The Answers Lie With Them
Sherlock pondered over the empty space in front of him. Only last night there had been a Chinese artefact displayed here, and now it was gone, without a trace a first glance too. Smashed glass surrounded the base of the block the artefact had been on, and scorch marks were evident where the artefact had been. It looked almost as though the artefact had been burnt into atoms and disappeared along with most of the party of thieves who had stolen it.
Only three of the group of plus twenty on the CCTV had been arrested, mainly because they had not run away. Security had caught them as soon as the alarms had been sounded, but the others had vanished into thin air. The only evidence of the thieve being there bar the missing artefact was the CCTV which didn't show much. One second they were all there, the next it was just the remaining three.
How could twenty something people vanish in milliseconds? Only the three detainees knew the answer, and currently the ringleader was giving the Metropolitan Police a good run around. He was throwing so many words at the detective he was speaking to him Sherlock couldn't help but feel very impressed.
They didn't look like thieves, even to Sherlock. The ringleader was a young man who said and did things well beyond his years, and so was his style of dress. His boots looked like they had seen better days and they were caked in dried mud and the heels look well worn which told Sherlock he visited many places in it would seem quick succession and covered a fair distance at these differing places. The rest of his attire told him that this man wanted to make an impression, but fit into the background if he had to.
The other gentleman seemed nervous and was clinging onto the woman in the group. Married; Sherlock could see the wedding ring on the woman's fingers. She was the stronger personality of the pair and probably did most of the decision making. They didn't look like thieves either. Their shoes were well worn like their companion, but they seemed to have the sense to either clean them or to change them every now and again.
Whatever was going on between them, and the reason they were here was beyond Sherlock and he had a feeling that they were best left alone. Something was telling him they had better things to be doing than sitting here being talked to endlessly by police imbeciles. And Sherlock also felt that maybe this case would be one of those that would become a cold case file never to be solved.
Sherlock smiled as John walked over to him from talking to some of the security men. "Well", the old army doctor started, "It would seem the answers lie with our friends over there".
"They're innocent", Sherlock called as he stood up and began to walk out.
"Wha... what?" John Watson said taken unawares, "How?"
"Look at them", Sherlock pointed to the group. They all had their eyes on Sherlock now, and everyone in the room fell silent to listen to his verdict. "They have better things to be doing", Sherlock smiled, "Places and people to see. Can't keep them locked up in one place for too long: it'll attract unwanted attention".
"Unwanted attention?" Watson frowned in puzzlement.
"Yes Watson", Sherlock nodded, "We don't want another pepper pot invasion? Or how about metal men? Or would you rather London full of dinosaurs?"
AN: Thanks to x-Avarice-x for giving it a read through and putting the final idea in my head in the first place.