2
Janine could hear the rain as she slipped out of sleep. She opened her eyes to find that it was raining heavily. She felt pain in her feet. She removed her heels to find that her feet were swollen. She got out of bed, took a handful of clothes and went into the bathroom. Her face was stained with black eye liner and mascara which had flown down her cheeks with her tears. She took a bath and put on jeans, t-shirt and a woolen jacket. With a deep breath, she opened the door. She found Sherlock fast asleep on the sofa. She made her way to the kitchen. She was surprised that there was absolutely nothing in the kitchen. She made coffee and decided to go down to the market to buy some food as the rain had stopped.
She went down to Leighton House to find Mackenzie.
"Hi. Can I borrow your car? I need to go to the grocer's." Janine smiled.
"Oh…sure. Let me get the keys, I don't drive much anyway." She said pointing at her belly.
Janine took hardly 15 minutes to reach the supermarket. She bought some vegetables, a lot of bread, coffee and tea powder, fruits and milk, some eggs and frozen meat. She bought some pasta, some sauces and left the supermarket. Sherlock didn't eat all the time, but when he did he ate like a horse. She walked down to her car and put her stuff in.
Janine observed a teenage boy looking at her. When she looked back he looked away. He had been inside the supermarket as well. Funny he hadn't bought anything. He wore a cap and a black jacket and jeans. Janine ignored him and decided to eat. She remembered how Gunnar had told her about his restaurant. She dug inside the car to find a card or something. She found a card which stated Cinnamon Cottage, European Cuisine. She then took out her phone and put the given address into the maps app for directions. As she stood waiting, she saw the teenage boy come her way. He was taller and muscular like a football player. Quite taller than her.
"Hi!" He smiled at her.
"I'm sorry?" Janine looked at him suspiciously. She was uncomfortable as he was standing at one hand's distance.
"I was just watching you from there. You look really hot." He touched Janine's fingers.
"Please leave." Janine flinched at his touch. His hand was cold and alien.
"Come on Sugar."He took a step towards her. Janine opened the door of the car and shut the door quickly. She could see him smiling at her. Janine started her car and took off. Pervert. He was a mere teenager. Janine decided to go back to the cottage. Janine took all her shopping out from the car and walked back from Leighton House to the cottage. She knocked on the door and waited. Sherlock seemed to have just woken up.
"Where were you?" Sherlock rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"I got some food." Janine put the unpleasant experience with the teenager at the back of her mind.
"Oh, good. I am really hungry." Sherlock answered, "Why do you look so preoccupied?"
Janine could feel Sherlock observing her. He was doing it. Laying her thoughts naked.
"Something happened, didn't it?" Sherlock looked at her.
"Nothing happened. What do you want to have for breakfast?" Janine ignored Sherlock.
"What happened Janine?" Sherlock pestered.
"It's nothing. The world is not going to come tumbling down, Sherl." Janine felt Sherlock glaring at her.
"Don't call me that."
"I know how much you hate it when I call you Sherl. But if you pester me more, I have my ways at getting back at you. Now I'm going to make an omelet. Do you want it or not?" Janine took out the grocery.
"Do it quickly. We have to go to the library to crack this case." Sherlock disappeared into the bedroom.
After breakfast, Sherlock and Janine borrowed Mackenzie's car and went to the local library of which Elena Brannuland was a member. The library was close to the town centre. It was called Norsjo's Book World. They entered to find a young girl sitting behind the counter.
"I need to take a look at all the books. I am here for the investigation of Elena Brannuland's murder." Sherlock looked at the girl.
"Only members can avail to our services. Visitors have to pay 25 kronor for five hours." She replied.
Sherlock paid the 25 kronor to her and waited for the girl to process the card. "
"Sherlock, how do we start about?" Janine asked.
"We will need Elena Brannuland's library card." Sherlock answered. He turned back to the girl and made the request. She hesitated but handed at least four cards to Sherlock.
Sherlock and Janine got to work immediately. Sherlock took the recent list and Janine took the other one. Sherlock explained the case to Janine all over again. They went through books but to no avail. They had been sitting for hours. Janine looked at her watch. It was 2:45.
"Sherlock." Janine called out to him. He as usual did not reply, "Sherlock?"
"What?" He asked.
"I am hungry."
"Seriously. We have gone through only six months of books. We have to cover a lot." Sherlock went back to his work.
Janine stood on the ladder she had climbed to remove a book, "I need to eat. So do you, you did not even have breakfast." He did not reply, "Sherlock!"
"Fine. Let's go. I saw a café close by." Sherlock slumped his shoulders hesitatingly.
"Actually I was thinking, let's go to Cinnamon Cottage. It's owned by Gunnar." Janine felt Sherlock's eyes brighten up. They made their way to the restaurant and were greeted by Gunnar. Janine ordered lemon rice with green chicken. Sherlock ordered pasta with white sauce.
"So what about John?" Janine asked.
"Well, I stayed in London for two months with Mycroft before this assignment. John used to come down sometimes. He's expecting his daughter in a month's time." Sherlock looked around.
"It's going to be a girl. Nice. Why did Mycroft choose me alone, as in why not John?"
"Because John is going to have to take a backseat. He going to be a father, I don't think he will have time to solve crimes when he will be busy changing diapers. And basically, you will not kill me."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Janine asked.
