Journalism 101
By Arica, Princess of Rivendell
Summary: It had been two and half years since she'd published the article that had made her career. Two and a half years since the man she'd revealed to be a fraud in that very same article had jumped to his death. Two and a half years ago, she had felt vindicated and self-justified about her article. But now, new evidence had come to light. A.K.A. Kitty Riley's fall from favor. NO slash
Disclaimer: "Sherlock" belongs to the BBC, Moffat, Gatiss, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I'm not making any profit from this.
A/N: Kitty Riley seriously got on my nerves at the end of Series 2. Knowing what I do of Journalism and the cutthroat business that it is, I can't see her lasting very long as an Investigative Reporter after watching the first episode of Series 3. If there's anything that contradicts with Series 3 or Series 4 please forgive me as I haven't gotten very far into Series 3 as I just finished watching the 1st episode the other night and have yet to watch the 2nd.
Kitty Riley stood in the bullpen in front of the television as the first morning news broke all over London. Her white porcelain fists clenched at her side. Her blue eyes sparked with anger and fire. Her chest felt heavy and her breath quickened.
It had been two and a half years since she'd published the article that had made her career. Two and a half years since the man that she had revealed to be a fraud in that very same article had jumped to his death.
She swallowed back the bile that rose to her throat. Two and a half years ago she had felt vindicated and self-justified after she had finished writing the article and it had appeared in the paper.
But now, the breaking news was that two and a half years later, the police were finally finished up with their investigations into the man known as Sherlock Holmes and the many thousands of cases he had worked on as a consulting detective.
The breaking news claimed that "new evidence" had come to light during the course of the investigations and it was appearing as if Sherlock Holmes was innocent.
Her anger was fiery hot in her chest. "Sherlock Holmes;" she thought to herself, "Innocent?"
She immediately scowled as the fierce resounding, "No;" ran through her mind. She could see clearly Rich Brook that last night she saw him terrified out of his mind as he ran from Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.
She could still see the look of betrayal on John Watson's face as she handed him the papers that had proved Sherlock Holmes to be a fraud and Jim Moriarty nothing more than to be an actor named Rich Brook hired by Sherlock Holmes to do the terrorism acts, murders, and other nasty deeds that Sherlock Holmes did not want to take the credit or fall for. As Sherlock Holmes had wanted to play the part of hero so badly.
She sneered at the television. They had no idea what they were speaking of she decided; and started to turn away from the television set. Then she heard the shout, "Riley, get in here!"
She winced; her boss did not sound like he was in a very good mood. She turned the opposite way from which she had first intended and walked into his office.
He offered her the chair in front of his desk and she sat as he did behind his desk. His dark brown eyes were serious, there were many wrinkles around his narrowed eyes, and his mouth was set in a frown.
She swallowed back the saliva that had suddenly filled her mouth and watched as her boss started say something, stopped, sighed; and at last stood up from the chair before turning to look out of the window behind his desk.
His back was to her and the sunlight from the window glimmered in his greying hair. Finally Kitty Riley quietly said, "You wanted to see me, Sir."
He turned back to her and sighed and with all seriousness in his voice said, "Yes, I did." He stepped back from the window and further into the shadows of the office before taking his seat once more at his desk.
"Every paper and news station in this city is currently tearing apart your first article in which Sherlock Holmes was first denounced."
She hesitantly spoke, "Yes, I did just see that in the bullpen."
His eyes flashed angrily, "Do you think it's funny, Girl? Every minute, nay every second, they air what they have, we lose credibility. I realize that your source died as well; but, you need more. We need more. Is there any way to gather more evidence to support that story?"
She swallowed; "Perhaps. John Watson may be willing to speak with me."
Her boss froze and his eyes narrowed even further; "Why would he do that when he hasn't been speaking to anyone in the Media for the past two and a half years?"
She swallowed back not just the saliva but the bile too that had returned to her throat; "Because, Sir, Sherlock Holmes and he appeared in my apartment two and a half years ago to give me their side of the story."
She saw as if in slow motion her boss freeze with his hand in his grey hair. She saw the way it dropped to the desk. She saw the way; his brown eyes darkened even further and she saw his frown deepen. She then felt the world speed back up as he asked, "Did you take down what information he wanted to give?"
