Valiant {Book Two of the Incandescent Trilogy}

Chapter Eight: Family is Power

"Upon Jim Moriarty's request, yes. I was in possession of it at the time."

"You worked for him?"

"No, no, we had...similar interests. It was small business transaction, that's all."

"And what are you doing here now?"

"You had a dalliance with my brother, yes?"

Amelia arched a brow. "I thought that was obvious." she said, picking up her pen and continuing her paperwork. "Nevertheless, yes, I did. Although I wouldn't call it a dalliance. I'm quite certain an engagement does not count as a brief love affair."

"And how would you define your relationship with my brother?"

Amelia didn't have an answer. She set down her pen. "Ms Holmes, I'm afraid if you do not have a point to make, I have to ask you to leave."

"My brother is a very dangerous man, Ms Watson."

"I know this."

"No, I don't think you do, because I'm not talking about Sherlock, or Mycroft."

She froze, silently prompting her to continue on.

"My family is a lot larger than Sherlock original conveyed. There is of course, Mycroft, Sherlock, and myself, but I don't think Sherlock ever told you that he had twin mere minutes older than him." Charlie took out a file from her purse and slid it across Amelia's desk. "The entirety of my family is in this folder."

Amelia opened it to see several files.

Dr Siger Isaac Obadiah Holmes (born August 9th, 1940 – present)

Spouse: Violet Lenora Rutherford (born June 5th, 1942 – present)

Mycroft Rutherford Clark Holmes (born August 25th, 1966 – present)

Spouse: Margaret Jane Thorley (born February 20th, 1965 – March 10th, 2000)

Amelia looked up at Charlie. "Mycroft was married?" she asked. "He never told."

"He doesn't like talking about her." Charlie replied, looking into the distance. "Peggy was killed on one of Mycroft's mission. He was on the mission with her. He had to choose between saving the President of the US and saving Peggy, but she made him promise on their wedding day that work always had to come first. I don't think he's forgiven himself for losing her." She gestured to the file. "Read on."

Charlotte Sigrina Geneviève Holmes (born April 27th, 1970 – present)

Sherrinford Fetlock Nero Holmes (born January 6th, 1973 – present)

William Sherlock Scott Holmes (born January 6th, 1973 – officially deceased June 15th, 2012)

Charlie put a single manicured finger on Sherrinford's name. "Him." she said. "Sherlock's twin. They had a...uh...falling out whilst they were in Oxford. Sherlock caught Sherrinford cheating on the exam. He reported it to the professor, of course, and Sherrinford was expelled. They haven't spoken since. Sherrinford hates him to this day."

"And why mention this now?" Amelia tore her gaze from the files, despite wanting to see what was past the first page. "Sherrinford and Sherlock had a falling out—so what? Why does this concern me?"

"Because until last week, we thought Sherrinford died two weeks after Sherlock did." Charlie explained. "Doesn't say that in the file, I know, it hasn't been updated in a while."

"And what happened last week?"

"Addiction runs in the family, Ms Watson." Charlie tapped her fingers against the desk. "Sherrinford and Sherlock shared a similar affliction.  They were so similar yet they were polar opposites. One has sided with the angels, and the other with the devils. Frightening this is: I don't which one is on either side." She paused, then continued on. "After Sherlock's death, Sherrinford simply...disappeared. We thought he'd suffered a relapse after Sherlock's death, but when he didn't show for months after, we presumed him dead. The last thing Sherrinford said to me before he disappeared was that he was going to make things right—that he was going to fix our family. I didn't know what he meant by that. He always said that Sherlock was the reason our family was dysfunctional, but Sherlock had just died, so I didn't know what he was on about. But, last week, one of the security cameras caught a photo of Sherrinford with a woman. Blonde. Blue eyed. Wearing a gold sequin dress."