Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking

In November 1903, a series of killings targets well-born women in London, with silk stockings stuffed down their throats as a grisly signature. Watson seeks help from the retired and disenchanted Holmes, who begins to glimpse a pattern behind the murders. Clues such as the chloroform scent and the signature acts begin to shape the investigation.

Watson enlists Holmes's help, and the detective rapidly discerns that the victims are not prostitutes but well-born ladies. He identifies a pattern in the crime scene clues—the thumbprint, dancing shoes, broken glass, a strong scent of chloroform, and a silk stocking recovered from a victim's throat. These details point to a carefully staged, fetish-driven modus operandi.

Holmes questions a survivor, a girl with a club foot who was briefly freed by her captor. She helps identify a suspect, though his thumbprint ultimately clears him. Holmes uses this lead to recognize the threat may be broader than a single killer.

Holmes arranges for the sister of a victim to perform in a classical tableau at a royal event attended by the King and Queen. The sister's Grecian-Roman costume reveals her sandals and feet, drawing the killer's attention. Holmes uses the setting to expose the suspect's interest and lure him toward a confrontation.

After the performance, the sister walks away to be alone and is drugged by the suspect. Holmes quickly intervenes, bringing the would-be kidnapper into custody, and the sister returns home to her father. The incident marks a temporary victory but hints at a deeper danger still at large.

The suspect's thumbprint does not match the critical evidence, prompting Holmes to suspect that a second killer might be involved. This twist shifts the investigation toward an identical twin and a hidden threat still at large. Holmes begins to prepare for a confrontation with an unseen rival.

Holmes telephones the father of the bait sister to warn him that danger remains. The warning underscores the possibility of a second assailant who could strike again at any moment. The tension shifts from detection to preventing further harm.

Moments after Holmes's warning, the real killer kidnaps the bait sister from her bed, carrying her with a facial injury and blood visible from broken glass. The chilling abduction confirms a second killer is at large. Holmes races to intercept before more harm occurs.

Police force the surviving twin to reveal the brothers' whereabouts, but the other twin escapes as they close in. Holmes clarifies that the twins are both guilty, each with their own role in the crimes. The chase heightens the stakes for the remaining victims.

Holmes locates the killer and the kidnapped victim just in time. The victim has a silk stocking tied around her neck; Watson cuts it and performs a rescue that resembles historical CPR. The killer finally confesses to seeking attention because victims looked at him while captive.

With the confession, both twins are taken into custody by the authorities. The case closes as Holmes's deductions illuminate the motive behind the violence. The twin killers are removed from the capital's streets and into the justice system.

Watson marries his fiancée, Jenny Vandeleur, an American psychoanalyst who aided in the investigation. They depart for their honeymoon, leaving Holmes alone at the table. The partnership between Watson and Holmes is completed as Watson begins a new life.