Josiah Amberley

Josiah Amberley, is he main antagonist of the Sherlock Holmes story, "The Adventure of the Retired Colourman"

History
A retired art suply dealer, he lived with his wife in Lewisham, however being a incredibly miserable and umpleasent man, he drove his wife a way, and she found comfort in the hands of there neighbour, Dr. Ray Earnest.

Consumed with envy, and believing the two to be having an affair, Amberley desired to murder them. He had lured them into the strongroom, locked them in and then using a gas pipe he had installed, filled the room with Gas, suffocating them both.

He then hid the bodies in his garden, and also hid multiple valuables belonging to himself, and claimed that they had run off together stealing his valuables. He also began painting his house to cover the smell. Smug and arrogantly, convinced that no one could find out the truth, Josiah contacted Sherlock Holmes to investigate his wife's disapperance. As Holmes was to busy, he sent Watson to investigate and noticed several pecular things arround his house, including his painting.

Amberley, claimed he had gone to the Theatre when she disappeared, claiming to have a headache, and produced his wife's unused ticket. However Holmes investigated, met up with another detective a Mr Barker hired to investigate the disapperance of Dr. Earnest by his family. The two agree to work together, seeing from Amberley's character that he is a miser, and a jealous. As well as being a chess enthusiast, coupled with a few other pieces which don't fit, leads Holmes to determine what is truly going on.

Confronting Amberley, Holmes demands to know what he did with the bodies. Realising the game was up, Amberley tries to commit sucide by a pill, but Holmes overpowers him. Holmes revealed that Amberley's alibi fell appart when he found that his theatre seat hadn't been sat in on the night in question. Amberley is arrested though Holmes believes he will go to Broadmoor Hospital (a psychiatric Hospital) rather than hang, due to his unstable mental state.