The Adventure of the Manufactured Miracle (The Midwinter Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

eyes widened. “How did you know that, sir?”
    Holmes smiled and waved a hand nonchalantly. “The signs are clear. In your next post, I would recommend that you take more notice of the positions of a room’s objects of decorative art, such as that figurine upon the mantle, before you dust them. This will allow you to return them to their original position. How long exactly have you been with Mr. Vaughan?”
    “Just three weeks, sir,” said she, nodding anxiously.
    “And what happened to the previous maid?”
    She licked her lips. “I understand that she retired.”
    “And had she been with him long?”
    “Yes, many years, I believe.”
    “And her name?”
    “Mrs. Sumner, Florence Sumner. I think she now lives with her daughter on Southwick Mews. But she told me that Mr. Vaughan was quite generous at the end.”
    “Holmes!” Lestrade interjected. “What do we care about his previous maid? She wasn’t even here.” 
    “Don’t mind the inspector, Molly. He has a bit of a toothache. And what did you make of your master?”
    “I really couldn’t say, sir.”
    “He was sick, was he not?”
    “Oh, yes, sir. Very much so. He often looked as if he were dying.”
    “But did he stay to his bed, or did he come downstairs during the day?”
    “Most days he tried to spend at least some time in his study, unless he was especially weak.”
    “Ah yes, his study. I noted that it is far less tidy than the rest of the house….”
    But Holmes was not allowed to finish. “Those were his express instructions, sir!” she interjected. “He forbade me from cleaning in there! I swear that I was tempted to sneak in while he was sleeping, but I feared upsetting him.”
    “Yes, yes, Molly. I do not blame you. Tell me, was Mr. Vaughan a bibliophile?”
    “A what, sir?”
    “A book-lover,” Holmes clarified.
    She nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes, sir. As you can see, he had a great many books, and he spent much time reading them.”
    “And was he in his study two days ago?”
    “Yes, sir. He spent many hours there that day.”
    “Did he do anything other than read?”
    “Yes, sir. He wrote a letter, and later received one.”
    Holmes leaned forward eagerly. “Can you describe them?”
    The maid’s brows contracted in thought. “The letter that Mr. Vaughan wrote was on his usual stationary. There should be more of it in his desk.”
    “Where did he send it to?”
    “I’m sorry, sir, but I didn’t take note of that. I simply handed it to the boy for delivery.”
    “Was it the usual boy? Do you know him?”
    She shook her head despondently, plainly aware of Holmes’ interest in this letter. “No, sir. I am so sorry.” She appeared close to tears.
    Holmes instantly softened. “It’s no matter, Molly. You are being very helpful. What of the letter that he received?”
    “It was a response, sir, for the same boy brought it, and Mr. Vaughan gave me three shillings for him.”
    “Now think hard, Molly. What did it look like?”
    “The envelope was made from a very unusual paper, sir. That’s why I took note of it, you see.”
    “Unusual, how?”
    “It’s hard to say, sir. It just felt different. More fragile. And the writing was all slanted and hard to read.”
    “How large was it?”
    “About seven inches by five, I would reckon.”
    “And how thick? Was there more than one sheet?”
    “No, it was very thin. There could only have been one sheet of paper inside.”
    “Do you know why he burned it?”
    She startled. “Are you a magician, sir? How could you know that?”
    Holmes smiled. “Because there is no such letter in his office now. But there is a small amount of ash in his waste-bin, which I estimate is about two days old.”
    “Yes, sir. You are correct. I smelled the burning paper and came running, but he turned me away. He reassured me that all was well. In fact, after he read that letter, he was the happiest and the strongest that I had seen him in days.”
    “That is very interesting,