And im gonna run it the way i like. Get off out of it. Good morning good morning. Caught anything . [laughs] not yet. Holmes what on earth are you doing here . Looking for you. Carry on, my dear fellow. Dont let me disturb you. What on earth are you doing here . [laughs] a case has brought me this way. What sort of case . The newspapers are calling it the boscombe valley mystery. I expect youve read something of it. No, not a word. I havent seen a paper for days. A farmer called mccarthy, australian by birth, met his death by a meer at the bottom of his farm. They seem to have established a very serious case against the son of the murdered man. Theres a big one just under that rock. So, then, its, um, a murder. Well, its conjectured to be so. Of course, i shall take nothing for granted until ive had a chance to look into it personally. Naturally. I dont wish to spoil your holiday, but i was wondering if i could persuade you to join me for a couple of days. Well, of course. Are you sure . I should be delighted. Then we must move quickly. Our local train leaves in 35 minutes. Your hot water, sir. Watson, all this fresh air will kill me. Mm. Well, the london press dont seem much interested, notnot very full accounts. Yes, useless. [sighs] so much for the london press. It all seems depressingly simple. What persuaded you to take an interest in this case . This. Boscombe valley mystery. There has been a grave miscarriage of justice. The matter is urgent. We need your help. Please come if you can, alice turner. Good heavens. Who is alice turner . Shes the daughter of a mr. Turner, also australian, who owns this whole estate. Well, its a mystery, not murder, to miss turner. Note the we, watson we need your help. If ever there was a cry from the heart, that is it. It leaps from the paper. Have you seen this lady . No, not yet. Do you remember a certain sergeant summerby . Summerby. Oh, yes, the case of the counterfeit spanish dollars. Mexican. A pleasant fellow. Much admired your methods, did he not . Probably his reason for promotion to inspector. He is in charge of the case, and it was he who organized this accommodation for us. Us . You presumed that i would come. No, not presumed, watson hoped. Very much hoped. Well, mr. Holmes. And you, doctor. Its a pleasure to see you again. Congratulations on your promotion. Inspector, well. Thank you, doctor. Well, its a quiet district as a rule but nonetheless my own. I have a carriage waiting. Ah. Oh. Mccarthy, the murdered man, rented a farm called hatherley from mr. Turner, who is one of the largest landed proprietors in this part of the country. Made his money in australia. I presume that both being colonials, they had much in common. Old friends, i believe. Though mr. Turner has been in Failing Health for some time. He has a daughter called alice . An only child and a most charming one. We surmise that miss turner and the mccarthy boy are friends. Great friends. It was miss turner who brings me here. Well, i know, mr. Holmes, and to be quite honest with you, im surprised you came. Well, the case is as plain as a backstaff, and the more one gets into it, the plainer it becomes. So i have warned miss turner that this time, not even mr. Sherlock holmes will be able to work miracles. So there we are. Beautiful countryside. Yes, yes, indeed. This is, uh, boscombe valley. And over there at the bottom is boscombe meer, where the murder took place. Peaceful place for a tragedy. Any witnesses . I expected that question, mr. Holmes. The principal witness is william crowder, one of mr. Turners gamekeepers. It was after id had me dinner. Last monday, it was, the, uh. The 3rd of june. Ah, aye, thats right. Now, i fed the young pheasants. Hawks, we call them. You were planting out lettuces. Ah, ah, thats right. I was setting out some lettuces, those lettuces over there, when my little girl patience, she comes running up. Dad, dad, the mccarthys are fighting. Well, wont be the first time. Well, dont you worry about it, patience. t aint no concern of ours. Go on. In you go. That mr. Mccarthy, whoo, he had a temper, that man, you know . Oh, aye. Do you know, if he thought another gun had poached his bird out shooting, hed let fly in a real fury . Was the boy the same way inclined . No milk for me, please. Uh, no. No, not that ive noticed, anyway. No, he always seemed a nice enough boy. Im surprised, him doing such a thing. But then again, he was provoked. No doubt. Whos to say . You tell the gentlemen what happened next. What . You havent forgotten what you said in evidence at the inquest . Forgotten . I shant forget that day, not so long as i live. Now, id just sent patience in to her mother, and i hadnt planted out no more than another half box when Young Mccarthy comes running up looking like hed seen a ghost. My fathers met with a terrible