The Art Of Deduction (A BBC Sherlock Fanfiction)

38. Client

Later, the boys are back upstairs. John fixes himself a drink in the kitchen and then comes into the living room where Sherlock is taking off his coat.

"Where is it now?" Asks John.

"Where no one will look." Replies Sherlock.

Walking across to the window, he picks up his violin and turns his back to the room.

"Whatever's on that phone is more than just pictures." Says John.

"Yes, it is." Says Sherlock.

He tinkers with his violin and checks its tuning. John watches him for a moment.

"So, she's alive then. How are we feeling about that?" Asks John.

In the distance, Big Ben begins to toll the hour. Sherlock pulls in a sharp breath.

"Happy New Year, John."

"Do you think you'll be seeing her again?"

Turning around but not yet meeting his eyes, Sherlock picks up his bow and flips it in the air before catching it and then starting to play "Auld Lang Syne," looking pointedly at John. John gets the message and sits down in his chair while Sherlock turns back to the window and continues to play.
Not far away, within sight of St Paul's Cathedral, Irene is walking along the street when her phone trills a text alert. Taking the phone from her bag and checking the message, she sees that it reads:

Happy New Year
SH

She looks at the message for a long time before continuing onwards.

DAY TIME. ST BART'S. In the lab, Sherlock is looking at an X-ray on a computer screen which is showing the interior parts of a phone. Molly is nearby. He leans closer to the screen and sees four small round dark areas scattered around the phone. He looks exasperated.

"Is that a phone?" Asks Molly.

"It's a camera phone." Replies Sherlock.

"And you're X-Raying it?"

"Yes, I am."

"Whose phone is it?"

"A Woman's."

"Your girlfriend?"

"You think she's my girlfriend because I'm X-raying her possessions?"

"Well, we all do silly things."

"Yes."

He lifts his head as if suddenly inspired and he looks round to Molly.

"You do don't you? Very silly."

She looks confused as he gets to his feet and takes the phone out of the X-ray machine and holds it up.

"She sent this to my address, and she loves to play games." Says Sherlock.

"She does?" Asks Molly.

Sherlock pulls up the "I AM ---- LOCKED" screen and types "221B" into the phone. The phone beeps warningly and a message comes up reading: "WRONG PASSCODE. 2 ATTEMPTS REMAINING". He looks exasperated and sits down again.

SOME MONTHS LATER. 221B. Sherlock reaches the top of the stairs and then stops abruptly outside the kitchen door. He sniffs deeply. Taking a couple more deep breaths, he turns and looks into the kitchen, then walks across to the window and checks it, realising that it is open. Turning and sniffing again, he starts to walk slowly towards his bedroom just as the downstairs door slams and feet start trotting up the stairs. Reaching his room, he pushes the door open as John and Elisabeth come into the kitchen with bags of shopping. Sherlock walks into the bedroom and turns to stand and look down at the bed. Elisabeth notices him.