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“No, no!” cried Holmes.

 

 “Don’t say a word to the cousin, I beg of you.”

 

The manager raised his eyebrows at this response, but promised he wouldn’t.

 

“I noticed when you were looking at your records,” said Holmes, “that you sold those casts on June 3rd last year. Could you tell me when Beppo was arrested?”

 

“I can work it out from the pay list,” said the manager, referring to another file. “He was last paid on May 20th, so the arrest would have been around then.”

 

Holmes thanked the manager and urged him once more to say nothing about our investigation. Then we headed back west.

 

It was midafternoon by the time we managed to grab some lunch at a cafeteria. A newspaper on one of the tables announced, “Kensington Outrage: Murder by a Madman.” The report, by Horace Harker, was a highly sensational version of the incident he had described to us.

 

Holmes propped it up on the salt and pepper shakers and read it while he ate. “This is very good, Watson,” he chuckled. “Listen to this ... It is satisfying to know that both Mr. Lestrade of the Metropolitan Police and Mr. Sherlock Holmes, the famous private detective, are of one mind as to the cause of this series of grotesque incidents: they arise, they say, from madness rather than deliberate crime.

 

“The newspapers, Watson, can be very helpful, if you only know how to use them. And now, if you’ve finished eating, we shall return to Kensington and see what the manager of Harding Brothers has to say about this case.”

 

The owner, Mr. Gerard Harding, turned out to be a polite and helpful little man. “Yes, sir, I’ve read the newspaper report. We sold Mr. Harker the bust some months ago. We ordered three of them from Gelder & Co. They’re all sold now.”

 

“Who bought them?” asked Holmes.

 

“Let me consult my sales book. Ah, here it is. One to Mr. Harker; one to Mr. Josiah Brown of Laburnum Villa, Laburnum Vale, Chiswick; and one to Mr. Sandeford of Lower Grove Road, Reading.”

 

Holmes showed him the photograph, but Harding didn’t recognize the face in it.

 

“Do you employ any Italians here?” Holmes asked.

 

“Yes, we have several on our staff.”

 

“And would any of them have been able to take a look in that sales book?”

 

“I dare say it’s possible.”

 

“Thank you for your help, Mr Harding.”

 

“You’re very welcome, sir.”