accident. Please come with me. I need your help. Where is he . Down by the meer. Is he alive . [sobbing] you just come along with me. I brought him back here, and i sent me wife down in the trap for the police. Did the boy say anything . No. No, no, not a word. He just there where you are, sobbing and moaning. And i didnt take me eyes off him till they came for him, and thats the truth. Did you examine the gun at all, the butt, for instance . Uh, no, no, not especially. There was a bit of mud on it. He wiped it. He wiped it. Well, i might have done. I mean, it would have been natural, wouldnt it . There was mr. Mccarthy lying there dead with his head bashed in. He hadnt got that way swatting wasps, had he . And you believe that the boy killed his father. Well, of course i do, sir. I mean, who else could have done it . Well, i can tell you this much, gentlemen, all right . Now, im a gamekeeper, all right . And when a mans got a gun in his hand, strange things can happen. Oh, aye. Now, ive seen men quiet, lawabiding, gentlemen you put a gun in their hands, they turn into near maniacs thank you so much, mr. Crowder, for giving so much of your valuable time. Well, its been a pleasure, gentlemen. Its not the first time ive been able to help the cause of justice. No, not by a long shot. Well, last year, at candlemas time. You remember, inspector . No, im a liar. It were two years well, we must be on our way. Well, im on the side of law and order, sir. The inspector will tell you that. Indeed, you are, crowder. Thank you. Goodbye. [sighs] theyre all the same, these country people. Once they get an audience, theyll talk the hind leg off a donkey. Now, if you follow me, ill take you down to the scene of the crime. No need for the moment. Thats very true. No need in the circumstances. Its a sad case but a pretty clear one. The glass is high, weather set fair. I should like to call on James Mccarthy. I can arrange it if you wish. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Oh, one more thing i should tell you, mr. Holmes when the boy was charged with the murder, he didnt appear in the least surprised. In fact, he said it was no more than his desserts. Those were his very words. A confession. You might think so. Did he also protest his innocence . Yes. But then again, they always do, dont they . I think wed best be getting back to the hotel. I have some calls to make on the estate. Till tomorrow, then. Boscombe arms. Well, the boy said he got no more than his desserts. Well, thats a pretty suspicious remark. I mean, coming after such a damning series of events. On the contrary. Its the brightest rift i can see in the clouds at present. The selfreproaching contrition displayed by his remark appears to me to be signs of a healthy mind rather than a guilty one. Many men have been hanged on far slighter evidence. So they have, and many man have been hanged wrongfully. Oh, look, a pheasant. [clock ticking] hmm, witness thats James Mccarthy i had a conversation with my father which led to high words and almost to blows. As his temper was becoming ungovernable, i left him and went up the hill. I hadnt gone more than 100 yards when i heard a hideous outcry which caused me to run back again. I found my father expiring on the ground with his head terribly injured. Did you see anyone near your father when you returned . No, no one. I have no idea how he came by his injuries. He as not a popular man, but as far as i know, he had no active enemies. I know nothing further of the matter. Did your father say anything to you before he died . He mumbled a few words, but all i could catch was some allusion to a rat. [crowd murmuring] silence be quiet a rat . And what did you understand by that . It conveyed nothing to me. I thought well, i thought he was delirious. What was the point upon which you and your father had this final quarrel . I should prefer not to answer that question, sir. I am afraid that i must press it. It is really impossible for me to tell you. But i can assure you that it had nothing to do with the sad tragedy that followed. That is for the court to decide. I need hardly point out to you that your refusal to answer will prejudice your case considerably in any future proceedings which may arise. You may sit down. Gentlemen of the jury, you are here to discover the cause of death of mr. William mccarthy and thereafter to deliver your verdict. You have heard the facts of this crime, and i believe they make the situation very clear. Mr. James mccarthys account of his fathers dying is singular, to say the least. His refusal to give any details of their last conversation must go very much against him. The verdict of willful murder would seem to me to fit the facts we have heard. I hope i make myself clear. So willful murder it was. Monstrous. Well, the boy did rather ask for it. Oh, my