Lestrade was not as unobservant as his unflattering descriptions in the good doctor's stories would have the reader believe. Perhaps he wasn't quite as smart as Gregson, and certainly he was no match for one Sherlock Holmes, but he was not unobservant. He was just a little slower about it.
He'd been quick enough to discover that there was one surefire way to summon the aforementioned amateur. It hardly took a genius to notice that Holmes had a fascination for the bizarre and outré, and a not inconsiderable streak of pride. One did not even have to be very subtle about it; just mention a few details in a perplexing case and say how it was right up his alley, and he would be there as surely as a fly on rotting meat. It did not take too long before the other Inspectors caught on to this trick, and the smart ones made use of it.
It was entirely accidental that Lestrade discovered a second method, when a footnote in a telegram suddenly found Holmes and the doctor 'just in the neighborhood' of a troubling case. It had required a second test, but again Holmes had showed with an offhanded excuse.
Lestrade could not fathom why the casual mention of Hopkins having difficulties should summon Holmes so readily, but it worked.
Sherlock Holmes, Inspector Lestrade, and Stanley Hopkins do not belong to me.
So apparently I'm extending this concept into a series of shorts, ficlets, and drabbles. Hopefully it'll stay entertaining.
According to WordCount, this one is 221 words. Heh.