John was the happiest at the news of Sherlock and Vaness' relationship. He said that now that they were official, no one would think he and Sherlock is a thing. Vaness burst his bubble when she said that people would now think that Vaness and Sherlock's relationship is a cover for John and Sherlock. John grunted at that.
"Don't worry John, you will always be Sherlock's first wife." Vaness said to him teasingly one day on a case.
Lestrade chuckled.
"What? First wife?" John asked baffled.
"Yes. I'm his second wife." Vaness replied.
John facepalmed at that and Vaness laughed, Sherlock meanwhile continued examining a corpse.
Mrs Hudson was also happy, because she treated Vaness like a daughter and she loved it that Sherlock and Vaness brought the better of each other. Whenever Sherlock makes a mess, Vaness will be there to clean it up, without Sherlock getting angry because Vaness memorized the way he likes things to be.
Nothing really changed much. Everything was back to the way it was before Irene Adler. Vaness would go to work and only join in cases if she has free time, she still has to pay for her room.
Sherlock and Vaness didn't suddenly turn all cuddly. They were not like that. The changes were more subtle. Like the way Sherlock would offer his arm instead of just dragging her, though sometimes he still did. And the way Sherlock memorized everything about Vaness, like she only drinks milk, tea, or hot chocolate, and never coffee. And that Vaness likes to read on the sofa and not her couch, giving Sherlock the opportunity to lay down, his head on her lap. Besides all that, everything was normal.
This morning, Vaness was reading a book on the sofa while John was at his armchair. Sherlock was on a case, neither Vaness nor John came with him when he woke them so early in the morning because both took long shifts the day before.
Suddenly the living room door bursts open and Sherlock charges in, stopping just inside the room and slamming the end of a long pole down onto the ground. Sitting in his armchair, John looks round and his eyes widen at the sight of his flatmate, who is wearing black trousers and a white shirt and whose arms, face and shirt are covered with blood - far too much blood for it to be his own - and who is holding a harpoon. Vaness also looked up, then closed her eyes. She was too tired for an episode. Sherlock looks round to John then to his back at Vaness, breathing heavily.
"Well, that was tedious." Sherlock said still breathing heavily.
"You went on the Tube like that?!" John asked loudly.
"None of the cabs would take me." Sherlock replied irritably. He turns around, walking towards Vaness.
"No, no, no, no Sherlock. Go and shower first." She said sternly.
Sherlock pouted, though he would never admit it, and head towards the bathroom.
Later he is back in the room having cleaned himself up and changed into a clean shirt and trousers with one of his blue dressing gowns over the top. He is still carrying the harpoon and is pacing rapidly between the door and the window, looking round repeatedly at John who is sitting in his chair and flicking through the newspapers.
"Nothing?" Sherlock asked John.
"Military coup in Uganda." John said.
"Hmm."
John chuckles in amusement when he sees something in one of the papers.
"Another photo of you with the, er ..." John trails of as he points to a photograph of Sherlock wearing the deerstalker hat. Sherlock makes a disgusted noise and continues pacing.
"Save it John so I can frame it and put it on my bedside table." Vaness said mockingly.
Sherlock turn his glare on her then he continued pacing. Vaness sighed. John moves on to another newspaper.
"Oh, um, Cabinet reshuffle." John said.
"Nothing of importance?" Sherlock said as he stops and slams the end of the harpoon onto the ground and roars with rage.
"Oh, God!" Sherlock exclaimed.
He looks round at John intensely.
"John, I need some. Get me some." Sherlock said.
"No." John said calmly then gestured at Vaness.
Sherlock turned to her and saw her smiling.
Sherlock straightens up and then turns his most appealing puppy-dog eyes on her, hesitating before he speaks and almost forming the word a couple of times before actually speaking it. "Vaness, please." Sherlock pleaded.
"Don't you have anything on the website you can solve?" She asked innocently.
Sherlock walks over to the table, collects his laptop and hands it to Vaness, who looks at the message on there while Sherlock stomps over to the window and narrates part of it.
