Original subtitles

In 1891 the Reichenbach Falls

near Marlington in Switzerland,

Sherlock Holmes finally closed his

account with Professor Moriarty,

the most dangerous criminal of his generation.

The two men were alone in that dreadful place

but the outcome of their struggle

was obvious to a trained observer.

Holmes had achieved the destruction

of his archenemy,

only at the cost of his own life.

It is now three long years

since my dear friend plunged to his death.

There deep down under the swirling water

the infamous Professor Moriarty

and the foremost champion of law of his generation

will lie together for all time.

Even now,

there is hardly a corner of London

that does not remind me of my old friend.

I never walk down Baker Street

where we shared rooms

for so many eventful years

without it reminding me

only too keenly of the past

and the loss of one I shall ever regard

as the best and wisest man I have ever known.

I retained a keen interest

in criminal matters

and supplemented my meager practice

by working as a police surgeon.

It was in the early spring of 1894

that I was called out early in the morning

to an appointment in the west end.

Good morning Constable.

Good morning Doctor.

Inspector Lestrade is waiting for you,

first floor sir.

Thank you.

Inspector?

Early call I'm afraid Doctor.

I'm glad to see you.

The Honorable Ronald Adair.

Not there sir if you please.

I'm sorry.

Age twenty-three,

the second son

of the Earl and Countess of Maynooth,

father is governor of one of the Australian colonies,

mother in London for the winter,

son and daughter

are living in this house with him.

Suicide?

No.

No weapon.

Oh uh, this.

This found on the floor beside the corpse.

It's one of those soft nose revolver bullets,

horrible things.

Must have gone right through

the poor fellows head.

It's unusual, isn't it,

for a pistol to have such velocity?

More like a rifle.

Yes.

Well it's murder then Inspector.

Oh yes.

Any idea who it was?

No.

It's early days yet

but this one looks to me

as if it could turn out to be

a bit of a puzzle.

Well presumably he was

sitting in that chair.

I suppose counting that money.

Oh the murderer doesn't appear

to have been a thief.

Adair had spent the evening

playing cards at his club.

Time for one last hand?

Oh yes indeed.

Now we can get our revenge.

Thank you.

Now Ronald, what's the damage?

Ronald?

Ronald?

Ronald?

I don't think Ronald

couldn't have gone out again.

No my lady.

I heard him come home at about half past ten.

And he hasn't gone out again,

that I'm sure.

Mr. Ronald?

Mr. Ronald sir.

Let's break it down my lady.

From the condition of the body

death was instantaneous.

I suppose the murderer

came in through the window.

The window was open.

Same spot of the matter is

there are no signs of any intruder,

nothing, inside or out.

I wouldn't like to climb up here at night.

It must have been a monkey.

As you say Doctor, an impossibility.

Looks like the murderer had wings.

Sort of case that would have interested

our old friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

Yes indeed.

What a loss he is Doctor.

I didn't always approve of his methods

but he was the best amateur there was

or ever likely to be.

There were times when

he even got the better of me.

All right, Inspector,

if you arrange for our friend

to be brought down the mortuary

I'll conduct an autopsy this afternoon.

Yes indeed Doctor.

See you at the inquest.

Till then.

Doctor Watson,

you are a police surgeon?

Yes sir.

You examined the deceased,

Ronald Frances Adair,

who is the subject of this inquest

and later conducted

a postmortem on the corpse?

I did sir.

Prey what are your findings?

Well death occurred

as the result of a bullet wound

from a point four-five revolver.

Dr. Watson?

I beg you to keep to fact.

My business is to establish

the facts of this case.

I'm sorry sir.

I don't understand.

You say that the bullet

came from a point four-five revolver

that is pure speculation on your part.

It is not your business to start guessing

at the type of weapon used.

That is a subject for the police.

I'm sorry sir.

Prey continue.

Death occurred as the result of a wound

from a soft-nosed lead bullet.

The bullet penetrated the skull

above the left eye,

traversing the left frontal lobe

through the cerebellum

and then exited from the skull

at the back of the head

by the left occipital parietal suture.

Your opinion,

when did death take place?

Oh it would have been instantaneous.

