holmes_minor | Fic: The Baker: G

Title: The Baker
Form/Word Count: 312
Characters/Pairing: Dr Watson, Sherlock Holmes, Mrs Hudson
Rating: G
Warning/Content: Mrs Hudson has been refused credit at the baker's

"It's very strange, Mr Holmes, but Mr Cowdray, the baker, refused to give me credit,” Mrs Hudson said.

I looked up from my armchair in some alarm. “If you are in need of funds, I’m sure we can assist you,” I said.

Our landlady looked at me with a kind of pity on her face. “Dr Watson,” she said firmly, “I was perfectly able to pay the bill, I just thought I’d ask for credit.”

“Then why…”

I got no further before Holmes interrupted me. “I presume you had reason to do so,” he said.

“Indeed I did. Most of the tradesmen around here will give respectable landladies a certain amount of credit at the end of the month, knowing that they will soon be receiving rents. And up to quite recently that was the case with Mr Cowdray. But I had heard that a few had been refused, so I thought I would see for myself.”

“And what did you do when he declined your request?” Holmes asked.

“Told him I would be going elsewhere. And that was strange too, instead of saying he might be able to extend a little credit, or at least begging me to reconsider, all he said was, ‘Go ahead!’”

“And you’d like me to take a look?”

“You like strange things.” As she said those words she glared at the harpoon in the corner.

Holmes followed her gaze and presumably decided that she was less likely to complain at its presence if he agreed to visit the baker.

Later that day Holmes returned to our rooms, looking very pleased with himself. “It’s as well Mrs Hudson was planning on going elsewhere for her bread, because Lestrade has just arrested Cowdray. The man had started a second job as a fence for several of the local thieves and had found it more profitable than baking bread.”