"Dear Mr Sherlock Holmes. I can't find Bluebell anywhere. Please please please can you help?" Sherlock said.
"Bluebell?" John asked.
"A rabbit, John!" Sherlock said irritated.
"Oh." John said.
"Ah, but there's more! Before Bluebell disappeared, it turned luminous ..." Sherlock said sarcastically.
He adopts a little girl's voice for the next three words.
"... "like a fairy" according to little Kirsty; then the next morning, Bluebell was gone! Hutch still locked, no sign of a forced entry ..." Sherlock continued.
He stops and his expression becomes more intense.
"Ah! What am I saying? This is brilliant! Phone Lestrade. Tell him there's an escaped rabbit." Sherlock said.
Vaness laughed and the boys turned to face her.
Vaness just smiled and said, "Can you come here please Sherlock?" She asked softly as she patted the space next to her.
Sherlock frown and walked towards her, sitting next to her.
She looked at him calmly, "You'll get a case soon enough, your client is on his way. So why don't you get dressed?" She said.
Sherlock's eyes lit up, but he was still slightly shaking. "He can't come soon enough."
"Oh." John saud realizing how she knew.
"Season 2 Episode 2," she looked thoughtful, "I do have a question though," she said.
"Go on." Sherlock said.
"Can't I just tell you the answer?" She asked, she really doesn't want them to inhale that drug, and she definitely didn't want Sherlock and John to experience that.
"No." Sherlock said.
She turned to John.
"I'm actually with Sherlock." He said, "You yourself said that you will only intervene when a life is in danger, so unless that happens..." John trails of.
"Fine." Vaness pouted.
Sherlock got up, kissed her forehead and went to his bedroom to change.
While Sherlock was in his bedroom, changing clothes, John turned to Vaness.
"Sherlock's not going to get hurt, will he?" He asked worriedly.
"Don't worry John, I just asked that because there are some things that are unnecessary if I could intervene but necessary if not. But we'll all be safe, Sherlock will be safe." She said calmly.
John looked thoughtful, "Will Moriarty be somehow related in this case? Because so far all the episodes are." He asked.
"Nope." Vaness said.
That seemed to calm John. Sherlock came back having taken off the dressing gown and exchanged it for a jacket, pulled Vaness to her feet and they sat on their respective armchairs. The doorbell rings. John thoughtfully holds up a finger as Sherlock looks towards the living room door.
"Single ring." John said.
"Maximum pressure just under the half second." Sherlock replied.
"Our client." The three said simultaneously.
Not long afterwards, a recording of a documentary is playing on the TV. John has relocated to the dining table chair near Vaness', and a man is sitting in John's chair. The documentary footage shows scenes of Dartmoor. Sherlock instantly looks bored, he turned to Vaness questioningly, but she was watching the documentary with a bored look.
"Dartmoor. It's always been a place of myth and legend, but is there something else lurking out here - something very real?" Said a female's voice in the documentary. "Because Dartmoor's also home to one of the government's most secret of operations ..."
Sherlock's eyes flick repeatedly between the screen and the man in John's chair as the footage shows a large sign saying:
AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY
YOU ARE NOW ENTERING A RESTRICTED AREA
BASKERVILLE
By this time Sherlock's eyes are permanently fixed on the newcomer, who we now see is Henry Knight. Henry is watching the documentary with an anxious look on his face.
"... the chemical and biological weapons research centre which is said to be even more sensitive than Porton Down. Since the end of the Second World War, there've been persistent stories about the Baskerville experiments: genetic mutations, animals grown for the battlefield. There are many who believe that within this compound, in the heart of this ancient wilderness, there are horrors beyond imagining. But the real question is: are all of them still inside?" Yhe presentor said.
The footage switches to an indoor scene where Henry is sitting in front of the camera talking to an offscreen interviewer. A caption at the bottom of the screen shows him as "Henry Knight, Grimpen resident".
"I was just a kid. It-it was on the moor." Henry sain on the interview.
There's a cut-away to a child's drawing of a huge snarling dog with red eyes. The caption says, "Henry's drawing (aged 9)".
