The Adventure of the Coded Message

In the course of his normal weekly visit to collect the rent Landlord Edward Trevors found the proprietor of the Pawnbroker shop, Rafer Harmon, dead apparently of natural causes.

Harmon was found in his small room above the shop slumped over his desk, surrounded by a roomful of assorted pawned items such as a riding saddle; a cobbler's bench; a complete set of Old English armour; a handmade wooden battleship; an old handcarved Hotel sign; a collection of Dutch pottery; and an array of musical instruments, clocks and watches.

On the desk top next to Harmon was an envelope addressed to one Harry Blake, currently imprisoned on the Continent. Also in the room was Harmon's pet canary still locked in his cage but apparently also having died from natural causes.

An investigation by Scotland Yard has revealed that Rafer Harmon was actually Rudolph Hickel, a petty thief wanted by the police for his involvement in a number of burglaries. Hickel dropped out of sight a few years ago after double-crossing a band of fellow thieves involved in a theft from a Museum.

Hickel disappeared with the two most valuable items of the haul -- the famous matching Eyes of Lucifer pearls, worth over fifty thousand pounds apiece. His partners and Scotland Yard have been searching for Hickel ever since.

The envelope on Hickel's desk contained a note apparently written in code. Scotland Yard believes that Hickel knew he was dying and penned this note, intending to send it to his old friend Harry Blake, who is due to be released from prison in two weeks.

The coded note reads as follows: BJZMZXVWRHMRHOJZVK Unable to crack the code, Scotland Yard has come to Sherlock Holmes for assistance. Scotland Yard wants Holmes to translate the coded message. Watson shakes his head in bewilderment as Holmes studies the message, takes a puff on his pipe, and remarks that this should be a rather elementary code to