SIXTH NARRATIVE

by Wilkie Collins

**Contributed by Sergeant Cuff**

**I**

Dorking, Surrey, July 30, 1849.

To Franklin Blake, Esq.

Dear Sir,

I want to apologize for the delay in getting this report to you. I’ve been working to make it as thorough as possible, and I’ve encountered a few obstacles that required some patience and time to overcome.

I believe I have now achieved the goal I set for myself. Within these pages, you will find answers to most—if not all—of the questions you had about your late cousin, Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite, when we last met.

First, I will explain what is known about how your cousin met his end, along with the inferences and conclusions I believe we can draw from the facts.

Second, I will share what I have discovered regarding Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite’s actions before, during, and after the time you both were guests at the late Lady Verinder’s country house.

**II**

Let’s start with your cousin’s death.

It seems clear, beyond any reasonable doubt, that he was killed—either while he was asleep or just after waking—by being smothered with a pillow from his bed. The individuals responsible for this murder are three Indians, and the motive behind the crime was to steal the diamond known as the Moonstone.

The facts leading to this conclusion come from examining the room at the tavern and the evidence gathered during the Coroner’s Inquest.

When the door to the room was forced open, Mr. Ablewhite was found dead, with a pillow covering his face. The medical examiner, upon learning this, determined that the signs were consistent with murder by smothering—specifically, that someone had pressed the pillow over his nose and mouth until he suffocated.

Now, regarding the motive for the crime.

A small box, with a torn seal, was found open and empty on a table in the room. Mr. Luker has personally identified the box, the seal, and the inscription. He confirmed that the box had indeed contained the Moonstone and admitted to giving it to Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite—who was disguised—on the afternoon of June 26th. From this, we can reasonably infer that the theft of the Moonstone was the motive behind the murder.

Next, let’s discuss how the crime was committed.

As they examined the small room—only seven feet high—they discovered that a trapdoor in the ceiling was ajar. A short ladder, typically kept under the bed, was positioned against the opening, allowing anyone inside to escape easily. Upon closer inspection, they found a square hole cut into the trapdoor itself, seemingly made with a very sharp tool, just behind the bolt that secured it from the inside. This meant that someone from outside could have pulled back the bolt, opened the door, and either dropped down or been quietly lowered into the room, which, as noted, was only seven feet tall. The presence of that hole clearly indicated that someone had entered this way.

To understand how they might have accessed the tavern’s roof, it was noted that the third house down the street was empty and undergoing repairs. A long ladder had been left by the workers, reaching from the pavement to the top of the building. When the workers returned on the morning of the 27th, they found that the plank they had secured to the ladder to prevent anyone from using it had been removed and was lying on the ground.

Considering the possibility of climbing the ladder, crossing over the rooftops, and descending again without being seen, the evidence from the night policeman revealed that he only patrolled Shore Lane twice an hour during his shift. Residents confirmed that after midnight, Shore Lane was one of the quietest and loneliest streets in London. Thus, it seemed reasonable to conclude that, with a bit of caution and quick thinking, someone could have ascended the ladder and descended again unnoticed. Once on the tavern's roof, experiments showed that a person could lie flat on the trapdoor while cutting through it, hidden from anyone passing by on the street below.

Now, regarding the individuals involved in the crime:

First, it was known that the Indians had a vested interest in acquiring the Diamond. Second, it was likely that the man who appeared to be Indian, whom Octavius Guy saw speaking to a man dressed like a mechanic at the cab window, was one of the three conspirators. Third, it was confirmed that this same man, disguised as a mechanic, had been seen keeping an eye on Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite throughout the evening of the 26th and was found in the bedroom before Mr. Ablewhite entered, under circumstances that suggested he was inspecting the room. Fourth, a piece of torn gold thread was discovered in the bedroom, identified by experts as Indian-made and a type of gold thread not found in England. Lastly, on the morning of the 27th, three men matching the description of the Indians were spotted in Lower Thames Street, traced to Tower Wharf, and seen leaving London on a steamer bound for Rotterdam.

This presented moral, if not legal, evidence that the murder was committed by the Indians.

Whether the man posing as a mechanic was an accomplice in the crime remained uncertain. It seemed improbable that he could have committed the murder alone; overpowering Mr. Ablewhite, who was taller and stronger, without a struggle or a cry being heard seemed unlikely. A servant girl sleeping in the next room heard nothing, nor did the landlord in the room below. All the evidence pointed to the conclusion that more than one person was involved in this crime, and the circumstances strongly suggested that the Indians were responsible.

I should also mention that the Coroner’s Inquest returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against some unknown person or persons. Mr. Ablewhite’s family has offered a reward, and every effort has been made to find those responsible. The man dressed as a mechanic has evaded all inquiries, while the Indians have been tracked. I will have more to say about the chances of capturing them when I conclude this report.

For now, having covered everything necessary regarding Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite’s death, I will move on to recount his activities before, during, and after the time you met him at the late Lady Verinder’s house.