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And now comes the strangest part of the affair.

What do you suppose was above the murdered man?"

I felt a creeping of the flesh, and a presentiment of coming horror, even before Sherlock Holmes answered.

"The word RACHE, written in letters of blood," he said.

"That was it," said Lestrade, in an awe-struck voice; and we were all silent for a while.

There was something so methodical and so incomprehensible about the deeds of this unknown assassin, that it imparted a fresh ghastliness to his crimes. My nerves, which were steady enough on the field of battle tingled as I thought of it.

"The man was seen," continued Lestrade.

"A milk boy, passing on his way to the dairy, happened to walk down the lane which leads from the mews at the back of the hotel.

He noticed that a ladder, which usually lay there, was raised against one of the windows of the second floor, which was wide open.

After passing, he looked back and saw a man descend the ladder.

He came down so quietly and openly that the boy imagined him to be some carpenter or joiner at work in the hotel.

He took no particular notice of him, beyond thinking in his own mind that it was early for him to be at work.

He has an impression that the man was tall, had a reddish face, and was dressed in a long, brownish coat.

He must have stayed in the room some little time after the murder, for we found blood-stained water in the basin, where he had washed his hands, and marks on the sheets where he had deliberately wiped his knife."

I glanced at Holmes on hearing the description of the murderer, which tallied so exactly with his own. There was, however, no trace of exultation or satisfaction upon his face.

"Did you find nothing in the room which could furnish a clue to the murderer?" he asked.

"Nothing.

Stangerson had Drebber's purse in his pocket, but it seems that this was usual, as he did all the paying.

There was eighty odd pounds in it, but nothing had been taken.

Whatever the motives of these extraordinary crimes, robbery is certainly not one of them.

There were no papers or memoranda in the murdered man's pocket, except a single telegram, dated from Cleveland about a month ago, and containing the words, 'J. H. is in Europe.' There was no name appended to this message."

"And there was nothing else?" Holmes asked.

"Nothing of any importance. The man's novel, with which he had read himself to sleep was lying upon the bed, and his pipe was on a chair beside him. There was a glass of water on the table, and on the window-sill a small chip ointment box containing a couple of pills."

Sherlock Holmes sprang from his chair with an exclamation of delight.

"The last link," he cried, exultantly. "My case is complete."

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