The narrative unfolds with a discussion between the narrator and his friend, a forensic expert, as they stroll along a beach. They stumble upon a pile of clothes belonging to a missing man, Peter Roscoff, who had seemingly vanished after a night swim. The clothes are examined, revealing footprints leading to the sea but none returning, suggesting foul play. The forensic expert deduces that the clothes belong to two different men based on the sand found on them, indicating a connection to different locations. As the investigation progresses, the expert meticulously analyzes the garments, noting discrepancies in size and the presence of specific types of sand. He concludes that one set of clothes belongs to a short, stout man, while the other belongs to a tall man, likely an artist. The tall man's clothes are marked with sand from a different beach, suggesting he had been at Broadstairs, where Roscoff was last seen. The plot thickens when a client, Mr. Capes, approaches the forensic expert with concerns about his missing acquaintance, who disappeared around the same time as Roscoff. Through a series of pointed questions, the expert deduces that Capes' acquaintance is indeed Roscoff, and he suspects foul play linked to blackmail. The story culminates in a search for Roscoff's body, which is eventually discovered buried in the sand, confirming the expert's suspicions of murder. The body shows signs of trauma consistent with a violent death, and the investigation reveals that Roscoff was likely a victim of blackmail by the artist, who had been extorting him. The narrative concludes with the forensic expert's theories about the motive behind the murder, suggesting that Roscoff may have been killed to silence him. The case remains unresolved, with the murderer escaping justice, leaving the reader with a sense of intrigue and the complexities of human behavior intertwined with crime.
By R. Austin Freeman · First published 1912 · Genre: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Crime