The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax - Part Three
39:17 Share

The Ego Power Plus Savings Event is on at Lowe's. Right now, get a free select Ego 56-volt battery with purchase of a select trimmer, blower, or mower kit. That's a $299 value. Plus, shop today for new and exclusive items you need for your lawn. So get ready for spring with the latest in innovation from Ego, the number one rated brand in cordless outdoor power. Only at Lowe's. We help. You save. Offer valid through 416. Selection varies by location. While supplies last.

Wow, this house is cute. Can I really get in the game in this economy? I do have savings and I am responsible-ish. I should bury it. I'm being wild. But what if I'm not being wild though? Could I actually score a... Kick off your home buying journey with Zillow's new buyability tool. It makes it easy to find out what you can afford so you can get off the bench and on to the playing field with confidence. Check your buyability only on Zillow.

This episode is brought to you by the Nissan Armada Pro 4X. With a twin-turbo V6 engine ready to propel your adventures, up to 8,500 pounds of towing capacity to haul all your favorite toys and space for eight passengers, Nissan's most powerful car yet will chew up and spit out anything you throw at it. Learn more about the all-new 2025 Nissan Armada at NissanUSA.com.

Towing capacity varies by configuration. See Nissan Towing Guide and Owner's Manual for additional information. Always secure cargo. For just £6 a month, binge ad-free adventures in full and have access to so much more over at patreon.com forward slash Sherlock & Co. Previously on Sherlock & Co. You join us, lovely listeners, as we head across Lake Geneva to investigate the disappearance of Lady... No!

Good Lord. Nearly called her Lady Frances Carfax. The disappearance of Penny Montgomery. Do you have the guest's room number? I don't. No, she left. She's vacated the room, um...

I'm actually a doctor. It's some very, very important medical information. I have a phone number for her if this is a medical emergency. Yeah, no, that's not working anyway. My colleague tells me another doctor came to see her. Came to see her when? After she had already left. What was his name?

Who called? What was the name of the person who asked for his description? What? What?

You then asked for a visual description of Schlesinger. No, I didn't! My colleague provided the description and then you interrupted my colleague. It wasn't me! Like you are interrupting me now. Faf... And you asked about his ear. His ear? Is this some sort of amusing prank? Well, apparently yes, and I seem to be the target. My name is Penny Montgomery. I am being held... No. ...against my will. Please...

Please help me. The ransom is five million US dollars. I'm calling it. It's happening. It's go time. Oh, crap. You need to get to Alexandria. Alexandria in Egypt. Yep, we can do that. You land. You prove to me where you are and that you are alone. Then we can meet. Is this the place? Apparently. Okay, make the call.

Now, John, please. No, we need the proof we're here. You take a picture of us with the gateway to the Alexandria port behind us. Uh-huh. Right. Hey. What, Mariana, what are you doing? Shh. What? In the picture. Picture? The one we just took. Look. Can you see? In the background, behind us. Oh, shit. Bearded man. All right, listen, mate.

I don't recall seeing a gun in that video and it looks to me like you're all alone now. Get back! Please, please! Bring it to me! Bring it to me! No! Do it! Run, Mariana! John! Welcome to the final part of the disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax. Please go ahead and enjoy the rest of this adventure and I will see you at the end. Swearing, fighting, arguing, distress...

You know the drill. Bring her to me! No! Do it! Run, Mariana! John! Run! Stay down! What have you done with her? Why have you pursued her? Help, please! Sir, my friend, he's being attacked. Mariana, I said run! Call him off! Call him off? No! Call who off? No!

Fuck me. Grit back or I strike again. Please! Grit back. Okay, okay, okay, okay. Oh my god, are you okay? Hey, hey. Yeah, yeah. Are you okay? Fuck, man, god. I'm okay.

Hey, thank you. Stay back, please. No, no, no, no, I'm not, I'm not. I just, I want to thank you. Not necessary, sir. Oh, it's very necessary. Exactly, that guy, that is a dangerous man and very strong. Jesus, my arm. It is okay, I help. You are very short, he is tall. Well, yeah, all right, um...

