The MacGuffin Affair

Conclusion

The elder Holmes whose deductive reasoning was superior to his younger brother, knew immediately the situation was grave. Entering the drawing room aided by a cane, he consoled Mrs. MacGuffin.

"Lady MacGuffin, on behalf of His Majesty's government and the Royal Navy, we offer our condolences toward your ailing husband. We would be only too happy to assist you and your husband in any way possible."

To which, I detected a sub-audible groan from his brother. The missus thanked Mycroft and said that the doctors were doing everything possible. She as well as I were surprised that Mycroft knew of her husband's condition, his arrival only minutes after her husband was taken to hospital. When she asked how he could have known, he merely replied, "You just told me." When she looked confused, he added, "I saw the ambulance coming from the house as I was arriving. It was not in great haste nor was it at a solemn pace thus there was no emergency and no death, but an injury that required hospital. When I stepped out, I noticed the older motor carriage of a style that would not be in keeping with your stature and concluded it must belong to a doctor who was tending his patient in the ambulance. Crossing the entrance, a glance at the faces of the staff and yours were enough for me to conclude that Sir Henry was in the ambulance and had narrowly escaped a brush with death."

"It is obvious, the keen power of observation and deduction that is universally attributed to your brother is also resident in you, Mr. Holmes," she observed solemnly.

The elder Holmes then asked his brother and I, as we were sitting near the window together, what had transpired. Sherlock Holmes looked to me and I gave Mycroft a summary of the night's difficulties.

"I assume you have determined it was not staff," Mycroft concluded. As his brother affirmed this, I was surprised how quickly he had arrived at the deduction and asked. "It appears elementary," was his reply. "The staff have all been a long time in service of the family and obviously know of Sir Henry's allergy and would have taken steps to ensure he was not exposed. No, it was more likely something from the outside that was brought in, possibly a special baked good, possibly a pastry or dessert, the staff had not the time to prepare for their guests. An outside bakery would not know of Sir Henry's sensitivity. Have I missed anything, Sherlock?"

My comrade smiled and shook his head. "No, brother, as usual you have missed nothing."

"Have you found the Fessenden Drive design plans?"

"I was waiting for you before I revealed my conclusions."

"Always with the flair for the dramatic, Sherlock," the elder Holmes said in a somewhat scolding tone. "If Lady MacGuffin is up to it after her ordeal we may dispense with this matter and allow her the peace to aid in her husband's recovery."

Mrs. MacGuffin consented, and Sherlock led the assembly into the library. My colleague took the position standing facing the desk in front of the fireplace. Lady MacGuffin sat at the desk. I stood behind the desk by the bookcase, Mycroft was the last in and sought a chair between the desk and fireplace, nearest his brother.

Holmes began, "When I was asked by the Admiralty's Emissary to pause my other work, a highly unique adventure I have been working on for near two years, and come with post haste to Scotland to recover the missing design plans I was not at all sure it could be done. The agents of the Kaiser, the Tsar, and the Emperor of Japan, have been pursuing this critical information for some time. My own sources have informed me that Von Bork, the top German agent in Britain, has received inquiries about selling the design plans. Since Von Bork has yet to acquire these, we must assume that they are not lost and most likely are still in Argyll Hall."

He then turned his attention to our female host. "Lady MacGuffin only you, your husband and Mr. Burraid knew the design plans were in the statue. Baring compromise of any member of your staff, the evidence of an outside intruder coming through the window would attempt to throw suspicion away from either Burraid or you as the perpetrator of this crime. I ask you now, do you have any knowledge of their present whereabouts?"