Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking (2004)

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Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking (2004)

Post by bunniefuu »

(coughing )

( men speaking Chinese )

Post-mortem carried out
by Dr. D. Dunwoody,

Metropolitan Police Surgeon,
Central Division.

Female, approximately
years of age--

- Younger, surely.
- Dr. Watson.

Lestrade.

Dr. Watson is a surgeon
here at the hospital.

I know perfectly well
who Dr. Watson is.

Stocking tied about the throat--

It would be better
to cut that ligature

to keep the knot intact.

It's an old trick
of Holmes'.

There's a world
of information in a knot.

Dr. Dunwoody:
Short black jacket,

cheap fur around collar,

black silk skirt,

shabby gentile.

Typical prost*tute's attire.

Body well-nourished.

Bruising around the throat, band-like
contusions to wrists and knees.

Looks like she's
been trussed up.

Probably some sexual game
with a client that got out of hand.

Poor child.

( people speaking Chinese )

Good morning, Watson.

Oh, Holmes, how did you
know it was me?

I'm not smoking
distinctive tobacco,

- I'm not wearing eau de cologne.
- You reek of the slaughterhouse.

"Eau de Morgue."

( speaks Chinese )

Life away from Baker Street
seems to suit you, Watson.

I see you put on seven and a half
pounds since last we met.

Half a stern exactly.

Indeed, I should have thought
it was a little more.

I'll have a cup of tea
as well, please.

Why are you dogging
my heels, Watson?

Potential case.

Young girl--
, perhaps ,

found on the banks
of the Thames at Chadwell,

silk stocking around her throat.

If you're looking
for sensational material

for one of your chronicles of crime,

I suggest you adopt your usual
practice and make it up.

I'm not looking for material,
I'm trying to save a dear friend

from k*lling himself
with narcotics and boredom.

Your concern is touching.

- You promised.
- Promises are like pie crust.

They are made to be broken.

Come down to London Hospital,
take a look at this girl.

Give my regards
to your fiancee.

Mrs. Hudson?

Where is it?

Mrs. Hudson?!

Your post for the last three days.

Uh, no.
No, no, no...

Mrs. Hudson, have you
been tidying up?

Hardly.

But where--

Aha.

- What time will you dine, sir?
- What?

- What time will you dine?
- : ...

day after tomorrow.

"Snatched away
in beauty's bloom,

On thee shall press
no ponderous tomb--"

This is the second time
you've known where to find me, Watson.

- Am I that predictable?
- Perhaps at long last

I've learned to apply
your methods.

- Do you have the post-mortem report?
- Yes.

The contents of her stomach?

About a dram or so of brandy

and some partly-digested food

which appeared to be
good Belgian chocolate.

- Any sign of coitus?
- None at all.

She was a virgo intacto.

So much for the police surgeon's
assumption that she was a prost*tute.

At least someone had the good sense
to leave this knot intact.

Watson, with the possible
exception of this stocking,

- these are not her clothes.
- Really?

She's not a working girl
by any description--

the nails are well kept, the hands
are soft, teeth are str--

Holmes!

Oh my God.

Get on the telephone
to Scotland Yard

and tell Lestrade
this is the body

- of Lady Alice Pentney.
- What?

Duke and Duchess
of Narborough's daughter.

( chatting, giggling )

Woman:
Let's make a start.

Roberta, would you take
my daughter's place for now?

Yes, Your Grace.

Into your positions.

( playing piano )

( giggles )

Yes yes, that will do!

Let us not forget that the night
we present this tableau,

the king will be there.
Shall we try again?

This thing isn't stuck on properly.

Excuse me, Your Grace,
there's an inspector to see you.

I shall be back presently.

Where is Lady Alice now,
Your Grace?

I'm not certain.

To be honest, we fell out
recently over a trivial matter.

Now she's punishing me by not
being here for the rehearsal.

What's all this about, lnspector?

I must ask you to come
with me to White Chapel

to look at the body
of a young girl.

What?!

Who answers
your daughter's description.

That's impossible.

Roberta, please don't worry.

It's sure to be
something of nothing.

Duchess of Narborough is here.

It's not her.

You're certain?

Just as I said,
it's not her.

- Excuse me?
- Who are you?

I'm Sherlock Holmes.

I know your name.

Look again, Your Grace.

Lestrade: Can you confirm
that this is Lady Alice Pentney?

- Is this what she was wearing?
- Yes.

These are not her clothes.
Why was she wearing these clothes?

For goodness' sake.

It's too awful.

A tuppeny-happeny whore
is one thing.

This, God help me,
is quite another.

I'm glad to see
your thoughts and prayers

are with the dead girl's family,
Lestrade.

( taps )

Mrs. Hudson?

I think you might
recognize our guest.

- Dr. Watson!
- Mrs. Hudson.

Oh, I'm so glad
you are here.

- ( whispers )
- The scheming starts

- before I even take off my hat!
- ( whispering continues )

And you can stop that ridiculous
dumbshow as well.

You always were one
of the most untidy men,

- but really, Holmes.
- Watson, it's a free country.

People have the right
to send me letters

and I have the right
to leave them unopened.

Now, Duke of Narborough.

Here it is, Watson.
"George Devier Pentney.

KG, PC, ARA--"

God, half the alphabet.

Pour us a couple of brandies,
would you, Watson?

There'll be no more brandies
in the middle of the day, Holmes.