I'm probably average height, so... He is smart, fighter. A big brain. Yours is perhaps a little small, sir. The brain of a silly little man, I would say, who should really apply... How you say...

critical thinking skills before. Oh, hold on a minute. But anyway, have a pleasant evening in the... Oh, God's sake. Please, sir. Please return my scarf. Take the tash off. This is my moustache. It is who I am. A key part of my identity. Ow!

Watson! Sherlock! What the hell are you doing? What am I doing? What are you two doing? Um, cracking the case. Saving people's lives, mate. By attacking Philip? Who the fuck is Philip? You leave her alone. No, you leave her alone, you big beardy idiot. This is Philip Green. He's a friend of Penny Montgomery's. How do you know who I am?

Because I know everything about this case, unlike everyone else present on this bloody dockyard. What is going on? Philip arrived in Lausanne to warn her. No, because he...

The manager told us. He turned up and she legged it. Because I told her to, you big stupid idiot. Oh, do you want me to blacken the other eye, mate? Yeah? You can try it. Philip has been following Penny to make sure she is safe. She is being pursued by this Schlesinger fellow. Well, we know he's not Schlesinger. Oh, we know that, do we? Yes, we do. Despite you making a hash of the whole investigation. What are you... Sherlock, mate...

I don't know if you know this, but the kidnapper and Penny Montgomery are here in the port somewhere. Yes, and I know where they are. Yeah, I think the container's over there. Nope. Wrong again. Oh, now I know why the port worker I spoke to earlier was so bloody rude. It was you. Philip, I suggest you find your way back home. I can take it from here. Is she... Are you going to rescue her? Yes, I should think so. Depends. Depends? On when the video was recorded...

Our kidnapper isn't present with the victim. He edited her into the video. They aren't pictured together, see? Please help me! Sometimes that can be an indicator the victim is already dead. Oh Jesus Christ. Or hopefully he isn't actually in the presence of her. She is being held somewhere else. You think he's faking it? He's not a North African pirate. We have spoken about him before, Mariana. I expected better from you. Oh, wow.

Did you really? Yes. I won't make that mistake again. So can I leave? Yes, Philip. Bugger off. Shut up. No, you shut up. You spoke to the hotel in Barden-Barden, did you not? Of course I did. I even left an inquiry in your name to make life easier. Oh, you did that. Great.

Great. Were you actually going to tell me that? Were you going to let me know I had this little record in my name I could tap into? I'm busy. I can't message. Then voice note, like everyone else does. You never voice note. Just communicate. You should communicate better. Ask the right questions for a start. Once again, it's my fault, is it? Yes. Did it even cross your mind to ask about Dr Schlesinger's ears? Why would anyone do that? Anyone would not. But people...

But people that have spoken to her former assistant, people that were informed about the man who has since taken complete control of her entire professional life, would know that he had... A torn ear. A torn ear. But... I'm sorry, I'm expected to ask about people's ears now, am I? Yes, of course you bloody are. Sorry, I was busy, you know, doing literally everything else for this case. Enough, no...

No guys! Oh, like speaking with the irregulars, like inquiring with nearly a dozen bookmakers in London, sitting down with loan sharks and gamblers just in order to comprehend the torture this woman has put herself through with such an addiction, an addiction that has seen her throw away millions on horses and dogs and football and slot machines and card games.

An addiction that has made her pawn every beloved possession just to satisfy her creditors. Even franchise her own person, her own very being and identity to this cruelest of lenders. A man she has since fled across damn near all of Europe. Mr Peters? Yes, Mr Peters. Thank you. Some sense at last. Right.

Well, there's no need to be rude. You punched a man in the face, Watson. No apology necessary. Honestly. I wasn't thinking. Oh, you were thinking. You were thinking. You were thinking about me and about Penny. Stand up to him, John. He's right, though. I completely balled this up. My oob is here. Yes, Philip. All right. Goodbye. Bye, Philip. For God's sake. I'm going to...

