Page 34 - The Noorwood Mistery

at the other end of the house - and fell asleep. She woke Holmes put out his cigarette and picked up his violin
up later and smelled smoke from the fire. She got up and again. Watson ate dinner alone that night and went to bed
searched everywhere for Oldacre, but she couldn't find him. early. Holmes did not go to bed at all. He spent the night
Of course, she thinks that this is because he was dead, playing the violin, smoking cigarette after cigarette and
murdered.' thinking about John Mcfarlane and Jonas Oldacre. In the
'What did she say about the builder?' asked Watson. end, as the sun came up the next morning, he fell asleep
Holmes held up his hand. 'A good man, she told me. He in his chair.
had enemies, of course, as everyone has enemies, but his
life at Norwood was a quiet one. Nobody wanted him dead
- only his murderer, our friend Mcfarlane. He has evil eyes,
she tells me, Watson.'
'Evil eyes?' Watson replied. 'Was the woman mad?'
'Not mad, Watso , ' said Holmes, 'but also not very helpful.
n
Mrs Lexington told me very little. As I said, I am sure that
she knows more.'
'Did you find out nothing at Norwood that could help
Mcfarlane?' asked Watson.
I
Holmes looked thoughtful. 'Possibly , ' he said at last. 'You
remember I said that I saw Oldacre's bank book and that it
showed that he was not as rich as everybody thought?'
Watson nodded.
'Well,' Holmes went on, 'when I looked at his chequebook
I found that he wq�{e a lot of cheques to someone called
Mr Cornelius. These were cheques for a lot of money. Who
is tb is Mr Cornelius, Watson? And why did our builder pay
him so much money? That is what I want to know.'
'This could help our young friend and prove to Lestrade
that he is not a murderer, that he is innocent,' cried Watson,
mad not thinking excited by Holmes' news.
well
'Perhaps, Watson,' Holmes agreed. 'But for now we have
nod to move your
head up and down nothing more while Lestrade has Mcfarlane's visit to Oldacre,
chequebook a the buttons from the builder's trousers in the ashes in the
book with pieces of
paper that you can timber yard and Mrs Lexington's story. I must say, Watson,
write on and use to
pay for things I do not feel hopeful.'

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