"Sixth duke, educated Eton,

Trinity College, Cambridge;

seats in Narborough hall
in Hampshire;

- half of Argyllshire," etc, etc, etc.
- Watson: Ahem--

The body is like a fire in the grate.

It'll go out
unless it gets more coal.

- lntensely interesting, Watson.
- You must eat, Holmes.

You have to give the body
enough food to burn every day.

Happy there are some
exceptions to every rule.

Fine.

Breakfast:
one ration of bacon,

one egg, three ounces of--

Really, Watson!

Save your breath
to cool your porridge, huh?

( phone rings )

Hello?

I'm afraid l--

Well, in that case,
I would be delighted.

( chuckles )
: for : .

Very well.
Good bye.

Apparently you're not the only one
to take an interest in my diet.

- What?
- ( knocks )

Yes?

- The Duke of Narborough is here.
- Aha!

I seem to have conjured up
the man himself.

- Send him up, Mrs. Hudson.
- Perhaps I should go Holmes.

No, not a bit.
Stay where you are.

Come on, old chap,
it'll be just like old times.

Good day, Your Grace.

Pray take a seat.

This is my friend
and colleague Dr. Watson.

Lord Blakemore tells me
I may place implicit reliance

upon your...
judgment and discretion.

I have determined therefore
to consult you

in reference to a very painful event
which has occurred.

I'm aware of Your Grace's loss.

I want you to find
my daughter's k*ller, Mr. Holmes.

I will pay handsomely
for your services.

My professional charges
are upon a fixed scale, Your Grace.

I do not vary them.

Unless I remit them altogether.

You give me carte blanche
to act in this affair?

Within the bounds
of decency and taste.

How shall I keep
in touch with you?

You can reach me
at my club.

Good day, gentlemen.

A complete... gentleman.

Jack would be a gentleman,
Watson, if he could speak French.

I shall see you tonight for dinner.

Oh, I can't, I'm afraid, Holmes.

- I'm dining with my fiancee.
- So, Watson, am l.

: for : ?

( men talking )

( women crying )

Really, I see no reason for this.

Inspector Lestrade is doing no more
than his duty, Your Grace.

But I think perhaps, Lestrade,
it would be better

to call the staff one at a time,

under staff first, to avoid
any further milling about.

- Thank you, Mr. Holmes.
- May I see Lady Alice's room, please?

- Yes, of course.
- Thank you.

For God's sake, Lestrade,

why on earth are there
heavy-booted policemen

trampling everywhere
like a heard of buffalo?!

Come on, everybody out!

Yeah, put that down
where it was. Come on!

Here, Lestrade...

and here.

Have this bottle examined
for fingerprints.

Keep some of the brandy
for analysis.

Egyptian Deities.
( chuckles )

Made from the most fragrant
of Turkish tobaccos.

Two were smoked in a holder

and two were extinguished

beneath a gentleman's shoe.

She didn't put up a fight--

no skin nor hair
beneath the fingernails.

No sign of a struggle.

Be careful, Holmes,
for God's sake!

Perhaps he gave her
the Belgian chocolate.

Lestrade, when was the last time
we had a clear night?

Sunday.

She must have been co--

And she was wrapped in this.

Is there a fire escape over there?

- Yes, Holmes, there is.
- He must have known his way about.

Conduct a thorough search
through the mews below

- and fingerprint everyone.
- Everyone?

Without exception.

One last night
under the stars...

before this devilish
fog descended.

Holmes: A bottle
of L'Esprit de Courvoisier.

That would be
from His Grace's cellar,

taken up to His Grace
on Sunday night, just after : pm.

I see.

- You wanted to see me, Mr. Bates?
- Yes, Florence.

Florence, whose coat is this?

It is the Duchess' coat.

- Are you certain?
- Oh yes.

Thank you.

I assume this mess
will wash off.

How sordid it all is.

Was your daughter very unhappy?

That is impertinent, Mr. Holmes.

On the contrary, Your Grace,
it is entirely pertinent.

Where did you imagine
Lady Alice was on Sunday night?

We didn't know.

She had once or twice
gone off before.

Unchaperoned?

What time did you leave your library
that night, Your Grace?

I went to my bed
at about midnight, I think.

And shortly after that,
in the early hours of Monday morning,

Lady Alice was
abducted from the roof.

- The roof?
- Outside her bedroom

where she was sitting,
wrapped in her mother's fur coat,

smoking her father's cigarettes
and drinking her father's brandy.

She was taken down the fire escape,
out of the area via the mews.

Duke:
Good God.

I believe she knew her k*ller.

Oh, Holmes, my dear fellow!

Part of your newly-acquired
American informality, Watson?

Sherlock!

- Mrs. Vandeleur.
- Jenny.

Please call me Jenny.
John, take Sherlock's coat.

Now let me fix you a drink.
You look like a whisky man to me.

Whisky and soda, am I right?
And I'm gonna join you.

John and I met
at a conference in Zurich.

- I was there for the skiing.
- I'm a trained psychoanalyst.

- Surely you knew that.
- I did not.

I find it so strange that you two
can be such close friends

and yet not talk about someone
as significant as a fiancee.

I take no interest in such matters.

No, but then as
I understand it, Sherlock,

- you dislike and distrust women.
- Quickly, pour more wine.

Women are one
of the necessary evils.

( laughs )

I take it you've never been in love?

My brain has always
governed my heart.