I'm just going to get a flight home. I'm going to go see Arch. John. See you back there. Good luck with the case. No, John. What's wrong, Wilton?

You are depriving yourself of the Lord's annual ball. But I don't like his ball, Lady Frances. How could you not like the Lord's ball? He hosts the grandest balls in the country, Wilton. Mum, I have never liked his balls.

His balls remind me that I am a simple man, with simple pleasures, and I will never be pleasured by the Lord and his balls. Wilton, I feel like something else is bothering you, and it is not Lord Chumley's balls. No, ma'am, it is not. You are invaluable, Wilton. It is seldom that I think it so, ma'am. Because you don't think.

That doesn't help at all, Lady Frances. You feel. It is your heart that I need. Not your education, your analysis, nor your expert knowledge of county cricket. I certainly know my way around the crease. You do indeed. And you know and love people in a way that I wish I could. Do I indeed, ma'am? You do. Come, let's dance.

Let's, Lady Frances. Excuse me. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Oh. Hi. Ah, refill. Thank you very much. Very kind. Coffee. Thank you.

Right, before we chat, I'm abroad. OK, and I don't want an earful in a few weeks' time when you get a bill because you chatted to me when I was in Egypt. Oh, what are you doing in Egypt? Working. At the pyramids? No. Why not? Well, because I'm...

Not, I don't know, a pharaoh? Are you solving crime in Egypt now? I heard this thing about crime in Egypt. Oh, great. This will be well observed, I imagine. And I heard that if they, the Egyptian authorities, that is, find heroin up your bottom... Oh, no. ..they have the legal right, the legal right, John... Go on. ..to plug your rear end, as it were, permanently to ensure that you won't repeat the offence. Right. Where on earth did you hear that? In Swindon. Of course. Actually, no, wait, it wasn't Swindon.

It was Lidington. Right, so not Swindon, but a mile and a half outside of Swindon. You're not there for Lady Frances Carfax? Her name is Penny Montgomery, and yes, we are looking into it. What have you discovered? Well, nothing last night, but a nice little cafe this morning. Oh, go and find her, will you, for goodness sake, John. Yeah, sure, will do, Mum. How are you? How's the boy? How's the girl? How's the fat lad? If by fat lad you mean Archie, he is fine, as long as he doesn't hear abuse like that.

Uh, yeah, the girl is great as always. The boy is testing my patience. Lovely Sherlock? Yeah, you're the only person that calls him that, Mum. What's wrong? He's just... I don't know, he only cares about results. And it just really pisses me off. Like, he doesn't pay any attention to the effort that people put in. You know, how much people care. He just cares about...

I don't know, whatever. I'm just going to get more wound up. It's not his fault. No, it actually is. It's this society. It's the way we raise people like Sherlock in this bloody country. Sorry, he gets it out because of societal issues. Why was I never extended this courtesy? When I threw a snail onto the M4, you didn't blame society. Yes, because that was monstrous, John. I was eight.

It was a snail. You go on about it like I chucked a corgi on there, for God's sake. Society will force boys like Sherlock to be everything apart from who they are. We never let them express themselves because we don't like it when they do. So they become unsure and agitated and so tense about how things should be because we've done nothing but badger them their whole lives about how things should bloody be. Mum. He loves you, John. He loves you so much. I know. And you love him.

You think the world of your little gang. Yeah. So how he expresses himself means nothing, does it? Really. If I tell you that you're, I don't know, a little shit for smashing Denise's garden gnome... Again, eight years old. Complete accident. Do you think I love you any less if I shout at you? No. Do you think he loves you any less because he's frustrated with whatever his work thing is? No. Then what do you want? I...

I want to do something right. And he wants the same thing, John. He wants you to win. And you have to surround yourself with people like that. You have to. You've lost your dad. You've lost your girlfriend. That's two people that wanted you to win at life and they've both popped their clogs. Don't say popped their clogs. You've got me attending church services now. I'm convinced I haven't got long. Hey, there's that... Yeah. I've actually...

