The Crooked Man - Part One

Sherlock & Co.

Dr. John Watson and Mariana Ametxazurra enter a competitive investigation to solve a mysterious crime in Aldershot. The duo examines the vio

Key takeaways

• James Bartley (62) was found dead with a broken neck and a skull wound.
• Nancy Bartley (59) vanished following a loud argument heard by neighbors.
• Evidence at the scene included blood smeared on carpets and wiped away with towels.
• A cat named Edna presented unusual bite marks that did not match typical feline fights.
• The investigation involves a competitive 'match' between Watson and Mariana.

Main topics

• Detective competition
• Crime scene investigation
• Forensic evidence analysis

Notable quotes

The game is afoot and indeed underway.

Conclusion

A high-stakes introduction to a murder mystery that blends forensic in

Transcript preview

Speaker 6 (0:02) For just £6 a month, binge ad-free adventures in full and have access to so much more over at patreon.com forward slash Sherlock and Co. Speaker 6 (0:18) Pick a podcast. Any podcast. I mean, don't, actually. Just listen to this one. The others are a waste of time for the most part. Welcome to the Adventure of the Crooked Man. This adventure contains magic and blood and swearing. If you would like to hear some really special things, including something very intriguing called a dead man's hand, then please join the Patreon at patreon.com forward slash Sherlock and Co. You will also be able to hear both parts of this adventure. That'll be fun for you, won't it? And for my next trick, here is a scene transition into the episode itself. Nope, try again. And for my next trick, bollocks. Hold on. For my next trick... ...years. Speaker 3 (1:26) Do not spare me from your gaze. For it is the last you will hear from me. And the last you will see. Speaker 3 (1:39) As I, the Phantom, descend into the box. This simple casket, I ask to those of you who have come here today, and those that watch the other side of these cameras, I ask you to remember this moment. Hold it tight in your mind. Speaker 3 (2:13) For that is now the only place where I shall reside. Not in this beautiful auditorium. Not even in this casket. The elements will take me. Ladies and gentlemen, there is nothing left to say except now you see me. Now. Speaker 3 (3:06) You! Get those Speaker 5 (3:35) lights up! Can we get those lights up please now? Open it! Open it! Open it! Open it! We haven't got the signal so just open... No, we just open Speaker 6 (3:42) it now. Hello? Phantom? Come on! Can we open it up, shall we? Speaker 1 (3:47) He hasn't come through! No! He hasn't come through! He's Speaker 2 (3:50) not Speaker 1 (3:50) underneath? No! Henry! Speaker 5 (3:57) He's gone! He's gone! Speaker 6 (4:07) My name is Dr. John Watson, once of the British Army Northumberland Fusilier Regiment, now a true crime podcaster based in central London. I don't have much experience in criminology, so this is mostly a record of how I met possibly the most brilliant and bizarre person I have ever and will ever know. Join me as I document the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Speaker 5 (4:59) He's gone. He's Speaker 7 (5:04) gone! Speaker 6 (5:12) Sherlock, I'm sleeping. No, you're not. Correct, I'm not, but I am giving it a damn good go. Speaker 6 (5:28) What? Do you believe Speaker 5 (5:29) in magic? Speaker 6 (5:30) I believe in getting a decent night's sleep. Can I believe in that, please? Yes. They're not mutually exclusive. You may believe in both. Okay, great. Thanks. Speaker 5 (5:40) Well? Well what? Do you believe in magic? Um... Um is possibly the worst answer you could give, John. Oh, deary me. How is it the worst? Because it suggests you are intelligent enough to answer with no, but don't have the conviction to do so. Oh dear, what a shame. Do I believe in magic? It depends. It depends, does it indeed? Fine. Do you think your listeners believe? Our listeners? Our listeners. Do they believe in such things? Speaker 6 (6:13) Erm... Um, again? Oh, it's very early in the morning. I'm allowed an um or two. What's this? What? Aha! You pulled a coin from my ear. Very impressive, mate. It Speaker 5 (6:24) is not a coin. No? No. Look at it. Follow the sparkle. As if by magic, a case shall appear. A case? Sherlock... Delicate little things. Hold them too tightly. Try as you might to hold them. To make them your own and... Speaker 5 (6:48) Abracadabra. Where did... How did... Hey, presto. In short, I have a case for you. Speaker 6 (6:57) You have a case for me? I do. Right. Isn't it usually you that requires Speaker 5 (7:05) the cases? Speaker 3 (7:06) Mm-hmm. But Speaker 5 (7:07) you require the content, so I will provide it. Chop-chop. We're waiting. Speaker 6 (7:12) Who's we? Speaker 1 (7:14) Warning. Speaker 6 (7:14) And who's this, your glamorous assistant? Speaker 6 (7:26) Take a look. And these are... Pictures. Speaker 5 (7:30) Yes, of? Speaker 1 (7:31) Of one of our victims. One Speaker 5 (7:33) of our victims indeed. Well put, Mariana. Her name is Edna. Right. Speaker 6 (7:40) She's 19. She's 19 and she's called Edna. Speaker 1 (7:44) You're not looking at the photos. Speaker 6 (7:45) Fine, fine. Trying to have a coffee, but sure. Let's look at crime scene photos. Speaker 5 (7:50) As you can see, lacerations to her throat and her back, a puncture wound above her nose and above her left eye, a nasty break in the leg too here. She's lucky to be alive. Speaker 5 (8:08) Sherlock? Yes, Speaker 6 (8:10) Watson? This is a cat. Yes. Yes, it is. Okay, we are a serious detective agency. We've just worked on behalf of the British government. You should be very proud. Yeah, I am proud, which is probably why I'm a little apprehensive about our next case being the adventure of Edna the cat. How do you expect to win with that attitude? Win what? It's the crack of dawn and I'm on a