- Would you ever submit to analysis?
- ( chuckles )

You'd make a fascinating study.

Holmes:
Mmm, West African.

Jenny: Yes.

Incredibly ugly.

Have you traveled much,
Sherlock?

I've always held that
travel narrows the mind.

One the whole, it's best
I should not leave the country.

It causes an unhealthy excitement
among the criminal classes.

You know,

it struck me that perhaps
Lady Alice's clothes

might be imbued for her k*ller
with some special significance.

Go on.

He seems to have
kept them for himself.

- You mean, for himself to wear?
- Possibly.

Some fetishistic power perhaps.
( chuckles )

Do you know this?
Richard von Krafft-Ebing's

"Psychopathia Sexualis"?

No intimately.

I warn you against some of the doctor's
more antique moral stances,

but the case studies are fascinating.
It is, I have to say,

an indispensable reference
for anyone interested

- in sexual derangement.
- Thank you.

- You may keep it.
- You are most kind.

It has a wonderful
array of perversions--

sadomasochism,

bestiality,
exhibitionism,

transvestism, coprophilia--

- I'm out of the room for minutes...
- pederasty, necrophilia,

- r*pe, mutilation--
-...and look what happens.

- lust m*rder-- the list goes on.
- So it would appear.

- Holmes?
- Strong and black, please, Watson.

- ( phone rings )
- Darling.

- When did the girl go missing?
- Just after : , sir.

It took us nearly two hours
to track you down.

Mr. Holmes,
this is Lord Massingham.

This is my colleague,
Dr. Watson.

It is His Lordship's daughter,
Lady Georgina, who has gone missing.

She went up to her room
just before : .

It's her first season, Mr. Holmes.

She's been rehearsing her presentation
at Court before the king.

She was tired and
terribly upset-- poor thing--

about the Pentney girl.
She went up to her room.

My wife went up
about minutes later.

The door was locked from the inside
and we could get no answer.

- What did you do?
- We forced the door.

The room was empty?
Where is Lady Massingham now?

- She's lying down.
- Has she received medical attention?

Our doctor has called.
She's been sedated.

This is Lady Roberta,

Lady Georgina's older sister.

Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson are helping
the police with the enquiries.

You must find her, Mr. Holmes.

We'll need you to find her.

- May I see the room now?
- Of course.

Give me a moment
in the room alone.

Lord Massingham is by all accounts
extremely close to the king.

Steady, Lestrade.

Let's concentrate
on the matter in hand.

( rumbling )

Holmes?

Holmes?

Holmes?

Always look up
at a crime scene, gentlemen.

Anything?

Holmes is-- Holmes is following
a line of investigation.

( coin clinks three times )

( coin clinks )

( knocking )

Georgina?
Georgina!

Georgina!
( panting )

Is she back?

Is she home?

Hugo?

I've established, I'm afraid,
how Lady Georgina was abducted.

Oh no.

( moans )

( sobs )
I must find her.

Please, please, I beg you.
Please find her.

( weeping )

Holmes: Perfect weather for a man
with m*rder in his heart.

Yes, well, let's just hope we find her
before anything terrible happens.

She's dead already.

- What?
- Of that I'm quite sure.

Oh my God!

Help! Police!

Help, someone!
Help!

( inhaling )

Hmm.

Familiar ethereal
and aromatic odor.

- Chloroform.
- Both girls were drugged,

Lady Alice with the sleeping
draught in the brandy,

Lady Georgina with chloroform.

Neither girl showed any sign
of having defended herself.

You're saying it's
the work of the same man?

- Without a doubt.
- What, one girl fished out

of the Thames,
the next hung from a lamppost?

The m*rder*r's modus operandi
may change, Lestrade,

but his distinctive
trademark does not.

In both cases, the stockings
in the throat, tied about the neck,

the distinctive knot,
the signs of bondage--

these are the k*ller's calling card.

This man leaves
his mark on his work

Iike a painter leaves
his signature upon a canvas.

It's her.

It's Georgina.

Are these your sister's clothes?

No.

- ( typewriter clicking )
- ( chattering )

There's one unidentified fingerprint
from the brandy bottle.

You think it's the k*ller's?

Oh, he's our man all right. I told you
he'd leave his mark, Lestrade.

- ( knocks )
- Yes?

- The clothes Lady Georgina--
- Lady Georgina Massingham, yes.

The clothes she was wearing--

Belonged to Lady
Alice Pentney. Yes.

They were the clothes Lady Alice was
wearing when she was abducted.

Yes, sir.

My advice to you, Lestrade,
put every available man you have

- onto the streets of Belgravia.
- Oh God.

Did you notice how Lady Alice's clothes
fitted Georgina Massingham?

- Not really.
- Almost perfectly.

I don't see
that the size of the frock--

Perhaps she was chosen because
she was the same height, weight.

The k*ller has a good, even
trained eye for such things.

It is possible he worked
for a dressmaker's

visited by Lady Alice or Georgina.

Find out where they got their clothes
made. Get a list of staff employed.

Certainly any future victims will
conform to that physical type

- and be drawn from the same class.
- Compile a list of all the daughters

of the aristocracy
that fit the physical pattern.

I would like to examine the clothes Lady
Alice was wearing when she was found.

Would you arrange to have them
taken to Baker Street?

- You'll have to sign for them.
- Keep up the good work, Lestrade.

It seems we are searching
for a multiple m*rder*r

responsible for the deaths
of both Lady Alice

and Lady Georgina.

