April 1902. Watson, who had established a practice on Queen Anne Street, visited Holmes at Baker Street. At the time, Holmes was engrossed in experiments using a state-of-the-art typewriter that had reportedly been released in the United States the previous year. The typewriter was electric, and a power cable ran up to a light socket in the ceiling. Eventually, while conducting his experiments, Holmes began talking about a strange newspaper advertisement. The advertisement, published in The Times, consisted of coded text, and the name of the person placing it was Dr. Kyle Robinson, a renowned medical doctor. From that day on, Dr. Robinson s newspaper advertisements continued to appear daily, each with a different code. While working as a doctor, Watson tried to decipher the codes published in the newspaper, but he simply could not do it. Then, seven days later—when eight of these coded newspaper advertisements had accumulated—Watson discovered a startling entry in the classifieds section of the same newspaper. Today marked exactly ten days since Dr. Robinson s death, and a memorial service (a ceremony to commemorate the deceased) was to be held. In other words, the newspaper advertisements in question had been placed by the deceased. Piqued by curiosity, Watson headed back to Baker Street, but Holmes was not there. Instead, a handwritten note from Holmes had been left on the table.

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