I've got to go. You go, lovey. Thanks, Mum. You're welcome. Be careful in Egypt. They all carry machetes. I saw it in the mail. Right. Bye, Mum. Bye, lovely boy. I looked in the bars first. Yeah, I thought you would. So I deceived you and went for a coffee. Clever. Yeah, I have my moments. Come, let's go. Where? Well, this. You might like. MUSIC

Hi. Hello. I'm sorry. Me too. I just... Okay, one at a time. John, you go. I just want a bit of credit for trying sometimes. I know I'm 35 and that's pathetic, but maybe I am pathetic. And you deserve it.

You're good at these things. I'm not. It's OK. It's not OK. A high five and a hug should do it, mate. Don't worry. Absolutely. So this place is pretty banging. They're docked. They can't leave until the police are satisfied that she's not here. Oh. OK. And is she? Hmm, I believe so. We just have to ask the right person. Would this person...

have a torn ear perhaps they would indeed oh let's go find him

Are you still quoting 30-year-old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. And every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now. It pays to discover. Learn more at discover.com slash credit card. Based on the February 2024 Nielsen Report.

Out here, there's no one way of doing things. No unwritten rules. And no shortage of adventure. Because out here, the only requirement is having fun.

Does it ever feel like you're a marketing professional just...

Speaking into the void. Well, with LinkedIn ads, you can know you're reaching the right decision makers. You can even target buyers by job title, industry, company, seniority, skills. Wait, did I say job title yet? Get started today and see how you can avoid the void and reach the right buyers with LinkedIn ads. We'll even give you a $100 credit on your next campaign. Get started at linkedin.com slash results. Terms and conditions apply.

Not much luck in here. I can't say I see anyone that matches his description. OK, so I spoke to the staff. They're asking that the guests remain out of their rooms while the police search. So he should be in these communal areas. What have we got? Ballroom, poolside... I've checked poolside. Casino... I mean, I didn't see him, but we could check again. No, it's OK, I believe you. Um...

Two restaurants. I'll take the restaurants and I'll meet you in the Lido lounge for a spot of bingo. Right then, eyes down, dabbers at the ready. Time for a bit of bingo. Last call for cars, last call for go. Hello, love. Calling it late, aren't you?

We're hoping for a prize if you win a bloody watch. Where are you from, love? Tell us where you're from. Burnway. Sorry? Burnway. No, no, I heard you, love. I'm just sorry. Oh, I'm only having it on. I'm a lanker, so let me show it. Right, go on, off you go. Sit down, sit down. Right, for those of you who just joined us, we're about to kick off tonight's bingo bonanza, live from the Lido Lounge, and yes, we are still docked in Alexandria.

land of the pyramids, pharaohs, and now bloody pensioners. Ancient Egypt, eh? Blow me neck. I wonder what it were like back then, me? Well, mind you, we don't need to wonder, do we? Half of you lot were bloody there. LAUGHTER

Easy, Giles. Anyway, tonight's jackpot is absolutely massive, all right? Could buy you about ten crates full of clear patches like Linus. No pressure, folks, all right? Dab carefully, play fair, remember no shouting bingo unless you're absolutely sure. OK, this is pretty crowded. I didn't know bingo was so popular. Well, the Brits are on board in droves, so I can assure you this bingo hall is seeing plenty of action.

Shall we take a seat? Yeah, let's grab a card. Right. Yeah, here we go. Okay. No sign in the restaurants. Good lord, this is busy. Yeah, bingo is popular apparently. What's going on? What's that? Bingo card. John, I feel like we don't fit in. And if we don't fit in... Our target will sense it and flee. We need to fit in, don't we? Sit down.

Okay, um... how does it work? Mark your card if one of your numbers is called. Um, he just shouted "cup of tea". Why are you... what are you doing? Cup of tea? Number three. How do you know this? I was raised by Carol Watson and her mother. That's how. What can you see out there? Well, I've never looked so closely at people's ears before. Look for someone playing alone. Oh, there's a guy over there. Near the speaker.