Normally, such men
pray on easy targets--

prostitutes, children.

But this man's victims are drawn
from the highest echelons of society.

They are cared for,
chaperoned wherever they go.

And yet, beneath
the cover of this fog,

he has taken them from under
the very noses of their parents.

Holmes:
This is no Ripper,

no frenzied-lust m*rder*r.

He's charming, presentable,

and he selects his victims
with enormous care.

He's very strong,
extremely agile.

Once he has them, he must
take them somewhere--

his lair--

because he spends
time with them...

stripping them of their clothes,

binding them
at the wrists and the knees.

There comes a point where the k*ller
takes one of the girl's stockings

and pushes it into her mouth.

I believe the gag produces
the kind of noises from the victim

the k*ller finds exciting.

He then takes
the second stocking,

puts it around the throat.

Possibly he uses
a short length of wood,

twisting it to tighten the ligature

Iike a tourniquet.

There seems to be no evidence
of sexual congress,

but make no mistake:

our man is a sexual sadist.

He gains voluptuous pleasure

from the fear, the pain,
the degradation

of his victims.

Finally, he dresses the body
in the clothes of the previous victim

that he's kept especially
for that purpose.

The clothes, the ritual
redressing of the body

are of utmost symbolic value

to the k*ller.

Right.

There are at present

no suspects.

The police are, as usual,
completely out of their depth.

There is something
I'm afraid I have withheld

from our friends at the ClD.

Withholding information
is a serious business.

Nonsense. I tell as much
or as little as I choose.

That is the advantage
of being unofficial.

- Well, what is it?
- Well...

Georgina was dressed
in Alice's clothes,

Alice was dressed
in shabby clothes.

Logic dictates there must be
an as yet unidentified,

more humble first victim from whom
those poor-quality clothes were taken.

- Yes.
- If she can be identified, even found,

she will, I have no doubt,
be an invaluable source if evidence.

The first victim always tells
the detective more than any other.

Mmm, this is satinet--

thinner, cheaper
version of satin--

in this instance,
mixed with wool.

I'm fairly sure it is American
in manufacture,

- from the mills of New York--
- Mmm...

- What is it?
- There's something here, Holmes.

It feels like a coin.

It's a popular hiding place
amongst the poor.

- Six-pence?
- No.

Half-sovereign.

( huffs )

- Remarkable, Holmes.
- Elementary, my dear Watson.

There's a marked
difference in weight.

There's something else.

Mmm, looks like a pay slip.

Here's the name of the firm:

- W.G. Bilney.
- Bilney's.

- You know of such an establishment?
- It's a shoe shop in the West End.

You must pay them
a visit, Watson.

We're looking for an American girl,
probably not older than ,

outstanding looks despite
her humble circumstances,

refined manners,
five feet five or six inches tall,

slim, shapely,
fair skin, dark hair.

I do have other demands
upon my time, Holmes.

- I am to be married.
- I'm aware of that, Watson.

Could possibly spare
an hour or two.

Let's just hope that
that will be sufficient.

( bell dings )

- Mr. Holmes.
- Lady Roberta.

My father is out at the moment.

He's dealing
with the funeral arrangements.

I wonder, may I see
Georgina's room once more?

Of course.

Do you have no photographs
of your daughter, Mr. Vandeleur?

( with American accent )
I'm afraid not.

I lost all my personal belongings
in a fire back in New York.

I do-- there was one girl
who fits your description exactly

- who was in fact American.
- No kidding?

But she went by the name
of Sarah O'Brien.

O'Brien was her mother's
maiden name.

This really is most awkward.

The girl in question came to England
as a confidential maid

to an American heiress
who was betrothed to an English peer.

Upon the lady's marriage,
the girl continued in her employ

but by Christmas of that year,
her service was no longer required.

In the new year, she came to me
seeking employment.

Do you remember the name
of the American heiress?

I--

I believe her money came
from pork packing.

It slipped my mind I'm afraid.

What happened to my daughter,
Mr. Bilney?

Are you a religious man,
Mr. Holmes?

I'm a skeptic by nature.

Oh Lord-- if there is a Lord--

save my soul--

if I have a soul.

I am aware that religion can be
a very great comfort to some

in times like these.

I fear that my father
may be losing his faith.

He wants me to read
something at the service.

But I do not know
if I shall have the strength.

I'm sure you'll be able to do
as your father asks.

For what it's worth, I think
you'll emerge from this ordeal

a very remarkable
young woman indeed.

Thank you.

Perhaps you should attach
something personal of Georgina's

- to your funeral wreath.
- What do you mean?

A memento mori.

- What sort of thing?
- Well, something

suggestive of her spirit.

- It seems she liked dancing.
- Yes.

Perhaps her dancing shoes.

Where did Lady Georgina
have her shoes made?

At Bilney's.

Sarah O'Brien committed su1c1de--

or so the coroner decided.

Threw herself into the Thames.

What in the coroner's opinion
had driven her to such drastic action?

He could find no motive.

One intriguing thing:

she was recovered
from the water naked.

Intriguing.

Highly unusual for a woman
that she intends to take her own life.

Perhaps Bilney will recall the name
of that mysterious lady pork-packer.

She cannot be that difficult
to track down, Watson,

despite the fact that London is
awash with American heiresses

seeking titled husbands.
I'll set Lestrade onto him.

