Hope would not want to draw attention to himself by leaving his profession right away, so he would continue to drive the cab for a few days. The man in the cab was no doubt Jefferson Hope being a cab driver was an excellent way to follow someone in London. He learned that Drebber had once invoked the protection of the law against a Jefferson Hope, a 'rival in love' who was now in Europe as well. After he left he telephoned Cleveland and asked about a marriage of Enoch Drebber.

Looking around the room at the clues Holmes learned more about the murderer. The ring of course answered the question, especially when Holmes learned the man came back for it. The word in blood on the wall was no doubt a blind. Political motivation was soon dropped, for 'political assassins are glad to do their work and then fly.' This must have been a private matter, not a public one. This crime was not committed for robbery, so it must have been political or for a woman. Holmes smelled poison upon him and saw that his contorted face was a result of the poison. Inside, the well-dressed one was found dead. The footsteps in the yard revealed two men –one that was very tall (because of the long stride) and one that was fashionably dressed (because of the neat little boots). When Holmes first arrived at the murder scene he noted the marks of a cab and deduced that it was there during the night. In this case Holmes put this strategy to effect. The latter was a common skill but reasoning backwards was very rare and quite useful indeed. His skill centered upon being able to reason backwards rather than look at a chain of events and predict what they would lead to.

After a few pensive moments following the news, Holmes brightened and commenced explaining to Watson how he had put the pieces of the case together and found the murderer within three days. Jefferson Hope's aneurism burst that evening he was found in his cell, dead, with a placid expression upon his face.

A study in scarlet book