Fic: A Gap in his Statement

[smallhobbit]

Title: A Gap in his Statement
Form/Word Count: 293
Characters/Pairing: Dr Watson, Sherlock Holmes, Annie the housemaid
Rating: G
Warning/Content: Holmes is trying to spot the error in a suspect's statement.
Note: Annie is engaged to Inspector Stanley Hopkins

"There has to be a way to prove Tomkins is lying,” Holmes said, glaring at the statement on the table before him.  “He claims to have been at Covent Garden from just before midday and left a few minutes after the clock struck one.  He says he met a couple of mates, but he doubted either of them could guarantee he was there, since one was drunk when he saw him, and he saw the other by the market quite often, so it was unlikely he’d remember which day it was he’d seen him.”

“All very possible,” I agreed.

“And yet if we could prove there was a gap in his story for that hour, the rest of it would almost certainly collapse.  It’s just too vague, but plausibly vague.”

Annie, who was laying the table ready for lunch, said, “Excuse me, Mr Holmes, but what day are you talking about?  Was it the Monday?”

“Yes, that’s right.  What makes you say that?”

“Stanley told me about the wages theft which happened in Clerkenwell, so I presumed you’d be looking at the whereabouts of various suspects that day.”

“You’re quite right.”

Holmes looked back at the statement, but Annie continued, “The thing is, Stanley and I were at Covent Garden that day, not that we’d necessarily have seen the man, but we’d gone to hear the Police Choir singing.  Don’t you think he’d have mentioned hearing them if he’d been there, it would be a perfect alibi, and I’m sure, if he had been there, one of the choir would have spotted him.”

Holmes gave a bark of laughter.  “That’s perfect.  I shall send a message to Lestrade, telling him to get Tomkins to fill in a gap in what he told us.”