"It was dark, but I know what I saw. I knowwhat killed my father." Henry said onscreen.
Sighing, Sherlock picks up the remote control and switches off the footage.
"What did you see?" Sherlock asked him.
"Oh. I ... I was just about to say." Henry replied pointing towards the television.
"Yes, in a TV interview. I prefer to do my own editing." Sherlock told him.
"Yes. Sorry, yes, of course. 'Scuse me." Henry said as he reaches into his jacket pocket, pulls out a paper napkin and wipes his nose on it.
"In your own time." John said.
"But quite quickly." Sherlock said.
"Yes, preferably now and quick." Vaness agreed, she wanted this over and done.
Henry lowers the napkin.
"Do you know Dartmoor, Mr Holmes?" Henry asked Sherlock.
"No." Sherlock answered.
"It's an amazing place. It's like nowhere else. It's sort of ... bleak but beautiful." Henrt said.
"Mmm, not interested. Moving on." Sherlock replied.
"We used to go for walks, after my mum died, my dad and me. Every evening we'd go out onto the moor." Henry narrated.
"Yes, good. Skipping to the night that your dad was violently killed. Where did that happen?" Sherlock said.
Vaness shook her head at this while John's eyes raise skywards at Sherlock's insensitive attitude.
"There's a place - it's... it's a sort of local landmark called Dewer's Hollow." Henry gazes at Sherlock who tilts his head at him as if to say, 'And...?'
"That's an ancient name for the Devil." Henry told them.
"So?" Sherlock asked.
"Did you see the Devil that night?" John asked.
His face haunted with memories, Henry looks across to him and nods.
"Yes." Henry said in a whisper. "It got him, tore at him, tore him apart." He saud tearfully.
Sherlock watches him intensely. Vaness couldn't help but feel sympathy for him. He saw his father murdered in front of his yes.
"I can't remember anything else. They found me the next morning, just wandering on the moor. My dad's body was never found." Henry said.
"Hmm." John turns to Sherlock, "Red eyes, coal-black fur, enormous: dog? Wolf?"
"Or a genetic experiment." Sherlock looks away, biting back a smile.
Vaness shook her head, she's going to have to talk to Sherlock later. She knows he's not going to change, she doesn't want him to, but she needs to talk to him anyway.
"Are you laughing at me, Mr Holmes?" Henry asked.
"He's not." Vaness said calmly, Sherlock didn't say anything.
"My dad was always going on about the things they were doing at Baskerville; about the type of monsters they were breeding there. People used to laugh at him. At least the TV people took me seriously." Henry said.
"And, I assume, did wonders for Devon tourism." Sherlock mutters.
"Yeah ..." John said uncomfortably.
In an attempt to stop Sherlock's continuing sarcasm, he leans forward to Henry. Sherlock rolls his eyes when he realises what John is doing, but he didn't say anything as Vaness was looking at him sternly.
"Henry, whatever did happen to your father, it was twenty years ago. Why come to us now? John asked softly.
Henry sits forward, staring at Sherlock.
"I'm not sure you can help me, Mr Holmes, since you find it all so funny." Henry said.
He stands up and walks around the chair, heading towards the door.
"Because of what happened last night." Sherlock said.
"Why, what happened last night?" John asked.
Henry turns back towards them
"How ... how do you know?" Henry asked.
"I didn't know; I noticed." Sherlock corrected him.
John shuffles on his chair with an 'Oh dear lord, here we go' expression on his face. Vaness smiled a bit at John.
"You came up from Devon on the first available train this morning. You had a disappointing breakfast and a cup of black coffee. The girl in the seat across the aisle fancied you. Although you were initially keen, you've now changed your mind. You are, however, extremely anxious to have your first cigarette of the day. Sit down, Mr Knight, and do please smoke. I'd be delighted." Sherlock said quick fire.
Vaness cleared her throat. Sherlock faces her and grunted. "I'd be delighted if you don't smoke now." Sherlock corrected and Vaness smiled warmly at him.
Henry stares at Sherlock, then glances to Vaness who smiled at him and gestured to the armchair. Hesitantly, Henry walks back to the armchair and sits down.
