INSPECTOR
BAYNES REPORTING...
On Certain Aspects of the Wisteria Lodge Encounter
by Jody Baker
(Chattanooga lawyer, Nashville Scholar, WelcomeHolmes)
It is with justifiable immodesty and pardonable pride that I take up my pen to write about my encounter with Mr. Sherlock Holmes during the course of those events which were recorded by Dr. Watson under the singular title of "The Adventure of the Wisteria Lodge." It was there that Mr. Holmes paid me several compliments and proclaimed his high regard for my professional competence. Mrs. Baynes and I enjoy re-reading aloud from this tale as we sit before the fire in the evenings while the winter snow falls silently and blankets the landscape outside our cottage.
Though it is, undoubtedly, true that I deserved all of the praise that Holmes heaped upon me, his comments are remarkable in that it was so highly unusual for him to pay such tribute to another detective. That was simply not his style.
In this adventure Holmes repeatedly expressed his appreciation of my professional excellence and my superior performance. Such acclaim may possibly be attributed to the fact that we did not collaborate on the case at all but conducted our separate investigations, and I was way ahead of him every step of the way.
Watson, in his account, has captured many of the munificent expressions which were cast in my direction, and I am compelled to share some of these with you as we review this tale, for it is these which distinguish this tale from all of the others.
Early in our experience, Mr. Holmes referred to me as "this excellent inspector" [Doubleday p. 876]. Then, just as Holmes was beginning to develop his plan of investigation, he said to Watson: "No doubt, Baynes with his methodical mind, has already adopted some similar plan." [p. 877]
I had adopted my own plan and, though it was similar to his, mine was far superior. I believe that you will agree with me on that after you have given careful consideration to this case.
At my insistence, we each worked separately on the case and, because Holmes was somewhat "at sea," he followed the progress of my investigation closely. At one point he said to me: "I must congratulate you, Inspector. .... Your powers, if I may say so without offence, seem superior to your opportunities." [ p.879]
I told him that I took no offence at all for his saying nice things about me, and that he might drop that word, if he would, around the Metropolitan Police Force where he claimed to be so well known. Now, you need to know that I have yet to hear the first word from Scotland Yard - even to this good day; and you may draw your own conclusions from that.
Also, you no doubt recall the ingenious move that I made to mislead the guilty party into believing that I was no longer on his trail. That ruse not only worked on "Henderson," it took Holmes in, too. After I explained it all to the great detective, and brought him up to speed on the entire case, he was disturbed that my investigation was moving out so far ahead of his.
In an effort to ingratiate himself to me and to ride through on the facts that I had developed, he approached me with that insufferable air of superiority, threw his arm around my shoulder and said, "You will rise high in your profession. You have instinct and intuition." [p.884]
Well, you may be sure that I didn't argue with him about his assessment. He was right on the mark there, you know. But I did ask him to remove his arm, as I don't go for that "buddy-buddy" stuff.
Shortly after this Holmes found it necessary to ask me to identify for him the murderer, "Henderson." I had ferreted out this identity (Don Murillo, aname well-known to Watson, by the way) in a manner and by means which were quite unknown to Sherlock Holmes then - and, even now, are probably beyond his ken.
I could go on at length in detailing how my police work was superior to his. But that would probably serve no good purpose. So I don't think that I will even comment upon his amateur "agent" who interrupted our surveillance operation and permitted the culprits to escape while we were putting the forces in place to effect an arrest.
Since comparisons are odious, some may deem it unseemly for me to continue longer in this vein. But Dr. Watson has applauded the effort. Told me, with a bit of a twinkle in his eye, that I have drawn with exactitude from his writing precisely the message that he intended to convey.
Yrs, Baynes Legend, myth, fact?
You know my methods...