And another one, kind of near the bar. Mariana, keep looking. I'm going to call the number. Yeah, call him now. The gentleman near the bar. What's he doing? Glancing at his phone. He just rejected it. Yes, and I saw him do it. This could be our guy.

Bugger. What? I need him to turn to confirm... Sherlock, we literally just saw him... I saw a late middle-aged man glance at his phone and touch the screen. Do we tackle him to the ground for that? Okay, wow, why are we hitting and tackling people all the time? He's stocky. His skin is somewhat weathered, as Marie informed. He has the glasses, the jewellery. None of that really helps with this clientele. My thoughts exactly. Hey!

One turn of the head, one look at that ear and we have our man. Well, I can sort that for you, mate. Bingo! And there it is. Bingo indeed. Well played. Right.

Dr Schlesinger, I presume. Sorry? Or is it Mr Peters? Fuck off. Do you mind? I'm trying to have a quiet drink. Charged back to cabin 294, I noticed. You shouldn't have been noticing. Excuse me, pl- Sit down. A rather fun fact about cabin 294. It once was used by TV royalty, Penny Montgomery. Was it now? Very sad.

I believe she is in a difficult situation, isn't she? Well, not for much longer, Mr Peters. What's that now? Where is she? I don't know. Sooner they find her, sooner we can leave. And that would be good news for you, would it? Of course. Is that because you'd like to visit Tunis and Malta, or is that because she owes you over £600,000?

And you can continue to extort her desperation. Tell me, holy Peters, as they call you on Chancery Lane. Alright, that's enough! Why did you let greed win? After seeing what it did to others. Five million, honestly. If you really did risk it all to make yourself a fortune, she must be right here in Alexandria. No? Nothing to add? The deal almost went ahead and you're telling me you don't know where she is?

You had millions coming your way and you couldn't even recall where you'd left her. The Egyptian police are here. Ah yes, they may come in handy. If he's persevering with the wall of silence, then their batons might be able to bash it down. Jesus. Oh, I heard a little noise then, Sherlock. Yes, I believe the truth may have come climbing up the throat of Mr Peters here, albeit somewhat involuntarily.

That's the thing with the truth, Mr Peters. No matter how hard you try to bury it, it will always find its way out. She's the luggage. What luggage? Oversized luggage room on E-Deck. Down here. What does he mean, oversized? For people carrying things outside their usual suitcase size, like, um...

I don't know, equipment or boating stuff or bikes. Ah, here. Here. Let me help. Mariana, we'll turn the latch. You pull the door. Ready? Ready. Hello? Penny! We need to check every... Back there. Right at the back. Penny! We're coming. We can't hear you, Penny. I can't. I can't hear you. I think... Is she in here?

No! Oh, this could be... Penny? Penny, are you in here, Penn? Nothing in here. Penny! God, she's gone quiet. Let me think. She's losing air. Or possibly being poisoned by an abundance of CO2. The police search began 12 hours ago. He would have had to seal her in something in here. Yeah, we know this, Sherlock. But it is now that suffocation takes place.

So what size container? The average adult consumes roughly 550 litres of pure oxygen per day which breaks down to about... SHUT UP! ...air is only 21% oxygen so to maintain safe levels she needs approximately 110 to 120 litres of air every hour

I'll multiply that by 12, that's at least 1,300... No, 1,500 litres of breathable air, and that's the bare minimum. But that's assuming perfect oxygen efficiency, which doesn't exist. Once the oxygen dips below 16%, you'll lose punctureless and carbon dioxide will start building up, which is arguably deadlier. Sherlock, bloody get on with it! So we need more. A buffer, we're talking at least 2,500, preferably 3,000 litres of air. That's about three cubic metres of suspended carbon.

far too small maybe 0.8 cubic meters at most she'd have an hour maybe two

Not in here, anyway. A shipping crate. Still too small, but... Oh, my God! Hurry up! Sherlock! A Greek revival-style amour in dark-stained walnut with brass claw feet and a faux-antique keyhole. 1830s design. 2020 restoration and purchase just a few days ago. In roads. Two metres high. 1.2 wide. 1.25 deep. That's three cubic metres. 3,000 litres of air. Enough for 12 hours. Just... Let me...

