Sherlock Holmes (ACD): Fanfic: The Mysterious Squeak

[smallhobbit]

Title: The Mysterious Squeak
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (ACD)
Rating: G
Length: 637
Summary: There is a strange squeak in the office of Mr Hieronymus Fletcher, and he's not happy about it.

We had already been to visit Hieronymus Fletcher once, but Holmes was convinced the paper we sought was hidden in his offices, so had arranged a further appointment with that gentleman.  And this time, to aid our search, we had taken Mouselet and the Ferret with us.

As before, we were admitted and escorted to Fletcher’s office.  He listened politely to Holmes’ request and then left to find the document he had asked for.  Instantly, Holmes leapt up and lifted our two assistants into the places he wanted searching. 

He had scarcely retaken his seat when Fletcher returned and said, “I have asked my clerk to find the document.” 

It was hard not to read the expression on his face as saying, ‘I know what you have really come for’.

Suddenly, there was a very loud squeak. 

“What was that?” Fletcher asked.

Holmes and I both shook our heads.  It was not a sound I recognised.  I risked a quick look in the direction Holmes had placed Mouselet, although the squeak was much louder than I have ever heard her make.  After a few seconds she popped her head out of a hole and shook it, to indicate it wasn’t her.

Holmes began to discuss the matter which had purportedly brought us to Fletcher’s office, and I attempted, as best I could, to indicate my own interest.  The clerk brought the relevant document in and departed, and the three of us were peering over the document when there was another squeak.

“This is most strange,” Fletcher said.  He glared at Holmes as if holding him responsible.

“Indeed!” Holmes said.  He pointed to a phrase in the document.  “I’m not sure what is meant here.”

We all once again looked at the document, although I suspect none of us was paying any attention to what had been written there.  There were two more squeaks and Fletcher stood up and was clearly about to investigate the source of the noise, when a candle fell to the floor from across the room.  Fletcher walked over to it, and while he bent down to retrieve the candle, I hastily picked up Mouselet and put her in my pocket.

We returned to the desk, to find Holmes had walked round it to one side.  He had his pocket book out and was apparently making notes.

“Thank you very much, Mr Fletcher,” Holmes said.  “I believe I have discovered all I want to know from your most interesting document.  I shall therefore bid you good day and not take up any more of your valuable time.”

We both nodded and left in rather more haste than I would have expected, but Holmes was clearly impatient to depart.  Nothing more was said until he had hailed a cab and we were safely on our way back to Baker Street.

“I have the paper in my pocket book,” Holmes said.

“What happened?” I asked.

The Ferret stuck his head out from Holmes’ coat pocket.  “When Fletcher returned sooner than expected I slipped into the wooden box behind the clock, the one Mr Holmes had wanted me to look in.  The lid closed behind me, so it was dark.  I could feel the paper which I was after, which was good, but there was something else in the box which had a squeak inside, and every time I stood on it, it squeaked.”

“But you’re a ferret,” Mouselet commented.  “You can see in the dark.”

“It was very dark.”

“And your tummy is very fat, so you couldn’t see past it.”

“Don’t bicker,” I said.

“Anyway,” the Ferret continued.  “Mr Holmes opened the box, and we got the paper out.”

“Just as well,” I said.  “Fletcher was about to investigate when Mouselet distracted him.”

“In fact,” Mouselet added, “you could say you had a narrow squeak!”