It Started With Stealing | Sherlock Holmes

42 - Must You Run Now?

"Shaun was my friend, Jim! And he had a brother! A younger brother that he was trying to care for."

"Oh, please, just because the two of you occassionally worked together and had a couple of 'raunchy' nights, doesn't make you friends. Not in this business. Surely, you know that friends don't last here." He rolled his eyes.

"And what about that man on the phone, Jim - you killed him too!"

"Homeless, guy. A loose end in the world. Probably in a better place now if you believe that. And actually, I gave you strict instructions not to speak back or I would kill him. But I knew you would. Whoops." He shrugged.

"You didn't say you would kill him!"

"It was implied."

"My God, you really have no remorse, do you?"

"Mm, can't really say it's my department." He frowned, "But that never bothered you before so why does it bother you now?"

Elizabeth shook her head. She knew he had no remorse but just seeing this side of him - she didn't like it. Who would? If ever she had continued to have a blissful ignorance about his daily actions, this moment would have quashed it completely.

"How can you not care?"

"I mean, I killed three people and called an ambulance for you but, ha, if that's not what you people call care then, I honestly don't know what is."

"What?"

"Scarlett and her goons. Like eesh, and I thought I had revenge issues - she waited ten years." He chuckled.

"You let her stab me?"

"Wow." He wandered over to the candlelit table, "Guns take time to reload, and again, I did call an ambulance for you, Lizzie. You would have been dead without it. I saved you."

In all honesty though, yes, he did intend for her to get a bit hurt. Just as a bit of a punishment for willingly going along with trying to take him and his network down. It was just a little punishment. Had it been anyone else, they would be dead. But this was his Elizabeth. He knew full well that it would only push her away if he were to be completely truthful with her.

He pulled out a chair for her, "I thought you might like dinner while you're here."

Elizabeth scoffed, "I need to get back before Sherlock and John."

"Oh, they won't be done for a while yet. I made sure to make a really interesting crime for them to solve. You have time." Jim smiled, "See, I even helped you get here tonight. Isn't that kind? All the trouble I went through? Would really like some appreciation around about now."

Elizabeth hesitated by the door. Her worry for John and Sherlock grew exponentially more but she tried to reason with herself that Jim would see no reason to get them now while he was going after her. It wouldn't make sense.

Jim sighed, "Lizzie, stop looking at me like I'm going to murder you. Like I said, if I wanted that, you'd be dead already. Come, sit." He patted the chair he had pulled out for her again.

Elizabeth approached reluctantly and sat down in the chair. Jim sat opposite her, and picked up his knife and fork and began to eat the food that he had organised for the two of them.

"Do you like it?"

"What?"

"This." He gestured around the room, "I played your favourite artist, had your favourite meal made, made it all look pretty - "