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and the fire sparked. The sound of it seemed to draw him out of his reverie.
    ‘What was the opera you intended to see tonight?’ he asked.
    It was the last question I had expected. It seemed to be of such trivial importance in the light of everything we had just heard that I wondered if he was being deliberately rude.
    Edmund Carstairs must have thought the same. He started back, turned to me, then back to Holmes. ‘I am going to a performance of Wagner – but has nothing I have said made any impression on you?’ he demanded.
    ‘On the contrary, I found it of exceedingly great interest and must compliment you on the clarity and attention to detail with which you told it.’
    ‘And the man in the flat cap …’
    ‘You evidently believe him to be this Keelan O’Donaghue. You think he has followed you to England in order to exact his revenge?’
    ‘What other possible explanation could there be?’
    ‘Offhand, I could perhaps suggest half a dozen. It has always struck me that any interpretation of a series of events is possible until all the evidence says otherwise and even then one should be wary before jumping to a conclusion. In this case, yes, it might be that this young man has crossed the Atlantic and found his way to your Wimbledon home. However, one might ask why it has taken him more than a year to make the journey and what purpose he had in inviting you to a meeting at the church of St Mary. Why not just shoot you down where you stood, if that was his intent? Even more strange is the fact that he failed to turn up.’
    ‘He is trying to terrorise me.’
    ‘And succeeding.’
    ‘Indeed.’ Carstairs bowed his head. ‘Are you saying that you cannot help me, Mr Holmes?’
    ‘At this juncture, I do not see that there is a great deal I can do. Whoever he may be, your unwanted visitor has given us no clue as to how we may find him. If, on the other hand, he should reappear, then I will be pleased to give you what assistance I can. But there is one last thing I
can
tell you, Mr Carstairs. You can enjoy your opera in a tranquil state of mind. I do not believe he intends to do you harm.’
    But Holmes was wrong. At least, that was how it appeared the very next day. For it was then that the man in the flat cap struck again.

THREE
At Ridgeway Hall

    The telegram arrived the next morning, while we were sitting together at breakfast.

O’ DONAGHUE CAME AGAIN LAST NIGHT . MY SAFE BROKEN INTO AND POLICE NOW SUMMONED . CAN YOU COME?

    It was signed, Edmund Carstairs.
    ‘So what do you make of that, Watson?’ Holmes asked, tossing the paper down onto the table.
    ‘He has returned sooner, perhaps, than you had thought,’ I said.
    ‘Not at all. I was anticipating something very much like this. From the start, it occurred to me that the so-called man in the flat cap was more interested in Ridgeway Hall than its owner.’
    ‘You expected a burglary?’ I stammered. ‘But, Holmes, why did you not give Mr Carstairs a warning? At the very least you might have suggested the possibility.’
    ‘You heard what I said, Watson. With no further evidence, there was nothing I could hope to achieve. But now our unwanted visitor has most generously decided to assist us. He has quite probably forced a window. He will have walked across the lawn, stood in a flower bed and left muddy tracks across the carpet. From this we will learn, at the very least, his height, his weight, his profession and any peculiarities he may have in his gait. He may have been so kind as to drop some item or leave something behind. If he has taken jewellery, it will have to be disposed of. If it was money, that too may make itself known. At least now he will have laid a track that we can follow. Can I trouble you to pass the marmalade? There are plenty of trains to Wimbledon. I take it you will join me?’
    ‘Of course, Holmes. I would like nothing better.’
    ‘Excellent. I sometimes wonder how I will be able to find the energy or the will to