Holmes and the police are investigating the disappearance of a businessman who was last seen at an opium den. They arrest a dirty, disfigured beggar called Hugh Boone who they believe has murdered Mr St Clair. However, several days later Mr St. Clair’s wife receives a letter from her husband that forces Holmes and the police to reconsider the case.

The Sherlock Holmes series is a collection of short stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. It is now rewritten in easily accessible, clear, modern English by Helene Bakker.