the Belfords’ back door and into the neighbouring gardens before Mrs Belford sensed the burning flames. As she fled, he was already running out onto the street and back toward the Belfords’ residence.
Bearing all this in mind with Harrison’s uncharacteristic opposition to attending the Annual Innovations Exposition, I finally began to see his and Mr Elton’s plan unfurling before me. If, as you said, the exposition catered to those in pursuit of profit, then I stood to believe that Harrison and his friend hoped to sell off Nextworth Bros. Co.’s Suction Sweeper at the engagement. But despite their attempts at dissuading you, Harrison and Elton still feared you would attempt to attend the event yourself. Thus, the two fabricated the distraction of Harrison’s ‘disappearance’. As you noted in your fourth letter, your brother provided a reason for his unusually early departure that morning and went so far as to detail his day’s supposed itinerary in advance. This was to be certain that you would ultimately go looking for him and discover the note he– again, himself– had left behind in his apartment. Should you visit Cecil’s first, as you did, the fellow was prepared to urge you to visit Harrison’s apartment too.
The advertisement you discovered in The Times admittedly stumped me for a brief moment, as this ‘Kloet Inc.’ seemed to introduce a wholly new player to this game, however, your brief encounter with Mrs Elton was conveniently revelatory. I presume that Kloet, a fairly common Dutch surname, is indeed Mrs Elton’s maiden name; if not, it bears some otherwise strong connection to the lady who, as you noted, is of Dutch origin. And with that knowledge in mind, I was able to solidify my hypothesis. Much like the Kloet Inc. ad suggested, Harrison and Elton were specifically eyeing foreign investors as their target purchasers. Knowing full well that you think little of The Times and pay no mind to the Annual Innovations Exposition, the duo hoped to quickly amass some profits by offering the Suction Sweeper to high-bidding international investors, who would then debut the product far from London. To do so, Cecil advertised your ‘Suction Sweeper’ using a false company named endearingly after his beloved wife. The profits would of course have gone straight into his and your brother’s pockets.
Shortly after receiving your letter today, I became certain of Harrison and Cecil’s guilt. Fortunately, I had just enough time to bring their machinations to a halt. I immediately informed Officer Lestrade at Scotland Yard of my findings, and with the assistance of several officers, we attempted to apprehend the pair. Mr and Mrs Elton were nowhere to be found when officers arrived at their door, while a search of the vicinity’s inns and pubs provided no information regarding either of them, or your brother. We had also taken to inquiring about anybody named ‘Kloet’, which finally paid off at one Church Road Inn, a charming tavern just down the road from the Crystal Palace. The receptionist recognised the name ‘Kloet’ and confirmed that this guest had booked a room through to the end of the week. Surely enough, Harrison and Cecil were discovered enjoying a meal at the pub next door.
The ensuing arrest was fit for the headlines, for as soon as I entered the premises with several officers in tow, Mr Elton stood from his seat and delivered a histrionic outburst, blaming your brother Harrison entirely. His impassioned speech came to an abrupt halt as I divulged my knowledge of the case, after which I demanded the two show us to their lodgings next door. We thereupon discovered a collection of presentational materials featuring 'Kloet's newest invention', your Suction Sweeper. Mrs Elton was later revealed to be visiting relatives near Gerrards Cross. She presently awaits further investigation, but appears to have been unaware of her husband's scheming. He and your brother are in police custody awaiting what should be a fairly swift trial.
Disheartening as it may be to find that the perpetrators behind a crime were those nearest to its victim, I am nevertheless consoled by the satisfaction of bringing this quandary to a close for you. You will be glad to know that Harrison and Mr Elton made great efforts to preserve your work pertaining to the Suction Sweeper, so despite their inexcusable deception, I believe that you would be thoroughly equipped for the Annual Innovations Exposition, should you be so inclined to attend. I have contacted the event’s registration committee and they have unanimously agreed to remove all mention of Kloet Inc. from the exposition’s signage before its start tomorrow afternoon. Should you wish to present the Suction Sweeper at the event as its true creator, please contact them immediately to confirm your preferred billing. I presume that ‘Nextworth Bros. Co.’ may no longer be your ideal title.
I have high hopes for your future as an inventor, Mr Nextworth, and I daresay that anyone would be rather bold to look past this Suction Sweeper you have brought to life. Perhaps I have reason to attend the Annual Innovations Exposition myself this year.
Wishing you success,
