It was a foggy day outside of 221B Baker Street. Inside my flat, the air was clear. I was reading by the fire when I heard a kno
ck at the door. When I opened the door, Mrs. Hudson introduced my latest client, Mrs. Blakely. The lady wore a glamorous gown and hat, indicating that she was probably wealthy. Mrs. Blakely's red eyes, wet handkerchief, and frightened expression showed that she was in distress. I smiled and stood at attention, almost smelling a mystery.
Once Mrs. Blakely had a cup of tea in her hands, she began to tell her story. Yesterday afternoon, she had arrived home to find a masked individual robbing her house. When the mysterious figure heard her approach, he or she ran farther into the house and disappeared. All that remained was a black mask lying on the ground. When Mrs. Blakely searched the house, she realized that her most prized possession, a massive purple gem, also had disappeared. Mrs. Blakely said that it would be useless to ask me to retrieve the gem, as it had certainly disappeared along with the robber. Why had Mrs. Blakely jumped to the conclusion that I—the great Sherlock Holmes—could not find the thief and return the gem? I silently vowed that I would find the gem and the thief. To Mrs. Blakely, however, I merely suggested that I see the crime scene.
Furniture, books, pens, and pencils were all in their proper places at Mrs. Blakely's house. I walked toward the safe that was open and empty, but it was not scratched or damaged. It must have been opened using a combination. The windows were sealed, and the door was not damaged. So far, the evidence appeared to indicate an inside job. The last stop was the middle of a hallway of old portraits. There were no windows, with only one door at the other end of the hallway. Mrs. Blakely assured me that the thief had not used the door, as she had not heard its alarm.
"This spot is where I found the black mask," Mrs. Blakely explained, pointing to the floor.
I inspected the hallway with a wrinkled brow. It was impossible for a person to vanish into thin air. What were the remaining options? What about a trap door under the hallway? I reached down to try to find a trap door, only to feel a draft coming from the wall. Glancing over, I noticed some scratches on the floor near the wall. The wheels in my head turned as I stood and put my hands on either side of the portrait. I had found the secret hiding spot!
"What are you doing to my painting?"
I paused what I was doing and explained my conclusion to Mrs. Blakely. Then I pushed the portrait harder into the wall. The wall moved, revealing a hiding place. It was too dark to see, so I lit a candle. Its light revealed a sleeping servant girl with a gigantic purple gem clasped in her hands. The mystery of the lost gem was solved.
In each story, how does the author use point of view to tell about the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Mrs. Blakely? Use complete sentences and evidence from the text to support your answer.