Even though he's utterly
devoid of reason,

he's as tenacious as a bull, though,
once he understands what he has to do.

- What happened to the body?
- That I know from Bilney.

She was buried in White Chapel
at his expense.

- Good work, Watson.
- Thank you, Holmes.

I think you would have
appreciated my performance.

- I assumed the character--
- Forgive me...

but didn't you mention you had
an engagement at : ?

- It's not : , is it?
- Gone : , my dear fellow.

( sighs )
Then I'm late, Holmes.

I'm horribly late.

I am to meet Mrs. Vandeleur
a Bon Street,

and damn and blast
these bloody boots!

- More haste, less speed, Watson.
- She wants my opinion on her dress.

( chuckles )
Really?

Not just any dress, Holmes,
it's the dress.

I didn't realize you were
an expert on haute couture.

You know damn well I'm not.

I, on the other hand, have been
studying the fashion plates.

Pale gray is all the rage...

with a white tulle boa
and pink malmaisons.

( door closes )

One could cover the scenes
of these crimes

with a half-crown piece.

He's fishing in a very
small pond, Lestrade.

- Any matches on the thumbprints?
- No.

( phone rings )

A letter to the commissioner
from the king, though.

His Majesty suggests
our detectives be improved.

He says they are not
what they should be.

He expects the matter will be resolved
with no further loss of life.

I might as well resign now,
save everyone the bother.

Self-pity is an extremely
unattractive quality, Lestrade.

Now, I need permission
to exhume a corpse.

- What?
- One Sarah O'Brien,

fished out of the Thames
July this year.

- I very much doubt that l--
- Make sure we're not held up

by red tape. The king, Lestrade.
Remember the king.

Watson:
My God, it's filthy out there!

It is impossible to breathe.
The hospital's filling up

- with respiratory cases--
- "Fair is foul and foul is fair:

hover through the fog
and filthy air."

- How was the dress?
- What?

Oh yes, it was too late.
Missed the whole damn kit and caboodle.

What in God's name
are you doing, Holmes?

You look like you're about
to dance the fandango.

You are developing
an unexpected vein

in porkish humor, Watson,

against which I always
learned to guard myself.

There. The trap is baited.

What trap?

He is out there, Watson,
watching and waiting.

I think he'll attend
Lady Georgina's funeral.

If he does, I'm hoping
this special tribute from Roberta

will be too much to resist.

You must not place
Lady Roberta in any danger.

- She will not be in any danger.
- I'll be keeping

- a very close eye on her.
- You will not be there, Watson.

I have a special task for you
of the utmost importance.

( crows caw )

"Love is the passion
which endureth...

Which neither time
nor absence cureth;

Which nought of earthly
change can sever:

Love is the light

- that shines for ever."
- ( gasping sob )

"lts chain of gold-
what hand can break it?

Its deathless hold-
what force can shake it?

Mere passion aught
of earth may sever,

But souls that love,
love on for ever."

Thank you for coming.

Lead the horses, Charles.
We won't get home otherwise.

Yes, Your Grace.

Imogen, come on.

Imogen?

Imogen!
Imogen, darling.

Imogen!

Imogen, darling?
Imogen!

Imogen!

Imogen! Imogen!

- lmogen!
- lmogen!

- lmogen!
- Man: lmogen!

- lmogen!
- lmogen!

( calling continues )

What is it?
What has happened?

- Another girl is missing.
- It is lmogen Helhoughton.

She's only , Mr. Holmes.

What news, Watson?

For God's sakes, Holmes,
at least let me get into the room

before you start
with your infernal interrogations.

Why do you reek
of surgical spirit?

Trying to get rid of the stench
of that poor girl.

It's revolting, Holmes.

- Was it Bach you were playing?
- Mmm.

I prefer German music
when I feel introspective.

Why the looking inwards?

A young girl was snatched
from the funeral.

Oh no.

- Right from under our noses.
- Not Lady Roberta?

No. Imogen Helhoughton,

the youngest daughter
of Sir John and Lady Helhoughton.

- She's only .
- Oh good God.

What made him
go for someone so young?

I think it was purely opportunistic.

He saw his chance and seized it.

I should be very surprised if she
differs physically from the other girls.

So much for my trap.

- What you got there?
- I removed this stocking

from the throat of Sarah O'Brien.

Pushed deep in her gullet.

So...

the work of the same hand.

All my instincts tell me
she's close by.

As we have no possible means
of telling where...

we must possess
our souls in patience.

Imogen:
Help me.

Help me, please.

Help me!

Somebody help me.

Here! Over here!

Well, did she get
a clear view of him?

I have not been allowed to question her.
She's in with the doctor.

She's in a state of shock,
as you can imagine, the poor mite.

Other lives, Lestrade, will certainly
be lost if the k*ller is not found

with all possible haste. It is
a remarkable struck of good fortune

that this girl has lived
to tell the tale.

- The telling will have to wait.
- Damn it, Lestrade!

I cannot make bricks without clay.

Holmes, I have to say
were I the family physician,

I would recommend rest. A shock
to the system of this kind can lead

- to lowering the blood presssure--
- Yes yes, Watson,

I understand all about
shocks to the system.

Is it not possible to argue

that it is good to talk through
such a traumatic experience

while it is still fresh,
before it has a chance to fester...

- with a sensitive, professional person?
- You would listen for seconds

- and then start cross-questioning her!
- I'm not thinking about myself.

