The doorbell rang, followed by a quick knocking. Mrs. Hudson hurried to answer and gave a smile to the woman standing out front.

"Can I help you?" Mrs. Hudson asked. The brunette at the door had a sticky note in her hand and a look of quiet self-assurance.

"I'm looking for Sherlock Holmes" The woman said. Mrs. Hudson opened the door and let the woman in.

"He's upstairs" Mrs. Hudson said. She shut the door after the woman and led her upstairs. "Sherlock!" She made it to the first-floor landing and knocked on Sherlock's door. "Sherlock, you have a visitor."

"I'm busy" Sherlock replied. He was hunched over a laptop with his back to the door. Dust reflected in the light from the windows and the clutter of the room was cluttered, yet oddly inviting.

"Oh Sherlock" Mrs. Hudson mewed. She gestured to the brunette. "Come in dear."

"Mrs. Hudson" Sherlock growled.

"Mr. Holmes, someone is following me" The brunette next to Mrs. Hudson said. Sherlock let out an exasperated breath, stood up, and turned to his new guest.

"Waterloo" Sherlock and the brunette said at once. She was the American in the red trench coat from earlier. Sherlock smoothed his blue trousers and tugged on the cuff of his white button up shirt.

"Waterloo?" Mrs. Hudson questioned. She shook her head and left the room.

"How do you know you're being followed?" Sherlock asked. The woman was brunette, naturally, wore minimal make-up – more or less around her eyes, and her nails were untouched but kept short. Her hair was twisted and pinned in an older style that went along with her black cat eye glasses. Sherlock sized up the woman in a moments time.

"The same car has been following me since last night" The woman said. "Four-door sedan, dark grey, license plate 352 X 111; the driver is always in a suit, male, brown hair, large nose…"

"352 X 111?" Sherlock repeated. The woman adjusted her glasses.

"Non-diplomatic government plates, yes" The woman stated. She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and held it out to the great detective. "I found this under my door this morning."

"When and where did the car begin to follow you?" Sherlock asked before taking the paper.

"I noticed the vehicle outside of Paddington station around 6pm" The woman stated. Sherlock unfolded the paper and was still for a moment. It read: Diane, 2:55am. "Before you ask, I don't know anyone named Diane."

"Your name?" Sherlock asked folding the paper and pocketing it.

"June Cardemus" The woman replied.

"What is it you do, June Cardemus?" Sherlock asked.

"I'm a writer" June replied. "Haven't you deduced that, as you're famous for? Journal in my pocket, plain travel bag, three writing implements in my coat pocket, and writing smudges on my hands."

"Just wanted to be sure" Sherlock replied. He gestured to a chair and promptly sat in his usual spot. "You're rather…simple."

"I can assure you that my IQ rivals your own" June said leaning back in the chair.

"Simple, as in minimal" Sherlock explained. "And, I highly doubt it."

"You're already working on the Diane case" June stated. Sherlock tilted his head slightly. "I know this from the lack of facts. I do not know a Diane. No one saw anyone slide this under my door. There is no personal meaning to the time. If someone has slid this under my door, they must know my pen name and there is no way that I am the first to have this happen. I don't have any certain enemies…currently. In the scheme of things, I am no one, just an author."

"You're June Dupin, author of the Grottier novels and fifteen non-fiction books" Sherlock said with a pause. "Does anyone buy your non-fiction books?"

"Not many" June replied. "A monograph on the early production of synthetic silk in Europe is not destined for the bestseller's list. It must be on your shelf though if you recognize me from my last sentence."

"Why Dupin?" Sherlock asked.

"Poe is my second cousin, six times removed" June answered. It was an answer that she expected him to be more than aware of as C. Auguste Dupin was the character Edgar Allen Poe created in the first detective story.

"An honor of his creation" Sherlock said with a nod.

"Have you read any of my other books?" June asked.

"A few of your monographs" Sherlock replied. "Perhaps the first of your Grottier novels."

"Will you help me, Mr. Holmes?" June asked.

"I shall" Sherlock said with a click of his tongue. He dragged a finger along the arm of his black leather chair. June's jaw stressed for a brief second. "Why didn't you say anything this morning at Waterloo?"

