December 15: "Norbury" (from Madam'zelleGiry)

"Watson,' said [Holmes], 'if it should ever strike you that I am getting a little over-confident in my powers, or giving less pains to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper 'Norbury' in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you." – The Yellow Face

Watson

Holmes gave yet another quiet sigh of frustration from his chair. I set down my fork and my newspaper, too frustrated by his distracting signs of boredom to continue my breakfast and reading without saying something.

"Are there truly no cases at present?" I asked.

"None," Holmes grunted.

"Nothing in the papers?" I tried.

"Solved everything that can be solved," he replied.

"Even the Topham murder case?" I asked.

"It was clearly the footman," he said.

I frowned, and flipped the newspaper back a page, skimming through the paragraph, until I found what I was searching for. According to the article, said footman had been locked in the cellar during the entire incident. How could Holmes have missed such an obvious point?

A moment later, I realized my mistake. Holmes must have read the early edition of the news, and I had the later edition. I fought back a smirk. This would make for an entertaining couple of minutes.

"And you are quite certain it was the footman?" I asked.

"Of course," Holmes replied coldly. "All the evidence points to it."

"Hm," I said. "I ought to make you sign a paper to that effect," I said, echoing something Holmes had once said before reveling his reasoning behind a startling deduction.

"What?" Holmes said, his curiosity now suitably piqued.

"Norbury, Holmes," I said, unable to suppress a little self-satisfied grin.

"Whatever are you prattling about, Watson?" he demanded.

I tossed him the newspaper. "Try reading the later edition of the article. You may find it enlightening."

Holmes made a scoffing noise, and buried himself in the newspaper.

A/N: The time Watson finds himself quoting is at the start of "The Adventure of the Dancing Men", where Holmes deduces that Watson won't invest in South African securities.