Chapter 2
"There was a hundred pounds in the cash register, Sherlock" John said incredulously. "This wasn't just some petty theft; this was someone who has fifty pound notes, this was someone who knew how to use the machinery…smashing the window doesn't exactly fit" John said thoughtfully as he sat motionless in his armchair in front of the fireplace.
Sherlock had stopped his attentions on his violin as soon as John had started talking, but he remained at the window – his back to his friend.
"Very good, indeed, John. What else did you see?" Sherlock asked tentatively.
"Well, I'm not exactly sure, but I think this is gold dust, the guy must have stolen something, but inscribed it before he left." John said in confusion as he reached for the zip lock bag containing the small amount of metal dust.
"He? you said 'the guy'" Sherlock said, lowering his bow and leaning closer to the window.
"Well, yeah…I didn't think it could be a woman with the plug socket being so high on the wall" John said questioningly, as though prepared for being told he was wrong.
"John, that's, that's very good. You are coming on leaps and bounds" Sherlock said almost sarcastically as he raised his bow once more to tease the strings of his beloved instrument.
"So, what are your thoughts on the case?" John asked tentatively.
"My thoughts?" Sherlock asked absentmindedly over his serenade.
"Yes, I know that you know more about all this than you are letting on" John said, putting aside the little evidence he had.
"Well, obviously" Sherlock stated dully, abruptly stopping his tune to start another.
"Tell" John ordered lightly, frowning at the consulting detective's back.
"I'm rather enjoying your working it out, John. Now, what else did you find?" Sherlock said lightly.
"Well, the jewellery was all moved around, so, the shop keeper didn't know exactly if things had been taken…but there were two indentations in the crushed velvet cloth that I saw. Possibly rings?" John said dismissively.
"John, you are positively on fire today" Sherlock mused with pride.
"So I'm right?" John asked in false hope.
"Of course you are right." Sherlock stated dully.
"So, two rings, gold rings, were taken, and then inscribed" John said to re-cap. "But, why would the same person smash a window and move everything around a bit? To delay being found?" John asked in confusion.
"Two persons then?" Sherlock offered lightly, continuing to play quietly, talking to the window panes.
"Two people, yes. That would make sense. But, still, why would two people do that? The first being skilled, articulate, knowledgeable, the second, seemingly none of the above; setting off the alarms and not taking anything?" John asked again.
"Unrelated perhaps?" Sherlock muttered lightly.
"Yes, yes, two separate break-ins!" John said in revelation "What an unlucky shop" he added thoughtfully.
"Unlucky, possibly, but what if the second, less intelligent criminal had seen the first at work?" Sherlock said, finishing his tune with a trill. "And decided to take advantage of an unmanned shop too?"
"No, that doesn't fit. It's almost as if the one that broke the window was, drunk? Drugged possibly? Nothing was taken, just, a broken window and stuff moved about." John countered as he looked thoughtfully at the curly hair adorning his friend's head.
John jumped slightly as Sherlock turned to look down at him.
"John, you are amazing" Sherlock said with a wide smile, dropping his bow to his side once more.
John blushed at the compliment but wouldn't dare counteract it.
After a moments silence, John looked back up to the detective with a frown. "So, where do we go from here? How do we find out who it was?" he asked lightly.
"No need." Sherlock said with a dismissive shake of his head, slightly dislodging the antique violin from his chin.
"What? Why?" John asked incredulously.
"It was me" Sherlock said as he dropped his violin to his side in the same hand as his bow.
John's eyes popped widely. "You – what?" He asked in awe.
"It was me, John. I broke into the jewellers shop to take two gold rings; I inscribed them both and made a dash for it when I saw a drunk pointing at me from outside the street window. He promptly threw a brick through the window in order to 'save the shop from criminals!'." Sherlock explained nonchalantly as he lay his instrument down and used air quotation marks to illustrate his quote.
"You. Stole. Two? Gold rings?" John asked, breathing heavily through his nose and staring unblinkingly at his crazy flatmate. "What for?" He asked in a confused shout.
"I didn't want anyone to know" Sherlock said dismissively. "It was above board, I paid for them; you saw my money" he said before sitting down in his armchair gracefully.
"Sherlock, that doesn't excuse the fact that you broke into a shop." John said patiently, regaining his composure and looking across at his flatmate with a sudden wave of fondness.
"I will not be caught, unless you were to tell on me" Sherlock said with a false pout.
"You know, full well, that I couldn't do that." John said with a smile.
"Couldn't?" Sherlock asked accusatively.
"Wouldn't" John corrected. "Well, at least I wouldn't if you told me why you needed two gold inscribed rings" John asked with a teasing smile.
Sherlock rolled his eyes and jumped from his chair distractedly.
"Blackmail will not work on me, John" the detective said dully.
"Tell me, Sherlock" John chided.
Sherlock paused for a moment to stare down at John, the doctor's heart hammered as he spotted the unusually bright glint in the wolf-like eyes of his best friend.
Something was new.
"Sherlock, what is it?" John asked, turning round in his armchair to show Sherlock he was giving his full attention and concern.
"Nothing, John" Sherlock said abruptly before leaving the room in a swirl of blue dressing gown.
John remained in his seat, surveying the now empty space that his friend had stood in with a confused look.
