His look of importance showed
that his day's work had not been in vain.
"Well?" he asked. "What luck, Mr. Holmes?"
"We have had a very busy day, and not entirely a wasted
one," my friend explained. "We have seen both the retailers and
also the wholesale manufacturers. I can trace each of the busts
now from the beginning."
"The busts!" cried Lestrade. "Well, well, you have your own
methods, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, and it is not for me to say a
word against them, but I think I have done a better day's work
than you. I have identified the dead man."
"You don't say so?"
"And found a cause for the crime."
"Splendid!"
"We have an inspector who makes a specialty of Saffron Hill
and the Italian quarter. Well, this dead man had some Catholic
emblem round his neck. and that, along with his colour, made
me think he was from the South. Inspector Hill knew him the
moment he caught sight of him. His name is Pietro Venucci,
from Naples, and he is one of the greatest cut-throats in Lon-
don. He is connected with the Mafia, which, as you know, is a
secret political society, enforcing its decrees by murder.
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