The Adventure of the Suicidal Architect

Last Saturday afternoon, William Skottle, a partner in the architects firm of Netter, Kendrick, Subkow, Skottle and Jones Ltd., was found dead in the ally behind the Newsagents. He had been shot in the head. The weapon, a small gun, was in Skottle's hand; and a suicide note explaining that he no longer desired to live, was in Skottle's pocket.

There was beer on Skottle's breath, and near his body were found a half-smoked Turkish cigar, a little yellow pill, and a small key.

Earlier that day, Skottle had lunch with his four business partners at a special luncheon in their office next to the Bank. Skottle's partners -- George Netter, Arthur Kendrick, J.S. Subkow and Thomas Jones -- all noticed that Skottle seemed unusually depressed during their meeting. Skottle's partners all knew of what they called Skottle's "Suicidal Tendencies;" and they all knew that Skottle had once attempted to hang himself years ago. The partners recalled that Skottle was the first to leave the meeting Saturday, and said that he was going to call at the Boar's Head before going home.

Scotland Yard has determined Skottle's death to be an obvious case of suicide. But the dead man's wife, Mrs. Esther Skottle, is unconvinced. She has come to 221B Baker Street to ask Sherlock Holmes to check into her husband's death.

Mrs. Skottle admits that her husband had been concerned about some business issues recently; but she insists that her husband's moods of depression and thoughts of suicide were all in the past.