The Case of the Naval Officer's Code

A junior naval officer's locked desk has been rifled and a draft signal-code is gone. He has the only key. His superior speaks of court-martial.

Section I

The Scene

Victorian newspaper-style illustration for The Case of the Naval Officer's Code, set at Lieutenant Marsh's quarters, HMS Excellent, Portsmouth dockyard.

Hand-drawn case map for The Case of the Naval Officer's Code, showing Lieutenant Marsh's quarters, HMS Excellent, Portsmouth dockyard. — The ground in question.

Setting: Lieutenant Marsh's quarters, HMS Excellent, Portsmouth dockyard
Time: Wednesday morning, third Wednesday of October 1893
Weather: Cool; a light wind off the harbour; gulls overhead
Atmosphere: A small wardroom-quarter with a sea-going chest and a writing-desk under the porthole; the smell of brass-polish and sail-canvas; the masts of HMS Victory visible across the basin.

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