Disclaimer: Dr. Watson and Mr Holmes belong to the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. (Speaking of Conan and detectives: Some might regognize the storyline)
The tie
It was quiet in 221B Baker Street. As quiet as it possible could be in a flat in the centre of London. The silence consisted of the muffled voices of hundreds of people walking past the window, the roaring of cars and the loud sound of a police's siren.
John Watson was sitting in his usual chair; his eyes were closed and he was listening to the city. The book he had been reading before was lying in his lap, still open somewhere in the middle. On the small table before him his notebook was waiting for him to continue his recent blog post. Although he had started to write more than an hour ago about Sherlock's and his newest solved case, he just couldn't get himself to go on.
A sudden noise from downstairs and John roused from his thoughts. At first he wasn't sure what exactly was causing the noise, but after he had shaken off any left-over thoughts, he realized that someone had come up the stairs and was now knocking on the door.
John knew it couldn't be Sherlock. Sherlock was almost completely silent when he climbed stairs (although they were really old and made strange squeaking sounds) and he definitely wouldn't knock. John stood up slowly, placing his book on the table. He opened the door.
A woman was standing in front of him. She was middle-aged, tall and was staring at him rather exhausted. Her hair was short and brownish and because of the clearly visible muscles under her thin spring dress John assumed she had to be an athlete or a gymnast. She carried a tiny handbag matching her dress.
For a second the woman just breezed deeply then she said nervously:
"Are you Mr. Holmes?"
"No, I'm afraid you…" John couldn't finish because the woman rushed past him and kept talking.
"Then you must be Dr. Watson, his colleague. Inspector Lestrade told me. He's a friend of my husband, they went to university together, you must know, the inspector suggested asking Mr. Holmes for advice. I will pay him, if he solv…" she stopped in the middle of her word and turned around to John.
"I'm sorry. I haven't even introduced myself properly. My name is Cooper. Jane Cooper"
"John Watson" John replied and they shook hands.
"Would you like something to drink?" he asked, suddenly embarrassed about the messy flat. Cardboard boxes were lying around filled with books and strange looking instruments, Sherlock used for chemical experiments. The skull on the mantelpiece was looking a bit confused, John thought, probably because recently he got joined by a jar of what appeared to be an appendix swimming in a pink fluid.
"No, thank you. I'm in a hurry. Can I also speak to you about…you know…things that need to be solved or should I wait for Mr. Holmes?" She had calmed down a bit and seemed to be unsure where to place her arms.
John was in no way authorized to accept cases. In fact, he didn't even know where Sherlock had got all these cases from. Usually Inspector Lestrade would call or an old friend would write an e-mail or the flat would explode.
Then John thought about the unpaid gas bill and his low-paid job. There was no denying that he needed money.
"No, no. You can talk to me if you want. That's no problem at all. I will inform Mr. Holmes later" he said. "Please, sit down" Ms. Cooper seemed relieved and sat down on one of the chairs at the small table. She folded her fingers in her lap and crossed her legs.
"You know, my husband, Toby…" she stumbled. John sat down as well and closed his notebook.
"Go on" he said.
"Someone's following him. I thought he had been just fantasizing because he has never seen anyone so far, but yesterday he found bugs in our apartment. Someone had apparently sneaked in our house and placed them under the living room table"
"Why would someone spy on your husband?"John asked. He briefly thought of Sherlock and how he would convince him to accept this case. If there was no murder or at least a glowing rabbit, Sherlock usually wasn't very interested.
"I have no idea. Toby's a journalist. He has a small show on radio. It`s called films after midnight, maybe you've heard of it?" John nodded, although he wasn't even sure whether he owned a radio.
"…but he is far away from being important" Ms. Cooper continued "…well, maybe you want to speak to him? I told him to stay at home, just to make sure…" John couldn't even think about shaking his head. Ms. Cooper fished her mobile out of her handbag and pressed some buttons. John heard the dial tone a few times then someone picked up. Ms. Cooper put the phone on speaker and a man's voice whispered:
"Jane? Is this you? Listen, I can't talk. A co-worker of mine has died. I'm at his funeral right now. Do you hear the bells? Can we talk la…"
"I'm meeting with Mr. Watson right now" Jane interrupted. "He's the colleague of the detective I told you about" There were a few seconds of silence at the other end.
