because you knows it teases ...

Lestrade, looking up from his newspaper, muttered, "There you are, Holmes, I knew there was a simple explanation. It says here that some fellow has simply published the thing out of sequence; it's not really missing at all, it's just late arriving.".

Over at the window, fretfully staring out onto Baker Street, Watson added, "He's right you know, Holmes, it's obvious once you think about it. It must be the simplest reason that's the correct one, isn't that what you always say?".

Holmes gave a wry smile, and reached for his Stradivarius. He plucked the bow appreciatively, and offered it up to the strings. A particularly tricky piece by de Sarasate was open on the stand before him. Before playing the first note, he paused, turning to the pair of them, "I suppose you think that's enough of an explanation? It certainly doesn't satisfy me."

"But what is there left to know, Holmes?" Watson ejaculated.

"The simplest explanation, Watson, is not necessarily the true one. Often, a guilty party, especially if intelligent and quick-witted enough, will blurt out the simplest possible explanation, hoping that his interrogator will be mollified by the mundane nature of the account."

He paused, and lowered the bow a fraction. He went on, his brow furrowed with disquiet.

"For now, Watson, it behoves me to neither believe nor disbelieve this story until evidence is before me, lest I fall victim to a shabby sleight of hand. Once we have seen the missing piece, I may choose to believe that it was merely delivered out of sorts. I may, however, even then, be inclined to think that the original episode 126 has never yet seen the light of day, and that there was indeed, some nefarious reason for it's non arrival, in its original form, at its alloted time."

"Goodness me," interjected Lestrade, "You are a suspicious cove Holmes."

"Indeed I am inspector." retorted Holmes, with a friendly smile, "Perhaps we shall never know the real reason why episode 126 failed to follow episode 125. Until we do, I am afraid I shall reserve my judgement."

With that, he raised his bow and with the utmost concentration began to essay the fiendishly difficult Fantasia set out before him.