"Burk, is that you?" Carrington asks as I close the door of my house being greeted by freshly painted walls. The smell was toxicating.
"Yes," I call out, observing the color of beige. "You plastered over the hole." I watch Carrington arise from the end of the hallway.
"Yes, it was hard might I add." He tells me walking over. He takes my coat and scarf, hanging them up in the closet. "You really need to aim better. Or not shoot guns off in the house."
"It's not my fault I have bad eye sight." I say in my defence, walking into the kitchen.
"Yeah? And it's not my fault you don't wear your glasses nor contacts." He retorts me. I rolls my eyes as I pick up a kiwi, cutting it with a knife. Soft green ooze and a large brown seed was in the centre.
"Seriously Carrington, warn me before I pick out a bad kiwi. It's gone rotten." I drop the knife and go to the sink to wash my hands.
"That was an avocado." Carrington say, almost sympathetically. I turn around wiping my hands in my pants and find him staring at me.
"Don't scrutinize me, I'm fine." I say. "I'm going to put my contacts in." I walk out of the kitchen, taking the rail as I find my way up the stairs. I get to my room and go to my dresser, hazily finding my contacts and unsteadily putting them in. Poking my eye once or twice in the midst. Blinking my eyes, my visions cleared. I observe my surroundings a little better then take a better look at myself in the mirror. I toss my dark brown hair over my shoulder and look a little closer to fix my eye liner.
"Burk!" Carrington yells.
"What?!" I call back, annoyed with yelling. There's no response. I walk to my door, sticking my head out into the hallway. "What?!" I call again.
"You have guests!" He replies. I go back to my dresser mirror again, brushing over my hair then going down the stairs.
When I get to the bottom and make my way to the entryway, I see DI Greg Lestrade. I turn to Carrington who is standing next to him, giving a questioning glance before turning back to Lestrade, straight faced. I look at him closely, it's obvious he's been working on something by the state of his clothes. But of course if he wasn't, why would he be here? Certainly not to 'catch up.'
"Hello Detective Inspector," I say, putting out a hand. He shakes it.
"Hello Enna." He smiles warmly. I return it falsely as he lets go of my hand.
"Carrington, go place tea in the kettle. We'll be in the study." I tell him, leading Lestrade to the study.
I open the french, sliding doors which lead to the far to big study. I mean, I didn't find it necessary to keep all my books in one spot, but I guess more convenient. I walk behind the desk and sit down. Lestrade sits in the chair in front of my desk.
"What can I do for you Lestrade?" I ask him, clearing away some papers.
"We need your help with a case." He says flat out. I stop, looking up but then continuing.
"And where is Sherlock? Did the case not interest him enough? Or was there not enough bodies?" I wonder as I Finnish clearing away the papers.
"No, Himself and John are working the case...But they need help." He says. This time I pause completely.
"Sherlock? Needs help?" I ask doubtfully.
"Help. A new set of eyes. An opinion. Anything." He is almost pleading now. "Enna, there are 5 dead, 3 being held hostage. This is beyond anything we've ever dealt with."
"Was Sherlock too ashamed to come to me himself?" I almost laugh. Obviously it wasn't a laughing situation. Or Lestrade just didn't get the joke.
"Basically." He replies. I stand and as I do so does he.
"I'll grab my coat. To warn you though, I'm not as great as the brilliant Sherlock." I say honestly. I knew that. Everyone did, that's why we never competed. Why we never worked the same case. If we did it would basically be him showing me up the whole time.
"Oh Enna, I won't ever be able to thank you enough." Lestrade says, following me out the study. I run into Carrington on the way.
"Burk, where are you off to?" He asks as I walk by him.
"Working a case. Don't wait up tonight." I tell him, walking to the door.
Lestrade hauls on his shoes and waits for me to grab his coat. As he's about to lean against the wall I catch him by the arm. He looks confused. I roll my eyes.
"Wet paint." I tell him. He forms an 'o' shape with his mouth as I haul my jacket on.
"Wait, Burk, dinner plans with Tucker tonight?" Carrington stops me on my way out the door.
"Cancel, I'm not passing up this." I tell him stepping down the stairs and right to Lestrade's car.
We arrived shortly at our destination, where the latest hostages were being held. Along the way, I was briefed on the case and informed all victims were forced to stand on the edge of building until the police successfully solved the puzzle and figured out who was doing it all. Each victim had 6 hours. When the police failed, they were forced to jump or were shot. Either way, they fell off the building. Arriving there, I saw him. Sherlock, that is. He looked a lot different then before. Of course we both went threw our deals of changes. Beside him, his colleague John Watson. Doctor John Watson. They were both chatting with an older woman who was in a disheveled mess. I look up to the three hostages standing on the building. Upon further observation I realized they were between ages sixteen and eighteen, two males one female.
"That woman is-" Lestrade starts but I felt the urge to interrupt.
"The girls mother. Not biological." I complete his sentence. He nods.
"Yeah, who told you?" He wonders. I start walking.
"Nobody had to," I respond, continuing to look up at the 3 standing on the roof. "It was simple to figure out." I look to Sherlock and he looks to me. He bids his far well (obviously not his condolences) to the mother and starts towards me.
"Enna Burk," He says. "I have the case under control, your presence is un-needed." I scoff.
"There was only a two body count when you were called in, Now there's a five and no sign of progress. My presence is very needed." I counter his insult. "Now, who are your leading suspects? How are the victims connected?"