"How on earth did you notice all that?!" Henry asked amazed.
"It's not important ..." John was saying but Sherlock was already off.
"Punched-out holes where your ticket's been checked ..." Sherlock said looking at two small round white pieces of paper stuck to Henry's coat.
"Not now, Sherlock." John said.
"Oh please. I've been cooped up in here for ages." Sherlock replied.
"You're just showing off." John retorted.
"Of course. I am a show-off. That's what we do." Sherlock said back making Vaness chuckle.
Sherlock turns his attention back to Henry and the napkin that he's still holding.
"The train napkin that you used to mop up the spilled coffee: the strength of the stain shows that you didn't take milk. There are traces of ketchup on it and round your lips and on your sleeve. Cooked breakfast - or the nearest thing those trains can manage. Probably a sandwich." Sherlock deduced.
Henry half-sobs, over-awed.
"How did you know it was disappointing?" He asked.
"Is there any other type of breakfast on a train? The girl - female handwriting's quite distinctive. Wrote her phone number down on the napkin. I can tell from the angle she wrote at that she was sat across from you on the other side of the aisle. Later - after she got off, I imagine - you used the napkin to mop up your spilled coffee, accidentally smudging the numbers. You've been over the last four digits yourself with another pen, so you wanted to keep the number. Just now, though, you used the napkin to blow your nose. Maybe you're not that into her after all. Then there's the nicotine stains on your fingers ... your shaking fingers. I know the signs." Sherlock said rapidly.
His gaze becomes intense. Vaness held his hand.
"No chance to smoke one on the train; no time to roll one before you got a cab here." Sherlock glances at his watch.
"It's just after nine fifteen. You're desperate. The first train from Exeter to London leaves at five forty-six a.m. You got the first one possible, so something important must have happened last night. Am I wrong?" Sherlock asked.
Henry stares at him in amazement, then draws in a shaky breath.
"No." Henry answered.
Sherlock smiles smugly. John takes a drink from his mug to hide his "oh bugger it" look.
"You're right. You're completely, exactly right. Bloody hell, I heard you were quick." Henry said in amazement.
"It's my job." Sherlock said. He took a deep breath and tightened his hold on Vaness' hand.
John smiled at the two, he and Sherlock knew Vaness really didn't like smoke, it was because of his father, they found out months ago.
"Um, Henry, your parents both died and you were, what, seven years old?" John asked.
Henry is shaking a bit like Sherlock was.
"I know." Henry said. He looked like he was going to say somethinv but he didn't.
"That must be a ... quite a trauma. Have you ever thought that maybe you invented this story, to account for it?" John asked.
"That's what Doctor Mortimer says." Henry replied while looking at John.
"Who?" John asked.
"His therapist." Sherlock answered but he was looking at Vaness, his eyes were slightly pleading. Vaness almost gave in, almost.
"My therapist." Henry said the same time as Sherlock.
"Obviously." Sherlock said and looked back at Henry, realizing that Vaness wouldn't budge.
"Louise Mortimer. She's the reason I came back to Dartmoor. She thinks I have to face my demons." Henry explained to John.
"And what happened when you went back to Dewer's Hollow last night, Henry? You went there on the advice of your therapist and now you're consulting a detective. What did you see that changed everything?" Sherlock asked.
"It's a strange place, the Hollow." Henry said, he looked as if he was remembering something.
"Makes you feel so cold inside, so afraid." Henry told them.
"Yes, if I wanted poetry I'd read John's emails to his girlfriends. Much funnier." Sherlock said.
John sighs hard in an attempt to release the tension that might make him kill his flatmate.
"What did you see?" Sherlock asked again.
"Footprints - on the exact spot where I saw my father torn apart." Henry answered.
Looking exasperated, Sherlock leans back in his seat, he looks at Vaness questioningly but she just gave him a apologetic look, telling him to be patient.
"Man's or a woman's?" John asked.
"Neither. They were the footprints of a gigantic hound." Henry replied which made Sherlock pause.
