Title: The Death of the Home Secretary
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (ACD)
Rating: G
Length: 440 words
Summary: Holmes is called in by Inspector Hopkins to help with a delicate case

"Thank you for coming so promptly, Mr Holmes, Dr Watson” Inspector Hopkins said, as he let us into the house very early in the morning.

“In the circumstances I could hardly refuse,” Holmes replied.

I added my assent to this.  Hopkins looked extremely tense, which was hardly surprising. 

“Has anything been touched?” Holmes asked.

“Only by the doctor, who had to confirm the Home Secretary was dead, but otherwise, not as far as I am aware,” Hopkins replied.  “The butler has said he cannot see anything untoward in the room.”

“Apart, of course, from the dead body,” Holmes said wryly.  “You’d better show us.”

Hopkins led the way to the library and then stood back whilst Holmes examined the corpse. 

I touched Hopkins’ arm and said quietly, “We’ll do everything we can to assist you.”

He nodded and swallowed.  There were so many groups of people who had threatened the Home Secretary recently, that it was important to ascertain which group might have been responsible, and at the very least eliminate any which weren’t.  The Fenians were known to have called for his death, the Suffragettes and their supporters had written many letters to the newspapers condemning his treatment of those imprisoned, and I could think of at least two Eastern European groups whose members he had deported who would shed no tears at his demise.  But to incorrectly accuse a group would only increase the tension felt, not only within the country, but on our borders.

Finally, Holmes straightened up.  He was holding a small object with his handkerchief.  “I think I can give you some hope, at least, Hopkins,” he said.  “We can deduce that whoever killed the Home Secretary knew him very well, perhaps intimately.  They may have sympathised with one of the groups you no doubt suspected, but they would have had a more personal reason as well.”  He opened his hand to show us what he had found.

“A hat pin!” Hopkins exclaimed.

“Indeed,” Holmes replied.  “A very distinctive hat pin as well.  And one which I recognise as having been on view in the society pages recently.”

“But there was no mention of a lady having been here last night when I enquired of the butler concerning the evening’s visitors.”

“It wasn’t the lady, but her husband, who, if a recall correctly, is an eminent surgeon.”

“Mr Holmes, once again I am extremely grateful for your assistance.”

Holmes nodded and we departed from the house.

As we walked up the street to find a cab, I remarked, “I think you could call this a case where the pin was mightier than the sword.”