Prompt from Book girl fan: Bad luck strikes.
Luck
If Doctor Watson hadn't left so late from evening surgery;
If Holmes had not decided he would take an evening stroll;
If Arthur had not ventured out to give his dog some exercise;
If Hopkins and Lestrade had walked a different night patrol;
If Mrs Hudson hadn't needed spices quite so urgently;
If Wiggins hadn't found a broken bootlace caused delay;
If Mycroft hadn't made a rare excursion from his Whitehall pad;
Then one vile gang of villains would have safely got away...
~0~
Fickle fate or karma, just desserts or mere coincidence;
A daring theft, the perpetrators heading out of town.
A startled exclamation from Lestrade who saw the getaway;
Events conspiring speedily, to bring the scoundrels down...
A swiftly wielded truncheon, and a back swing from a Gladstone bag;
Some deftly placed baritsu moves; a brolly neatly struck;
A hound and two Irregulars, a match for any fleeing foe;
A cab turned round to block the road; that's really all it took...
~0~
A glass of wine in Baker Street, for those who joined the escapade.
A toast to thieves in custody, their damnable bad luck!
~0~