Chapter 16
The Complete Story
on a cold, foggy November night Holmes and I discussed the Baskerville case in his Baker Street home.
"I heard the whole story from Mrs. Stapleton," said Holmes. "People thought that Rodger Baskerville, the younger brother of sir Charles, had died unmarried in South America. This was incorrect. Stapleton was Rodger's only son, and was also called Rodger. The son married Beryl Garcia, a beautiful woman from Costa Rica.
"The Rodger and Beryl went back to England, changed their names to Vandeleur and opened a school. When the school closed down, Vandeleur changed his name to Stapleton and moved to Dartmoor. He knew that it was heir to the Baskerville fortune, after Sir Charles and Sir Henry. In Dartmoor he said that his wife was his sister. After he heard about the legend of the hound from Sir Charles, he bought a huge dog in London and took it to Dartmoor. He let the animal out only after dark. Soon he found a hiding-place for the hound in Grimpen Mire. Killing Sir Charles was a problem. as he would not go out at night. But after Stapleton asked Laura Lyons to marry him, she was willing to do anything he said. He made her write a letter asking Sir Charles to meet her in Yew Alley the night before he left for London. After she sent the letter, Stapleton told her not to go.
"That evening, Stapleton took the hound near the fate of the Yew Alley.
After he put phosphorus on it, it was very frightening. It jumped over the gate and chased Sir Charles. As he tried to escape, he fell dead from a heart attack. The hound ran on the grass by the path and so left no footprints. But when it came near to smell the body, it left the marks that Dr. Mortimer saw. Stapleton then took away his hound.
"As for Sir Henry, Stapleton first wanted to kill him in London. He brought his wide along and locked her in the hotel room. He disguised himself, and later followed Dr. Mortimer around London. Beryl wanted to warn Sir Henry, but was afraid to write to him. So she cut out words from the newspaper. This letter was the first warning for Sir Henry. I noticed a smell of perfume in the letter, so I realized that Mrs. Stapleton had probably sent it.
"As for the missing boot, that was so the dog would know Sir Henry's smell. The Servants in the hotel were paid to steal the boot. From this theft I knew that the hound was a real animal, not a ghost. I went to the moor secretly to watch Stapleton. My boy, Cartright, followed you, Watson. This way I learned about everything.
"You reported about the convict and the Barrymores. But from your report bout the school, I was able to find out who Stapleton really was. As I had no proof of murder, I needed to catch Stapleton just as he was trying to kill Sir Henry. Though the plan was good, it gave sir Henry a bad shock. Mortimer says that he will soon get well, however.
"Stapleton was a very jealous man. When he saw that Sir Henry loved his wife, he got very angry, even though he had planned this. Later he apologized for hid behavior. He asked Sir Henry to come to his house because he wanted a chance to kill him. He quarreled with his wife that last day as she was against the murder. That's why he bear her and tied her up. The hound was very savage and had had no food for some time. It attacked Sir Henry and probably would have killed him."
"But how would Stapleton claim the Baskerville property? People already knew him in Dartmoor," I asked.
"He would have found way. He didn't need to be in England to claim the estate and the money," Sherlock Holmes said. "We both know that he was very clever. And now, we need a rest after our hard work. Let's go out to the theater."
The Complete Story
on a cold, foggy November night Holmes and I discussed the Baskerville case in his Baker Street home.
"I heard the whole story from Mrs. Stapleton," said Holmes. "People thought that Rodger Baskerville, the younger brother of sir Charles, had died unmarried in South America. This was incorrect. Stapleton was Rodger's only son, and was also called Rodger. The son married Beryl Garcia, a beautiful woman from Costa Rica.
"The Rodger and Beryl went back to England, changed their names to Vandeleur and opened a school. When the school closed down, Vandeleur changed his name to Stapleton and moved to Dartmoor. He knew that it was heir to the Baskerville fortune, after Sir Charles and Sir Henry. In Dartmoor he said that his wife was his sister. After he heard about the legend of the hound from Sir Charles, he bought a huge dog in London and took it to Dartmoor. He let the animal out only after dark. Soon he found a hiding-place for the hound in Grimpen Mire. Killing Sir Charles was a problem. as he would not go out at night. But after Stapleton asked Laura Lyons to marry him, she was willing to do anything he said. He made her write a letter asking Sir Charles to meet her in Yew Alley the night before he left for London. After she sent the letter, Stapleton told her not to go.
"That evening, Stapleton took the hound near the fate of the Yew Alley.
After he put phosphorus on it, it was very frightening. It jumped over the gate and chased Sir Charles. As he tried to escape, he fell dead from a heart attack. The hound ran on the grass by the path and so left no footprints. But when it came near to smell the body, it left the marks that Dr. Mortimer saw. Stapleton then took away his hound.
"As for Sir Henry, Stapleton first wanted to kill him in London. He brought his wide along and locked her in the hotel room. He disguised himself, and later followed Dr. Mortimer around London. Beryl wanted to warn Sir Henry, but was afraid to write to him. So she cut out words from the newspaper. This letter was the first warning for Sir Henry. I noticed a smell of perfume in the letter, so I realized that Mrs. Stapleton had probably sent it."As for the missing boot, that was so the dog would know Sir Henry's smell. The Servants in the hotel were paid to steal the boot. From this theft I knew that the hound was a real animal, not a ghost. I went to the moor secretly to watch Stapleton. My boy, Cartright, followed you, Watson. This way I learned about everything.
"You reported about the convict and the Barrymores. But from your report bout the school, I was able to find out who Stapleton really was. As I had no proof of murder, I needed to catch Stapleton just as he was trying to kill Sir Henry. Though the plan was good, it gave sir Henry a bad shock. Mortimer says that he will soon get well, however.
"Stapleton was a very jealous man. When he saw that Sir Henry loved his wife, he got very angry, even though he had planned this. Later he apologized for hid behavior. He asked Sir Henry to come to his house because he wanted a chance to kill him. He quarreled with his wife that last day as she was against the murder. That's why he bear her and tied her up. The hound was very savage and had had no food for some time. It attacked Sir Henry and probably would have killed him."
"But how would Stapleton claim the Baskerville property? People already knew him in Dartmoor," I asked.
"He would have found way. He didn't need to be in England to claim the estate and the money," Sherlock Holmes said. "We both know that he was very clever. And now, we need a rest after our hard work. Let's go out to the theater."
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