"Well, I've gotta say, Sherlock....you sure know how to treat a girl." You said, sarcastically, to Sherlock as the two of you were digging in the dumpster.
You were a few minutes away from Lauriston Gardens and Sherlock deduced that the murder couldn't have gotten far before dumping the pink suitcase.
Sherlock chuckles as he keeps digging in the trash. Eventually, you see a flash of pink and move the stuff of it. He was right, there was a case! "Sherlock." You said, as you pull the case out of the trash pile.
Sherlock looks over at you and saw what you found. He jumps out of the dumpster and you hand him the case; he sets it down and holds his right hand out to you. "Here take my hand." He said and you obliged.
Sherlock grabs your hand and helped you out, as you wipe off some dirt and trash Sherlock asked "Are you alright?" You nodded and he gives you a smile. "Excellent!" He exclaimed and he goes over to the case and grabs it. "Let's go." He said and the two of you headed out, hailed a cab and off to Baker Street.
After sometime at Baker Street, you go take a shower while Sherlock lies on the sofa. Earlier, the both of you looked through the case and couldn't find the one thing that was important....her phone.
Sherlock states that the murder might still have it so he asked you to text the number that was on the luggage label. You reached for you phone, only to find out it was dead. "You can text John and ask him." You said. Sherlock nods and grabs his phone and started texting John.
You smile and turn around to head downstairs. "Where are you going?" Sherlock asked. You turn to see him staring at you and you reply. "I don't know about you, Sherlock, but I smell like a dumpster. So I'm gonna take a shower. Don't worry I'll be back." And down the stairs you went.
Sherlock is lying stretched out on the sofa. With his jacket off and his shirt sleeves unbuttoned and pushed up his arm, he has his eyes closed and he is pressing the palm of his right hand firmly onto the underside of his left arm just below the elbow. His eyes snap open wide and he stares fixedly up towards the ceiling, then sighs and relaxes.
John comes through the door, then stops and stares as Sherlock clenches and unclenches his left fist. "What are you doing?" John asked. "Nicotine patch. Helps me think." Sherlock said, calmly. He lifts his right hand to show that he has three round nicotine patches. "Impossible to sustain a smoking habit in London these days. Bad news for brain work." Sherlock said. John walks further into the room as he said "It's good news for breathing?"
"Oh, breathing. Breathing's boring." said Sherlock, dismissively. John frowns at him as he looks more closely at Sherlock's arm. "Is that three patches?" He asked.
"It's a three-patch problem." Your voice replied. John looks over and sees you walking in, hair still little damp from your shower. "Glad you're here, John. Can we borrow your phone?" You asked as you approach him.
"My phone?" He asked.
"Yes, Sherlock didn't want to use his because there's always a chance that his number could be recognized. It's on the website. And my phone's dead." You replied.
"What about Mrs Hudson?" John asked.
"She's out tonight, playing bingo or something." You said, dismissively.
"I was on the other side of London." John said, getting angry.
"There was no hurry." Sherlock responded, still not moving.
"Here." He said, handing you the phone.
John turns and walks a few paces away from you before turning back around. "So what's this about--the case?" He asked.
"Her case." Sherlock said, softly.
"Her case?" John asked.
"Her suitcase, yes, obviously. The murderer took her suitcase. First big mistake." Sherlock said, opening his eyes.
"Okay, he took her case. So?" John said. You walk over to Sherlock's desk and look at the number on the label.
"What's wrong?" Sherlock asked John who was over by the window looking out in the streets below. "Just met a friend of yours." John said.
"A friend?" You asked.
"An enemy." John responded. "Oh. Which one?" Sherlock asked, calmly.
"Your arch-enemy, according to him. Do people have arch-enemies?" John asked as he turns and looks between you and Sherlock. You realized who he was talking about...Mycroft.
"Did he offer you money to spy on him?" You asked John.
"Yes." said John.
"Did you take it?" Sherlock asked.
"No." said John.
"Pity. We could have split the fee. Think it through next time." Sherlock said and you chuckled a bit at this. John looks from Sherlock and you before asking. "Who is he?"
"The most dangerous man you've ever met, and not my problem right now." Sherlock answered, softly.
"(Y/N) text these words exactly: "What happened at Lauriston Gardens? I must have blacked out." Sherlock ordered, loudly. You, immediately, text the words as he said them. "Twenty-two Northumberland Street. Please come." He said to you as he gets up from the sofa and walks over the table.
"You blacked out?" John asked.
