: A woman wants to buy a house with all things. Sherlock Holmes discovers that strange buyers need an affair that describes the affair of the deceased son of a woman with a well-known socialite beauty.

A hefty black man bursts into Baker Street’s apartment and threatens Sherlock Holmes. Holmes knows that he was sent to him by a certain Barney Stockdale, the leader of one of the gangs.

Immediately, Mrs. Mary Mayberly turns to Sherlock Holmes for help. She asks the great detective to come to her Villa Three Skates. Mrs. Mayberly lives in the villa for more than a year, leads a secluded lifestyle and communicates mainly with her neighbors. A month ago, her only son, Douglas, who worked as a military attache in Rome, died of pneumonia.

A few days ago, a real estate agent came to her and offered to sell the house for a large sum - he liked one of his clients. The woman agreed, but to her lawyer the conditions of sale seemed strange. She was offered to sell a house with all things. An exception will be made for personal items, but only after a preliminary check.

During the conversation, Holmes notices that Mrs. Mayberly's maid, Susan, is eavesdropping under the door.Realizing that the great detective guessed that she was spying on behalf of Barney Stockdale, Susan leaves the house.

Holmes assumes that they are hunting for the house, because there is something extremely valuable in it, but Mrs. Mayberly does not own anything that would be of interest. Holmes suggests asking a lawyer to spend several days in the villa and not leave the woman alone. Suddenly he notices chests and knots in the corner. These are the things Douglas sent after his death. Holmes says that they need to be carefully examined, it is quite possible that the hunt is following them.

Mrs. Mayberly neglects the advice of the great detective, and the next day thieves enter the house on a tip from Susan. After them, only one sheet remains, written by Douglas and similar to the end of the novel. On the sheet was a description of an unsuccessful love affair, but in style it was clear that the person first wrote about himself, and then changed the first person to the third.

Holmes makes inquiries. Douglas had an affair with Isadora Klein, a well-known secular beauty, a Spanish by birth. She was going to marry the count, who was fit for her sons by age.

Holmes visits Isadora. By threatening her with police, the great detective finds out that Isadora tried to get rid of Douglas's courtship by hiring Barney Stockdale and his wife Susan. The hooligans beat him, but he wrote a novel and wanted to publish it. Due to his sudden death, the novel was not published, and Isadora tried to get it. Holmes takes a check for a decent amount from her so that Mrs. Meberly could go around the world.