"I don't need a detective! I need a proper inspector!"
"Toby, dear…" Ms. Cooper glanced in an apologizing way at John. "Mr. Holmes is the consulting detective of Inspector Lestrade. If he says he's good, he is"
"Okay, okay" Toby seemed to have walked away from the funeral, because he wasn't whispering anymore and the tolling of bells had stopped.
"No need to annoy me any further with it, dear. If you really think this is necessary, then I'm willing to meet with the detective. I will be at home at 9:25 pm. Do you think it is okay for him to meet me there?" Ms. Cooper looked at John and he nodded. He was in deep misery already because there was no way Sherlock would accept this case unless John offered him his own appendix for further experiments. As he thought about this idea, it actually seemed to be a pretty good one.
Ms. Cooper hung up on her husband and turned towards John.
"I'm really sorry if I interrupted you in something. But I was wondering…I was in this really nice restaurant today to meet with a friend and left my car there. I have to get my car; if you want, I'd like to invite you to make it up" she smiled.
John was about to say no, then he remembered the empty fridge and his starving stomach. He wasn't very much into married women but Jane Cooper was definitely not unattractive in her thin dress. Plus she seemed nice and at least he would get free food.
"Would be a pleasure" John said.
They took a taxi to Covent Garden and ate in a big Chinese restaurant chain. John wasn't very interested in Ms. Cooper's life. It was full of shopping, work-out (she went to a gym three times a week hence the muscles) and her love for Chinese culture (she had visited Beijing once and ate in this restaurant, where she took John, very often). When she wasn't talking, she wanted to know everything about him especially the part of his life in which Sherlock was present.
While Ms. Cooper was in the bathroom, John sent a message to Sherlock, explaining the situation and asking him whether he would take the case. Only three seconds later, he received a simple answer:
No. SH
John was thinking about why Sherlock even took the effort to sign the message, when Ms. Cooper got back and decided that the two should probably drive to her house in order to meet with her husband. It was 9'o clock sharp when they left the restaurant and headed to the small parking spot where Ms. Cooper had parked her car previously this day.
"Where is this bloody car?" she mumbled to herself while searching hectically through her handbag. She took out her car key and pressed the button. A car two rows away blinked and made a loud clicking sound.
"There you are" she laughed nervously and winked at John. He thought a moment about the possibility that Ms. Cooper might have a crush on him, but rejected the idea immediately. They got in the car.
"You can change your seat position if it's not comfortable enough. See, like this" Ms. Cooper moved a lever next to her and rolled her seat forward.
"No, thanks I'm fine" John replied.
"Have you asked Mr. Holmes already whether he's coming today?" A rather eager sparkle flashed in her eyes, but was gone within seconds.
"Yes, I have, but I doubt he will make it today" Ms. Cooper corrected the position of the outside mirror and began rummaging around in her handbag again.
"That's no problem at all. He's probably very busy. Since you're his colleague…ah, there it is!" She reached behind the sunblind and took out the parking ticket. John thought about the possibility that Sherlock was busy with something important right now. He didn't know exactly where he was, but chances were high that Sherlock microwaved an upper denture in their kitchen in this very moment.
They drove silently and only started to talk again when they arrived at Ms. Cooper's house which was located in a romantic little tree-lined avenue.
They entered the house and Ms. Cooper offered John some tea and biscuits while she went looking for her husband.
"He must be at home already. We're a little too late" she said rather to herself while John sat down on the comfy red sofa. She left the living room and John sighed deeply. He had no idea why on earth he had accepted this "case". His reflection in the dark window looked back, exhausted and tired.
"I think he's still out" Ms. Cooper broke into the silence. "Maybe he's buying cigarettes. I'll phone him" she said unnecessarily, because she was already dialling the number.
