- Sherlock Holmes has disappeared into the Highlands, while Mycroft investigates the theft of the Mazarin diamond and Watson suspects a trap in an offer of $5 million to a former professor if he can find a third man surnamed Garrideb.
- With the British Prime Minister desperately seeking an absent Sherlock Holmes' assistance, the great detective's brother Mycroft steps in to solve the theft of the Mazarin Stone, a huge diamond taken in broad daylight from a museum display. The precious gem was soon to be returned to its original owners, the French, as a gesture of goodwill by Her Majesty's government. The inability to do so may now lead to a diplomatic incident. Using brother Sherlock's extensive files on society's criminal element, Mycroft soon focuses on Count Sylvius as the likely culprit. Dr. Watson has more time to spend in his surgery with his friend away but he is visited by two women with a mystery that would have been perfect for Holmes. They say their brother, who happened to be one of Watson's university professors, with a fantastic tale of a huge inheritance due them if only they can locate a third person that shares their own unique surname. As in turns out, the two cases are not unconnected.—garykmcd
- The Mazarin stone, a large, incredibly valuable and diplomatically sensitive diamond, has been stolen. The British Prime Minister wants Sherlock Holmes to investigate the theft but he is unavailable. His brother, Mycroft, is available and takes up the challenge. The prime suspect is someone familiar to him: Count Sylvius.—grantss
- Holmes (Jeremy Brett) receives a letter from a Nathan Garrideb (Richard Caldicot) of 136 Little Ryder Street, asking for help in a most peculiar quest. He is looking for another man with his unusual surname, for it will mean a $5,000,000 inheritance for him. He has been approached by another man, John Garrideb (Gavan O'Herlihy) of Kansas, who says that he needs to find others with the same last name.
The American Garrideb comes to see Holmes (Jeremy Brett) and Watson (Edward Hardwicke) at 221B Baker Street, and is apparently not very pleased that Nathan Garrideb has involved a detective. Garrideb, who claims to be a lawyer, spins a ridiculous story about Alexander Hamilton Garrideb, a millionaire land tycoon he met in Kansas. Hamilton Garrideb bequeathed his $15,000,000 estate to John Garrideb on the provision that he finds two more Garridebs to share it with equally. He came to England to seek out people with the name, having failed in his own country. So far, he has found only Nathan.
During the interview, Holmes detects many discrepancies in John Garrideb's story, ranging from the time he has spent in London being obviously longer than he claims and his knowledge of a completely fictitious mayor of the town where Garrideb claims to have lived in before coming to England, but decides not to confront him. This piques Holmes' interest, and he decides to contact Nathan Garrideb to investigate further. Upon arrival at Little Ryder Street, Holmes observes Nathan Garrideb's nameplate outside the house. It has obviously been there for years; so, Holmes concludes that Garrideb is at least his true surname.
It turns out that Nathan Garrideb is an elderly eccentric who collects everything from ancient coins to old bones. Garrideb's rooms look like a small museum. He is obviously a serious collector but has nothing of great value in his collection. Holmes finds out that John Garrideb has never asked for any money, nor has he suggested any course of action. Nathan Garrideb has no reason, it seems, to be suspicious of John Garrideb. This puzzles Holmes.
During Holmes's and Watson's visit, John Garrideb arrives in a most jolly mood. He has apparently found a third Garrideb, as proof of which he shows a newspaper advertisement purportedly placed by a Howard Garrideb during his everyday business. Holmes sees instantly that John Garrideb has placed the advertisement himself from various Americanisms in the spelling and wording.
Despite Nathan Garrideb's objections - for he is a man who very seldom goes out, much less travels - John Garrideb insists that Nathan go to Birmingham and meet this, Howard Garrideb. It has now become clear to Holmes what the "rigmarole of lies" is all about. John Garrideb wants Nathan Garrideb to be out of his rooms for a while.
The next day brings fresh information. Holmes goes to see Inspector Lestrade at Scotland Yard and identifies John Garrideb as James Winter alias Morecroft alias "Killer" Evans, escaped prison after shooting three men in the States. In London, he killed Rodger Presbury, a Chicago based diamond carver, whose description matches the former occupant of Nathan Garrideb's room. Presbury was a magician with diamonds and the only man in the whole of London with the skill to disguise the Mazarin stone. But he was dead.
Holmes and Watson go to Garrideb's home armed with revolvers. They do not have to wait long before Winter shows up. From their hiding place, Holmes and Watson see the criminal use a "jemmy" to open a trapdoor revealing a little cellar. They capture Winter, but not before he manages to shoot twice, striking Watson in the leg. Holmes & Watson corner Winter who admits that he was working with Presbury 5 years ago to create a duplicate key to steal the Mazarin stone. But then Presbury was killed by a different man, who was Winter's associate today in the stealing of the Mazarin stone. Winter took the rap of Presbury's murder & went to prison for 5 years, only recently being released.
The plan was that Winter would use Presbury's equipment to split the Mazarin stone into 2 pieces and smuggle it to Amsterdam for sale. Holmes reveals Winter's associate as Count Negretto Sylvius (Jon Finch), the diamond thief whom he has been following in disguises ever since the robbery. Holmes reveals to Winter that Count Sylvius has already betrayed Winter & is on his way to Amsterdam. with no way else to go, Winter decides to cooperate with the police & given them coordinates of the people Sylvius to supposed to meet in Amsterdam. Holmes arrests Slyvius & recovers the diamond from him.
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