A ‘cut’ above the rest

Dad!" Jonathan yells on entering his house, "I went to the barbershop and the man at the reception didn't charge me for a haircut! Why is that?" The famous detective Alfred Bates smiles and asks, "What did he tell you?" Jonathan replies, "He said he owed you a favour, a very big favour!" "Well," Bates continues, "he is right because I helped him out when I was a kid." "What did you do?" Jonathan continues his non-stop questioning. "It's a long story…" Bates replies. "… and I have all the time in the world," interrupts Jon. "Brace yourself then," Bates says after putting aside the newspaper he was reading. "I was at that time a student of fourth grade. Since my father was in the police, I was treated as a junior policeman in the neighbourhood. One day I went to the barbershop for a haircut and found my English teacher Mr Bell shouting at John the receptionist, the man you met." "Why was he shouting?" asks Jonathan. "Professor Bell said his wallet was stolen from his coat pocket while he was having a haircut. John denied the charge and volunteered to have himself checked along with the rest of the barbers in the shop," Bates replies. "So what was the issue?" comes the question. "Professor Bell was adamant in his accusation," Bates replies. "He said that during his haircut, he saw John move from the table towards his jacket, put his hand in his pocket and take out the wallet. He said that he also saw John take out some money before putting the wallet back." "Interesting!" says Jonathan. "What did John say in his defence?" "John claimed he was innocent and thought of the charge as an insult," says Bates. "Then what did you do?" asks the curious son. "Oh, I pointed out the culprit to him, saved John's job and became the favourite pupil of my English teacher, all in a minute," Bates boasts. "How come?" the shocked Jonathan continues his questioning. "I asked the teacher exactly what he saw. He told me that he saw John count the money with his right hand and put the wallet back," Bates replies with a glint in his eyes. "That means … … That someone else was the culprit since John was right-handed," Bates completes the sentence. "I think you made a mistake Dad," Jonathan tries to correct his father. "Mr Bell said the culprit was right-handed, didn't he?" "Yes he did," Bates defends himself. "But he was looking into the mirror, remember! Whoever he saw, was anything but right-handed. When we look at the mirror, we see our image and our right hand is usually the left hand of the mirror image." "So you helped exonerate John and got a ticket to life-time free haircut," says Bates Junior. "But who was the culprit?" "The only left-handed person in the shop at that time was the culprit as he appeared as a right-hander in the image," the detective deduces. "Mr Timberlake was that man, and the money taken from the professor's wallet was found in his pocket — the left one." "How could Mr Bell incorrectly judge the guy who took the wallet from his coat?" Jonathan asks again. "You have been to a barbershop, haven't you?" Bates asks a question in return. "Guess why he got it all wrong and I got it right?" "Well. Hmmm. He had water in his eyes?" Says Jon playing a detective. "Water and some part of his own hair that was being cut then and there," explains Bates. "Mr Bell apologised to John and congratulated me on solving the case. It was he who told my father that I should join the force when I grew up." "It was an all-win case for you, wasn't it?" Jonathan says. "Oh yes!" concludes the famous detective. "It was a 'cut' above the rest!"