Work Text:
Inspector Lestrade looked up as someone knocked on the door of his cramped office and called out “Come in!” He was surprised to see Inspector Hopkins enter as their areas of work rarely coincided.
“Ah Hopkins, what brings you over here?”
“I have a rather, er, delicate question to ask and you are the only person who I can speak to.”
“Please, my dear fellow, ask away.”
Hopkins licked his lips and hesitated until Lestrade took pity on him.
“Would this question be better asked away from police premises?” Lestrade asked.
Hopkins nodded.
“In which case, come to my lodgings for supper tonight, where we may discuss this problem in private.”
“You will be alone?” Hopkins did not look entirely convinced.
“What? Oh, yes, for sure.”
“Then thank you. Until later.” With that Hopkins departed swiftly.
***
Hopkins arrived at Lestrade’s lodgings promptly at half past six and was welcomed in. Lestrade’s landlady had provided an excellent cold supper to which they both did justice; for they knew that in their profession it made sense to eat as soon as a meal was made available, since all too often to wait meant they would be called out before they had had been able to finish it.
Once they had eaten Lestrade poured them both a glass of brandy and indicated to Hopkins to take a seat by the fire.
“What was it you wished to ask me?” he said.
“On reflection it seems such a minor matter. It’s just that with the approaching festivities I had thought to invite Mr Holmes to accompany me on a trip to the village where I grew up. There is a highly respectable inn there and we could book two rooms ...,”
At this point Lestrade gave a small chuckle and Hopkins blushed.
“But it is a ridiculous idea,” Hopkins stammered.
“Not at all my good fellow,” Lestrade hastened to reassure him. “It’s a capital idea. Watson and I are going to the West Country for a few days. I shall be visiting relatives and we will be able to take some bracing walks along the beach. It will be so good for Watson to get some sea air in his lungs, don’t you think?”
The last words were accompanied by a broad smile and a wink, which made Hopkins blush again.
“So you think I should perhaps suggest that the country air would be beneficial to Mr Holmes?” Hopkins asked.
“I think you should tell Holmes that you are planning a couple of days in Leicestershire and that, should he choose to accompany you, there would be considerable more space than is to be found in Mrs Hudson’s broom cupboard.”
By now Hopkins face was the colour of the beetroot they had recently partaken of at supper.
He was debating how to make his excuses and bolt into the bathroom where he could pour cold water over his face when there was a knock on the door. Hopkins wondered how quickly Holmes would realise that death by embarrassment was a probability.
Dr Watson entered the room and smiled broadly at Lestrade. “We solved the case quicker than expected so I thought I would call over to see if you could think of something we could do for an hour or so.”
Lestrade nodded his head in Hopkins direction.
“Good evening, Hopkins. Are you feeling all right?” Watson added.
Before Hopkins had the opportunity to reply Holmes also entered the room. “I think you will find that I deliberately solved the case in time for you to spend part of the evening here. Perhaps, Hopkins, you would care to accompany me back to Baker Street; there were one or two items within the case that you might find of interest.”
Hopkins stood up, grateful for the opportunity to escape and for the fact that the cold air, which had blown into the room when Watson and Holmes arrived, had cooled his face.
Then, as they reached the top of the stairs, Lestrade called out “Holmes, Hopkins has a request to make of you. Do give it your fullest consideration.”