Sherlock who was looking at Vaness slowly turned to Henry.
"Say that again." He ordered.
"I found the footprints; they were ..." Henry began
"No, no, no, your exact words. Repeat your exact words from a moment ago, exactly as you said them." Sherlock told him.
Henry thinks for a second, then slowly recites his words back to him.
"Neither, they were the footprints of a gigantic ... hound." Henry said.
Sherlock raises his head, he turns to Vaness and kissed her forehead.
"I'll take the case." Sherlock said as he quickly stood up.
"Sorry, what?" John asked confused.
Sherlock adopts the prayer position in front of his mouth and begins to pace slowly across the living room.
"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. It's very promising." Sherlock told Henry.
"No-no-no, sorry, what? Why is footprints promising?" John asked.
"It's nothing to do with footprints. As ever, John, you weren't listening. Baskerville: ever heard of it?" Sherlock asked.
"Vaguely. It's very hush-hush." John replied.
"Sounds like a good place to start." Sherlock told him.
"Ah! You'll come down, then?" Henry asked.
"No, I can't leave London at the moment. Far too busy. Don't worry - putting my best man onto it." Sherlock said.
He walks over to John and pats his shoulder.
"Always rely on John to send me the relevant data, as he never understands a word of it himself." Sherlock said.
Vaness shook her head in amusement.
"What are you talking about, you're busy? You don't have a case! A minute ago you were complaining ..." John was saying but Sherlock interrupted him.
"Bluebell, John! I've got Bluebell! The case of the vanishing, glow-in-the-dark rabbit! NATO's in uproar." Sherlock said.
"Oh, sorry, no, you're not coming, then?" Henry asked confused.
Putting on a regretful expression, Sherlock shakes his head sadly. John groans, looks back to Vaness who nodded her head.
"Okay..." He stands up while Sherlock smiles smugly. "...Okay."
He walks over to the mantelpiece and picks up the skull, taking a packet of cigarettes from underneath it. Putting down the skull again, he turns and tosses the packet across to Sherlock, who catches it and then instantly tosses it over his shoulder.
"I don't need those any more. I'm going to Dartmoor." Sherlock said to John.
Sherlock walks towards Vaness, offered his arm. Vaness stood up and took his arm. She turned to Henry.
"You go on ahead, Henry. We'll follow later." Vaness said.
Both Vaness and Sherlock walks out ofbthe living room.
"Er, sorry, so you are coming?" Henry asked again.
Sherlock turns and walks back into the room, Vaness still in his arm.
"Twenty year old disappearance; a monstrous hound? I wouldn't miss this for the world!" Sherlock stated.
DARTMOOR.
Sherlock was driving across the moors in a large black Land Rover jeep, Vaness was at the passenger's side while John was at the back.
Some time later, away from the road, Sherlock is standing dramatically skylined on a large stone outcrop while John and Vaness stands at the foot of it consulting a map. John points ahead of himself at a large array of buildings in the distance.
"There's Baskerville." He said.
He turns and points behind them. Sherlock and Vaness turns to look.
"That's Grimpen Village." He said as he turns and looks ahead of them again, checking the map for the name of the heavily wooded area to the left of the Baskerville complex. "So that must be ... yeah, it's Dewer's Hollow."
Sherlock points to an area in between the complex and the Hollow.
"What's that?" Sherlock asked.
John has binoculars on a strap around his neck and now he lifts them and looks more closely at the fencing and the warning signs.
"Minefield? Technically Baskerville's an army base, so I guess they've always been keen to keep people out." John answered.
"Clearly." Sherlock said.
"Now will you please come down here?" Vaness asked softly.
Later, they drive into Grimpen Village and pull into the car park of the Cross Keys inn. They get out and walk towards the entrance of the pub, where a young man who is apparently a tour guide is talking to a group of tourists.
" ... three times a day, tell your friends. Tell anyone!" The guy, Fletcher, said.
They walk past the group and see that Fletcher is standing next to a large sign on which is painted a black image of a wolf-like creature with the words "BEWARE THE HOUND!!" above it.