"We have none and they aren't." He snaps. "He breaks into the tallest buildings, holding everyone hostage, taking one to three specifics and forcing them off the roof. No location connection, no connection at all."
"So what have you gathered?" I wonder, disappointed that he hasn't got anything leading to the capture of this guy.
"I don't like sharing my information with outsiders." He responds.
"I'm not an outsider I'm an allie. We are working together towards the same goal."
"I still don't see the point of sharing my information with-"
"Sherlock!" Lestrade yells. We both turn to him. "You're acting childish. Now, Tell her what you have found!" Sherlock glares and then proceeds to walk away, leaving John behind.
"Enna, I'm Dr. John Watson." John puts his hand out. I shake it. "We haven't found much, Sherlock thinks he could be involved with some sort of architecture career." I nod.
"Is that because he knows exactly where to be? So he isn't in sight but can watch the show? Is that you're theory?" I wonder. He nods. "Yeah that's what I was thinking. We should deduct it down, how many buildings in the area can see them standing on the building perfectly?"
"Only 4." Lestrade says. "Sherlock already got that, but we haven't been able to get it down any further."
"Well that's easy. He'ld want a view of the ground too." I say. "To make sure that nobody plots an inflatable or something to catch the victims as they fell."
"Wait, you said he. How can you be sure he's male?" John asks. "I mean, even Sherlock was having a hard time with that deduction."
"Well isn't it obvious? I listened to the phone call between Sherlock and the unknown on the way. The voice was disorientated but if it were female she would have dragged out her feelings. Try and make you feel her pain. I have watched you for days. I have had my heart ripped out of my chest. You will suffer like I did. A male's would have been completely straight to the point. It is not a woman, it is a male. He straight out explained the 'game' to Sherlock without any notes of how he feels or his motives." I explain. Both Lestrade and John's mouth are wide open. I roll my eyes. "Don't act so surprised, this is why Sherlock and I don't get along."
"Yes, obviously." John laughs. "That's incredible. How long have you known about the case?"
"Not an hour." Lestrade gloats. "Alright, so are next move is to what?"
"Which of the buildings can see both, the roof and the ground?" I wonder. Lestrade and John think for a moment.
"The only one is there," Lestrade turns from the building with the three victims standing on it and across the street. A skyscraper was where he was pointing.
"Lock the building down," I say, starting across.
"Wait, Enna, how can you be sure?" He asks, following me. John follows too.
"Because I can. I'm no Sherlock Holmes but I am Enna Burk. That's pretty close might I add."
"Wait, I'll get Sherlock," Josh says.
"No time, only 15 minutes before the first victim drops. Call him and tell him to meet us over there," Lestrade says and then get's on his phone ordering a lock down on the building.
I walk inside and the boys lock the door tightly behind me. I look around. I realize that the man has to use a gun to shoot them down, so it's probably a sniper of some kind. I get down by the window and imagine holding a sniper. There's traffic lights in the way so he would have to be up higher. I turn to Lestrade and John.
"Nobody leaves, Sherlock is the only one who comes in." I say, not waiting for their approval but instead dashing up the stairs. I get to the second floor. No good, traffic lights still blocking.
Next floor, 13 minutes left. No good. Traffic lights. Fourth floor. Nope. Now only 3 more floors and then the roof.
"Burk?" Sherlock. I don't respond, instead go to the fifth floor. "Burk?" He calls out again. 9 minutes left. When I'm at the fifth floor I realize there isn't a window untill we get to the end of the hallway. I hear Sherlock's footsteps. I start my way down and when I get to the small window I realize that it's perfect. In plain sight but not obvious. The victims and the ground were visible. The other give away was the open window and the sniper leaning out. He had gotten away.
"Shit!" I curse.
"What is it?" I jump and turn. Sherlock. "He got away." He answers himself and then flings his head out the window, looking for any possible suspects. None by his expression. "How could you let him get away?!"
"Me?! I had him! You're yelling scared him off!" I yell, frustrated.
Sherlock opens his mouth but a cell phone's ring cuts him off. I look to where the noise is coming from and realize it's in the corner. The number blocked. I flash him the screen a moment before answering and placing it on speaker phone.
"Hello?" I ask. Silence. "Hell-"
"So this isn't Sherlock Holmes. Funny I thought he would have figured it out." A male's voice speaks. I realize then that this is the guy.
"Who's speaking?" I ask.
"Oh now that would be no fun. I'll credit you though, you were close...A little too close for my likings. But I realize the game is probably too advanced for you...For both of you. So, Here's my voice. My real voice." He says.
"Why would I believe that?" I wonder sceptically. His deep voice chuckles over the phone.
"I like the game to be entertaining. Watching Sherlock run around blindly is unfair. I want to have some fun." He laughs. I pause for a moment, Sherlock and I lock eyes. "And now he has a new piece added to the board. A starter you could call it. Very use full piece. "
"No, I-"
"Too late to back out now Enna Burk." He tells me. I swallow. "Let's just hope our hero can keep you alive until the finale."
"Was that your motive? To make us so desperate to call Enna to involve her?" Sherlock snaps.
"Oh Sherlock, it's great to hear your voice! And of course it was! I thought you would have seen it coming!" He laughs again. "I'll tell you what, the 3 on the building top, I'll let them go. They can be part of the 'starter package'. This isn't over yet my friends, It's only beginning." I can almost see this guys smiling. "Goodbye for now." And the line is dead.