"I'm sure it was an out-of-context moment" June replied. Sherlock made a noise that opposed her statement.

"Why don't you answer without the falsity?" Sherlock suggested. June smirked.

"I was not expecting to see you south of the Thames this morning" June stated. "I wanted a private meeting with you."

"I see" Sherlock mused. "What else?"

"I insist on helping with the case" June said. It initiated a hearty laugh from the thin man.

"You would only slow me down" Sherlock retorted. He stood up and paced the room, adding the piece of paper to his collection on his mantle.

"Your partner went on your last two cases with an infant" June stated. "Surely, I won't be the one who slows you down."

"Regale me" Sherlock ordered from the mantle place. June's smirk returned and she slowly stood up, keeping her eyes locked on the detective.

"You are obviously working on the Diane case, but you are stuck – were stuck. You were waiting for someone like me to bring you something new" June began. "Dr. Watson left for a while, a brief trip. There are a few trademarks in your flat that are definitely not yours. If he had been leaving for any length of time, I'm sure the latest issue of Men's Health wouldn't still be here."

"What if I read that?" Sherlock asked.

"You don't" June said assuredly. "This morning you passed through a construction zone by the remnants on your shoes. You stood, at some point, next to a person with a white, curly haired dog. I'll venture to guess that the person was a woman since dogs that small are often carried openly or in purses." Sherlock looked down at himself briefly. "It's hard to see, but I caught the hair in the light . Tiny, white, curly, much like that of a poodle or some other sort of poodle-mix 'dog'. I don't consider the to be real dogs, but mere annoyances. Am I correct so far?"

"Simple deductions" Sherlock said with an accompanying eye roll.

"Yes? Should we ask Mrs. Hudson if she finds the same conclusions?" June asked. She sniffed the air. "It smells like something. What is that? Meat? Flesh? Something from the inside." June sat down and took a longer smell. "I've smelled that before." Realization crossed her face after a moment. "You have a brain in the other room."

"Perhaps" Sherlock replied. "How would you even know the smell of a brain?"

"I had a grandmother who liked having brains and scrambled eggs" June replied. "She was strange and Texan. Farm girl, obviously." June tapped the chair she was in. "You can't have a big case like this one go untold. You need someone like me. Think of me as a guest writer, a guest blogger."

"I don't allow clients to assist me" Sherlock said firmly.

"Satisfactory" June said. "I take back my need for assistance. I'm just here to lend my skills."

"You've been in London for less than 48 hours and you're already bored" Sherlock said to himself.

"I can tell you something else about the paper I brought you" June said.

Sherlock leaned against the mantle and looked rather amused. "Oh please, enlighten me."

"The person who wrote the note is right handed. General handwriting analysis would conclude that the slight left slant to the words insinuates that the person is holding something back. A bit obvious, yes. The pressure of the words is relatively the same for each character" June replied. "The name and time are along the same horizon to the point that over-control is definitely a factor. The characters are very precise, all except for the 'AM' which is smaller than the other characters. I would venture that the person who wrote the note is of high education and is used to a stressful day to day routine. The sharp points at the top of the 'n' and 'm' indicate an above-average intelligence."

"Obviously" Sherlock replied. He stepped away from the mantle. "Where did you last see the car that's been following you?"

"Tottenham Court Road" June replied. "I got on the tube from there and came here, directly."

"Fancy a walk?" Sherlock asked. He reached for his coat and scarf. June hurried to follow him out the door. Their shoes, both oxfords, made the same sound on the 11….12….13 steps to the main floor. June followed Sherlock as he took a left on Baker Street. He walked to the end of the block, crossed Baker Street, and headed north to Regent Park.

"Why are we going to the park?" June asked. She had to nearly run to keep up with the fast strides of the tall man. Sherlock replied only by quickening his pace until he was nearly jogging. He stopped only when he reached the water of the boating lake. It was, as always, occupied by a swarm of geese, ducks, herons, and other waterfowl.

"Observe" Sherlock instructed. June looked around. There were a few people jogging, an older couple sat on a bench under a tree, there were people walking around, some kids feeding the ducks and the park entrance that they had used.

"Nothing yet" June noted. Cars passed by the entrance as they drove along the Outer Circle, the road that encircled the park. Two men in black leather coats came in through the entrance. "How about them?"

