The
French detective Jules Poiret (who is frequently confused with
Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective who recently investigated a
mysterious affair at Styles) and Sherlock Holmes become involved in a
sequel incident to The
Sign of The Four,
discovering Watson may not have been entirely honest in his account
of the case. Jules Poiret, who may have been a partial inspiration
for Poirot, is from Frank Howel Evans’ The
Murder Club.
Hercules Popeau, also cited as a possible inspiration for Poirot,
appears in Marie Belloc Lowndes’ story “Popeau Intervenes.”
Georges La Touche is from Freeman Wills Crofts’ novel The
Cask.
Inspector Juve and Fantômas
are from Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre’s novels. Arsène Lupin
is Maurice Leblanc’s gentleman thief. Joseph Rouletabille is a
detective created by Gaston Leroux. Sven Hjerson is a fictional
Finnish detective created by author Ariadne Oliver in Agatha
Christie’s works. The disturbing implications that the Agra
treasure was not lost but rather stolen by Watson, who married Mary
Morstan in order to capitalize on her newfound wealth, and that he
may have later murdered Mary, would be enough to place this story
outside CU continuity, but the metafictional piece following it,
“Holmes and Watson: A Conversation,” clinches it, with Watson
revealing to Holmes they, Poiret, and Poirot are all fictional
characters, and the many inconsistencies in Watson’s accounts are
really the fault of their creator.
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