This episode again involves the client who finds himself in changed circumstances overnight. A contractor/builder finds that a man he doesn't know has made him his heir. Unfortunately, the man is killed and his body is burned. That would, of course, lead to the conclusion that the murderer was our young builder. At a time when a positive identification of a burned body was very difficult, there are some unanswered questions. First, of course, is why would this relative stranger wish to leave his money to this fellow. Holmes puts his usual tactics to work to figure this out. Inspector LeStrade makes his first appearance as Scotland Yard's cream of the crop. The byplay with Holmes as he jumps to conclusions is really fun. In the stories, LeStrade and other Yard men and local police officials benefit greatly from Holmes because the great detective does not aspire to public adoration. While Holmes is quite arrogant and incredibly sure of his abilities, he is usually satisfied to solve the crime rather than bask in the aftermath.