The Spider Woman

Holmes stages a convincing death in Scotland to throw pursuers off his trail while investigating a string of bizarre suicides. He works in secret, knowing a greater plot may be behind the apparent self-destruction. The ruse buys him time to start gathering clues without tipping off the killer.

Returning to Watson in secret, Holmes explains that the victims were wealthy gamblers and that their deaths are part of a larger scheme. He reveals his disguise as Rajni Singh, a distinguished Indian officer, and begins stalking London's exclusive gaming clubs to observe the criminals up close.

Holmes encounters Adrea Spedding, the mastermind behind the suicides, in the London underworld. He learns that she lures men by encouraging pawned life-insurance policies and then eliminates them. Her weapon is a venomous spider, Lycosa carnivora, which makes the deaths look like suicides or accidents.

Holmes lets himself be targeted as Spedding's next mark to gather concrete evidence. He goes along with her scheme, observing how she operates and collecting clues about her partners and methods. His undercover position allows him to map the network behind the murders.

Spedding's use of Lycosa carnivora venom drives victims to excruciating pain, coercing them toward suicide or desperate actions. Holmes notes the pattern and links the killings to her operation rather than random misfortune. The case narrows as the venom becomes the signature clue.

Holmes discovers a suspicious footprint of a child at a crime scene, a clue hinting at an unusual ally or disguise used by Spedding's gang. He analyzes the print to determine its origin and its possible connection to the pygmy reference in the case.

Seeking Ordway, Holmes and Watson visit his laboratory, where the man in front of them appears as an impostor. The impostor makes a swift escape, leaving the investigators with more questions about the real Ordway and the venom source.

They later find the real Ordway's corpse and his journals, which allude to something from Central Africa immune to the spider venom. The discovery broadens the mystery beyond London and points toward a deeper conspiracy that ties the killings to distant influences.

Holmes and Watson examine a model skeleton of a child and discover that the skull and chest measurements prove the 'child' is not human at all but a pygmy. This revelation reframes the threat as something more primitive and cunning behind the murders.

At a nearby fairground, Holmes allows Spedding to drag him into her clutches, letting her complacently think she has him under control. He stages a trap to draw out the rest of her gang and expose their operation to the authorities.

During the shooting gallery confrontation, Inspector Lestrade and Watson fire at Holmes as he is bound and gagged, but he uses the distraction to escape. The escape helps bring the remaining suspects into the reach of the law.

Spedding, her gang, and the pygmy are arrested, and the police begin to unravel the conspiracy. The arrest marks the collapse of the plot and the end of the immediate threat to London.

In a final display of respect for Spedding's intellect, Holmes instructs Lestrade to spare her the indignity of handcuffs, and she is taken away under escort with a grateful smile from Holmes. Holmes and Watson reflect on the case as the city breathes a little easier.