'Watson,' said Holmes, 'we may be in great danger tonight.'
'Why do you think we may be in great danger?' I asked. 'What
did you see in those rooms?'
'You remember the bell-rope and the ventilator?'
'Yes,' I said. 'But I don't understand why they are important.'
'Both the bell-rope and the ventilator were put into the room
two years ago,' said Holmes. 'But they are false. They don't work.
And something else happened two years ago. Julia Stoner died.'
'Yes,' I said. 'But I still don't see ... "
'Did you notice anything unusual about the bed, Watson?'
asked Holmes.
'No.'
'The bed was fixed to the floor. It cannot be moved. It must
always stay in the same position - next to the bell-rope and under
the ventilator.'
'Holmes!' I cried. 'I'm beginning to understand. The person
in the bed cannot escape some terrible danger.'
'Dr Roylott is a very clever man,' said Holmes. 'We're just in
time to prevent a horrible crime.'