I'm A High-Functioning Sociopath - It's Genetic

Chapter 8

The chancellor was shopping. His wife had had a go at him for doing nothing around the house and to help the family, so to appease her he'd offered to do the week's shopping. Of course that was only after telling her that earning money to pay the children's school fees and keeping the economy steady counted as helping the family, but she wouldn't hear it, she was too angry. To be fair, she was always angry. He sighed as he pushed the trolley into the non-perishable food isle. Crash! The trolley tipped to the right as it collided with another one. His items flew everywhere. Toilet paper, apples, coffee, bread, milk, juice, flour all crashing to the floor like shrapnel after an explosion.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" A teenager with short, brown hair pulled off her head phones and scrambled around on the floor, trying to pick up his items.

"Alex," a man who must have been her father shouted at her from down the isle and jogged over, "what have you done?!"

"I'm sorry." The girl sounded genuinely apologetic, so much that the chancellor was compelled to say:

"Oh no, it was my fault." Even though he knew it was all her fault.

"I leave you for two minutes," her dad didn't seem to believe him and began to tell her off, "and you make this wreck."

"Sorry Dad." She hung her head.

"Are you ok?" Her father turned to the chancellor.

"Yes I'm quite alright," he smiled at the man, "no harm done."

"Well if you're sure." The girls father started to helpfully brush him down, "I'd still like to do something to apologise for my daughter though."

"Oh no need." The chancellor was rather overwhelmed.

"Really, I insist, how about coffee?" 

"Um, ok." The chancellor was overwhelmed.

"Go get the man some coffee Alex," he turned, pressed some money into has daughter's hand and added, "there's a coffee machine beside the fruit and veg." She nodded and ran away.  The man turned back to the chancellor "I am so sorry. Hey! Don't I know you from somewhere?" The man exclaimed, evidently he'd only just got a good look at the chancellor.

"I'm, um, the chancellor." It was always risky telling people this, some people liked his policies, but most didn't.

"Oh right!" he smiled at this revelation, "That must keep you busy."

"It certainly keeps me on my toes." The chancellor gave the man a weak smile.

"Well..." there was an awkward pause, "keep up the good work." Replied the man, giving him an awkward pat on the back.  The chancellor was about to say thank you for the complement but the man's daughter came running back, coffee in hand, panting.

"Sorry, I didn't know what you wanted it with, so it's just plain."

"That's fine." The chancellor replied as he took the coffee she offered, though he secretly wished she'd added some sugar.

"Any change?" The man barked at his daughter.

"Here." She mumbled as she pressed it into his hand.

"Well, I better get on-" The chancellor began but then:

"Sherlock!" A small man with graying ginger hair waved to the man. 'What kind of a name is Sherlock?' Thought the chancellor.

"John!!!  Hi."  The man's face changed from his friendly smile to a strained expression when he saw the smaller man, and when he said the word 'hi' it was as if his mouth wasn't used to saying it.

"Since when did you say hi?" The man, John, looked puzzled.

"I... um..." The guy with the weird name mumbled.  Their was a long, confused silence, which the chancellor used to creep away.  "Um..." Sherlock continued mumbling until Alex tapped him on the shoulder.

"He's gone." She whispered.  Sherlock relaxed.

"What was that?" John asked.

"We're on a case." Answered Sherlock.

"Care to share any more details?" John grinned.

"Well-" Sherlock began but he was interrupted by his daughter.

"Well some guy was killed by his secret politician lover and we thought it might be the chancellor so Sherlock pick-pocketed his phone and I checked it for messages with the victim dude when I went to get the chancellor coffee." Alex explain, but she was interrupted.

"Victim dude?" John queried.

"Yeah," Alex snapped, "so anyway, I found that they had called and texted loads - you do not need to know, trust me - so now we just need to talk to Lestrade."

"It was him?" Asked Sherlock.

"Yeah." Alex confirmed.

"Didn't his phone have a password?" John looked shocked.

"Yeah, so?" Replied Alex.  This comment made John roll his eyes.  "Anyway, you almost ruined everything!" Alex pointed accusingly at John

"Hey!" Shouted John, "How was I meant to know you were on a case?!"

"Well, we were talking to the chancellor." Sherlock pointed out.

"Yeah," Alex agreed, "that doesn't exactly happen on a day to day basis." John sighed.

"Hey dad!  I found the pasta!" A teenage girl, about the same age as Alex, ran into view at the end of the isle and shouted to John.

"Ok India," he shouted back, "bring it here then."  

"Ok," she started to walk over, "oh, hi Sherlock, and you must be Alex."  Alex and Sherlock  rolled their eyes.

"Hello India, how nice to see you." Sherlock didn't really sound like he thought it was nice to see India, "We, um..."

"We need to go." Alex filled in.

"Yes.  We need to notify Lestrade and... stuff." Sherlock and Alex started backing away, as if there was a wild animal in front of them.

"Ok, bye then." Alex spoke very quickly.

"Bye." Sherlock and Alex turned and hurried away, almost running.  Once they were around the corner they both simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.  

"That was close." Noted Alex.

"Definitely," agreed Sherlock, "let's call Lestrade."  

"By the way," Alex began, "did I hear you tell the chancellor to 'keep up the good work'?"

"Yes," Replied Sherlock, "why?

"Well you can only keep up the good work if you're actually doing good work." Said Alex.

"Is he not a good chancellor then?" Asked Sherlock.

"Not really, no." Alex replied.

"Oh." Was all Sherlock said as he walked out of Waitrose, followed by Alex, and he pulled out his phone to call Lestrade.