Irene is alive, but she appears to have been psychologically damaged by her captor; a man Sherlock believes is in the employ of Moriarty. Holmes asks Joan to consult on the case without him, devoting his attention solely to Irene's recovery. Joan's deductive skills lead the police to a promising suspect, but when he escapes it appears as if the trail has gone cold. When Sherlock finds a sinister message from Moriarty's henchman in the brownstone, however, he realizes that as long as he and Irene are together in New York they will both remain in grave danger.