The Second Stain

The author himself included this story in his list of '12 Favorite Sherlock Holmes Stories.' British Prime Minister Lord Bellinger and Trelawny Hope, Secretary of State for European Affairs, appeal to Holmes for help in finding a document that was stolen from Hope's home. If the document becomes public, it can lead to very serious consequences for the whole of Europe, even war. No one in the house knew about the document, not even the secretary's wife. Holmes begins an investigation by analyzing the activities of famous foreign spies in Great Britain, and learns from Dr. Watson that one of them has been killed. Eduardo Lucas was stabbed to death in his own home. Holmes believes that this is no accident. Translated by Mykola Dmytrenko