Sentiment || Sherlock Holmes

A Scandal in Belgravia Part 3

Sherlock smirked. "Thank you John. An excellent plan, full of intelligent precautions."

"Thank you." John nodded proudly. "So, why don't I phone-"

Sherlock; however, already revealed the camera phone from a pocket in his suit. John sighed defeatedly and Eve covered a chuckle with her teacup.

Irene stood, growing antsy at the sight of her prized possession.

"So," Sherlock asked lazily. "What do you keep on here? In general, I mean?"

Miss. Adler crossed her arms defiantly. "Pictures, information, anything I might find useful."

"For blackmail?" John asked.

"For protection." She corrected. "I make my way in the world. I misbehave. I like to know people will be on my side exactly when I need them to be."

"And how do you get your protection?" Evelyn asked.

"I told you," Irene said condescendingly. "I misbehave."

"But you've acquired something that's more danger than protection." Sherlock continued. "Do you know what it is?"

"Yes." The Woman answered. "But I don't understand it."

"I assumed. Show me."

The dominatrix held out her hand for the device. Sherlock held it away from her.

"The passcode." He demanded.

Miss. Adler held her ground. Sherlock passed her the phone. She raised and eyebrow at him before typing in the code.

The phone buzzed.

"It's not working." She said.

"No," Sherlock agreed. "Because it's a duplicate that I had made into which you've just entered the numbers 1058." Sherlock lifted the cushions on his chair and pulled out the real phone. "I assumed you'd choose something more specific than that, but thanks anyway."

Sherlock entered in the code, but was met with an identical unhappy buzz. There was one attempt remaining to get the code right.

"I told you that camera phone was my life." Miss Adler said. "I know when it's in my hand."

Sherlock held her gaze. "Oh, you're rather good."

"You're not so bad." Irene replied flirtatiously.

Eve saw the other woman's pupils begin to dilate, and her pulse was no doubt speeding up as well. The Woman's body was giving away her attraction, and her hatred of Evelyn gave away her jealousy.

Eve didn't think Irene was all that amazing, really.

"So you don't know what your latest blackmail means?" Evelyn prompted.

"Protection." Irene said through clenched teeth. "There was a man, and MOD official and I knew what he liked. One of the things he liked was showing off. He told me this email was going to save the world. He didn't know it, but I photographed it." Irene handing Sherlock the phone with the photo displayed. "He was a bit tied up at the time. It's a bit small on that screen, can you read it?"

"Yes." Sherlock replied, sitting at his desk.

"Code, obviously." Irene said. "I had one of the best cryptographers in the country look at it, though he was mostly upside-down, as I recall. Couldn't figure it out. What can you do, Mr. Holmes?"

Eve watched as Sherlock's mind worked, puzzling and solving while The Woman leaned in the kiss him on the cheek. It gave the MI6 inspector a little hope that Sherlock didn't seem at all affected when her red lips made contact with his cheekbone.