The surname Enola deduces from the dying soldier’s word that sounds like “wrath” is Rathe. The clue is deliberately hard to hear: the wounded British soldier mutters a word that initially seems to be “wrath,” but Enola recognizes it as the name Rathe.
That deduction points her toward Professor Adeline Rathe, a figure connected to the disappearance at the heart of the story. Enola follows the lead through Valletta and tries to question the woman, but a sniper shoots her before the conversation can take place. The dying woman’s warning—“She will kill you”—deepens the mystery rather than resolving it.
The name also becomes part of the film’s deception. Enola eventually discovers that the Rathe identity is an alias used by Professor Moriarty, who has escaped prison and manipulated events to lure Enola to Malta. Thus, “Rathe” is not a random surname or a misheard Holmes-family name; it is the key verbal clue that moves the investigation toward Moriarty’s scheme. The alternatives Roylott, Rucastle, and Ryder belong to other Sherlock Holmes-related names and are not this film’s answer.