22. Risk Management

Complete story — includes the ending

Moriarty calls Sherlock to have him look into the several-month-old unsolved murder of a mechanic; in exchange, he offers to give answers about Irene Adler's death. The mechanic was under surveillance by a private security firm whose founder's sister was killed before. After Sherlock tells the founder, Daren Sutter, that he knows Sutter avenged his sister and that someone bugged his home, Sutter confesses to the mechanic's murder. Moriarty, however, says that Sherlock has not uncovered the whole truth. Sutter did not see his sister's murderer's face as he fled. His wife (who was married to someone else at the time) did, but she could not come forward, as it would reveal her affair with Daren. When her husband's mental health began failing as the 20th anniversary of the murder approached, she convinced him that the lookalike mechanic was the murderer. It worked; Daren was at peace with himself. However, the mechanic was out of the country at the time of the sister's death. Mrs Sutter is arrested. In payment, Sherlock receives an address and the choice to either lead a safe life or find out about Irene. At the address, Sherlock and Joan discover Irene, seemingly traumatized.