From silvermouse – Stray grey named Mary
"Mary? Ma-ry!"
At any prior time in his life, Watson might not have paid particular heed to the call... well, perhaps he would have, but the quavering childish voice calling the very name occupying his thoughts this December evening did make him pause and look round.
"Mary!" A little girl in a mud-spattered coat stood in the middle of the alley he was passing, wide eyes seeming far too large for her thin face as she looked around frantically, and as Watson drew closer, he saw that they were filled with tears.
"My poor child, are you lost?" The girl shrank back into a nearby doorway, eyes now wide with growing fear. Watson stopped at once and took a step backwards, careful not to smile; he knew only too well that waifs like this often learned the hard way not to trust such niceties. "Don't be frightened," he said loudly. "You were calling a name I know, that's all. Is Mary your sister?"
The child shook her head mutely, not budging an inch.
"Would you like me to find a policeman?" No use in offering himself as escort.
The child gasped. "Oh no, please, sir! I didn' mean no 'arm! I won' let 'er run away ever agin, I swear!"
Watson could have kicked himself as the little one suddenly burst into tears. "No, no, of course not! I beg your pardon, I..." He fell silent, seeing that the waif wasn't paying him any heed. Giving her a few moments to compose herself, he tried again: "May I help you to find Mary? What does she look like?"
The little girl sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "Sh-she's gray all over, 'cept her front paws is white."
Watson nodded, hiding a smile at his own foolishness – he should have realised. "My dear, I'm sure there's no need to worry. Cats are very good at finding their way home, you know, especially if they're hungry."
"But she's been gorn three days now, sir – she's nivver stayed away more'n one!"
Damn... The child probably knew as well as Watson did what fates could befall a stray cat in that time. "Well, I shall be sure to keep a sharp lookout," he said aloud. "Who can I give a message to if I do see her?"
"They know 'er at the King's 'Ead, she likes goin' there – 'cept they ain' seen 'er this time, I axed!"
"I'm sure you did. But you must go home now, child; it's late and your family will be anxious."
The girl nodded, but still didn't move until Watson had turned and walked away from her. Poor child, learning to be so wary so young... and what the devil had he just gotten himself into? Holmes, what would you do right now? Holmes would have asked the child a lot more questions, that was what, assuming he were bored enough to take on such a hopeless case!
Well, he might as well start with his only lead: the cat could have turned up at the pub in the time since the child had inquired, and a drop of ale would be a welcome thing on a night like this. Besides, landlords were much more inclined to answer the questions of paying customers...
"And when you got to the King's Head, you discovered that the landlord himself keeps a large tomcat."
"Dash it, Holmes, how...?!" Watson suddenly looked down at his trouser legs and ruefully noted the telltale black and white hairs reaching almost high as his knee, and even a few tiny pieces of hay still clinging to the cuffs: the mother had been found comfortably ensconced with her kittens in the hayloft of the stable opposite.
"Precisely," Holmes nodded, trying not to look smug and failing completely. "Well, not a bad evening's work, old chap, although..."
"Yes, I know: I could have asked the child if she'd noticed the cat putting on weight lately!" Watson sighed, stretching his slippered feet out towards the blazing hearth. "It's a shame about the kittens, though..."
"Watson, that poor child's family couldn't afford to keep one cat, never mind two more! Really, my dear fellow, you know as well as I how few of our cases end happily for all involved."
"Mm..."
Holmes threw his friend a sharp sideways look. "Watson, if you think for one moment that we–"
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Holmes, don't be so silly! But you know how much trouble I've been having in choosing a gift for Mary..."