Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Life

Chapter 2

Stick with me folks, there's some action in this one.

Enjoy the chapter!

As the day progressed less and less people came in which meant that my job got even more boring. It was only when closing time came that the slightest bit of adrenaline was pumped into my veins. A man wearing a massively oversized black hoodie with the hood pulled up and possibly the baggiest jeans I had ever seen sauntered through the door with one hand behind his back. The only people in the shop now were me and Mrs Hudson. Steve had gone home but since I lived across the street and had nobody to hurry home for I insisted I'd stay and help tidy up. However, this man held no interest in me; he was headed directly towards Mrs Hudson. It was then that I heard the swish of what sounded like a pocket knife opening up.

"Mrs Hudson!" I exclaimed dropping my cloth onto the table I had previously been cleaning.

"Yes de- oh!" her face turned from calm to terrified as she clocked on to the hooded man who was growing closer by the second. In a moment of panic and determination I sprinted across the floor, jumped onto a table and leapt on top of the attacker, making sure to kick the knife out of his hand as I came down on him. My next move was something I'd learnt in a self defence class that my Mother forced me to go to, I was thankful for it now. Leaning left so that my weight was pushing him towards the display cabinet that held the muffins, I grabbed a fist full of his hood, pulled it back slightly and slammed his head into the corner of the cabinet. This was enough to knock him out; draw some blood but not kill him.

As he fell to the floor I jumped off and headed straight towards Mrs Hudson who was a quivering wreck in the corner that she had been fussing over.

"Are you alright Mrs Hudson?" I asked calmly looking her over to make sure that this psycho hadn't gotten to her before I got to him.

"Yes, I'm fine Sarah," she was now crying in my arms, "I'm just being silly." I turned to look at the scene that surrounded us. Napkin dispensers littered the floor, footprints marked the table that I'd used for leverage and there was a trace of blood on the cabinet that I had smashed that guy's head on.

I sighed. "I'll come in early tomorrow and clean that up."

"No, it's ok Sarah, I'll do it now." she tried to get up but I pushed her back down

"Someone just made an attempt on your life and you want to clean? No. You're not in a fit state to do anything but rest. Now come on, let's get you home. Where do you live?"

"Just next door." she had stopped crying but I gave her a napkin from one of the toppled dispensers to wipe her nose because she was still sniffling.

Helping her up, I escorted Mrs Hudson out of the shop and into the building of flats on the right. We were having a conversation about calling the police to come and arrest the goon when I heard it. The same elegant tune that I heard last night but now it was coming from the flat above Mrs Hudson's.

"Oh isn't it lovely?" my new friend asked, it was obvious that she was talking about the violin playing but I decided to remain oblivious and see what information I could get out of her.

"Hm? What is?" I replied as I put the kettle on and set out the mugs that she had directed me to

"The music. Sherlock's always playing his violin because, well, he's always thinking. Helps him to concentrate you see." so that was his name!

"Tea or coffee?"

"Tea for me please dear. Milk, two sugars." I continued to ask questions as I prepared our drinks

"So what does Sherlock do for a living that gets him thinking so much?"

"Oh, he's a detective. Him and his friend John Watson. Well, he says they're just friends but I suspect a bit more if you know what I mean." we laughed as I set the mugs down on the table

"They sound like quite the duo."

"They are. Sherlock is a genius. He can tell you your life story in just one look and John was an army doctor," I knew it! "He's very good." and there it was. My excuse to pay them a visit.

"Do you know if John's in at all? I want to get him to check you over and make sure you're definitely ok. After all, I'm no professional."

"I think he is dear. Where Sherlock is John's never very far behind." she smiled as I got up and walked to the stairs. Her voice slowly died away as I climbed to the top and the sound of violins took over but they soon stopped as I put my hand on the open door to knock.