For a moment John only heard her nervous breathing, then a quiet but audible ringtone whistled through the house. Ms. Cooper looked at John in amazement, then she span around on her heels and left the room again. John followed her down the hallway.
"Maybe he left his phone at home?" he suggested.
"He would never do that. And he had his phone with him when I phoned him earlier"
They followed the ringtone as far as a door at the end of the hallway. Ms. Cooper pressed the handle and opened the door. Her whole body froze and she took a step back.
John pushed her gently aside and looked into the room which was obviously the bedroom. The bed was tidy and the blankets beaming white. On the bedside table was a bouquet of fake white roses and outstretched on the floor lay Ms. Cooper's husband. John didn't need to look closer at him to notice the choking marks on his neck. Toby Cooper was definitely dead.
Within minutes the police had arrived at the house and had cordoned off the crime scene. Anderson and his forensic people were searching for traces and looked as ridiculous as usual in their white costumes.
Ms. Cooper sat crying in the living room and told Lestrade about the ominous stalker her husband had and about her plan to ask Sherlock Holmes for advice.
John had texted Sherlock about the murder even before he had informed the police and now he was watching Sherlock circling around the dead body, his face deep in thoughts and a steep line between his eyes. He kneeled down next to the body and examined neck and face.
"Time of death is about 9 pm" Anderson said. "He was choked to death by a scarf or a tie"
Sherlock glanced at him and proceeded to survey the body.
"Maybe a burglar?" Anderson asked. "He isn't wearing his ring anymore, but Ms. Cooper said her husband would never take his ring off". He seemed very proud of his deduction and grinned brightly.
"Why are you even allowed to talk, let alone think? He's still wearing his watch" Sherlock pulled down the man's sleeve and revealed a big golden watch. Anderson's smile froze.
"Okay, no burglar. Then it was…"
"Since I'm afraid that any further use of your brain cells will destroy my left over patience, could you please do me a favour and leave this room immediately?" For a brief second Anderson seemed to consider the chances of winning the argument then he walked past John and headed towards the living room.
"How did she do it?" Sherlock asked while standing up.
"What?"
"The murder!" Sherlock answered impatiently. "How did she kill her husband?"
"You think it was her? Jane Cooper?" John asked. He knew that Sherlock usually drew a conclusion very quickly, but to point out the murderer before he had even asked her a single question was too quick, even for him. Sherlock squinted his eyes. He nodded towards the bed and said:
"Sit down. I need to know everything." He began to stroll around the room picking up random items, looking at them briefly and putting them back.
"You think it was her?" John asked again. He sat down and watched Sherlock examining a shiny crystal earring he had found on the dressing table.
"I know it was her"
"How could you possibly know that?"
"It's easier to know it than to explain why I know it. If you were asked to prove that two and two made four, you might find some difficulty and yet you are quite sure of the fact"
John sighed. Sherlock wouldn't show the slightest interest in any case unless someone got killed. But if he had joined Ms. Cooper and John for eating, he wouldn't have to interrogate John. John doubted whether Sherlock would be open for criticism right now. He decided that it was probably not the right moment to mention Sherlock's fondness on judging about a case too early.
"Would you mind telling me how your evening proceeded?" Sherlock insisted.
"Well, we went to this restaurant and ate and then we took her car…" John began. Sherlock stopped and looked at John.
John couldn't put a finger on what exactly his face expression meant, but he was pretty sure it was complete incomprehension.
"Is this how you perceive your life?" he asked and sat down on the dressing table chair.
"I need details, John, not a succession of trivialities"
"Oh, I'm sorry" John said indignantly.
He buried his face in his hands and remained silent for a moment. Then he looked at Sherlock and started talking again.
"…and then we found the body" John pointed unnecessarily at Toby Cooper. Sherlock opened his eyes. For the last few minutes he had been sitting completely still, his hands in his usual praying-thinking-pose. Now he seemed to think for a moment then his face brightened up.