"No, Sir;" she said firmly and with such pride as she raised her chin; "I told him that I already had everything in the form of Rich Brook his hired actor."
His fist slammed against the desk. He began to swear at her and she flinched back. "Are you insane, Girl;" he demanded.
She said, "No, Sir."
His eyes flashed, "Journalism 101, you never, ever, let any detail no matter how small, or minor, slip through the crack on your first big article."
She went to respond but he cut her off before she could, "Worse yet, you do not hide anything from your editor especially if it's something as big as the opposition to your article coming to you to give you their side of the story. Did you learn nothing in your journalism classes!?"
She frowned and tried to respond again and once more he cut her off; "Furthermore, because whatever "new evidence" our rivals have that discredits your first article, every article you have written in the past two and a half years has just come under fire as well. They will dig into everything you have touched, every story, you have written to find out if everything is accurate; and if it is not, they will crucify you for it. As of right now, I'm putting you on suspension while I go over everything you have written in the past two and a half years. Do I make myself clear?"
"What if I could get an interview with John Watson;" she asked, nearly begging; "What if I were to get him to say Sherlock Holmes was in deed a fraud?"
Her boss glared and his anger became palpable. "No;" he said with spit and venom, "You are not to go anywhere near John Watson unless I have cleared every other article you have ever written. Is that understood?"
She swallowed back the bile once more and said, "Yes, Sir."
He snarled; "Get out, Riley and I don't want to see you back here until I call you!"
She fled the office.
Over the next two weeks more and more news articles appeared clearing the deceased consulting detective. More and more yellow graffiti that had once spouted off, "I believe in Sherlock Holmes;" and red graffiti that spouted off "Jim Moriarty was real" were now popping up all over saying, "We told you so."
One article even spouted a quote from John Watson that had apparently appeared on his blog and Kitty Riley decided she had to check to make sure it wasn't a lie. Once she'd pulled it up, she found the quote mentioned and it said:
Today I am upset as the day I watched from the street corner across from St. Bart's as my best friend fell to his death. Today, I mourn as I have every day since he's been gone. Today, I am still angry with the media for spreading the lies Jim Moriarty wanted to give the world as a way of discrediting Sherlock Holmes.
Today I am outraged that it has taken the police two and a half years to clear the name of my best friend whom worked with them for so many years in catching criminals.
Today I am still as furious as I was when I learned of the person whom left the door open for Moriarty to make his lies sound like truth.
Today I am still grieved that an up and coming reporter refused to hear Sherlock's side of the story and printed Moriarty's lies instead.
As for those of you whom have been unfailing in your support of Sherlock Holmes, today I am relieved to announce that Sherlock's name has been cleared and the public knows the truth that we have always known.
Thank you. Thank you for sharing your stories that never reached the desks of the police. Thank you to those whom had cases that reached the desks of the police and made your voices heard as well. Thank you to those that have made it clear that you still believe in Sherlock Holmes. It has been a great source of comfort to know that there are others out there whom support Sherlock even now that he's gone.
This is the only public statement I'll be making. Sincerely, Dr. John Watson.
Kitty Riley felt her face pale even more than usual. It appeared as if the paper had copied directly from Dr. John Watson's blog page and that he still stood by what he had said that night as he and Holmes had chased Rich Brook from her apartment. He still believed Sherlock Holmes to be innocent; but what jumped out at her the most were the words that she knew were aimed for herself; "Today I am still grieved that an up and coming reporter refused to hear Sherlock's side of the story and printed Moriarty's lies instead;" and the words that were aimed at the "Person" whom had "left the door open for Moriarty's lies to sound like truth."
Two days after that article hit, she got a phone call from her boss. He told her; "I'm sorry Riley, most of your stories check out; but, I can't keep you on as an Investigative Reporter at the moment. Journalism 101 after all, the "Big Break Article" must not have any flaws at all, or it has to sound like an opinion and not presented as fact. I can however, give you back your old job in the copy room as Stanson just caught a break and I'm moving him up to Investigative Reporter. What say you?"