Dr. John Watson meets private detective Sherlock Holmes and assists him in solving a case that has otherwise confounded Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard.
Lady Beryl confesses to a murder that was committed at her home, but Sherlock Holmes is convinced that she is innocent of any culpability in the crime.
Holmes and Watson travel to Sussex to investigate the murder of Squire Douglas, a gentleman who was shot to death in a well-fortified castle, with evidence pointing to only two apparent suspects.
Dr. Watson accidentally leaves a club with another man's coat, a fortuitous occurrence considering the coat proves to be a key piece of evidence after the other man is murdered later that same evening.
Sherlock Holmes seeks a rational explanation for the Winthrop family legend that foretells the death of any family member who unexpectedly finds silver coins in their possession.
The only clue left at the site of a pair of grisly murders is a chicken's foot. Baffled, Inspector Lestrade seeks Sherlock Holmes' assistance in the case.