Sherlock was sitting on the back steps of the ambulance while Anita was leaning against the back nearby. The paramedics kept putting an orange blanket around Sherlock's shoulders, though he kept trying to shrug it off.
"Why have I got this blanket? They keep putting this blanket on me," Sherlock said, gesturing to the blanket. Anita smiled and pushed herself off the ambulance.
"It's for shock," Anita explained through giggles. Sherlock smiled slightly at making her laugh.
"But I'm not in shock," he replied.
"Yeah, but some of the guys wanna take photographs," Lestrade said as he walked over to Sherlock and Anita. Sherlocked rolled his eyes at Lestrade's statement.
"So, the shooter. No sign?" Sherlock questioned.
"Cleared off before we got 'ere. But a guy like that would have had enemies, I suppose. One of them could have been following him but... got nothing to go on," Lestrade explained. Anita just smiled and stood by watching the scene play out. Sherlock gave Lestrade a pointed look.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Sherlock said. It was Lestrade's turn to roll his eyes. Sherlock stood up and started walking. Anita was just following, not saying anything. She wanted Sherlock to figure the answer out for himself.
"Okay, gimme," Lestrade bargained.
"The bullet they just dug out of the walls came from a handgun. Kill shot over that distance from that kind of a weapon- that's a crack shot you're looking for. No not just a marksman; a fighter. His hands couldn't have shaken at all, so clearly he's acclimatized to violence. He didn't fire until I was in immediate danger, though, so strong moral principle. You're looking for a man probably with a history of military service... and nerves of steel..." Sherlock trailed off and he looked around the area and saw John standing behind the police tape. As John looked back at the duo innocently, he nodded and then turned his head away. Sherlock then turned his gaze to Anita, who was looking at him. She winked at him before turning away. Sherlock was finally making the connection. Sherlock turned back to Lestrade.
"Actually, do you know what? Ignore me."
"Sorry?" Lestrade asked, bewildered at his sudden change of character.
"Ignore all of what he said. It's the shock talking," Anita explained to the inspector as Sherlock and her started to walk over to John.
"Where're you two going?" Lestrade questioned.
"I need to talk about the-the rent," Sherlock told Lestrade as the two of them kept walking.
"But I've still got questions for you," Lestrade insisted to Sherlock.
"Oh what now? I'm in shock! Look, I've got a blanket!" Sherlock answered as he turned around to brandish the blanket to Lestrade.
"Sherlock!" Lestrade called after him.
"Lestrade, he just caught you a serial killer. More or less," Anita reasoned. Lestrade glanced between the two thoughtfully.
"Okay. We'll bring you in tomorrow. Off you go," he answered. Anita sent him an appreciative smile and nod before her and Sherlock walked off. Sherlock had taken his blanket off and threw it into an open window of a police car. Then Anita and Sherlock ducked under the police tape.
"Um, Sergeant Donovan's just been explaining everything, the two pills. Been a dreadful business, hasn't it? Dreadful," John said, trying to act innocent.
"Good shot," Anita congratulated.
"Yes. Yes, must have been, through that window," John said, looking less and less innocent as time passed.
"Well, you'd know," Sherlock replied to him, a smirk forming on his face. John gazed at the two, still not letting his expression give him away completely.
"Need to get the powder burns out of your fingers. I don't suppose you'd serve time for this, but let's avoid the court case," Sherlock stated as John cleared his throat and looked around nervously.
"Are you alright?" Anita asked John.
"Yes, of course, I'm alright," John answered.
"Well, you have just killed a man," Sherlock chatted.
"Yes, I..." John trailed off as Sherlock and Anita looked at him closely.
"That's true, innit?" he asked as he smiled at the duo. Anita and Sherlock kept their eyes close on him.
"But he wasn't a very nice man," John reasoned.
"No. No, he really wasn't, was he?" Anita agreed.
"And frankly a bloody awful cabbie," said John, and with that the group of three burst into laughter. Then they started to walk away from the crime scene.
"That's true. He was a bad cabbie. Should have seen the route he took us to get here!" Sherlock exclaimed which only caused Anita and John to start chuckling all over again. At this, Sherlock smiles.
"Stop! We can't giggle, it's a crime scene! Stop it!" John said, trying to get the duo to quiet down, also trying to stifle his laugh.
"You're the one who shot him. Don't blame me," Sherlock muttered.
"Keep your voice down!" Anita said, shoving Sherlock with her shoulder. At that moment, the group walked past Donovan, who was staring at them.
"Sorry, it's just, um, nerves, I think," John explained to her as Anita and Sherlock whispered 'sorry' as well.
"You were gonna take that damned pill, weren't you?" Anita asked once they were out of earshot.
"Course I wasn't. Biding my time. Knew you two would turn up," Sherlock explained, though Anita knew he was lying.
"No, you didn't. It's how you get your kicks, isn't it? You risk your life to prove you're clever," John observed.
