The Adventure of the Empty House (B1 Simplified Version)

In the spring of 1894, London was shocked by the strange death of a young man named Ronald Adair. He was found dead in a locked room in his home on Park Lane. No one could explain how he was killed.

I, Dr. Watson, was very interested in this case. After the death of my close friend Sherlock Holmes, I often read about crimes and tried to solve them using his methods. This case especially made me miss Holmes, because I was sure he could have explained it.

Ronald Adair was a quiet and respectable young man from a noble family. He liked playing cards but did not gamble too much. On the night of his death, he returned home at ten o’clock. His mother and sister were out. Later that night, when they came back, they found his room locked from the inside. When they broke the door open, Ronald was dead. He had been shot in the head, but no gun was found in the room.

The window was open, but there were no signs that anyone had climbed in or out. The money on the table was still there. No one could understand how the crime was done. The police could not find a clear answer.

One evening, while I was near the house, I met an old man carrying many books. Later, this same man came to visit me at home. To my great shock, he was not a stranger at all. He was Sherlock Holmes, alive and smiling.

Holmes explained that he had never really died at the Reichenbach Falls. He had pretended to be dead so that his dangerous enemies would think he was gone. Only his brother Mycroft knew the truth. Holmes had spent several years travelling and hiding, waiting for the right moment to return.

Holmes said that one of his worst enemies was still alive in London. This man was watching Holmes’s old rooms in Baker Street, waiting for him to return. Holmes used this to his advantage. He made a wax model of himself and placed it in the window, so it looked like he was inside.

Holmes and I hid in an empty house across the street. Late at night, a man secretly entered the house with a strange gun. He aimed at the wax figure and fired. At that moment, Holmes and I attacked him, and the police arrived.

The man was Colonel Sebastian Moran, a very dangerous criminal and a skilled hunter. Holmes explained that Moran had used a powerful air gun to kill Ronald Adair through the open window of his house. That was why no one heard a gunshot and why no gun was found.

Holmes believed that Adair had discovered that Moran was cheating at cards and planned to expose him. To protect himself, Moran murdered Adair.

With Moran arrested, Holmes was finally free from his enemies. Once again, he could return to his work of solving crimes in London.

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Cultural and Historical Notes (for English Learners)

Here are explanations of references that may be unfamiliar:

1. Park Lane

A very rich and fashionable street in London. Living there shows that Ronald Adair came from a wealthy family.

2. Card Clubs

Private clubs where gentlemen met to play card games. In the 19th century, these clubs were very important for social life among rich men.

3. Reichenbach Falls

A real waterfall in Switzerland. In an earlier Sherlock Holmes story, Holmes was believed to have died there while fighting his enemy.

4. Wax Bust

A lifesize model made of wax. Holmes used it to make people believe he was in his room.

5. Air Gun

A gun that shoots bullets using air pressure instead of gunpowder. It is much quieter than normal guns, which explains why no one heard the shot.

6. Scotland Yard

The name commonly used for the London police headquarters.

7. Colonel

A high military rank. This shows that Moran had a respectable past, which made him less suspicious.