Chapter 2

"So, tell us what happened again, Sal," Lestrade asked, rubbing his temples tiredly. He had been shocked when Donovan sprinted into his office, claiming to have seen Moriarty. After all, she had been the person to say that he didn't exist. So naturally, he called his bosses to question her and figure out what had been really going on.

"I went to Baker Street to see if it was true, that Sherlock Holmes was alive. But what I saw was the Jim Moriarty character he kept telling us about…him and a ton of snipers with guns like this big. Then I naturally fainted. For some reason I was still alive. But Jim had Sherlock and John and that one housekeeper of theirs. When I woke up, they were all gone. Why didn't they kill me?" Donavan asked.

"You think we have any idea?" Larry asked. "But you checked the house?"

"Every last corner," Sally replied. "Then I came back here when I couldn't find anything. As I've said exactly fifty-seven times now, they were all gone."

"Obviously, everybody needs to be in pairs now, even us," Larry said. "Greg, Sal, I'm going to pair you together."

"Oh, great," Donovan muttered.

"What—you got a problem being paired with me?" Lestrade asked, slightly offended.

"Well, it's just that you aren't that strong or anything."

"Excuse me?" Lestrade was now very offended. "Are you serious? Of course I'm strong! Were you hoping to be paired with someone like Jeff, who wears sunglasses even at night, rides a motorcycle all the time, and works out constantly?"

"Uh, yeah!" Sally shouted. "Do you think I'm going nuts?! I don't think anyone in their right mind would want to be paired up with a skimpy dude like you! I want protection against a madman with snipers who knows how to outsmart Sherlock Holmes!"

"You're paired up, you two," Larry said. "We'll give everyone else partners later. This meeting is dismissed." Everybody began to file out, and Donovan and Lestrade were left alone.

"Bye," Lestrade muttered, so sad that he could cry.

"Where are you going?" Sally asked. "We're supposed to be paired up here!"

"To the gym," he replied. With that, Greg Lestrade walked out the door.

Outside it was warm and sunny. Lestrade was eager to start working out and show Donovan how tough he really was. But first of all, he had to get some things. Walking into a store, he bought a water bottle, a T-shirt, and a pair of athletic shorts. Then he walked over to the nearest gym and to the receptionist.

"What do you mean you've never worked out before?!" the receptionist yelled.

Lestrade turned red. "I just…haven't. Can you help me? Please?"

The receptionist sighed. "I guess we can, but it will be a hopeless case. Please go with Nutty." She pointed to a man a couple yards away.

Greg walked over to this Nutty character. "Um, excuse me." Nutty turned to look at him. "The person said I should come to you. Is your real name Nutty?"

"No," Nutty replied. "But it beats the hell out of being called Nutmeg all the time. That's my real name."

"Oh," Lestrade laughed nervously. "That's…interesting. Well, should we get started?"

"Yeah," Nutty said. "Come over here. Today for a warm-up, we're going to run three miles. Then we'll have you lift weights. Then you'll do pushups for an hour and sit-ups for two hours. Then it's going to be closing time, and you'll be able to go home."

Lestrade's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding? Three miles as a warm-up?"

"Perfectly serious," Nutty answered. "Would you like to run five instead?"

"No, I'm fine," Lestrade told him. What had he gotten himself into?