dear watson, dont you see that both you and the coroner have been to some pains to single out the strongest points in the young mans favor . Dont you see that you alternately give him credit for too much imagination or too little too little if he could not invent a quarrel which would give him the sympathy of the jury; too much if he evolved from his own inner consciousness anything so outre as a dying reference to a rat . Well, these country coroners do think theyre little tinpot gods. Its an absolute scandal. [clock chiming] no, no, no. I shall approach this case from the point of view that what this young man says is true. We have a visitor. Our young client has arrived. [knocking at door] come in. Im so glad you have come, mr. Holmes. Im alice turner. This is my friend and colleague dr. Watson. Dr. Watson, of course. It is you who have written down some of mr. Holmes cases in such an interesting way. You see, i know all about you, mr. Holmes, and your wonderful success. If you knew how much we need you now. Do you yet know anything of what happened . Please sit down, miss turner. Inspector summerby has told me something of it. Oh, yes, the inspector. He gave me your address. Hes quite a kind man, isnt he . But he doesnt understand. How could he . Hes a policeman. Mr. Holmes, i know that james didnt do it. I know it. And i want you to start your work knowing it too. Never let yourself doubt upon that point. Have you known James Mccarthy a long time . Yes, all my life. We have known each other since we were children. But hes too tenderhearted to hurt a fly. This charge is just absurd to anyone who really knows him. Well, i hope that we may clear him. I shall do all i can. But from what you have heard already, do you not think hes innocent . I think it is probable. Though i dont think my friend is so convinced. Well, i think that mr. Holmes has been a little a little quick in his conclusions. But you are right. Oh, i know that you are right. James never did it. [inhales deeply] this quarrel with his father which he would not talk about to the coroner, do you know anything of it . I believe it was because i was concerned in it. In what way . It is no time to hide anything now. James and his father had many disagreements about me. Mr. Mccarthy was very anxious that there should be a marriage between us. Well, james and i have always loved each other like brother and sister. Well, of course, we havent seen so much of each other lately. I have been away at boarding school for some years, and james has been studying in liverpool. He is only 22 and has seen very little of life, and well, i suppose he does not wish to do anything like that just yet. So there were quarrels, and this, i am sure, was one of them. How old are you, miss turner . I am 18, quite nearly 19. As you say, this isnt a time to hide anything. Are you in love with James Mccarthy . Yes, i am, mr. Holmes, very much in love. There is no one else and never will be. Even if and he with you . Oh, i think so. I hope so. But how should i know for sure . We have never discussed marriage. Was your father in favor of such a union . No, he was averse to it. No one but mr. Mccarthy was in favor of it. Thank you for being so frank with us. If i was to visit your father, could i see him, please . Im afraid not. The doctor has forbidden any visitors. Oh, im sorry. We did not know he was so ill. My father has never been strong, but this has broken him completely. He has taken to his bed, and dr. Willows says that he is a wreck and his nervous system is shattered. I can hardly leave him, or i would have been at the Railway Station to meet you. Well, you see, mr. Mccarthy was the only man alive who had known dad in the old days in australia. Australia. In victoria, at the mines the gold mines. Well, thats where dad made all his money. You have been of material assistance to me. Will you be able to see james . Tomorrow. Tell him that i know him to be innocent. I will. Could you give him this . Of course. And if you have any news, you will tell me . I must go home now. I left my father asleep, but if he wakes and im not there, hell be upset. Goodbye. Goodbye. And god help you in your undertaking. May i see him alone, please . As you wish, mr. Holmes, but remember, this man is on remand, accused of willful murder. And as you well know, such a man under such circumstances is unlikely to speak the truth. Well, thank you for your good advice. James mccarthy, my name is Sherlock Holmes. Im here to help you. How should i know that . You came with a police inspector. I saw him out there. Im here at the request of miss turner. I am sorry, mr. Holmes. Lately ive learned to trust no one. Im afraid youve come too late. Theyve already made up their minds that i am guilty. Well, i have not. The Coroners Court the coroner and the coroners