I'm thinking about
an extremely kind,

considerate female psychiatrist
of my acquaintance.

Who on earth is that?

We have found
the American lady pork-packer.

- Tell me.
- She is now Lady Marham.

Why did she
dismiss Sarah O'Brien?

She thought she was stealing
her clothes-- if not stealing,

at least taking them
and wearing them.

- What sort of clothes?
- Undergarments, stockings, shoes.

Mrs. Vandeleur's on her way.

Presumably, for a month or two,

Sarah O'Brien worked
alongside Lord Marham's staff.

There's a list here.

Mmm... Charles Allen?

Lord Marham's footman
at the time of Sarah's dismissal?

Hah! Charles Allen,

now the Duchess
of Narborough's footman.

- Can you be sure it's the same man?
- Even if it is, it makes no odds.

- How did you work that out, lnspector?
- He has a water-tight alibi.

Really, Watson, you are
scintillating this morning.

On the night that
Lady Alice went missing,

he was at a formal dinner
with the duchess

in plain view of guests.

When Lady Georgina
was abducted,

- again he was with the duchess--
- There should be

no combination of events
for which the wit of man

cannot conceive
an explanation.

Bring him in for questioning,
Lestrade. Now.

Here she is.

I've taken the liberty
of jotting down a few questions.

I can't promise anything,

except I will put the girl's
psychological being first.

Of course. But pay particular
attention to point three.

He grabbed me from behind.

He had a cloth that was soaked
with some horrid stuff

over my mouth and nose.

I tried to call out, but I couldn't.

He was dragging me backwards
through the graves.

I must have passed out.

Vandeleur: What's the next thing
you can remember?

Then he removed my blindfold.

Did you see his face?

I wanted to talk to you about
the time you spent as footman,

working for Lord Marham.

Do you remember a young girl,
Lady Marham's personal maid,

- Sarah O'Brien?
- Yes, I do.

She was dismissed from
Lady Marham's service.


- I believe so.
- Do you have any idea why?

No.

- Do you know what became of her?
- Yes, I do. She committed su1c1de.

It was in the newspapers
and the staff talked about it.

Do you have any idea why
she would take her own life?

No.

He had a pair of stockings
in his hand.

He put one around my neck
and knotted it.

Mrs. Helhoughton:
Really, I don't think--

He pushed the other
stocking into my mouth.

This is too much for her, surely.

Why did you leave
Lord Marham's employ?

I was offered employment
by the duke of Narborough.

I accepted the offer.

How was it you came
to the duke's attention?

I tended Lord Marham
in a number of occasions

when the duke of Narborough
was also present.

- And you caught his eye?
- I really don't know.

Or was it the duchess' eye?

It is the duchess you serve,

- is it not?
- Yes, Holmes, it is.

It is a small point, but perhaps

you would give me my prefix
when you address me.

Otherwise, with my line of work,

I should find myself on familiar terms
with half the villains in London.

Yes, Mr. Holmes,
it is the duchess I serve.

He showed me the clothes
he had for me.

He kept saying how beautiful
I'd look in them.

He started to undress me.

He took off my dress--

I was standing.

He knelt my feet.

He removed my shoes...

- and he--
- I think we should stop.

Did he hold the shoes
in his hands?

Did he stroke them?
Kiss them?

Do you know
a shop called Bilney's?

They are shoe
and boot makers.

No.

That's where Sarah O'Brien
worked after she left service.

Is it?

Where does Her Grace go
for her footwear?

- Kelstock's in Piccadilly.
- How does she like her boots

to be tied? Side, front or back?

The front.

He rolled down my stockings

down to my ankles.

He put his mouth on my toes.

He took hold of my stockings
in his teeth and pulled.

He pulled the left one off.

He did the same with the right.

All of a sudden,
he was in a fury.

He was shouting at me.

He dragged me
out of the room,

up some stairs
and out into the street.

I still had the stocking in my mouth.

I thought I was going to choke.

Holmes:
Stand up, please.

Be so kind as to put your foot
on there for me.

Thank you.
You've been most helpful.

I'm going to ask a police officer
to take your fingerprints.

- They have already been taken.
- Yes, but there was a problem.

I should have them done again.
You can have no objection.

- No.
- Good.

Wait here.

She saw him. She's giving one
of Lestrade's men a description.

- Holmes: Splendid.
- She's had the narrowest of escapes.

It was not as bad an ordeal
I think as it might have been.

Why did he let her go do you think,
given that she can identify him?

I don't know. Perhaps even he bulged
at the idea of harming a -year-old?

No, it is not that.

The clothes would fit her perfectly.
There's something else.

I'm afraid we need
to be granted one more favor.

I can describe lmogen's feet
for you, Doctor.

It is important, Lady Helhoughton,
for us to see for ourselves.

May l?

Thank you, lmogen.
Thank you, Lady Helhoughton.

The surgeon has done
an excellent job. Thank you.

That deformity, and that alone,

is the reason she was released.

Talipes calcaneovalgus?

Talipes varus, I should say.

- Which is?
- Clubfoot.

Excuse me.

Thank you again
for your cooperation.

- May I go now?
- Certainly.

Excuse me.

Someone will need to escort you
from the building. Red tape. Come on.

- Surely I came in that way.
- No. This way.

It's him! It's him!
It's him, it's him!

I think we can call that
a positive identification.

You can call it what you like.

Come on.

That was really quite
a cruel thing to do, Sherlock.