"Ever see them before?" Sherlock asked.

"No" June replied. "They just stand out among the crowd."

"How about some tea?" Sherlock asked. He headed across a nearby bridge and veering left towards the café nestled in the park. June kept up with him, risking a glance behind her. The two men who looked like stereotypical thugs were following them.

"They're following" June said. The detective put his hand on the small of her back and ushered her past the bandstand, down the walkway, and into the café that sat just beyond the Inner Circle.

The café was not wildly busy due to the hour of the day, but there were enough people around the sway most displays of violence by thugs. The two men stopped outside the café and looked around. It was obvious that they couldn't see beyond their own reflections in the windows. The two thugs took the twenty steps to the café entrance. June stretched her neck a little and watched them enter. The tall man beside her straightened up as the men entered and plastered on fake smiles upon seeing them.

"There you are! Very good seeing you" The larger of the two said as if they were long lost friends. The slightly shorter man pulled a small snub nose from his pocket and tilted his head for them to exit. If the larger man's voice was any indicator, they were of Romanian origin. Sherlock and June stepped out of the café, the two men behind them.

"Who sent you?" Sherlock asked.

"Keep walking" The larger man said ignoring the question.

"Take a left at the Inner Circle" The shorter man ordered.

"What do you want with me?" June asked as they were ordered onto a small, narrow path that swept its way through a garden. She stopped when Sherlock stopped.

He turned to the two men before talking. "Who sent you?"

"What's your endgame?" June asked with a bit of an emotional pull.

"Shut up" Sherlock snapped. He sized up the two men before taking a half-step forward. "You two have been at this for quite some time, so you look out for one another and ask for an above average price if you think you can squeeze your employer. What's the average rate these days for a lowly author? 8000 pounds? Maybe 10?"

"You going to double the offer?" The shorter man asked. Sherlock's look said that the man was a complete moron.

"And help you live above your means? Decidedly 'no'" Sherlock replied. "What I will do is expose the fact that you both are having allergy issues this fall from the pollen – red, watery eyes; cold sweats on the brow; and such effort for the false pleasantries."

"What are you going to do?" The smaller man asked with a clipped chuckle. "Hit me with pl-?"

Blood spurted from the short man's nose. June's left jab was strong and fast. The short man barely had time to register the first hit when she followed it with her right. The larger man's eyes grew big upon seeing his friend and clenched shut when Sherlock's fist connected with his cheek. The snub-nose landed on the asphalt with a metallic clatter. Something cracked in the smaller man and he hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. The larger man was hit twice in the nose and he fell to his knees.

"Who sent you?" Sherlock asked holding the man by his leather lapels.

"My nose!" The man cried in disbelief. Sherlock gave him a shake. "It was anonymous."

"How did you get the job? Someone must have met up with you" Sherlock demanded. The large man tried sniffling as blood trickled from his nose. If he had been a cartoon character, his eyes would have been rolling around in his head. Through his allergies and broken nose, he managed to retrieve a small yellow envelope from his pocket. Sherlock let go of him and took the envelope.

"It was under our door with cash" The man said trying to remain kneeling, seem tough, and hold his head back to stop the nose blood.

Sherlock and June stepped back from the two men. The envelope had a photo of June and a note promising to double the cash amount upon completion of the job. It was signed 'Diane'.

"Another note from Diane" Sherlock said unamused. He shoved the envelope into his pocket. "Who is Diane?"

The large man just laughed, at least he tried to. "I hear Diane gets rid of what is too telling."

"What do you mean too telling?" June asked.

"I've only heard rumors, but I suspect she hates your books" The large man said ruefully. June nodded and shrugged, hands plunged into her pockets.

"They are a bit above the average Joe" June replied. She pulled her phone out and quickly snapped a picture of the large man.

"Hey!" The man cried out.

"The cops will love this" June stated. She stepped past the kneeling man and snapped a picture of the unconscious man.

"You-!" The kneeling man spat.

"Regent Park, just off the Inner Circle" Sherlock cut in. The kneeling man turned his head to see the detective on his mobile. "I have two men here who have information about 'Diane'. I'd hurry."


NOTE: As always, I appreciate any and all comments.