Sherlock Holmes, while going over his newspaper clippings, has noticed that in six months time, three tobacconists have been murdered in the same east end shop. As Holmes and Dr. Watson are discussing these crimes, Inspector Lastrade of Scotland Yard pays them a visit. It seems that he is interested in the same subject. They discuss the three murders in detail but there seems to be no motive and no connection to any of the three murders. A phone call from Mycroft, Sherlock's brother, confirms that Lastrade has been told by government officials to get Holmes and Watson involved.