Sherlock Holmes Chapter One — Ghosts of the Past guide

Ghosts of the Past is the first main case or main quest in Sherlock Holmes Chapter One. It concerns a diamond that disappeared during a seance, piecing a puzzle that would help you catch the true culprit. Here’s our Sherlock Holmes Chapter One guide to help you with Ghosts of the Past, as well as what to do with Lord Craven and Luka Ghalichi.

Note: For more information, check out our Sherlock Holmes Chapter One guides and features hub. Likewise, you can take a look at our full campaign walkthrough.

How to complete Ghosts of the Past in Sherlock Holmes Chapter One

Part 1: The Seance

The Ghosts of the Past investigation in Sherlock Holmes Chapter One can be started after handing The Lost Cane to the right individual. Enter the room where the seance is taking place to watch a short cutscene. It seems that the spirit medium, Luka Ghalichi, was punched in the nose by a nobleman named Lord Craven. Not only that but Craven’s precious diamond has just disappeared as well.

Here’s what we need to do:

• Construct a character portrait of Lord Craven based on your observations.
• Examine everything in the seance room from the cabinets, broken furniture, stains, and all the objects on the table (i.e., the ectoplasm, diamond case, and butterfly pin on the coat).
• You’ll learn that Lady Craven saw someone in the courtyard (this evidence appears in your casebook). Make sure it’s pinned and activate Concentration (“Q” key). Check the objects and follow the trail. You’ll reach a storeroom where you can examine a shoe.
• Talk to one of the maids and she’ll tell you that the one you’re looking for is cleaning upstairs near the paintings. That person will then reveal what she saw.
• In the seance room, construct the crime scene in this manner:
  • Lady Craven pointing at someone at the window.
  • Lord Craven is about to throw a chair (he’s to the left of his wife).
  • Luka Ghalichi is spouting mist (he’s to the right of Lady Craven).

Part 2: The Murder

You’re not done yet with the Ghosts of the Past investigation in Sherlock Holmes Chapter One. Even though the authorities have detained Luka in one of the rooms, there seems to be something that’s amiss. Do the following:

• Go upstairs and eavesdrop on two maids. Choose these options:
  • Was on the lookout.
  • Cannot use a fish knife.
  • Made her husband drunk.
• Enter Lord Craven’s room. You’ll see that Lady Craven is dead and, oh, she’s not actually his wife. Lord Craven claims innocence, and that he didn’t actually kill his mistress.
• Examine the woman’s corpse, the diamond (yes, it looks like she had it all along), as well as other objects in the room. Important bits include the item box (i.e., butterfly pin) and the door that connects to the other room.
• Head downstairs to the hotel bar. If you have “Lord Craven’s explanation” pinned, you can ask the bartender. He’ll reveal that the nobleman only spent a short time there before returning to his room.
• Go to the hotel receptionist. He’ll give you the key to the room where Luka is being held. It’s room 225, which is actually connected to room 226 where Craven is.
• Construct a character portrait of Luka Ghalichi based on your observations. Hint: He had another profession before he became a spirit medium.
• Examine everything in the room, including letters, drawers, and the ectoplasm sample. For the ectoplasm sample, highlight it in your casebook and do a chemical analysis (the solution is seen in one of the images below).

Mind Palace: Conclusions and accusations

If you’ve been looking at your Mind Palace from time to time, then you’ll likely have two suspects:

• Lord Craven is the murderer – It’s possible that Craven did this after finding out that his mistress was a thief. She’d been stealing from him all along, yet she pinned the blame on others. The attempted theft of the diamond was the last straw.
• Luka Ghalichi is the murderer – If you found certain clues (i.e., Luka’s scratches, two matching butterfly pins, and the door to the connecting rooms) these signs will point to Luka as the killer. He knew Craven’s mistress from their days as criminals (i.e., butterfly pins). She double-crossed him, which led to his imprisonment. Fast forward and she attempted the same thing once more while stealing the diamond. He realized this, which caused him to strangle her (i.e., scratches and door/connecting rooms) before Craven arrived in the room.

My choice in the Ghosts of the Past investigation in Sherlock Holmes Chapter One was to accuse Luka and let him escape. Still, there are no “right or wrong” answers, and the game would continue even if you made a grievous error. With the case done, it’s time for us to proceed to A Mother’s Love – The Cemetery.

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is available via Steam. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.