The Adventure of the Thief's Cipher

"The end of a bad business, Mr. Holmes. No good saying it's not" stated Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard. "Convict Jonas Bailey died this morning in his sleep in the infirmary of Dartmoor Prison".

"Bailey", repeated Watson. "Name sounds familiar, Holmes".

"Well it should, Watson" replied Holmes. "As any man's name should who is capable of engineering the theft of the fabulous Tearsdale diamonds".

"Little good it did him, if you'll recall, Mr. Holmes" commented Lestrade. "We apprehended Mr. Jonas Bailey shortly after his flight from Lady Tearsdale's suite at the Hotel".

"Unfortunately", remarked Holmes, "the diamonds were no longer in his possession. And with Bailey's illness I find it curious that he made no attempt to communicate . . . "

"But he did, Mr. Holmes" interrupted Lestrade. "And here's the rub. When we arrested Bailey six years ago, we suspected but were never able to prove that he was a partner of Tyler Merill, the actor. Four days ago Bailey sent a letter to Merill's post office box".

"Which you, of course, intercepted," prompted Holmes.

"To little effect," replied Lestrade, handing him a copy of the note which read as follows:

BWRMRATJWLIMSUTIEEA EOIRYEESNUEMOLT.

"So you've kept the post office under surveillance and waited for Tyler Merill?" queried Holmes.

"And show he did, Mr. Holmes. But Tyler Merill was run over crossing the street by a carriage driver, one Newton Jennings, who we're holding for questioning."

At that moment a breathless Inspector Gregson burst into the Baker Street rooms announcing the startling news. With Scotland Yard's surveillance discontinued, someone had retrieved Bailey's note from the post office.

"Of course!" exclaimed Holmes. "Come on, Watson. There's not a moment to lose!"

Holmes must