The MacGuffin Affair

An Unexpected Death

Events prevented our meeting. We were aroused at daybreak by a commotion through-out the house. There was running in the hallway outside our door, and Sir Henry could be heard shouting. I dressed quickly and joined Holmes who was already at the base of the main stairs talking with Jameson, who was noticeably distressed.

"What is the disturbance?" I asked Holmes as Jameson looked as if he had seen a ghost.

"Watson, a body has been found in the horse barn," Holmes responded, saving Jameson the effort to speak. "Shamus did not return to Glasgow in the evening as had been planned."

Sir Henry bellowed for Jameson from the upstairs hallway. "I had better see to the master, if you will excuse me." He rushed up the stairs at a speed that would be considered quick for a man half his age.

"The police have been notified and should be here any moment. It might be advantageous to view the scene unencumbered by the constabulary," Holmes suggested. As we quickly walked toward the barn, my friend was in quiet concentration, though his eyes had the fire in them I had often seen when he was in the middle of a most challenging case.

As we entered the barn, we could see the body of the security chief at the base of the hay loft. As we came closer, the head grounds keeper, a Mr. Winterbourne, stepped from an empty stall nearest the body and asked us to halt.

"Sorry Mr. Holmes, Mr. Watson. Jameson charged me to ensure nothing is disturbed until the police arrive."

"You are so right, Winterbourne. We will not progress further," Holmes acknowledged. "I assume you found Mr. Burraid?"

"Yes sir. Making me morning rounds, helping young Jeremy Capall, the new groomsman as I know he had a late evening turning horses for Mr. Burraid. I told him I would take care of turning out the horses this morning for him. When I come into the barn, I see Mr. Burraid lying here and notified Jameson straight away."

"Where is Mr. Capall?"

"No where I can find. I checked his room in the back of the barn, in the loft, out in the paddocks, even in the woods by the stream, cuz I know he likes to lay up there when it's hot in the afternoons. He's nowhere to be found. Oh, it don't look good for him, does it Mr. Holmes?"

Holmes was listening to the groundskeeper while examining the body from a distance. When Winterbourne have finished, Holmes asked, "Are there any marks of violence on the body that you have seen?"

"No sir, I don't see no blood, if that's what you mean, except that small bit from his ears. If you ask me, it looks 'he fell from the loft. Seen that happen before."

"Why would Burraid be in the loft? Holmes questioned. "If Capall was preparing his horses for his return last evening, there would be no reason for him to be in the barn at all. The carriage is outside in front of the barn. Has Burraid assisted with the horses in the past?"

"Oh no sir. Mr. Burraid always stays in the house. My missus is a cook there and she always is going on about how he makes mischief with the help, bossing them around like he owns the place and more."

"More? Pray proceed."

"Well, he always had his eye for Mary Gowan, a chamber maid for Lady MacGuffin. Whenever he come around, she made herself scarce like. She was right scared of him. Even told the Lady. He used to stay the night and go back first thing in the morning. But the missus put a stop to that, made him go back the same day."

"I'm sure a man like Burraid would not take kindly to a rebruke from a woman, even Lady MacGuffin," Holmes observed, intentionally leading the groundskeeper.