"What? No. No." Sherlock said to him before turning to you. "Have you send it?" He asked. "Pressing send right now!" You said to him.
Sherlock walks over to the dining table, takes a chair from there and flips it around, setting it down in front of the two armchairs near the fireplace as you walk over and grab the pink suitcase and set it onto the chair. "Oh...here you go, John." You said, handing John back his phone. Sherlock unzips the case and flips open the lid, revealing the contents. Some clothing items, underwear, a washbag and a novel entitled Come to Bed Eyes.
John looks over and realized what was in front of him. "That's...that's the pink lady's case. That's Jennifer Wilson's case." John said.
"Yes, obviously." Sherlock replied, studying the case closely. John continues to stare between the two of you.
You look up at him and said, sarcastically. "Oh perhaps I should mention: We didn't kill her."
"I never said you did." John said.
"Why not? Given the text I just had (y/n) send and the fact that we have her case, it's perfectly logical assumption." Sherlock stated, looking up at John.
"Do people usually assume you two are the murderers?" John asked. You and Sherlock looked at each other, smirk and look back at John. "Now and then, yes." replied Sherlock.
"Okay...how did you get this?" John asked as he limps across the room and drops into one of the armchairs.
"By looking." You said,
"Where?" John asked, again.
"The killer must have driven her to Lauriston Gardens. He could only keep her case by accident if it was in the car. Nobody could be seen with this case without drawing attention-- particularly a man, which is statistically more likely--so obviously he'd feel compelled to get rid of it the moment he noticed he still had it. Wouldn't have taken him more than five minutes to realize his mistake. We checked every back street wide enough for a car five minutes from Lauriston Gardens and anywhere you could dispose of a bulky object without being observed. Took us less than an hour to find the right skip." Sherlock answered.
"Pink. You got all that because you realized the case would be pink?" John asked.
"Well it had to be pink, obviously." You replied.
"Why didn't I think of that?" John said to himself.
"Because you're an idiot." Sherlock said.
John looks up at him, startled. But Sherlock makes a placatory gesture with one hand while saying. "No, no, no don't be like that. Practically everyone is." You roll your eyes and said, to John. "Now look. Do you see what's missing?"
"From the case? How could I?" John asked. You and Sherlock look over at John.
"Her phone. Where's her mobile phone? There was no phone on the body, there's no phone in her case. We know she had one--that's her number there; (y/n) just texted it." Sherlock replied.
"Maybe she left it home." John stated.
"She has a string of lovers and she's careful about it. She never leaves her phone at home." You said. John looks down at his phone which he placed onto the arm of his chair.
"Why did (y/n) send that text?" He asked.
"Well, the question is: Where is her phone now?" You asked.
"She could have lost it " replied John.
"Yes or..." Sherlock started to say but John said slowly. "The murderer....you think the murderer has the phone?"
"Maybe she left it when she left her case. Maybe he took it from her for some reason." You said.
"Either way, the balance of probability is the murderer has her phone." Sherlock said.
"Sorry, what are we doing? Did she just text a murderer?! What good will that do?" John asked and at that exact moment John's phone begins to ring.
He looks at the phone then back at you two as Sherlock said. "A few hours later after his last victim, and now he receives a text that can only be from her. If somebody had just found that phone they'd ignore a text like that, but the murderer..." And the phone stops ringing.
"Would panic." You finished as Sherlock flips the lid of the case and stands up, walks across the room to pick up his jacket, scarf and coat.
"Have you talked to the police? Besides (y/n)?" John asked.
"Four people are dead, John. There isn't time to talk to the police." Sherlock replied as you walked across the room and head out the door to go get your jacket from your room. "Met you at the stairs, boys." You said and headed to your room.
Few minutes later, you and the boys walk out into the street and down the road. "Where are we going?" John asked.
"Northumberland Street's a five minute walk from here." You replied.
"You think he's stupid enough to go there?" asked John.
"No--I think he's brilliant enough. I love the brilliant ones. They're always so desperate to get caught." Sherlock said, smiling expectantly.
"Why?" John asked.
"Appreciation! Applause! At long last the spotlight. That's the frailty of genius, John; it needs an audience." You answered.
John looks pointedly at you two before saying. "Yeah."
"This is his hunting ground, right here in the heart of the city. Now that we know his victims were abducted, that changes everything. Because all of his victims' disappeared from busy streets, crowded places, but nobody saw them go." You said as you and the boys continued down the street.
"Think! Who do we trust, even though we don't know them? Who passes unnoticed wherever they go? Who hunts in the middle of a crowd?" Sherlock asked you and John.
