fandomhigh | The Science of Deduction, Friday

Today the danger shop was set up to look like, well, another classroom. Not terribly exciting compared to bodies and crime scenes.

"St. Luke's is well known for their academic honesty and the caliber of students attending." Meaning their parents weren't who's anymore, rather whom's now. "Unfortunately for them, a theft has occurred the day before the final examinations. Mr. Soames--"

As Sherlock pushed a button on his phone, an older man appeared in the classroom. Because he enjoyed this technology far, far too much.

"--left his office, locked, to pick up lunch. According to him, he'd only been gone an hour. But when he returned, the door was unlocked and someone had tampered with his computer, gaining access to the answers for the exam planned for the following day. The only evidence left at the scene was a smear of mud just inside the doorway and faint scratches on the floor in the same spot."

The corner of his mouth turned up in something like amusement. "Not wanting a scandal, they contacted me to solve the case."

Because he was the Goddamn Sherlock Holmes.

"They have narrowed the suspects down to three students." Another push of a button and the teacher disappeared, replaced by three young men. "These three were the only other people in this particular building during that hour. Your job is to partner off, question them and draw your conclusions as to who is guilty from that and the evidence I have given you."

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"Which sport?" Ben asked, glancing around for a bag or something for sporting equipment to be stuffed into. "And if there were mates, why aren't they in here with you?"

"Rugby," James said. "And they left to get some food, of course. It was lunchtime, after all."

"Why didn't you go with them?" Scully asked, leaning back to (hopefully inobtrusively) check James' shoes. Rugby certainly would have gotten his feet muddy if he were wearing the same ones.

"I take practice more seriously than them," James responded, following her gaze to his feet. "Like the shoes? I don't. Bloody uncomfortable, but they're part of the uniform, so I have to wear them for classes."

"Did you wear shoes with better traction while you were practicing, then?" he asked. "Spiked ones?"

That might mess up a floor, maybe?

"I do sometimes, I guess," James said. "But I'll play in whatever, you know?"

Scully was nodding, expression not giving away that her thoughts were tending in the same direction as Ben's. "Did you see anyone when you came in the building?"

"Can't say I did," James said. "But I'm pretty sure I heard a can opening, and you know what that means." James made the universal 'drinky drinky' motion and nodded toward Franks.

If the subject was changing, he was more than happy to point the finger towards that guy.

Ben frowned. "Back to what I asked," he said. "Were you wearing different shoes while you were practicing today?"

He wasn't sure that the Jedi ability to sense truth would even work on a hologram, but it was worth a try.

"I suppose I was," James said. "But I can play just as well in these!"

"Astral," Ben said dryly. "Can we see the shoes you wore?"

"Why? They're just some old shoes I practice in sometimes," James said.

Scully gave him her blandest, most non-committal face, and said, "We're not at liberty to disclose that." She paused. "Unless you have something to hide?"

"Sounds like you're the one hiding something. I've got rights, you know," James said. "And so do my shoes."

Edited 2010-09-25 02:14 (UTC)

Ben fought back the urge to facepalm. "It's easier if you just show us the shoes. Otherwise we go to the headmaster, he gets into your lockers and all sorts of unhappy things can get found that way."

"Like Franks and all the beer he keeps in his locker?" James asked, taking a guess and trying to throw the other kid under the bus. "Sounds like he has more to hide than me."

"We'll be sure to investigate all avenues, s-- Mr. Gilchrist," Scully said, having to stop a reflexive 'sir' from escaping. "That are relevant." She paused. "Including those shoes."

"Which are entirely more relevant than Frank's beer. Shoes. Now," Ben added.

"I don't have them," James said. "I lent them to one of my mates after lunch."

"If you're planning to make an accusation, do so now or move on," Sherlock said, not looking up from his phone.

Every single part of Scully's soul that believed in dotting the i's and crossing the t's rebelled at that, and not interviewing the third boy; she sent Ben a glance first, anyway, checking if this was okay.

"I believe so?" Scully paused, and nodded to James Gilchrist. "No alibi, reluctance to cooperate..." She gestured to Ben for his contribution.

"Before being spotted in the building he was outside playing rugby in the dirt and mud in different shoes than the ones he's currently wearing," Ben added, "which would explain the evidence found earlier in the teacher's office." He smiled a little and settled back in his chair. If you get the person on the second try, there was no reason to waste time on a third.

"You have the who, do you have the why?"

Scully set her jaw, then grimaced. "Not specifically. No. To pass the test, rather than take time away from rugby, would be my theory, but I don't have anything substantial to support that."

"Does the why really matter?" Ben countered. "Our conclusion is that he stole the test answers. He could be selling them to the drunk loser so he can feed his prescription drug addiction or get enough ransom to get the drug lords to release his sister. He could just be taking the easy way out--a smarter person would've check to make sure their feet weren't muddy before breaking into a room. The why is for the defense lawyer. The who and what are for cops."

At least in the hypothetical. The "why" behind Ben's mother's murder still kept him up at night.

Re: Talk to the Suspects - James Gilchrist

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The Science of Deduction, Friday - 9/24

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