Have you any idea

how far this bullet had traveled

before it entered the body?

I cannot be sure

but it would certainly be

more than four or five feet.

Time of death?

Death occurred between 10:30 and 11:30

post meridian on the twentieth of this month.

Thank you Doctor...

Watson.

Ronald Adair and I played cricket together.

He was a first-class bat,

pretty effective leg spinner.

A good sportsmen, in fact?

Absolutely first class sportsman sir.

Straight as a dime.

One of the most popular fellows I know.

Thank you Mr. Murray.

Sir John Harvey.

I was Ronald Adair's godfather

and a trustee of the estate.

Of course the family's absolutely devastated

by this appalling tragedy.

I put the boy up for the Bagatelle Cup

as a matter of fact.

He always he enjoyed the game of cards.

Win or lose?

Would that affect Mr. Adair

in any way, Sir John?

Lord no, not in the least.

He never paid such high stakes

that could affect him at all.

The family fortune

is a very considerable one.

Thank you Sir John.

You have been a great help

and may I say that evidence from such

a distinguished person, as yourself,

is greatly valued by the court.

Colonel Moran.

You were the last person

known to of seen Mr. Adair.

Did you know him well?

I wouldn't say that I knew Ronald Adair well.

I knew his father, Lord Maynooth, very well.

We used to play

polo together in India

but Ronald.

I've seen quite a good bit in the dark clubs

over the past few months

we played cards together

from time to time.

Oh charming boy.

Good manners, intelligent.

Matter of fact,

he's just the stamp of a young fellow

I'd like to see joining my old regiment.

Did you notice anything unusual about him?

Did he seem worried or upset

on the last evening you saw him?

Not in the least.

Quite the opposite in fact.

Have you any idea why

someone should choose to murder him?

No idea at all.

I doubt if he had an enemy in the world.

Thank you Colonel Moran.

Inspector Lestrade

would you give me your opinion

as to the cause of the

Honorable Ronald Adair's death?

Yes sir.

Willful murder by person

or persons unknown.

Cab.

Willful murder by person

or persons unknown.

Yes?

A gentleman to see you Doctor.

Is it an urgent matter?

I don't know Doctor.

Well did he give you his card?

No Doctor.

Ivy if I've told you once

I've told you hundred times,

my consulting hours are

plainly displayed outside.

Now please...

Oh sir.

Doctor Watson?

Yes indeed sir.

You may go lvy.

I am exceedingly busy sir.

Oh of course you are Doctor.

Of course you are a man of

considerable responsibilities

but I heard you give your address

to that cab driver outside the courtroom.

I said to myself

I'll just hobble around

and see that Kind gentlemen,

I have a conscious.

I felt a little gruff in my manner

I meant no harm by it

I'm much obliged to him

for helping me pick up my books.

You make too much of a trifle sir.

You should have spared yourself the journey.

Now if you'll excuse me.

No great journey sir.

I am a neighbor of yours.

You will find my little bookshop

on the corner of Church Street.

I'm very happy to see you

and I'm sure that...

perhaps... you collect...

I have British Birds

quite a rare volume of The Holy War

bargains every one.

Just the books you need

to fill up your bookcase.

Give it a little weight.

It does look untidy, does it not?

Watson, do you mind if I smoke a cigarette

in your consulting room?

A thousand apologies my dear Watson.

I had no idea that you would be so affected.

Holmes!

Is it really you?

Can it really be that you're alive?

But are you really fit enough to discuss things?

I have given you a serious shock

by my unnecessarily dramatic reappearance.

No, No, No,

I'm all right.

I'm all right.

But indeed, Holmes,

I can hardly believe my eyes.

Good heavens, to think that you

you of all men-

should be here in my consulting room.

Well you're not a spirit at least.

My dear chap,

I'm overjoyed to see you.

Sit down, sit down

and tell me how you came alive

out of that awful chasm.

Oh I'm glad to stretch myself.

It's no joke when a tall man

has to take a foot off his stature

for several hours on end.

Now, my dear fellow,

we have a hard and dangerous

night's work ahead of us.

Perhaps it would be better

if I gave you an account of the whole situation

when that work is finished.

No, no, no.

I'm full of curiosity.

