Title: Red-Handed

Author: Pompey

Universe: ACD

Rating: PG

Warnings: none?

Word count: 500

Summary: The Ripper has been spotted in Whitechapel again! And it's . . . Watson?

Prompt: July 3 – fruit

Jack the Ripper was back! insisted laundress Mrs. Gilly. She saw him with her own two eyes! A man in Whitechapel, holding a knife and hands dripping with blood – in broad daylight!

Never mind the last Ripper murder had been nine months ago. Never mind the Ripper always worked his evils in the night. The police didn't dare brush aside the report. Young Constable Carruthers and Sergeant Milcreft were dispatched to the scene.

Mrs. Gilly led them straight to a charity house, one of the better ones that didn't limit the soup meat to four ounces per cauldron or provide their clients only clotheslines to sleep on (1). From within came the unusual scent of baking sweet bread despite the August heat.

Upon entering, the three followed their noses to the back kitchen, wherein they found two persons hard at work: Mrs. Roget, the proprietress, who was checking her pans filled with bread dough freckled with red bits of fruit, and a man in shirtsleeves who was wrist-deep in soapy water but still familiar to Sergeant Milcreft.

"Dr. Watson?" he asked in surprise.

"That's the Ripper!" screeched Mrs. Gilly, pointing a finger at the perplexed man.

The sergeant stayed her with his hand. "We received a report of a man with a knife and bloody hands on the street," he explained.

"A knife like this?" Dr. Watson asked, holding up a paring knife, its blade scarcely an inch and a half long. The police repressed smiles while Mrs. Gilly looked sour until she noticed something and pointed again.

" 'is hands is red! Look!" And indeed, the doctor's fingers, especially on the right hand, were stained a sort of mahogany red despite soaking in wash water.

Mrs. Roget scoffed. "It's naught but cherry juice. Dr. Watson was kind enough to deliver a donation of fresh cherries and then kinder yet to stay and help me prepare them for baking. My fingers are red too." She held up her hands to show identical mahogany staining. "You can check the refuse bin for the pits and stems too if you like."

Constable Carruthers did just that and nodded at Sergeant Milcreft with his mouth twitching upward with amusement. But the sergeant had one last detail to clear up.

"And why were you out on the street with knife and hands covered in cherry juice?"

"To rinse off the juice at the pump," Dr. Watson replied simply, "and then to collect water for the washing up."

Finally Sergeant Milcreft was able to smile. "Well, I thank you both for your time and for clearing up the confusion. Good day." He touched his hat and turned to go, casting a stern glance at Mrs. Gilly. She in turn shot the pair in the kitchen a dark glare but followed the police out.

Mrs. Roget and Dr. Watson stared at one another in disbelief for a moment before they burst into laughter.

"The Ripper indeed," Mrs. Roget giggled.

"No good deed goes unpunished," Watson chuckled.

(1) I wish I were kidding about the soup or the clothesline.