[identity profile] thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] holmes_minor
Title: Accident Prevention
Form/Word count: 499
Characters/Pairing: Mr Sherlock Holmes, Dr John Watson, Inspector Lestrade, Pinkerton Agent Leverton
Rating: G
Warning/Content:  A letter from a potential client raises suspicions in Holmes' mind.

“Mr Holmes, I’d like to thank you for your assistance in this matter.”  Leverton, the Pinkerton agent, shook Holmes’ hand warmly.

“I was delighted to help,” Holmes replied.  “It was an interesting case, with some unusual features.”  He gestured to Leverton and Inspector Lestrade, who had accompanied him, to take a seat.

Mrs Hudson appeared with a tea tray, and once the tea had been poured and Leverton had complimented Mrs Hudson on her fruit cake, we continued to discuss the case.

“Smythe’s original letter had instantly raised my suspicions.  Even Watson commented on the difference between the very English name of Rutherford-Smythe, and the number of American terms which featured in the letter.  And whilst one would never disregard a payment just to meet a transatlantic ship and ensure the safe onward journey of a delicate wife, it did strike me as strange a detective should be called upon for such a task.”

“Although it would be reassuring to the wife to be met by someone as famous as yourself,” Lestrade said.

Holmes acknowledged the compliment, although no doubt noticing the slight hint of a grin on Lestrade’s face.  The Yard detective knows Holmes is not immune to such comments.

“However,” Holmes continued, “I am not above being paid to act as witness to an event, which is what I suspect was the true nature of the event.  Especially if I can possibly prevent the event from happening in the first place.”

Leverton chuckled.  He had been after Smythe for a while, and appreciated Holmes being paid by the man to spoil his plan.  “And then he sent you a telegram, telling you he had learnt his wife would receive bad news when she arrived, and he feared she would throw herself overboard.”

“Indeed,” Holmes agreed, “which was followed shortly by a second telegram saying he would endeavour to meet her himself, but nevertheless requesting I bring a life-saving donut with me as a precaution.”

“And meanwhile,” I added, “believing prevention is always better than cure, we had arranged for me to go aboard the ship as she entered the river mouth.  This would mean I could either comfort the lady should there indeed be bad news, or, as seemed more likely, prevent anything untoward happening to her.”

“What I still don’t understand,” Lestrade said, “was why Smythe didn’t run when he realised his plan had been discovered.  He just stood completely still, as if he was transfixed.”

Leverton too was puzzled, but shrugged his shoulders; since the outcome had been successful he wasn’t worried.  “Oh, by the way, did you take along a life-saving donut?  I didn’t see you with one.”

Holmes responded with an enigmatic smile.

We managed not to laugh until after Leverton and Lestrade had departed.  The donut in question had been a ring doughnut which was being worn round the middle of the Ferret.  (He had nibbled the inside sufficiently to get it on.)  Clearly Smythe had never seen anything like it before.

Date: 2017-10-09 04:46 pm (UTC)
ext_1789368: okapi (Default)
From: [identity profile] okapi1895.livejournal.com
Ah the donut! And I sure Ferret got to eat the rest of his costume afterwards!

Date: 2017-10-09 06:38 pm (UTC)
debriswoman: (Ferret)
From: [personal profile] debriswoman
Yep...that would suffice as distraction:-)

Date: 2017-10-09 08:14 pm (UTC)
ext_1620665: knight on horseback (Default)
From: [identity profile] scfrankles.livejournal.com
Well done that Ferret! What an image ^__^

And I did like that little moment of Lestrade teasing Holmes and it completely going over Holmes' head.

Date: 2017-10-17 12:54 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mafief.livejournal.com
Oh goodness, I had a giggling fit when I first read “life-saving donut“. The image of a donut (I’m still spelling it that way ;)) around ferret is hilarious. Bravo! Loved it and I’m glad my confusion about a life preserver ended up as that mental image.

Profile

holmes_minor: (Default)
Holmes Minor

October 2024

S M T W T F S
  1 23 45
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930 31  

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jun. 15th, 2025 07:10 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios