When Holmes announced his decision to retire to the countryside, Watson soon found a means to expand his medical practice which had been curtailed by his association with Holmes. As luck would have it, a practice was being sold nearby, and Watson quickly moved into the residence. There he met another tenant, Lucyna Modjeska, an opera singer, who quickly charmed him, and, surprisingly, soon made a friend of Holmes, as well. Then, Lucy's father was murdered. Mycroft, Watson and Holmes, together, began to search for the killer.