Chapter 24 Epilogue explained by Ellery Quinn

Ellery Quinn was always on time.Inspector Quinn has just finished reading the manuscript of Watson's Ripper story.He stared at the manuscript with obvious dissatisfaction, then turned his gaze to Ellery. "It really shouldn't have been printed. Holmes was right." "I thought so too." Ellery Quinn walked to the bar. "Jesus! I forgot to order Scotch." "How's it going with you there?" "Better than I expected." "Then you lied like a gentleman. Very nice." "I'm not lying." "what?" "I didn't lie. I told her the truth."

"Then," said Inspector Quinn coldly, "you are a funk mouse. Deborah Osborne loved and trusted her father. She believed in you, too. You will tell the truth Do something flexible." "There is no need to distort the facts." "Why not? Tell me! A little old woman—" "Because, Dad," said Ellery, sinking into the swivel chair, "Lord Carfax is not Jack the Ripper. There's no need to lie. Deborah's father is not a monster. Deborah has always That's right, she knows that, and I know—" "but--" "Of course Sherlock Holmes knew too."

The father tries to keep up with his son's thinking, but fails.They were silent for a long time. "But it's all written here, Ellery!" protested the officer. "yes." "Richard Osborne, this Lord Carfax, knife in hand, killed the last target - Watson was a witness! And he wrote it all down!" "I suppose you consider Watson to be a credible reporter?" "You can say that. He also knew the truth of the matter with his eyes!" Ellery Queen got up and went to his father, picked up the manuscript, and returned to his chair. "Watson is human too. He is too subjective. He sees what Holmes wants him to see, and he writes what Holmes tells him."

"You mean that Holmes misled him?" "I am afraid you are right. The most insidious point is that in this case, every word Holmes said was true, but the most important thing is that he said nothing." "Okay. Is there anything he didn't say?" "At no point did he, for example, refer to Richard Osborne or Lord Carfax as Jack the Ripper." "You're sophistry." The officer snorted. Ellery Queen flipped through the old manuscript. "Father, don't you see some inconsistencies in the case? Surely you wouldn't be satisfied with the details of the blackmail letter?"

"Extortion letter? Let me think..." "That's right. Max Klein, seeing an opportunity for blackmail, allowed Michael Osborne to marry the prostitute Angela. From Klein's point of view, the Duke of Charles's reputation is very strong." Use value. But it didn't work. The marriage became public." "But Klein admitted to Angela that the plan failed." "Inaccurate. He told her that after he took the couple back to London, the marriage was no longer a significant basis for blackmail. He had discovered a better way. Klein, after discovering Losing interest in Michael and Angela after this new weapon, he clearly has better options than this marriage."

"But the manuscript never mentions—" "Father, who is Klein? What is he? Holmes has been aware of his importance from the very beginning, even before he was identified—Holmes knew he was the missing link. Then when Holmes met Arriving at Angela, he gets a valuable piece of information from her. To quote her: 'Oh yes, he was born here.' He knows every street and alley here. He is notorious in the area . Few people dare to pass by him.” "so?" "So Klein discovered a big secret?" "It's the identity of Jack the Ripper." The police officer said slowly, "A man like this is very familiar with the people in and around Whitechapel—"

"Of course, father. This is inevitable. After understanding the characteristics of the Ripper, Klein can start to blackmail non-stop—" "Lord Carfax." "No, can you still recall Lord Carfax's efforts to find Klein and Angela? The blackmailers should have contacted their victims long ago." "Maybe Carfax knew all along." "Then why didn't he strike sooner? Because he only realized that Klein and Angela were at the Angels Crown when he was at the morgue that night." "But Carfax attacked Angela, not Klein." "It's more proof that he wasn't the victim of a blackmail letter. He thought his brother's wife was the cause of the Osborne family's tragedy. That's why he killed her."

"But that doesn't prove—" "Then let's find more evidence. Let's follow Holmes and Watson's last-night. Obviously you already know what's going to happen. Let's see what actually happened. First, there were two people who followed that night The Ripper—Sherlock Holmes and Carfax. I'm sure Carfax had his own doubts." "What proves that Carfax followed the Ripper?" "I am glad you have asked that question," said Ellery succinctly. "Following the clues he had found in Leona's brothel, Holmes proceeded to arrange the final part of his search. He and Watson arrived at Bagan's Room--"

"Then Holmes said: 'If this is the Ripper's lair, he has escaped.'" "Holmes did not say this, it was Watson who said it. Holmes exclaimed: 'Someone has been here before us!' The two statements represent two completely different perspectives. One is an observation made from a casual point of view. The other One, the Sherlock Holmes perspective, is that of a trained man examining a scene with photographic precision." "You discovered an important point." Old Quinn admitted. "One crucial point, but there are others." "So Holmes and Carfax discovered Jack the Ripper's lair at about the same time?"

"And Carfax saw Holmes and Watson arrive at Bagan. He waited outside and followed them to the morgue. That's the only way to explain it." "why?" "If Carfax wants to do the following things, he needs two pieces of information: one is the characteristics of the Ripper, which he can obtain from Bagan, and the other is the location of Angela and Klein , He heard this by accident from the morgue." Inspector Quinn stood up and looked through the diary carefully.He turned to one of the pages and read: "'That notorious beast, Jack the Ripper?' Watson asked Holmes this question. Holmes replied: 'Lord Carfax is dead too.'—"

"Stop," Ellery said, "this is a little out of context, read it all." "Quotation: 'Holmes's gray eyes were clouded with sorrow; his thoughts seemed to wander elsewhere. Lord Carfax was also dead. I am sure that, like his brother, he chose his death.'" "Very well. Now tell me, will Sherlock Holmes mourn the death of Jack the Ripper?" Inspector Quinn shook his head and read on: "'Naturally, he would rather kill himself than suffer the pain of the gallows.'" "Those were Watson's words, not Holmes's. Holmes's words were: 'Let us respect the decision of any noble man.' " "Watson replied: 'Noble man! Are you joking? Oh, I see. You mean his waking hours. And the Duke of Charles?'" "Watson made an unfounded inference from what Holmes said. Let us quote Holmes' remark again: 'I went straight from the fire to his—I mean the Duke's Berkeley Square apartment...he already knew The death of Lord Carfax. He ended his life with the sword which he kept concealed in his staff.' "Then Watson exclaimed: 'The death of a true gentleman!' "Watson was once again led astray by his own prejudices and Holmes' deliberate guidance. See, father, when Holmes arrived at the villa of the Duke of Shires, he found the Duke dead. But he (the Duke) already knew Carlfak I ask you, how did the Duke 'already know of Lord Carfax's death'? The implication is obvious, the Duke was at Bagan's lair, where Lord Carfax met him After that he went home and killed himself. "Because the duke is the Ripper! His son knew it and killed his father to save his name! "Now you see," said Ellery softly, "remember what Carfax said to Watson? To spread the word that he is Jack the Ripper. He will die to convince himself of the guilt." On his shoulders, not his father's." "Then Holmes is right," sighed Inspector Quin, "that he did not want Lord Carfax's sacrifice to be in vain." "And Deborah's faith in her father was borne out three-quarters of a century later." "I'm so confused!" Ellery Quinn took Dr. Watson's manuscript from her father again, and opened "the last one." "The case of Sinbad in Persia," he muttered, "about the roc's egg." His eyes lit up. "Father, do you think Holmes will cheat Watson again?"