"You still "know" it was her?" John asked. "She was with me the whole time. We left the restaurant at nine, the time her husband was killed" He paused. "The only possibility for her was, while she went to the bathroom, but she was only gone for about ten…" Inspector Lestrade appeared in the door frame.
"Do you think she called him and asked him to come to the restaurant?" John ended his chain of thoughts.
"The last two calls from her phone were at 7:30 pm and at 9:30 pm" Lestrade glanced at Sherlock and proceeded "Both times she called her husband's phone".
"I was there both calls" John added.
"Why calling her husband on his phone at 7:30?" Sherlock mumbled.
"I told you. She wanted him to speak to me about this stalker thing" John replied.
"Why calling him on his mobile? She told him to stay at home" Lestrade and John shared a look then turned to Sherlock.
"Maybe the call was just redirected to his phone?" Lestrade said hopefully.
"He isn't wearing a tie" Sherlock said as if this would explain everything.
"Yeah, he isn't wearing his ring either. He probably was about to take a bath"
Sherlock shook his head and stood up. He began to circle around again.
"When did you want to meet here, John?"
"9:25. I asked her. She said her husband was very pedantic about times and dates"
"So, no tie…" Sherlock began.
"Actually there is one" Anderson stepped into the room. "In his pocket we found this" He held up a black tie, still boxed as new.
"Are all people working for the police incapable of letting me do my work? Why do you ever bother to ask me for help?" Sherlock asked in Anderson's direction. For a few seconds the four men remained silent.
"I don't get it. What has the tie do to with anything?" John said. He looked at Sherlock. The detective had closed his eyes again and seemed to order his thoughts. Then, suddenly, he opened his eyes.
"Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "How big was the restaurant, John?"
"How big was the…?" John had no idea where this was going, but decided to accept whatever Sherlock was about to reveal. "It's a huge chain; there were at least 50 people in there…"
"Could you please let us be a part of your thought progress?" Lestrade sighed.
"Don't you see it? It's right in front of you! No tie!" Sherlock looked at Lestrade then at John. John shook his head. Anderson rolled his eyes and left the room. As usual he wasn't very interested in Sherlock's deductions.
"He certainly wasn't at a funeral" Sherlock said impatiently.
"But I heard the bells" John objected.
"He used a recording from a tape. But that's really not the point…"
"Not the point?" John blurted.
"No. He was in the same Chinese restaurant the wh…"
"Stop it, Sherlock!" Lestrade stepped forward. "If I want to arrest someone then I need a good reason, so could you please tell the story chronologically?"Sherlock looked at him as if he had suggested going shoe shopping next Saturday.
"And I think Ms. Cooper wants to hear the story too" Lestrade said, before Sherlock could say anything.
"As I said previously…" Sherlock paced up and down the living room. His audience, including Inspector Lestrade, John and Ms. Cooper followed every movement he made.
"The husba…Mr. Cooper was not at the funeral. He used a recording from a tape to make everyone think he was there. He actually was in the same Chinese restaurant as Ms. Cooper and John" Ms. Cooper looked at him with tear-stained eyes and didn't quite seem to understand what he just said.
"Now…Why is this so interesting?, you ask. Well, Ms. Cooper knew it was a tape, because he most likely did this "trick" before" Sherlock looked at the three, obviously disappointed that no one seemed to follow.
"Come on, he had a radio show!"
"If he really was in the restaurant at the same time, did you know he was in there?" Lestrade asked. Ms. Cooper shook her head quickly.
"You also knew that your husband had an affair hence the lack of his wedding ring. He and his girl-friend were having a date today in said restaurant" Sherlock continued.
"So basically Mr. Cooper and his girl-friend were meeting at the same time as Dr. Watson and Ms. Cooper and when Ms. Cooper called Mr. Cooper he only pretended to be at that funeral" Lestrade said.
"There is no need in repeating the obvious. Thank you" Sherlock said.
