Page 19 - The Noorwood Mistery

'Mrs McFarlane,' he said, 'I can see that you're very worried, Mrs McFarlane shook her head. 'He's taken the train to innocent having
done nothing
but there are some questions that I must ask you.' London to see if he can help John,' she explained. wrong
'Anything, ' she replied. 'Please ask me anything.' 'Then I won't stay any longer,' said Holmes. 'Try not to
' W hat can you tell me about Mr Jonas Oldacre?' worry too much, my good woman. If your son is really
At thi� question Mrs McFarlane was suddenly very excited. innocent, I'm sure we can convince the police. Inspector
'He is - or was - a very bad man,' she said. 'A long time Lestrade is sometimes a little slow but he is a good detective.'
ago he and I were friends. He wanted to marry me, but I 'Thank you, Mr Holmes ' ,said Mrs McFarlane. Tm sure
,
found out that he was a cruel man, a dangerous man. I that you will do everything that you can to help John.'
told him that I didn't want to see him again and six months 'Mrs McFarlane, you can be sure of that,' Holmes replied
later I married my husband, John's father. He wasn t rich with a warm smile.
'
like Oldacre, but he was a good man - he is a good man, Mrs McFarlane said goodbye to the great detective at her
Mr Holmes, and a good father to John. We've always been front door and watched him wall<: quickly away to the station.
a happy family. And now this!'
'What did Oldacre do when you sent him away?' Holmes
went on.
'He was angry, very angry. He sent me this in the post.'
Mrs McFarlane got up and took a photograph from the
desk in the corner of the room. It was a photograph of
her as a young woman. There were black lines across her
face, where many years before Oldacre once slashed the
photograph with a knife, but Holmes could see that she was
a very beautiful woman.
'It arrived the day t�{at I married my husband.'
Holmes took the photograph from her and looked at it
thoughtfully.
'A dangerous ma , ' he said.
n
'Oh yes,' Mrs McFarlane agreed, 'a very dangerous man.'
'It is strange, then,' Holmes went on, 'that in his will he
cruel unkind left everything that he had to your son.'
and liking to hurt
people 'We don't want anything from that man, Mr Holmes. If
line a long thin he's dead, then I'm happy, but I know that it wasn't John
mark
slash to cut wildly who killed him.'
and angrily
Holmes stood up. 'Mrs McFarlane, thank you. Is Mr
thoughtfully
thinking carefully McFarlane not at home?'

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