'When I left London, I didn't know a crime had beer
committed,' replied Holmes. 'I was on my way here to preven
a crime. But I've arrived too late.
'Now, Inspector Martin, shall we work together on thj;
investigation24
.
7
Or do you want to work alone.7
'
'I'd be very pleased to work with you,' replied the inspector.
'Good,' said Holmes. 'Then let's try to find out what
happened.'
At that moment, the doctor, an old, white-haired man, came
downstairs from Mrs Cubitt's room. The doctor said the lady was
very badly injured, but that she would not die.
The bullet which wounded Mrs Cubitt had gone into her
brain. The gun which fired the bullet had been very close to her.
Hilton Cubitt had been shot through the heart.
A gun had been found lying halfway between the two bodies.
Two shots had been fired from the gun.
But we did not know if Mrs Cubitt had shot her husband first,
and then shot herself. Or if Mr Cubitt had shot his wife, and then
killed himself.
'Has Mr Cubitt's body been moved7
' asked Holmes.
'No,' replied the doctor. 'We had to move the lady. We
couldn't leave her lying injured on the floor.'
'Who found the body?'
'Two of the servants,' said the doctor.
'Then let's hear their story,' said Holmes.
The two women told their story very clearly. They had been
awakened from their sleep by a loud noise. A minute later, they
heard another noise.
Both women ran downstairs from their rooms. The door of a
downstairs room was open and Mr Cubitt lay dead on the floor.
Near the window, his wife was sitting with her head against
the wall. One side of her face was red with blood.
The window was shut and the room was full of smoke and the
smell of gunpowder.