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from the outside. During the night, both doors are securely locked with keys held by the concierge, who is always the last to leave the building.
    â€œThe main part of the space is taken up with two washrooms which have been installed for all of the office workers - one for the ladies and the other for the gentlemen of the building. They contain toilet facilities and cloakrooms. The windows to these are covered in wrought-iron bars preventing any exit from the building. Outside of the washrooms, towards the centre of the lobby, is the main stairwell, which ascends to the five upper floors. At the heart of this, is the building’s lift, or elevator, system. And very impressive it is too, Dr Watson.”
    â€œIn what way?” I enquired, having little idea what the contraption consisted of.
    â€œI was told by Mr Cartwright that this is the first office building in London to have such a machine. It is a square box, some eight or nine feet across. An iron gate at its entrance is slid across to allow the office workers to step into it. When the gate has been returned to its original position, those inside can operate a series of levers which then transport the box up to their desired floor.” He paused at that point and withdrew his black police notebook from an inside pocket, before continuing to provide further minutiae.
    â€œThe contrivance is powered by water under pressure, which comes from a nearby hydraulic power station, which is itself driven by coal-fired steam engines. The whole system is delivered by the London Hydraulic Power Company, which operates north of the Thames. I confess that the details of how it works escape me, but it certainly takes the legwork out of climbing stairs in such a tall building.”
    â€œI can imagine, Inspector. It sounds like an incredible device. And can this lifting box be accessed from each floor of the building?”
    â€œYes, although it appears that Mr Cartwright makes the greatest use of it. The concierge accompanies any visitors to the building and also assists the secretary, Miss Trelawney, who travels in the lift each morning to get to her room on the third floor. The concierge told me that the noise of the mechanism terrifies the Godbold brothers on the second floor and the dead man, Mr Flanagan, preferred to use the stairs to get to his first floor office, as the lift is very slow to operate.”
    â€œI see. So that accounts for the ground floor. What about the rest of the building and its inhabitants?” I then asked.
    â€œThe body was found on the first floor. You will know something of Mr Flanagan from the newspaper account. The floor consists of two linked rooms which serve as one rented office. Access to both is through a single door which faces the stairwell and lift. The first room is windowless and contains a desk and some other office furniture. A further door at the rear leads to the second room, which the Irishman used as a storeroom for his valuable porcelain pieces.”
    â€œTwo questions, Inspector. Firstly, was Flanagan in the habit of locking the door to his office when at work? And secondly, does the storeroom contain windows that can be opened?”
    â€œThe answers to both questions is ‘No’, Doctor. Flanagan locked the door each evening when he left the office. The concierge suggested that this was usually around five-thirty. But during the day, he kept the door unlocked and rarely left his rooms. The windows are a modern design and permanently fixed. They cannot be opened.”
    â€œThank you, Lestrade. That is most clear. And what can you tell me about the body?”
    â€œFlanagan appears to have been shot at close range, which suggests a handgun of some kind. But there was no weapon in the vicinity. The local doctor who arrived later to remove the body, said the death was most likely instantaneous and the result of the substantial blood loss from a single, fatal shot to the heart. He has agreed to let