Murder and More? No Problem for a Featured Detective
The Dear Holmes “Featured Detective” Program honors one detective per mystery for their clever and well-thought-out solution to the case. To learn how to send in your own solution, visit Dearholmes.com/solve.
Dear Sleuths,
As a result of your sharp investigative work, the Hazlewood family can rest at ease knowing who was at fault for The Problem at Hazlewood Grange.
The circumstances of young Alice’s death were dubious from the start — although Inspector Wilkins wrote to Holmes with a suspect in custody, there were far too many questions left unanswered to simply accept that Miss Hazlewood’s former fiancé, Johnson, was responsible. At best, all clues seemed to indicate that another person was involved, but who might they have been? And were they in fact party to the murder, or part of something altogether different?
Many were quick to scrutinize Miss Hazlewood’s new husband-to-be, James Cooper, while a number of detectives turned their attention inwards, towards the her own father. As details emerged in the case, and Mr. Hazlewood’s insurance policy on the missing heirloom came to light, some began to dismiss Johnson entirely and instead consider Mr. Cooper and Mr. Hazlewood as a sneaky, greed-driven pair. Cooper could’ve been in cahoots with his future father-in-law to try and earn some extra cash, and perhaps his attempt to steal her necklace went sour. Or, some theorized, Mr. Cooper could’ve been working together with both Mr. Hazlewood and Johnson.
It wasn’t until Inspector Wilkins and Constable Brown provided information on Alice’s autopsy and the ominous arsenic purchase that investigators started to close in on our actual culprits: Henry Johnson and Lucy Lufton, the butcher’s daughter. With the third letter’s clues in hand, theories began to form around Lucy and Johnson, but one submission in particular stood out as that of a Featured Detective.
Detective Kent A., of McLean, VA, was the first of a select few detectives who not only caught the right culprits, but also explained every step of their plan(s) to a T and discredited Cooper and others as suspects using the provided. A number of keen eyes (shoutout to Detective Karren T.) correctly posited that Lucy and Johnson were working together, however, Detective Kent was able to shed light on each and every mystery encountered. This Featured Detective explained everything, from how our villains carried out their plan, to the reason for the “two screams” heard by all, and Lucy’s hand in dealing with the Hazlewood’s dog. It’s also worth noting that this submission was one of only two (honorable mention to Detective Gwyn D.) to successfully deduce the connections between the missing rug and Alice’s murder.
Congratulations from the Dear Holmes Team to Detective Kent A. — a special reward will soon be on its way!
Want to be next month’s Featured Detective? Mail your solution to 1101 14th St NW, Suite 910, Washington DC 20005, or submit online at Dearholmes.com/solve.