It Started With Stealing | Sherlock Holmes

81 - Watson & Parrish, Adler & Holmes

"That she wanted Jim dead and," Elizabeth paused, the confused emotions being brought to the forefront of her mind again, "And she wanted me to do it. I said no. But she pushed and I couldn't take it because at the end of the day, criminal or not, Jim raised me. He's family. And Rita said that if I wouldn't do it then she would."

Mycroft's expression was emotionless as he glared into her soul. There was something more to this, he thought, but an answer for an answer, "Sherlock came back to tell us that you had been taken. He didn't trust Rita, thought there was something more to it too, that she was hiding something. I questioned her on my own and also came to the same conclusion. In fact, it was the same conclusion that I have always come to with you - that you are hiding something."

The thief was ready to defend herself but the other presence in the room defended her instead. And as she was being defended, she processed the fact that Mycroft had admitted that Sherlock did not trust Rita and was onto her too.

"No, wait." The doctor raised his hand to address Mycroft, "I believe, Elizabeth. I can't say the same for Rita but I know Elizabeth. Ever since she has joined us, she's been nothing but helpful and selfless. Sure, there are things Elizabeth should have told us the second they happened but she still came to us in the end. I see no reason why Elizabeth would hide anything from us."

Elizabeth looked at the army doctor, a small (guilty) smile crossing her face, "Thank you." She glared back at Mycroft, "At least someone present believes in me."

"This is irrelevant to the situation we find ourselves in." Mycroft snapped, "If you so desperately want to help, then do so and keep your focus on the task at hand."

"Hypocrite." She muttered.

Mycroft opened his mouth to scold her but John rose his hands again, preventing the speech from leaving the government official's mouth.

"Okay. Let's - let's just move on and establish what we know. We still don't know why Rita left but we suspect it was willingly?"

Both nodded.

"And we also know it was a navy blue SUV she left in. And there appears to be three people helping her - the driver, the escort and the kid."

"Which, when you put it together, sounds like a whole lot of nothing." Elizabeth stated bluntly, standing from her seat and approaching the door, "Come on, John, let's check her room." The thief then looked to Mycroft, "Let us know if the 'smartest Holmes' comes up with anything useful."

Mycroft glowered at her as she left, followed by a John who swiftly wished to avoid the frequent conflict between them.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

"Nothing...nothing...nothing, Elizabeth, there's nothing." John said as he placed the visitor's chair back down with an echoing clack as the legs hit the floor, "The room's exactly as they left it but she's taken her phone."

"And probably discarded it somewhere too." Elizabeth spoke sullenly as she gazed down at Rita's unmade hospital bed, where a mere couple of days ago the surgeon had been lain in, bloodied, burning and bandaged - and it was all her own fault, "Mycroft would have told us if they tracked her phone."

Noticing her quiet demeanor, John approached, standing on the opposite side of the bed, facing her, "You okay?"

The thief nodded then stopped, bit her lip and swallowed, shook her head and looked down at her hands, again messing with the little silver ring on her finger.

"She was my friend and I let her down." Elizabeth croaked, "And I have so few of them, John, so few and I cherish you all...and knowing that I let Rita down..." She looked up at the army doctor, an emotional shine polishing her eyes, "I just - I feel so guilty. I keep wondering if I could have done more, if I could have stopped it, or prevented it. I keep wondering what would have happened if I opened the door - "