"Don't be strangers, and remember ... stay away from the moor at night if you value your lives!" Fletcher told the tourists.
Sherlock has been pulling his overcoat around him as he walks towards the pub, and now he pops the collar. John looks round at him pointedly. While Vaness just smiled, it was a nice look.
"I'm cold." Sherlock said trying and failing to look nonchalant.
Vaness and John shared a knowing look.
The tourist group walks away from Fletcher. Once their backs are turned he puts on a large shaggy wolf's-head mask. Sherlock and John walk into the pub, which has a blackboard outside advertising "Boutique Rooms & Vegetarian Cuisine." Fletcher runs over to a couple of the nearby tourists and roars. They flinch and the woman shrieks in surprise.
CROSS KEYS INN.
While Sherlock prowls around the interior of the pub, John and Vaness are at the bar checking in. The manager and barman, Gary, hands John some keys.
"Eh, sorry we couldn't do a double room for you boys." Gary said.
Vaness tried not to laugh but failed.
"That's fine. We-we're not ..." He looks at the smug knowing smile on Gary's face, "...this is her girlfriend." He said desperately pointing at Vaness.
Vaness shook her head in amusement and said, "Sherlock is my boyfriend and John is his boyfriend."
John grunted and decided to give up.
"There you go." John said giving Gary some money for the drink he has just bought.
"Oh, ta. I'll just get your change." Gary said.
"Ta." John replied.
As Gary goes to the till, John's glance falls on a pile of receipts and invoices which have been punched onto a spike on the bar. He frowns when he sees that one is labelled "Undershaw Meat Supplies." Quickly he reaches out and rips it from the spike, he looked at Vaness who smiled approvingly, putting it into his pocket as Gary comes back with his change.
"There you go." Gary said.
"I couldn't help noticing on the map of the moor: a skull and crossbones." John said.
Vaness gestured that he was going to Sherlock and John nodded. Nearby, Sherlock is still prowling around. Vaness walked towards him with their drinks.
"How about a bet?" Vaness asked.
Sherlock looked curiously at her, knowing she's bored because she knows exactly what's going to happen, and likely speeding things up a bit.
"Bet about what?" He asked.
"I bet you that Fletcher over there can prove the hound exists." She said with a smile.
Sherlock bit back a laugh, he offered Vaness his arm, which she immediately took, "let's find out." Sherlock said as they headed towards Fletcher who was sitting alone. Fletcher has gone over to another of the tables and is just finishing his phone call.
"Yeah ... No. All right? Right. Take care. 'Bye." Fletcher said through the phone.
"Mind if we join you?" Sherlock asked.
Fletcher shrugs and gestures to the table. Sherlock puts his pint down and sits on the bench on the other side of the table with Vaness to his side.
"It's not true, is it? You haven't actually seen this ... hound thing." Sherlock asked.
He grins in a friendly way.
"You from the papers?" Fletcher asked looking at him suspiciously.
"No, we just have a bet," Vaness answered with a smile, "he doesn't believe in ghe hound so I asked the barman over there," Vaness pointed towards Gary who was talking to John.
"He said you could prove it." Vaness smiled at Fletcher.
"Ans I bet Vaness here fifty quid that you couldn't prove you'd seen the hound." Sherlock said.
"Well, you're gonna lose your money, mate." Fletcher said pointing at Sherlock.
"Yeah?" Sherlock asked.
"Yeah. I've seen it. Only about a month ago, up at the Hollow. It was foggy, mind - couldn't make much out." Fletcher said.
"I see. No witnesses, I suppose." Sherlock said.
"No, but ..." Fletcher was cut off.
"Never are." Sherlock said.
"Wait ..." He has been working on his phone and now shows Sherlock a photograph. "..There."
Sherlock looks at the photograph which shows a dark-furred four-legged something in the distance but, with no scale amongst the surrounding vegetation, it's impossible to tell the size - or even the species - of the animal. He snorts.
"Is that it? It's not exactly proof, is it?" Sherlock said mockingly.
Fletcher shows the photo to Vaness who acted sad that she's about to lose.