I should much prefer to hear now.

But you will come with me tonight?

When you like,

where you like.

Ha!

Watson.

This is just like the old days.

We might have a chance for a mouthful of dinner

before we need go.

Dinner of course

but first you must tell me everything.

You sure you're all right?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Well then...

about that chasm.

I had no serious difficulty

in getting out of it,

for the very simple reason

that I was never in it.

You were never in it?

No, Watson.

I never was in it.

The note that I left on the rock

at the Reichenbach Falls

was absolutely genuine.

I had little doubt

that my career had come to an end

when I perceived the somewhat sinister figure of Moriarty

standing upon the narrow pathway

that led to safety.

I read an inexorable purpose in his gray eyes.

I managed to obtain his courteous permission

to write the note,

which you afterwards received.

It has remained my treasured possession.

It was a few months later

that I read with great interest

your description of my death.

It was excellently done,

the most picturesque

and exciting piece of fiction.

Well I'm certainly glad

from the bottom of my heart

that it was fiction,

but what did really happen?

When I reached the ledge

I stood at bay.

He drew no weapon,

but rushed at me

and threw his long arms around me.

He knew that his game was up.

He was only anxious to revenge himself upon me.

I have, however, some knowledge of baritsu,

or the Japanese system of wrestling,

which has on more than one occasion,

been very useful to me.

My God.

But... but how did you get away from that place?

It was not a pleasant business.

Even as Professor Moriarty

disappeared into oblivion it struck me

what an extraordinary lucky chance

Fate had placed in my way.

I knew that at least

one of Moriarty's henchmen

would seek my demise now.

With even keener determination

to revenge their dead leader

but if I could convince the world

that I too was dead,

so I decided

to disappear

then and there.

Heavens above.

But the tracks Holmes?

I saw them with my own eyes.

Two went down the path and none returned.

I'm not a fanciful person Watson,

but I give you my word

there were times during that climb

when I seemed to hear Moriarty's voice

screaming at me

from out of the abyss.

At last I reached a place

where I was able to remain unseen.

Holmes?

Holmes?

Holmes?

From my concealed place

I watched you and your followers

investigate in the most sympathetic

and inefficient manner

the circumstances of my death.

At last, when you had all formed your

inevitable but totally erroneous conclusions,

you departed.

It was time for me to be on my way.

Of course, the meaning of this was obvious.

Moriarty had not been alone.

A confederate

from a distance had been witness

to his friend's demise and my escape.

I did not take long to think about it, Watson.

I took to my heels

and covered ten miles

over the mountains in the pending darkness.

A week later

I found myself in Florence,

with the certainty that

no one in the world

knew what had become of me.

I had one confidant-

my brother Mycroft.

I had to confide in him

in order to obtain the money I needed to live.

Of course.

I owe you many apologies, my dear Watson,

but it was all-important

that it should be thought I was dead,

and it is quite certain that you would

not have written so convincing an account

of my unhappy end

had you yourself not thought that it was true.

I have taken up my pen to write to you,

but always I feared

lest your affectionate regard

might tempt you to some indiscretion,

which would betray my secret.

I would have thought

I was as trustworthy as your brother.

Of course you are Watson...

but you have a kinder heart.

But what have you done all these long years?

As you may have read

of the remarkable explorations

of a Norwegian called Sigerson,

but I am sure that it never occurred to you

that you were receiving

news of your friend.

You?

For two years I traveled

to Tibet

and amused myself by visiting Lhasa

and spending some time with the head Lama.

I then moved to Persia,

and paid a short but interesting visit

to the Khalifa in Khartoum,

the results of which I have passed on

to Lord Ketchum in the Foreign Office,

anonymously of course.

You mean you actually saw the palace

where Gordon was murdered?

It was a sorry sight.

His blood still upon his jacket.

Lately I've been in France in Montpellier,

to research the coal tar derivatives.

Then came the news of this remarkable murder,

which not only appealed to my by its own merits,

but would seem to offer some most peculiar

personal opportunities.

So here I am.

Have you been to Baker Street?

Yes.

I called there this morning in my own person.

Mycroft had preserved my rooms

and my papers exactly as they had always been.