You shrug as John said. "Dunno. Who?"
"Haven't the faintest. Hungry?" Sherlock asked and you guys head into a small restaurant.
After while, you and John have a plate of food in front of you but Sherlock refused a plate. You tried to convince him to eat but he just ignored you. You rolled your eyes and begin to eat.
"Soooo....are you two....like in a relationship?" John asked.
You and Sherlock look up at each other at the same time then you turn to John. "No!" Both of you said.
"Not really my area." Sherlock replied and looked back out the window to the street.
"And I'm just not interested in relationships right now. I just got out of a bad one about a year or so ago." You said. "Oh....so do you have a boyfriend?" John asked Sherlock, who looks over at him sharply.
"Which is fine, by the way." He said.
"I know it's fine." Sherlock said and looks back out the window.
"No, he doesn't, John. Sherlock is more of the married to his work kinda guy." You said. "He and I are just really close friends."
John nods at this and says. "Ok, so unattached, like me."
You look over across from you and see Sherlock staring at you. You give him a small smile as he nods at you and stares at the window, again.
"Look across the street. Taxi." Sherlock said.
"Why a taxi?" You asked him.
"Oh, that's clever!" He whispered.
"Why is it clever?" You asked Sherlock, but he doesn't answer.
"That's him?" John asked, looking out the window.
"Don't stare." said Sherlock.
"You're staring." John said, looking round at him.
"All three of us can't stare." Sherlock stated and he grabs his coat and scarf and heads for the door. You and John pick up your jackets and follow him.
As the three of you get outside into the street, the cab starts to pull away from the curb. Sherlock runs towards it without bothering to check the road that and he almost get run over but the car slams on its brake and stops.
You and John wave an apologetic hand at the at and keep following Sherlock. Realizing that he's not gonna catch up with the taxi, Sherlock slows to a halt as you and John catch up with him. "I've got the cab number." You said.
"Good for you." Sherlock responded. He brings his hands up to either side of his head and concentrates. "Right turn, one way, roadworks, traffic lights, bus lane, pedestrian crossing, left turn only, traffic lights." Sherlock said, rapidly. And he takes off and you and John follow him.
After running down alleyways, through some buildings and across rooftops to catch up with the taxi, you three make it to the interception point on Wardour Street and met up with the taxi.
Sherlock races out and hurls himself into the path of the approaching cab, which screeches to a halt. He pulls out an I.D. badge and flashes it at the driver and runs to the right hand side of the cab.
"Police! Open her up!" He exclaims. You and John come up behind him and you flash your badge as well. Sherlock tugs at the door and stares at the passenger, who looks back at him anxiously. "No. Teeth, tan: What--Californian?" Sherlock deduced. "L.A., Santa Monica. Just arrived." He continued.
"How can you possibly know?" John asked as you and him make it by Sherlock's side. You look inside and see the luggage on the floor of the cab and pointed at it to John.
"The luggage, John." You replied.
"It's probably your first trip to London, right, going by your final destination and the route the cabbie was taking you?" Sherlock asked the passenger.
"Sorry--are you guys the police?" The man asked.
You approach him and showed him your badge. "Yeah. Everything all right?" You asked him, sweetly.
"Yeah." the man said, still confused of what's going on.
"Welcome to London." Sherlock said and walks away. You follow him and you hear John say. "Er, any problems, just let us know." And he follows you and Sherlock, who are just a few feet away from the cab.
"Basically just a cab that happened to slow down." You said.
"Basically." Sherlock stated.
"Not the murderer." said John.
"Not the murderer, no." Sherlock said, exasperated.
"Wrong country, good alibi." You said.
"As they go." Sherlock replied.
"Where did you get this?" John asked, as he reaches for the badge and looks at it. "Detective Inspector Lestrade?" John asked, looking up at him.
You rolled your eyes and stared at Sherlock, who gave you an innocent look. "Did you pick pocket him again?" You asked, he was still giving you that look and you couldn't help but smile and shake your head. You gotta admit; it was cute.
"You know I do when he is annoying. Anyway, John, you can keep that one, I've got plenty at the flat." He said and John begins to chuckle.
"What?" You asked him.
"Nothing, just: Welcome to London." he replied and the three of you start to laugh. You, then, notice the passenger was talking to an officer and he was pointing at the three of you.
"You boys, got your breath back?" You asked. Sherlock looks down the road and see's what your talking about and nods and winks at you.
"Ready when you are." John replied and the three of you run off down the road and back to Baker Street.