Possibly but,
to my mind, justified.

Sir. These are the latest
Charles Allen fingerprints, sir.

- You took these this morning?
- minutes ago, sir.

It doesn't match, Holmes!

We know he was
with the duchess

when lmogen Helhoughton was
abducted from the graveyard.

We know he was attending the duchess
in front of diner guests

- when Lady Alice was taken.
- ( phone rings )

The Helhoughton girl has been
through a terrible ordeal.

She cannot be in her right mind.
It must be a case of mistaken identity.

You have nothing against the man,
Holmes, nothing at all.

Sir, the Duke and Duchess
of Narborough to see you, sir.

What?

Is my footman free to leave now?

Yes, he is, and I should like
to apologize, Your Grace,

- for the trouble we've put you--
- No trouble, lnspector.

- Merely a small inconvenience.
- Where were you last night, Your Grace?

Answering questions put to me
by lnspector Lestrade is one thing,

responding to your impertinent
snooping quite another.

May I remind Your Grace it was
your husband who called up on me

- in my Baker Street rooms.
- Yes, well,

perhaps you'd be kind enough
to call upon me at Eton Square.

We can settle the matter. I no longer
wish you to act on my behalf.

As Your Grace pleases.

What?

You imagine no one else
can solve this case?

What monstrous egotism!

This way.

There's nothing more stimulating than a
case where everything turns against you.

Wouldn't the most sensible thing be
to keep all the blasted debutantes

under lock and key
until this fiend is caught?

Or at least till the fog lifts.

Eminently sensible, Watson,
but you're forgetting one thing.

- And what is that?
- There can be no interference

with free trade.
Daughters must be married off.

Thank you, Mrs. Vandeleur,
for your help.

I don't know if I should
have been involved.

Oh really?
Well, we live and learn.

Shh!

What do you want? You're scaring me.
Why are you here like this?

I needed to see you without
your father knowing. Roberta...

do you have the courage to bait a trap
to catch your sister's k*ller?

I understand
you have made shoes recently

- for Lady Roberta Massingham.
- Yes, I have.

I want you to make
a pair of shoes for her.

- I need them for tonight.
- Tonight?

( waltz music playing )

Hello.

Good evening,
Your Grace.

Good evening, Your Lordship.

- Dr. Watson, how are you?
- Very well.

- Where's Mr. Holmes?
- I wish I knew.

I was due to meet him here.

( with French accent )
Monsieur Sherlock Holmes?

Yes.

( chuckles ) The second highest
criminal expert in Europe?

May I inquire,
Your Excellency,

who has the honor
to be first in your view?

To a man of a precisely
scientific mentalite,

the work of Monsieur Bertillon
must always have a very strong appeal.

A tres bientot.

- Pompous oaf.
- ( chuckles )

Their Royal Majesties,
King Edward Vll

and Queen Alexandra.

( violin music playing )

There she is.

She really is a beauty.

( waltz music playing )

My darling, I'm proud of you.

Thank you.

Your sister would
have loved this.

Roberta.

Are you all right, Your Ladyship?

Oh yes. Thank you.

Would you like me to turn up the light
so you can see more easily?

Please don't trouble yourself.

Would Your Ladyship
care for a drink?

No, thank you.

Are you sure
you're feeling quite all right?

You look a little faint.

I'm quite all right.
I assure you.

Go back to your mistress.

You might find a glass
of champagne reviving.

Now, please leave me.

Jamais de la vie!

Hang on!
Guards!

I was helping her.
She fainted!

Dr. Watson, on est arrives
a l'heure, hein?

Vraiment, un moment
plus tard...

et ca allait etre le desastre.

Not bad for the second highest

criminal expert in Europe, eh?

Once again, Holmes, you've
deliberately held me at arm's length.

I really think you might treat me
with a little more frankness.

My profession would be a drab
and sordid one, Watson,

if I did not sometimes
set the scene to glorify the results.

You have a curious
secretive streak in you, Holmes.

The only safe plotter is
he who plots and learns.

Thank you for that vote
of confidence.

Oh for God's sake!

Ah, lnspector.
I want this man's fingerprints taken.

- Again?
- Again.

We've taken his fingerprints
twice already,

and they do not match
the thumbprint on the brandy bottle.

- This time, they will.
- How, for God's sake?

Because there not
one Charles Allen, but two.

- What?
- When all other contingencies fail,

whatever remains, however improbable,
must be the truth.

- But what do you mean, two?
- It's the only explanation.

The man we have in custody
must have a double.

- What?
- The Dromio brothers,

the brothers Antipholus,
Castor and Pollux.

- In English, Holmes.
- An identical twin.

So one of them is
still on the loose.

- Yes, but we have the k*ller.
- How can you be sure?

He was making his move
on Lady Roberta.

- Holmes!
- The fingerprints will clear

the matter up.
While the sadistic twin

has been going about
his dreadful business,

his brother has been
providing his alibi.

So far, on both occasions,
the Charles who's been fingerprinted

has been the accomplice...
not the m*rder*r.

- But if they're identical--
- Fingerprints, Lestrade,

even in the case
of identical twins,

are distinctive
and individual.

We have him at last.

- She's sleeping.
- All right.

- Thank you for all your help.
- Think nothing of it.

How is your wife?

She's been taken
into a sanatorium.

Perhaps that's for the best,
until she regains her strength.

I fear...

she may never recover
from the loss of Georgina.