"Sorry, Vaness. I win." Sherlock said.
He said as he drinks the beer Vaness gave him.
"Wait, wait. That's not all. People don't like going up there, you know - to the Hollow. Gives them a ... bad sort of feeling." Fletcher said, really wanting Sherlock to lose.
Sherlock place the glass back on the table.
"Ooh! Is it haunted? Is that supposed to convince me?" Sherlock asked him.
John was walking towards them when Vaness gestures him to wait.
"Nah, don't be stupid, nothing like that, but I reckon there is something out there - something from Baskerville, escaped." Fletcher said.
"A clone, a super-dog?" Sherlock asked not really trying to hold back his sceptical snigger.
"Maybe. God knows what they've been spraying on us all these years, or putting in the water. I wouldn't trust 'em as far as I could spit." Fletcher said.
"Is that the best you've got?" Sherlock asked, nodding to the phone photograph.
Fletcher hesitates for a long moment but eventually he speaks reluctantly, lowering his voice.
"I had a mate once who worked for the MOD. One weekend we were meant to go fishin' but he never showed up - well, not 'til late. When he did, he was white as a sheet. I can see him now. 'I've seen things today, Fletch,' he said, 'that I never wanna see again. Terrible things.' He'd been sent to some secret Army place - Porton Down, maybe; maybe Baskerville, or somewhere else."
Fletcher leans closer.
"In the labs there - the really secret labs, he said he'd seen ... terrible things. Rats as big as dogs, he said, and dogs ..."
He reaches into his bag and pulls something out, showing it to the couple.
"... dogs the size of horses."
He is holding a concrete cast of a dog's paw print - but the print is at least six inches long from the tip of the claws to the back of the pad. Sherlock stares at it in surprise.
"I win." Vaness told Sherlock with a smile.
As Fletcher smiles triumphantly, Sherlock gets out his wallet and hands Vaness a fifty pound note.
Sulkily, Sherlock gets up, Vaness was on his arm, and walks away. Vaness gestured John to follow them.
Later, Sherlock, Vaness and John take the car to Baskerville, Sherlock still driving, but Vaness sat at the back, John was confused at this. Sherlock looked thoughtful for a moment them nodded.
As they approach the complex, Sherlock observes that there are very many military personnel guarding the place, walking the perimeter etc.
Vaness took her phone and acted like she was texting a lot of people. She, ofcourse, was already wearing black as she knew this would happen. John looked at her but she kept her eyes on her phone.
Sherlock drives up to the gates and a military security guard holding a rifle raises a hand. As Sherlock stops the jeep, the man walks around to the driver's window.
"Pass, please." The guard said.
Sherlock reaches into his coat pocket and hands him a pass.
"Thank you." The security guard said.
He walks away with the pass. At the front of the vehicle, another security man encourages a sniffer dog to check the jeep, presumably for explosives.
"You've got ID for Baskerville. How?" John asked quietly.
"It's not specific to this place. It's my brother's. Access all areas. I, um ..." he clears his throat "... acquired it ages ago, just in case." Sherlock replied quietly.
John looked thoughtful then he understood why Vaness was acting like she was.
The security guard swipes Sherlock's pass through a reader at the gate room. The screen shows a fairly small photograph of Mycroft and names the card holder as Mycroft Holmes, giving him Unlimited Access and showing his security status as 'Secure (No Threat)'.
"Brilliant!" John said.
"What's the matter?" Sherlock asked.
"We'll get caught." John said.
"We won't." Vaness said making John relax for a bit.
"Ofcourse we won't." Sherlock said.
The gates begin to slide open as the security guard comes back over to the car.
"Clear." The security dog handler said.
"Thank you very much, sir." The security guard handed back the pass to Sherlock.
"Thank you." Sherlock replied.
He puts the car in gear and eases the vehicle forward.
"Straight through, sir." The guard said.
"Mycroft's name literally opens doors!" John commented.
"I've told you - he practically is the British government. I reckon we've got about twenty minutes before they realise something's wrong." Sherlock said.
"Twenty three." Vaness corrected still looking at her phone and typing.