The Conclusion of the Silver Safety Pin Affair - Scene 8

Scene 8 – the drawing room of the inn

SH: (hits the floor and starts crawling around for clues)

GB: (looks at BW) Um…I’d do that too, except I’d get tangled up in my snuggie.

BW: Same here. (to SH) What would you like us to do, Holmes?

SH (muffled from beneath the sofa): Bre, you shall go out in the garden; leave no corner unsearched. And I beg of you, take great care not to spoil any footprints.

BW runs to the garden

GB: And…what shall I do?

SH: (still under the sofa) Inspect the cage and the hamster for marks of tampering. You’ll find the fingerprint powder over there (motions with his leg over to the desk)

GB: (attempts to stifle a giggle) All right then. (fetches powder, starts applying it to cage) (mutters) I sure hope I’m doing this right…

SH: (yells) What was that?

GB: Nothing, Holmes, nothing. (continues) Holmes, there are some very strange marks here…

SH: (springs up, bumping his head on the couch in the process and rushes over) DON’T TOUCH THEM!

Ahem, yes, don’t. (rubs the back of his head)

GB: (crossly and sarcastically) Darn that, I really wanted to pet them.

SH: Please compose yourself, Grace. (stops rubbing his head and lays hand on her arm while intently studying the powder)

GB: (stunned silence) (thinks) His hand…is on…MY ARM!

BW: (runs in) Some rather strange tracks in the garden, Holmes. (stops abruptly, takes in the scene) Um…

(walks over to GB, whispers) And you talk to me about playing lovers? Really?

GB: (whispers) He’s caught up in the moment; it’s the intriguing marks, not me.

BW: (resigned air, shrugs) Whatever.

SH: (breaks from his trance) These are no human prints.

GB: (proudly) So I deduced.

SH: (annoyed) Pray, do not steal my lines. They’re copyrighted, I assure you.

GB: (scoots down in seat) Sorry…

SH: (snickers) I’m merely playing with your sense of embarrassment; it’s quite amusing. But, back to business.

As I said, these are no human prints. However, it shall involve further study to ascertain what kind of prints they actually are. Ah, Bre, you say you have found tracks in the garden?

BW: Yes, this way. (snuggie gets caught on doorknob)

GB: (giggles) We probably should lose the snuggies real quick.

BW: (looks down) Yeah. Excuse us for a moment, Holmes.

SH: (grinning) Of course, my dears.

GB and BW, both rather flustered, rush back to the room and remove their odd apparel, then rush to the garden

BW: (points to a long, thin, slithering track, complete with claw marks) I am quite at a loss to discover what made these. They are exceedingly singular.

GB: Those are freakish. (whispers) like your hamster.

BW: (coughs) Fluffy is *not* freakish...

SH: (examines ground, oblivious to the girls) Ah…there is something amiss here, as there was in the prints inside. But I can’t put my finger on it.

BW: (wrinkles forehead to think) Hmm.

GB: Well, at least Fluffy is unharmed. (covertly rolls eyes)

SH: Ah, yes, little Mr. McFee. (exchanges humorous glance with GB over BW’s head)

BW: (straightens up from looking at tracks) I’m sure he’d prefer being referred to by his first name as well,

Holmes. (smiles widely)

SH: (twitchy half smile) If that is Fluffy’s wish. (bows in the direction of BW)

BW: (blushes and looks at her feet)(thinks) oooh...the twitchy half smile...

GB: Shall we go back in and plan our next move?

SH: Excellent proposition, Grace. (offers each girl an arm)

GB and BW smile at SH

EXEUNT