"Why would I do that?" Sherlock asked nonchalantly.
"Because you're an idiot," John and Anita said simultaneously. Sherlock couldn't be happier at that moment. He had always been extremely grateful for Anita, but now he was two times as grateful to have John and Anita. He was delighted Anita and John had stumbled into his life.
"Dinner?" he asked, glancing down at the pair.
"Starving," John commented as Anita nodded in agreement.
"End of Baker Street, there's good Chinese stays open till two. You can always tell a good Chinese by examining the bottom third handle-" Sherlock had started but was interrupted by John seeing someone he recognized. He tapped Anita's shoulder, which caused her to grab Sherlock's arm to bring him to a stop as well.
"Anita, Sherlock. That's him. That's the man I was talking to you two about," John explained, as said man started to walk over to the group. Anita let out a huff, still holding a grudge against him.
"I know exactly who that is," Sherlock said as Anita hummed in response. Anita and Sherlock walked over to the man.
"So another case cracked. How very public spirited... though that's never really your motivation, is it?" the man questioned. Anita rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. The man, of course, noticed.
"What are you doing here?" Anita asked, a huff of hot air following close behind the statement.
"Good to see you fully clothed this time, O'Malley." Anita was fuming at this point.
"It was two in the morning and I was kidnapped from my dorm room! Of course I would be wearing my pajamas!" Anita grumbled, taking a step closer to the man before Sherlock pushed her back gingerly.
"To answer your original question, Anita, as ever I'm concerned about him," the man explained.
"Yes, I've been hearing about your 'concern'," Sherlock replied aggressively.
"Always so aggressive. Did it ever occur to you two that we belong on the same side?" he questioned. Anita had some choice words for him but opted not to say them.
"Oddly enough, no," Sherlock answered.
"We have more in common than you like to believe. This petty feud between us is simply childish. People will suffer..." the man said, dramatically, and then he glared over at Sherlock. "And you know how it always upset Mummy." Anita huffed at the man's dramatics while John frowned at this. Sherlock turned to the man in disbelief.
"I upset her? Me? It wasn't me that upset her Mycroft," Sherlock argued back.
"No, no, wait. Mummy? Who's Mummy?" John asked. Anita took it upon herself, seeing as the boys were still arguing like children.
"Their mother, John," she explained, gesturing at the man, Mycroft, with her hand.
"This man here is Sherlock's brother, Mycroft. Who, must I note, kidnapped me in the middle of the night when I was 21. Then proceeded to ask me questions about Sherlock, who I, at the time, had met on one occasion," Anita huffed, showing clear signs that she wasn't letting it go anytime soon. John had been staring at Mycroft in amazement during Anita's rant. Mycroft on the other hand, rolled his eyes at Anita's speech. She was waiting for an apology and he wasn't planning on delivering one anytime soon.
"Putting on weight again?" Sherlock chimed in. The next day after Mycroft had kidnapped Anita, she of course came to him and told him the whole thing. Sherlock had been furious about it at first, but after thirteen years of hearing about it, he wasn't all that upset anymore. Actually the more he thought about it, had Mycroft never done that, Anita might not have ever talked to him again.
"Losing it, in fact," Mycroft stated.
"He's your brother?" John asked Sherlock.
"Of course he's my brother," Sherlock explained. Anita turned away from the staring contest she was having with Mycroft, and turned to John.
"Did you think he was a criminal mastermind?" she asked him. John nodded to which Anita chuckled.
"Don't worry, so did I," Anita said smiling reassuringly at John.
"It's close enough," Sherlock muttered.
"For goodness' sake, I occupy a minor position in the British government," Mycroft stated.
"He is the British government, when he's not too busy being the British Secret Service or the CIA on a freelance basis," Sherlock explained.
"Good evening, Mycroft. Try not to start a war before we get home. You know what it does for the traffic," Sherlock mused as he walked off. Anita started to follow before turning around and sticking her tongue out, childishly she will admit, at Mycroft. He responded in the same manner, causing her to chuckle before catching up with Sherlock.
John had stayed behind a bit longer before jogging to catch up and complete the group. And so, Sherlock Holmes, Anita O'Malley, and John Watson walked off to find something to eat for dinner. Anita couldn't wait to see where the future would take her and the boys.
author's note !
Hello again =) Here is the last chapter for A Study In Pink! If you guys would like to know when the next book gets published, you might want to think about following me ;) Only joking! But, I won't stop you if you want to do it lol.
Also, Happy St. Patrick's day!!! Hope you find a COVID friendly way to celebrate with friends and family.
As a final hurray, I would just like to thank everyone who has shown this book an ounce of support. You guys have no idea how much I apricate waking up to see a notification that someone as voted or commented on my book! It honestly makes my day! Without the continued support of you, the readers, this book would be nothing and I would lose the confidence to continue. So, with that said, I'll see you guys in the next book! I wonder what The Blind Banker has in store for our trio.