So it was,

that I found myself

in my old rooms,

sitting in my old chair,

and only wishing that I could have seen

my dear friend, Watson

sitting in the other chair

which he has so often adorned.

And so I hope I will be.

What... what a remarkable story.

Are you still in possession

of your Army revolver?

Well I think I have it somewhere.

See that you bring it with you tonight.

I have piece of work for both of us

which if we bring to a successful conclusion,

will in itself

justify a man's life on this planet.

I beg you to tell me about it.

You will see and hear enough before morning.

Watson?

May I occupy your couch for a few hours?

The sea was exceeding rough

during the channel crossing

and the prospect of seeing London again

and an intimate encounter

with one of Moriarty's confederates

plus the added pleasure

of seeing my old friend Watson

quite prohibited sleep

on the railway train.

My dear Holmes, please,

my bedroom is at your disposal.

No, No, No.

This will suit me very well.

I've had harder beds than this

over the past few years.

Do you know where we are?

Surely that is Baker Street.

Exactly.

But in the empty house

opposite our old quarters.

Why are we here?

Because it commands such an excellent a view

of that picturesque pile.

Might I trouble you, Watson, to be so kind

as to draw a little nearer to the window,

taking every precaution not to reveal yourself,

and then to look into our old rooms?

Let us see where the three years of absence

have entirely taken away my power

to surprise you.

Good heavens!

It's marvelous.

I trust that age doth not wither nor custom stale

my infinite variety.

It is rather like me, is it not?

I should be prepared to swear it was you.

The construction is due to

a Monsieur Oscar Meunier,

of Grenoble.

The bust is in wax.

The rest I arranged

during my visit to Baker Street earlier.

But why?

Because I have the strongest possible reason

for wishing certain people to believe

that I was there

when I was really elsewhere.

You thought the rooms were watched?

I knew that they were being watched.

By whom?

By the one remaining member

of that charming society

whose leader lies in the Reichenbach Falls.

Sooner or later he believed

that I would come back to my rooms.

So he had them watched continuously.

I was observed when I arrived this morning.

I recognized the sentinel.

Parker by name,

a garrotter by trade,

and a remarkable [xxxxx] Upon the jew's-harp.

Now I understand the reason

for the old bookseller.

I cared not about Parker

but I care a great deal about

the much more formable person

who is behind him,

the bosom friend of Moriarty.

That is the man who is after me tonight

and let us hope that he is also the man

who is totally unaware

that we are after him.

Holmes

look!

Just beyond the house.

Couple of shady characters in the doorway.

Yes I see them.

Well shouldn't we do something?

No.

Holmes,

the shadow's moved.

Certainly it has moved.

I involved Mrs. Hudson.

We have been in this room two hours

and she has made some change

in that figure eight times,

or once every quarter.

Mr. Holmes.

Lestrade how nice to see you.

So it really is you?

When I received your message

I could scarce believe it.

You seem to want some unofficial help.

Three undetected murders in one year

won't do you know.

Holmes I know this man.

Of course you do Watson.

So does the Inspector.

Colonel Sebastian Moran,

once of Her Majesty's Indian Army,

and the best heavy game shot

our Eastern Empire has ever produced.

I believe I'm correct, Colonel,

in saying that your bag of tigers

still remain unrivalled?

I wonder that my simple stratagem

could deceive so old a shikari.

How many times have you not tethered

a young kid under a tree,

laid above it with your rifle,

and waited for your bait

to bring up your tiger?

This empty house is my tree,

and you're my tiger!

The parallel is exact.

You may or may not

have just cause for arresting me

but there can be no reason

why I should be subjected

to the jives of this person.

If I'm in the hands of the law

let things be done in a legal way.

Well that sounds reasonable.

Anything further to say before we go?

Only to ask

what charge you intend to prefer?

What charge sir?

Why of course the attempted murder of

Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

Not so Lestrade.

To you, and to you only, belongs the credit

of this remarkable arrest.

With your usual mixture of cunning and audacity

and you have got him.

I don't understand you Mr. Holmes.

Do you mean this man?

The man whom the entire police force

has been seeking in vain

Colonel Sebastian Moran,

who shot the young Adair

through the open window of his parent's house

upon the twentieth of last month.

