tasks. London was busy and hot and loud. Humanity kept itself very busy when it crowded itself into a limited locality. Purposes and cross-purposes spent much energy with vigorous comings and goings. How like my bees they seem to take flight, with a hum and buzz of resolute activities. I myself had a determined destination fraught with undercurrents. I grabbed a cross-town omnibus and alighted a block away form the home of the former Mr. Rawlings. As I approached the residence in a quiet and upper middle-income section of the town, there was no outward appearance that the house was the scene of a death and police were involved. The house was of sufficient size to indicate the owner was affluent, but not so large that luxurious wealth was indicated. It was well kept and the grounds were well trimmed. I knocked and a uniformed officer opened the door with a “We have been expecting you sir,” as I declared my name. He escorted me down the hall and to the office where the Inspector was holding camp and I was introduced. “Welcome, Mr. Holmes, I of course know your excellent reputation and am curious as to know why you were recalled from retirement to direct the investigation of my case, or rather our case. It appears to be a freak accident, although the circumstances do seem to be questionable.” Morrish immediately let me know he was turning control of the case to me and was there to be of assistance. He was an older white haired individual that had an air of a senior investigator or supervisor. He had the smell of tobacco about him, although he was not currently smoking. He did not have nicotine stains on his fingers, so I concluded he also was a pipe smoker, for the aroma was not cigar tobacco. His tone was friendly but he had not offered to shake my hand, indicating he was comfortable allowing me on the case, but disconcerted about my intrusion. I ignored the implied question as to why I was there, “Tell me Inspector, if it was believed to be an accident, why was the incident brought to the attention of the homicide section. Why was it not just handled by the original officer called to the house?” I inquired as my gaze took in the death room. The deceased was sprawled among dead fish and water plants and broken glass from the overturned aquarium, just in front of his desk which had some papers on it. He was now face up, but I could see by the entwinement of his robes, he had been rolled over and inspected to see if he was still alive I surmised. There were papers scattered about the floor and soaking up the water that had spilled from the overturned aquarium. “Let me set the scope of our initial survey and subsequent investigation. A call was received at the local precinct that a death had occurred in this house early this morning. It was thought to be an accident as the master of the house was found by the butler in his office under his heavy aquarium in front of his desk. As you see the body is right there.” “The butler states that a loud crash had awoken him and he had hurried in here to find Mr. Rawlings underneath the overturned aquarium. He righted the remains of the aquarium as he pulled it off of his master, and attempted to revive him. However, he quickly ascertained he was dead. He told the cook, who has also arisen because of the crash and rushed to the study, to call for the police while he watched over the body. “Constable Wiggens arrived at the scene soon after. The cook ushered him into the office where the constable found the dead body of Mr. Rawlings and the butler standing vigil. “The constable took statements and inspected the body. He quickly looked over the room and then had his superiors call us in. For although the butler said he had found the master under the aquarium and stated he thought maybe the master had stumbled on his slippers and pulled it atop himself, it had to have been pushed onto him. It was affirmed that he was found was face down with the bulky aquarium on top of him. The butler, after righting the aquarium, a no mean feat in itself because of the weight of the unit, claims he brushed off broken glass and turned the body over to try to revive Mr. Rawlings. The supporting cabinet that the aquarium had been on is sturdy and intact. The butter did not have the strength to put the broken aquarium back on the cabinet himself, but pushed it upright next to the body. “The crash that alarmed the