Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Man with the Watches
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Tothiselaborateandplausiblehypothesistheanswerofthepoliceandofthecompanywas,first,thatnosuchticketwasfound;secondly,thattheslowtrainwouldneverrunparalleltotheexpress;and,thirdly,thatthelocaltrainhadbeenstationaryinKing’sLangleyStationwhentheexpress,goingatfiftymilesanhour,hadflashedpastit.Soperishedtheonlysatisfyingexplanation,andfiveyearshaveelapsedwithoutsupplyinganewone.Now,atlast,therecomesastatementwhichcoversallthefacts,andwhichmustberegardedasauthentic.IttooktheshapeofaletterdatedfromNewYork,andaddressedtothesamecriminalinvestigatorwhosetheoryIhavequoted.Itisgivenhereinextenso,withtheexceptionofthetwoopeningparagraphs,whicharepersonalintheirnature:
"You’llexcusemeifI’mnotveryfreewithnames.There’slessreasonnowthantherewasfiveyearsagowhenmotherwasstillliving.Butforallthat,IhadrathercoverupourtracksallIcan.ButIoweyouanexplanation,forifyourideaofitwaswrong,itwasamightyingeniousoneallthesame.I’llhavetogobackalittlesoasyoumayunderstandallaboutit.
"MypeoplecamefromBucks,England,andemigratedtotheStatesintheearlyfifties.TheysettledinRochester,intheStateofNewYork,wheremyfatherranalargedrygoodsstore.Therewereonlytwosons:myself,James,andmybrother,Edward.Iwastenyearsolderthanmybrother,andaftermyfatherdiedIsortoftooktheplaceofafathertohim,asanelderbrotherwould.