"Ms. Cooper knew when her husband and his girl-friend would meet. You probably read his e-mails secretly or followed him…a wife finds her ways"
"That's all defamation, Mr. Holmes. I had no idea!" Ms. Cooper started crying again. Sherlock ignored her and continued.
"Since she knew her husband would find an excuse to meet her later, she took the opportunity and used John to have an alibi. She had probably planned on going with me to have the ultimate alibi, but I wasn't there so she had to put up with John"
"What about the murder?" John asked while he was avoiding the thought about the fact why Sherlock would have made a better alibi than himself.
"She knew her husband would leave the restaurant at nine, he's very pedantic about time after all, and he certainly wouldn't stay too long with his girl-friend because he couldn't risk on being seen with her in public. Ms. Cooper just had to catch him in the parking spot"
"She ran to the parking spot, murdered her husband and ran back to the restaurant? All in less than ten minutes?" John asked.
"She is working out three times a week and she's definitely strong enough to murder a man" Sherlock said still, ignoring the silent sobbing of Ms. Cooper.
"And she strangled him with his tie?" John asked in a sudden touch of understanding.
"She strangled him with the tie he wore for his date. Because of that, he isn't wearing one now. The black tie in his pocket was bought by him to put on later so it would look as if he had been to a funeral"
"Okay, I get it" Lestrade said. Sherlock looked surprised. "But then we just have to search for Mr. Cooper's car in the parking spot. It's still there, isn't it?" the inspector continued. "If she really murdered him there, his car still has to be there" Ms. Cooper nodded in agreement.
"Why did she park her car in this specific parking spot?" Sherlock asked.
"Because she was meeting with a friend previously this day" John replied. He looked at Ms. Cooper who was still crying and suddenly felt sorry for her.
"When she drove you home, John, what did she do?"
"She changed the seating position, and then she searched for…"
"Who would she change her seating position in her own car?" Sherlock stopped walking and looked down to Ms. Cooper.
"It wasn't your car, was it? You didn't even know where it was parked. It's your husband's car. You drove John back with your husband's body in the boot of his own car. And while John was waiting for you to find your husband, you dragged him into the bedroom"
For a few minutes silence fell in the living-room. Inspector Lestrade frowned and so did John. As always Sherlock's deduction made complete sense, but it seemed absolutely impossible for John to accept that Ms. Cooper was a murderer.
"Is this true?" Lestrade finally asked. He stared directly at Ms. Cooper and waited for her answer. John glanced briefly at Sherlock. The detective had lost all interest in the case as soon as he had ended his speech. He was sitting on a chair and looked blankly at the ceiling.
"Is this true?" Lestrade repeated. Ms. Cooper took a deep breath.
"I wouldn't mind if my husband had had an affair" she said. "A girl-friend wouldn't be any competition for me, but…" she stumbled and wiped her nose. "My husband had a boy-friend"
Lestrade raised one eye-brow.
"A boy-friend! There's always something!" Sherlock mumbled, obviously disappointed that he missed a point.
"How can I compete with a boy-friend?" Ms. Cooper cried. "I mean…there was no sign of him being gay! I just found out because one of my work colleagues saw them. I would never follow my husband, Mr. Holmes! I just couldn't stand the thought of him being…" She stumbled upon her own words.
John didn`t quite know where to look. He was rather thankful when Lestrade said:
"We're going to take you to the police station, Ms. Cooper. You can make your confession in all the details there" She blew her nose, nodded and followed Inspector Lestrade out of the room.
"Cheating husbands and jealous wives. Tremendously boring" Sherlock added.
"How did you know it was a recording from a tape?" John asked Sherlock back in Baker Street. Sherlock lay on the sofa his eyes closed and seemed to sleep. His arms were resting on his chest and he breathed deeply.
"I need to know for my blog" John said insistently. He knew that Sherlock was broad awake, because he had never seen him asleep before.
"Come on, tell me. Have you used this trick before yourself?" Sherlock rolled around and grumbled something indistinctable. He opened his eyes and looked at John.
"Who would hear a ringtone while loud bells are tolling right next tom him?"
End