That is your charge Lestrade.

You were quite the heron of the occasion

Mrs. Hudson.

Why I don't know, I'm short.

I hope you have preserved all precautions?

Oh yes sir.

I went to it on my knees

just exactly as you told me

and a good crick in my back to prove it.

Oh I was frightened Doctor

and when that window shattered

I thought I should have died.

Yes you did it very well Mrs. Hudson.

There's no sign of the bullet.

Excuse me sir,

a moment if you please.

What is it?

I have it here.

I picked it up off the carpet.

Mrs. Hudson you are becoming indispensable.

A soft revolver bullet,

as you perceive,

there's genius in that

for who would expect such a thing

to be fired from an air gun?

It's no ordinary air gun.

No indeed.

Remarkable and unique weapon.

Noiseless and of tremendous power

I knew Von Herder

the blind German mechanic

who constructed it to the order of

the late Professor James Moriarty.

Watson look at this.

The old shilkaris nerves

had not lost their steadiness

nor his eyes their keenness.

The results are appalling.

Yes indeed.

Have you heard of the name Moran

before Adairs murder?

No I had not.

Well, well, well,

such is the price of fame.

Would you be so kind to hand me

on my L-M index?

Our biographies Watson?

My list of M's is a fine one.

Mind you Moriarty's name is enough to make

any letter illustrious.

I seem to remember

Morgan the poisonner.

Merridew an abominable memory.

And there was Mathews,

who knocked out my left canine

in Charing Cross Station.

Awe there is our friend of last night.

'Moran, Sebastian, Colonel.

Son of Sir Augustus Moran,

once British Minister to Persia.

Educated Eton, Oxford.

Served in Jowaki Campaign,

Afghan Campaign, Sherpur, Cabul

mention to dispatches.

The second most dangerous man in London.'

This is astonishing Holmes.

This is the career of an honorable soldier.

It's true.

Up to a certain point he did well

yet there are some trees, Watson,

which grow to a certain height

and then suddenly develop

some unsightly eccentricity.

You will often find it in humans.

Whatever the cause,

Moran began to go wrong.

Without an open scandal,

he still made India too hot to hold him.

He retired, came back to London

but again he acquired an evil name.

It was about this time

that he was sought out

by Professor Moriarty.

When you were in Switzerland, Watson,

Moran followed us with Moriarty

and it was undoubtedly he

who gave me those evil five minutes

above the Reichenbach Falls.

Well now I can understand why you disappeared.

With a fellow like this, free in London,

your life would not have been worth living.

All I could do was wait

and watch the criminal news

knowing that if I was patient

sooner or later he would make a mistake.

When I heard of the murder of Ronald Adair

I knew that at last my chance had come.

Knowing what I did

was it not certain

that Colonel Moran had done it.

He played cards with the lad

followed him home from his club

and shot him

through the open window

from the rooftop opposite.

Watson does anything else

remain for me to explain?

Yes.

You have not made clear

what was Moran's motive

in murdering the Honorable Ronald Adair.

There we move into the realms of conjecture.

Each may form his own hypothesis

upon the present evidence,

and yours is as likely to be correct as mine.

Watson have you formed one?

I think so.

Let me hear.

Well it's not difficult to explain the facts.

There must have been

a considerable amount of money involved

and Moran had undoubtedly played foul.

I think that Adair had discovered

that he was cheating.

Splendid.

Very likely he spoke to him privately

and threatened to expose Moran unless he

voluntarily resigned membership in his club

and promised not to play again.

Watson this is excellent.

Exclusion from his club

would mean ruin to Moran,

who lived by his ill-gotten card gains.

Therefore,

he murdered Adair.

Will it pass?

I think, without doubt,

that you have hit upon the truth.

Anyway it will be verified

or disproved at the trial.

Meanwhile, come what may,

Colonel Moran will trouble us no more.

And the famous air gun of Von Herder

will embellish the Scotland Yard Museum.

Come in.

Once again Mr. Sherlock Holmes

is free to devote his life

to examining those

interesting little problems,

which the complex life of London

so plentifully presents.

Mr. Sherlock Holmes.