A Study in Scarlet

Ferrier goes into town to send Hope a letter. When he arrives home, the sons of Elders Stangerson and Drebber are there. The young men immediately start making their case for why Lucy should pick one over the other. Stangerson claims to be the better pick because he only has four wives, while Drebber has seven, but Drebber claims this does not matter as he has more money and can support them all regardless. Enraged, Ferrier threatens them not to come back unless invited. As they flee, Stangerson and Drebber warn that Ferrier will pay for going against the will of the Elders. No one has ever gone against Mormon authority this way, and others have been killed for less.

The next day, Ferrier finds a small square of paper pinned above his bed, warning that he has 29 days left to make amends. The threat is open-ended, which terrifies Ferrier more than if it had been specific. He also wonders how the paper got there, as he had carefully locked all the doors and hired a lookout. Each subsequent day, the countdown continues as a new number appears somewhere in the house. Ferrier cannot catch the culprit.

The days go by, but Hope does not appear.