Sherlock and The Woman

On Holiday

15. On Holiday

"You have to introduce her to Anderson, Sherlock!" John exclaimed one grey afternoon a few days later.

Irene and Sherlock had been over at Mary and John's welcoming, warm flat at the other end of London, when the detective had received a call from Lestrade. There had been a promising murder and Holmes had decided it would be a nice test as the woman's first crime. The married couple had encouraged it and it hadn't been difficult to sway Irene's mind in the end.

The detective frowned in the man's general direction as he threw his coat and scarf on. "Oh, no. Not that poor excuse of a man. You know, I'm surprised he got himself together after everything."

"No, Sherlock. That's precisely why he should meet The Woman..."

The dark-haired man flashed his friend a wide grin, having received the point clearly. "Ah!"

Irene exited the bathroom then and stopped beside the tall man. "Will this work?"

She waved at her outfit while she raised a questioning eyebrow in the others' direction. Following Sherlock's clear instructions, she had been forced to change clothes and Mary had been sweet enough to lend her something. Apparently having a dress and stilettos could be a distraction for everyone on a crime scene. Instead, she had borrowed a pair of dark pants, sneakers and a loose, dark-blue blouse. On top of her head rested her deerstalker mockingly and the detective eyed it wearily.

"Yes, yes, that will do," he conceded with a nonchalant shrug. "We were just discussing Anderson, one of the worst medical examiners in England. The man looks like he has an IQ of 13… and looks aren't deceiving. He went through a rough patch, and lost his work for awhile for... various reasons. Lestrade found a way to get him a test period, which he's currently on."

"I have a feeling it won't be a pleasure to meet him," Irene ventured a guess as she shrugged on her pale coat.

"He'll most likely lower your IQ with 130."

The woman smiled up at her detective. "Oh, so you believe my IQ is higher than 130? I'm flattered."

The tall man shrugged. "Same as Mary. Based on your abilities of perception and logic I'd place your intelligence quotient in the range of 120-140. Am I close?"

"Don't know. I've never done an IQ test. Have you?"

Sherlock's face fell as his eyes darted away from his current company. "John and I did one once long ago. Obviously it was faulty. It said John was cleverer than me."

The blond man sighed and glanced at his wife briefly before he replied, "You don't have to sound so condescending when you say that. I'm clever enough to be hurt by it, you know."

"Sorry. You are clever, John. In your own way. …But to set the record straight, can we-"

The man let out a deep sigh and rolled his eyes. "Yes, Sherlock, your IQ is higher than mine! The test was stupid. There. Happy?"

The other man nodded and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Mm. Thank you."

"That's what friends are for," John assured.

Mary took the opportunity to change the subject, "But how will Greg solve Irene's presence at the scene? It's not like she has any authorization. I mean, he could allow John because he was at least a doctor."

"Well, I do hold a PhD..." Irene offered with an innocent shrug and a teasing smile.

Sherlock whipped his head in her direction so fast John thought the man must have injured it permanently. "PhD? In what subject?"