jury only sit to inquire into the facts. They do not sit in judgment. Well, how can i help you . Id like you to tell me exactly what happened. Let us sit down over here, where we can talk quietly and not be overheard. Where shall i start . You choose. Um, well, ive been studying in liverpool for some three years. My father was most anxious i should have some academic qualifications. It was on that day, june the 3rd, that i returned home. Was your father expecting you . No, no, not exactly. He knew i was due for a few days holiday, but not the exact day. A local courier took me up to the farm from the village. [laughs] nice to see you back, master james. Oh, its nice to be back, george. Hey, stand. Stand. Is my father in the house . No, no. Went off about five minutes ago. Looked as though he had something on his mind. Oh, all right, george. Will you be wanting a pony later . Uh, no, no, ill ride tomorrow. I might take the gun, see if i can pull in a few rabbits. They need shooting. Place is crawling with them. Walk on. Hello, father. James . What are you doing here . Im just back for a few days. Thats all. Well, i dont want you down here, so get off out of it. Keep away from me. Do you understand . Yes. Why . None of your damn business. Just do as youre told. James. Look, now you are here, get over the turners place and tell that girl youll marry her. Ill do no such thing. Look, father, we have been through do as i tell you, boy, you damn disobedient little bastard. Give me the gun. Give me the gun. Its my life, and im gonna run it the way i like. All right. Damn you. Ill throw you out. Ill ruin you. Youll see. Now, get off out of it. I had hardly gone any distance at all when i heard a a terrible scream. I ran back down and found my father lying on his side. Did you see anyone else . No, no one. No movement anywhere . No, my attention was entirely on my father. He was terribly wounded. You would not tell the coroner about this quarrel with your father. It was something private. It was no business of his. Was it not because this confrontation with your father might seem to incriminate you . No. No, it was because it concerned alice. It as no business of the coroners or anyone elses. I wasnt going to have her name bandied about in the courtroom. You do know that alice loves you, james, and believes you to be innocent. Yes, i know. The thought of her love and her faith in me has kept me in some sort of sanity in this horrible place. And yet you did not wish to marry her, as your father so clearly wished. Perhaps you did not share her love. I did. I do, mr. Holmes. I love alice turner. Ii adore her. I worship the very ground she treads on. But and yet . I could not ask her to marry me, because because i was married already. Dont you think youd better tell me about it . Whenwhen i first started studying in liverpool, my father gave me a very generous allowance, too generous for my own good. I became very wild and fell in with a bad set of people. In a fit of drunken madness, i went through a form of marriage in a Register Office to a woman much older than i was. A barmaid. I hardly ever saw alice at that time. Of course, i couldnt tell my father. He would certainly have thrown me out, as hed so often threatened. Yes, im sure he would have. Have you any idea who would have killed your father so brutally . None whatsoever. Do you know, i go over the scene day after day after day in my mind . But i am as puzzled as everyone else is. Dont give up hope. Thank you, mr. Holmes. Oh, mr. Holmes. Yes . It hardly concerns all this business, but perhaps i should tell you. Some good has come out of this evil. Since ive been in here, ive received a message from the woman i married, who has read in the newspapers that i am in serious trouble and likely to be hanged. She wrote that she had a husband already in the bermuda dockyard. Good heavens. So there is no legal tie between us. If only i had known before. You were right to tell me. [door slams] poor fellow. Mustve been maddening to be upbraided by his father for not doing something he would give his very eyes to do. If hes innocent, who did it . Indeed. Well, perhaps i can help. Ive not been entirely idle in your absence. In the surgeons deposition at the inquest, it states that the posterior third of the left parietal bone and the left half of the occipital bone were shattered by blows from a blunt weapon. Now, thatsthats here, behind. But the evidence states that they were quarreling facetoface. Thats a very nice piece of deduction, watson. Thank you. But hardly a valued one. Mccarthy could have easily turned his back the moment the girl had run off. But i am so glad that youre coming around to my way of thinking and miss turners. The boy is innocent. Now, holmes, youre putting words into my mouth. I didnt say that. But youre thinking it