Penny, we've got you, okay? It's okay, it's alright, it's alright. It's okay, it's okay, it's alright. It's okay, it's okay, it's alright. Penny Montgomery. It's okay, it's okay. I don't typically allow much reprieve for those that attempt to deceive me, but I will for you. What? You won't escape questioning, but I will at least allow you to come home to face it.

I hope there will be no next time but airflow and supply need to be considered if you attempt such a stunt again. Quite unlike television, isn't it, Penny? It was his idea. But you played your part in the performance as always, did you not, Penny? Miss Montgomery is present alongside her legal counsel, Mr Wright.

This is D.I. McKinnon and with me D.S. Bryant. Time is 7.14am on the 25th. Penny, how are you doing? Good to be home? It is. Can I confirm your movements over the past few weeks? London to Lausanne? To Baden-Regent in Germany? To a Mediterranean cruise? That's correct. Quite the journey. Yeah. Why, Penny?

Why leave and not tell anyone? I was running away. From Mr Peters, is that right? That's right, yes. And it was a friend, a Mr... Mr Green, Philip Green, who tracked you down to Luzon? To warn me, yes, of Mr Peters looking for me. He is a shrewd operator. He...

occupies a space between, um, sort of... I don't know how to put it. Well, gambling and crime. Yes. It's, uh, quite the sum you owe him, isn't it? In monetary terms, our relationship is somewhat uneven. In other terms, he has collected more than enough from me. All good, detectives, as I'm sure our mutual friend explained to you, excel in observation.

Your observation of Mr. Peter's shrewdness is very acute, Penny. Mm-hmm. He recorded your plan to conceal yourself, to fabricate a hostage-taking, to... Let me see from your words, and I quote... To secure a fee so large that all debts will be nullified and I would be free. No comment. Let me run something by you, Penny.

You ran. He found you. You're on the ship. Emotions run high. Your freedom feels a light year away, so you hit warp speed. Am I right? You, once again, as you have so many times, you gambled. Did you not? No comment. Gamblers will always tell us it's, you know, all analytical cold numbers and probabilities. I happen to know, Penny, from personal experience, it's not.

It's emotional. And emotions are ambitious and reckless and stupid. No comment. I'll call it there for now. Time is 7.17am. Hey, Archie boy! Did you miss me? Because I missed you. I missed you, mate.

Good boy, yes indeed. I see that you haven't given Graham the same warm welcome. Yeah, well, Sherlock, Graham is a wild mouse that we found in our floorboards near a sewer. Archie is a bulldog that I bought for a grand. He was a thousand pounds? Yes. Him? Yes, him. This inflation nonsense is finally starting to make sense. Where are you off to? I didn't sleep on the plane. Fair. Well...

Have a good one mate. Yes. Well let's go for it W8LK buddy. Let me just get my uploads on the go. Here we go. Big old hard drive in you go. Okay we are... oh not yet. Overwrite no thank you. Okay

upload is underway what do we think mate time for a walk hopefully that big fluffy wanker isn't there and we can really what good work watson we got to her just in time because of you i wasn't nearly hasty enough i'm sorry very sorry and frustrated with myself but fortunately my overriding emotion is pride in you it kept me awake the whole bloody flight home so forgive me while i sleep

See you in the morning. All right, come on, bud. Let's go. Nice and quiet. Sherlock sleep. Off we go, Arch. That was the disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax. You want an adventure that has everything? You got it. Well, actually, no death. So, yeah, sorry, death fans. We have massively let you down this adventure. We tried our best, but, you know, the guy I punched...

and the kidnapper are indeed still alive. So better luck next time. Bye-bye.