BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / The Mayfly Man? Why did he do that?

**Posted by Mary Me** January 7, 2014 5:49 pm

The Mayfly Man, who'd taken a dead man's identity for one night only and also attempted to murder two people. But I don't really get his motive for going out with these women. Sherlock explained it like this: "The Mayfly Man was the man who attempted to kill Bainbridge. He was sleeping with women to get close to another potential victim. Through them he discovered that the victim would be at John and Mary's wedding."
Why exactly would he sleep with women to get close to another potential victim? How is that possible? I'm completely lacking details and I'm quite confused since I don't see how he'd get close to Sholto by sleeping with women who have no connection to him whatsoever.

**Posted by Mary Me** January 7, 2014 5:58 pm

Swanpride wrote:
He attacked Bainbridge as a test. He slept with woman who had a connection to Sholto.

So this Tessa was conntected to Sholto in some way? I just wonder how he'd figured that out...

**Posted by SusiGo** January 7, 2014 6:03 pm

As I understand it all the women had at some point in the past worked for Sholto. He changed his personnel often for security reasons as Sherlock deduces at one point. So in fact they all had the same employer but not at the same time.
Sholto was living as a recluse so he tried to find an opportunity during which Sholto would appear in public. And the nurse must have told him that Sholto was invited to the Watson wedding. She knew about the wedding and John's full name from the invitation.

**Posted by Mary Me** January 7, 2014 6:07 pm

SusiGo wrote:
As I understand it all the women had at some point in the past worked for Sholto. He changed his personnel often for security reasons as Sherlock deduces at one point. So in fact they all had the same employer but not at the same time.
Sholto was living as a recluse so he tried to find an opportunity during which Sholto would appear in public. And the nurse must have told him that Sholto was invited to the Watson wedding. She knew about the wedding and John's full name from the invitation.

That actually makes sense. Thanks for making things clearer!

**Posted by dartmoordoggers** January 7, 2014 6:14 pm

I saw this in two parts.
Mayfly was using the dead man trick to have affairs with women. Which is what Watson deduced. (These are the women Sherlock dismissed during the game of Guess Who?)
During these affairs he happened to come across a servant of one kind or another and realised if he targeted those in service he might discover one who had worked for Sholto in some capacity. Once he had the information he needed (the weddings date, time and place) he rehearsed the kill and carried out his plan.

**Posted by SusiGo** January 7, 2014 6:22 pm

I think it was his plan from the very beginning to revenge his brother who had been killed while under Sholto's command. So he started to search out women who had worked for Sholto, invited them and tried to get information from them. Only after they realised they had all dated "a ghost" they joined the Internet forum which is called "I dated a ghost". Sherlock joins the forum (the lecture hall in his mind palace) and starts to sort out which of the women may have met his Mayfly man. He attends the wedding under the guise of being a photographer (he is called the substitute photographer).
As least this is how I understand the plot.

**Posted by sj4iy** January 7, 2014 7:40 pm

Mary Me wrote:
Swanpride wrote:
He attacked Bainbridge as a test. He slept with woman who had a connection to Sholto.
So this Tessa was conntected to Sholto in some way? I just wonder how he'd figured that out...

They all had a secret. The secret was that they were all employed by Sholto at one point, and signed confidentiality agreements.

**Posted by Mary Me** January 7, 2014 7:45 pm

sj4iy wrote:
Mary Me wrote:
Swanpride wrote:
He attacked Bainbridge as a test. He slept with woman who had a connection to Sholto.
So this Tessa was conntected to Sholto in some way? I just wonder how he'd figured that out...
They all had a secret. The secret was that they were all employed by Sholto at one point, and signed confidentiality agreements.

You're right! How dumb of Tessa to kiss and tell. Quite literally probably.

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** January 10, 2014 12:36 am

sj4iy wrote:
Mary Me wrote:
Swanpride wrote:
He attacked Bainbridge as a test. He slept with woman who had a connection to Sholto.
So this Tessa was conntected to Sholto in some way? I just wonder how he'd figured that out...
They all had a secret. The secret was that they were all employed by Sholto at one point, and signed confidentiality agreements.

That makes a lot of sense! Ha, I honestly didn't think of that.

**Posted by Davina** January 10, 2014 5:58 pm

I think they all work for him currently. The Mayfly Man gleans small amounts of seemingly unimportant information from each of them which put together gives him sufficient information to be able to carry out his plan. What I am unsure about is why did he make himself obvious to the soldier prior to his trial run murder? Or was that unintentional?

**Posted by SusiGo** January 10, 2014 7:04 pm

Davina, I think Sherlock asked the women if they had the same employer and they said no. So I suppose they all had worked for him but not at the same time. This would also explain why only the nurse knew about the wedding.

**Posted by besleybean** January 10, 2014 7:08 pm

Yes Sherlock said the guy had a high turn over of staff, deliberately for security.

**Posted by Davina** January 10, 2014 11:01 pm

A yes! Forgot that comment. Still, enough information gleaned from each of them I guess.