The email mystery

“What can you tell me about this email, Davis?” the famous detective Alfred Bates asks his friend Inspector Davis. “It is like every other email you get,” Davis replies without looking at the printout of the email. “Every email we receive is different from the rest,” Bates tells his friend. “In fact, I can tell you a lot about the sender of this message.” “Please do,” Davis says. “The man who sent this email is 57 years old, works in the computer industry and has a problem that he wants us to look into,” Bates completes his diagnosis. “How can you say that?” Davis asks. “Let’s take a look at the email ID first — henryjames56,” Bates continues his explanation. “Now Henry James is a very common name, so for a person to have only ‘henryjames’ in his email id would be a rarity. Most people use their year of birth in their email address as it never changes, hence henryjames56 means his name is Henry James, who was born in 1956, so he is 57 years old.” “What about the computer industry and a problem?” Davis continues his line of questioning. “Look at his complete email address — it’s henryjames56@computerworld.com,” Bates replies. “Now only a person who is into computers will have such an email address, hence my deduction. As for his problem, the discussion he is having with his friend gives that away. He is talking to his friend about us, and people with problems come to us, not people without problems.” “This time you are very sure of yourself, Bates,” Davis tells his friend. “I am sure that when we will meet Mr James, he would prove you wrong.” “I hope so too, but I know that will not happen,” the famous detective tells his friend. “From the text of his email, I can make out that he is a simple man, and his problem would be simple too, which we can solve without leaving this room.” “There is someone to meet you,” Davis says as he hears a knock on the door. “Welcome Mr James,” Bates greets the visitor. “How did you know my name?” Henry James asks Alfred Bates. “I know all there is to know about you. Let’s talk about your problem,” Bates asks his guest. “How did you know about my problem?” the stunned visitor asks. “It is my job to know, sir,” Bates answers. “Pray tell us about your problem.” “Somebody is trying to blackmail me with information that only a handful of people could have,” Henry James begins. “I want to know who the blackmailer is.” “That’s a job for the police, and my friend here can help you with that,” Bates directs the visitor to his friend Davis. “I want you to point out the person quickly. I have three suspects — my wife, my son and my manservant.” Henry James lists down the possible culprits. “Who do you think I should counter?” “Your wife,” Bates points out the culprit. “Why do you say that?” Henry James asks the detective. “Your clothes told me,” the detective replies with his eyes closed. “How could my clothes tell you that my wife is the blackmailer?” the baffled visitor asks again. “Your clothes are properly ironed by your manservant, meaning he is devoted to you, as you are the reason he still has your job,” Bates says as he clears one suspect. “Your coat is a little torn from the side, and had your wife been devoted to you, she would never have let you leave the home in such a state.” “My coat is torn? I will ask my manservant about it,” James says. “No, ask your wife with whom I think you are not on good terms,” Bates tells Mr James. “Had you been, you would have told her about the problem instead of discussing with your friend.” “What about my son?” Henry James asks Bates. “Your son isn’t that old to blackmail you,” Bates tells his guest. “You are 57 years old; he must be in his 20s, right?” “How did you know that?” Mr James asks. “It is part of my job to know things,” Bates clarifies. “Now before it’s too late, counter your wife and threaten her with going to the police. I am sure she will break down and tell you that she hatched the plot to get some extra cash from you.” “You seem to know a lot about women, Mr Bates,” Henry James asks as he is about to leave the room. “Yes I do, because I have been married to one for quite some time,” Bates concludes the case. “If you are friends with your wife, you will never need a friend on whose shoulder you can lean in troubled times.”