Case No. 31
The Adventure of the Reporter's List
Newspaper reporter James Kent was found late this afternoon in an alley behind the Boar's Head Inn. He had been brutally stabbed twice through the heart.
An enigmatic note found near the victim's body read: The Leaping Horse, Petworth Park, the Third of May, 1808.
Scotland Yard's code experts have been unable to decipher any meaning from the curious message.
The owner of the Boar's Head Inn, Grady Upjohn, admits Kent visited his establishment around noon, ordered a glass of stout, and departed within the hour, declaring he had appointments at the Docks, the Museum and the Pawnbrokers.
Ship builder Sir Thomas Creasey affirms he had seen Kent in the afternoon and discussed with the reporter several horses in Creasey's fine thoroughbred stable.
Although hobbling with a sprained ankle, curator Justin Robarts claims he gave his visitor a guided tour through the Museum Gallery lasting almost two hours.
Dennis Sculley, the proprietor of the Pawnbrokers, stated that the reporter had called to sell a pair of silver cuff links and then inquired if Sculley still planned to hold a public auction in the Park this Saturday.
Your mission
Scotland Yard wants to know a) who killed the reporter, b) the weapon and c) the motive.
The game is afoot!