A gentleman, of course...

can bear a shock
when it must come,

but a woman...

they are the weaker,
I guess.

I am to be married tomorrow.

Really?

I didn't know.

Congratulations.

- Here are the new fingerprints, sir.
- Give them to me!

( sighs )

We have the wrong man.

- What?!
- The k*ller is still out there.

Telephone Lord Massingham immediately.
He must be warned.

Lady Roberta is
in very grave danger.

( phone rings )

Hello?

Dr. Watson!

Oh my God.

Roberta.

( sniffs )
Chloroform.

What is happening, Holmes?

There are two of them, Watson--
identical, it would seem,

- almost impossible to tell apart.
- How long have you known?

I've suspected it
for some time now--

the distinctive knot
in the ligature.

Charles' shoelaces
were tied in exactly the same way.

Imogen Helhoughton's identification
of him left me in no doubt:

he had to be our man.

But how could he have been
in two places at once?

- There had to have been two of them.
- But we have the wrong man.

We have the wrong man.

Watson?

- Watson!
- ( door slams shut )

Where does he take them?

- Where does he take them?
- Just do it...

and get it over with.

( raps )

- I must see the Duchess of Narborough.
- Do you know what time it is, sir?

With all respect,
excuse me.

- It's impossible.
- Watson: I assure you it is not.

You have been duped,
used in the worst possible manner.

- I don't know what you mean.
- Your Grace, even as we speak,

while one brother's in police custody,
the other is torturing

and very possibly murdering
Lady Roberta Massingham.

You must help me
if you can.

You cannot protect the man
who k*lled your own daughter.

You cannot protect yourself at the cost
of another young girl's life.

I cannot.
I'm confused.

It's hard to understand.

Really, Your Grace, it is not.

These two men have consistently
taken each other's place,

posed one as another,
shared everything.

Everything.

Did your woman's
instinct not tell you?

I ask you once again,
Your Grace.

Do you have any idea
where he might be?

Where did your assignations
take place?

Where is she?

# After the ball is over ##

## After the break of morn ##

## After the dancer's leaving ##

## After the stars are gone ##

## Many a heart is aching ##

## If you could read them all ##

## Many the hopes
that have vanished ##

## After the ball. ##

Watson?

Holmes, they used to meet
at Albert Mansions in Kensington.

No, wait wait!

- I'll take you there.
- What?

I know where he takes the girls.
I'll take you there.

It's hard to keep
one's hands soft...

- smooth enough to do this.
- ( whimpers )

A silk stocking would catch
in most people's hands.

Not mine.

Sorry!

No, please. No!

It's down here.

Damn it, come on!
Stop that man!

Stop that man!

Stop!

( train rumbling )

( train whistle blows )

- Holmes?
- Watson?

- Are you armed?
- My cane.

- What number?
- Number .

- Watson?
- What is it?

Watson!

- Release her or I will sh**t!
- Can you be sure of your aim?

Not entirely.

I can be sure of one thing:

if you k*ll her,
I guarantee

you will never see
your brother again.

Release the tourniquet.

You will be tried alone,
you will be hanged alone,

you will never see
each other again in this world.

Let her go.

It's like a door, isn't it?

It opens.

If you walk through,

you can never turn back.

I know...

because it's an addiction.

We need a little bit more
each time, don't we?

To lift us,

- to get us to the same height.
- ( Roberta gasps )

What's your brother in all this?

Your alibi certainly.

A pimp?

Does he share your perversions?

They dress so well,
these girls, don't they?

- They dress well.
- Mmm.

Cavorting around in front
of me in their costumes...

wearing next to nothing...

- flaunting themselves.
- They're not flaunting themselves.

They don't even acknowledge
your existence.

My Lady can take you
to her bed,

but the young girls
that you want,

you like, they don't even
look at you, do they?

They do when they're here.

Then, they do.

- Aren't these beautiful?
- Leave them.

I like to touch them.

Such soft leather.

Charles:
Put them down!

And wonderful smell.

- I said, put them down!
- Special shoes

for a special girl.

No further use for these.

( groans )

- How is she, Watson?
- She's not breathing, Holmes.

( Roberta wheezes )

Oh thank God.
Thank God!

Charles!

Here, Dr. Watson.

- Let me take her.
- Be careful.

I'll go on with her.

A wedding day to remember.

A toast.

If a man is to be judged
by the company he keeps,

then it is only right and proper
that Watson has at last found himself

a charming
and agreeable companion.

Dr. and Mrs. Watson,

I wish you health and happiness.

Both:
Health and happiness.

- Now we must away.
- A word of warning, Jenny.

Don't let Watson tell you
he's not in the mood for pictures

and drag you
to the Musee d'Anatomie

to show you the waxen hearts
and lungs and livers.

Don't worry, Sherlock,
our itinerary's already planned

and tomorrow night,
we shall be at the Opera Garnier.

Je ne vous dis que ca.

What will you do with yourself,
Sherlock, now your Boswell's away?

For me, there is always the needle.

Holmes!

Good old Watson, you're the one
fixed point in a changing age.

No, I shall sit and stare
at the wall like Whistler's mother--

a study in gray.

And now it's time you left...

if you're not to miss your luncheon
tomorrow at the Hotel Splendid.

I hope you will still
come for me, Holmes,

when you need a companion
in your investigations.

My dear fellow, of course.

Of course.

Bon voyage.
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