“We do indeed have a David Kingsley staying here, though he’s not in at the moment,” the land lady explained. “You can see his room if you’d like?”

The room in question featured a complete set of the works of Arthur Conan Doyle, several pipes, hats, and unusual jackets. It is otherwise neat and tidy, aside from the most recent copy of the Toronto Gazette, left open to the obituaries, and the local directory to the bank listings.

The most well-worn book in the series is The Sign of the Four.