"Mycroft's MI6 officials cannot stand me. You can. I hope." Sherlock looked at her.
"Or maybe you can stand me." Janine pouted.
"Janine I had to do what I did. I am sorry. Isn't that enough?"
"Okay, I don't want to fight with you over here." Janine looked at Sherlock. His cheekbones stood highlighted by the light, "I am just saying that you can't keep calling people you like to help you solve crimes."
"Do you want to go back to London?" Sherlock looked at Janine, his green eyes piercing into her for answers. Janine did not know the answer to that question as well.
The waiter brought the food and placed it on the table. Janine looked away from Sherlock as if ignoring his question. She peered outside. She thought she saw the teenager again, but she could not make out among the cars. Sherlock followed her gaze.
"Janine?" Sherlock looked at her with suspicion.
She ignored Sherlock again and started eating her food. They had their food quietly and then paid for the food. They thanked Gunnar and walked out. Sherlock held Janine's hand which sent shockwaves through her. She remembered the nights at Baker Street. She used to sleep next to him. The warmth of the bed comforted her. His arms around her made her feel secure. And right now, when she felt insecure, his hand provided her with security again.
She tugged at his arm, "I think we are being followed." Janine narrated her encounter with the teenager and told him about her sighting of him there in the parking.
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Sherlock moved closer to her.
"Because I thought he was just a pervert." Janine could feel Sherlock's breath over her face.
"Is he wearing a black jacket with a hood?" Sherlock almost whispered, oblivious to the effect he was having on Janine, "Do you know how he looks?"
"Yes." Janine murmured. He was doing it again. He was crossing the line. She had to do something, "Sherlock. Don't."
Janine peered into Sherlock's green eyes. She could see confusion.
"Let's go home." Sherlock whispered. He entwined his fingers in her hands and pulled her towards the car. It was almost four but the sky had hues of orange and pink. Sherlock offered to drive.
"Something's wrong." Sherlock looked at her as he started the heater, "I had seen him once with Meghan."
"Meghan? Gunnar's daughter?" Janine questioned, "Sherlock, I am absolutely blank about everything."
"We will question Meghan about him." Sherlock started the car.
"Sherlock, this case is going nowhere. We did not find Elena's photo with her grandson Tuck. What about Zachary?"
"Right now, I want to speak with Meghan. Tomorrow you will go to meet Zachary and I will go to the site of murder."
Janine and Sherlock drove back to the Leighton House just to find a squad car and paramedic car flowing past them.
"Mackenzie." Janine whispered.
"No, someone else." Sherlock said it out loud.
They parked and found Anna Peacock standing with a policeman.
"What happened?" Sherlock asked.
"Meghan was caught off guard by thin ice. She fell in only to be spotted by our maid who saved her." Anna's long face seemed to be filled with worry and sadness.
"Is she okay?" Janine asked as Sherlock started walking towards the accident spot.
"She was completely blue and she hit her head. Her ankle's broken as well." Anna gave a sullen look.
"May I meet the maid?" Janine requested. Anna called out to a middle aged woman who was covered in a warm blanket.
"This is Cecilia who saved Meghan." Anna introduced.
Janine observed Cecilia, "Are you alright?"
Cecilia nodded and smiled a little.
Janine questioned further, "Can you tell me what happened exactly?" Janine mused at her own question. Sherlock would know what happened exactly.
Cecilia answered, "I walked out of the kitchen to put some garbage out when I suddenly saw, to my dismay that Miss Meghan disappeared suddenly into the ground. I went running towards her and jumped in to catch her. She had fainted due to the blow to her head when she fell."
"How did you get her out?" Janine questioned.
"I swam up with her and pushed her up and then myself."
"That was mighty brave of you, Cecilia." Janine patted and smiled a little. Sherlock was back. Janine asked whether they needed help. But Anna just asked them about the progress they had done. They replied in disappointment and went back to the cottage.
"Do you want to head back to the library?" Janine asked.
"No. I want to go back to cottage. We will meet Meghan at 8." Sherlock said.
Janine sat called her office about their current project. Everything was fine. It had started raining outside. Janine then walked out to Sherlock who was back in his night gown.
"Can I ask you something?" Janine looked at Sherlock who had put on the television.
"Yep." Sherlock looked at her.
"Why would Elena Brannuland tell Anna that Zachary is her son when he didn't even know who she was?"
"There must be some connection." Sherlock said.
"Why don't we ask Anna or Mackenzie about Meghan's friend circle." Janine suggested.
"That's a good idea." Sherlock looked back at the television.
"And there is a jar of cockroaches in the fridge." Janine tried to maintain a poker face.
"A man cannot stay alone in Norsjo without company." Sherlock smiled his crooked smile.
"So you keep 'the company' in the jar?" Janine retorted.
"Yep." Sherlock replied proudly.
Janine pouted in disgust and walked to her bedroom and came back, "I am going to take a shower. Care to join me?"
Sherlock looked at her with confusion and shock written all over his face.
"I am just kidding. It's like the first time I met you." Janine laughed. She remembered Sherlock's face when she had said, 'But no sex, okay?' The current situation was not any different. He just kept staring at her.
Janine stepped into the shower. The hot water was very comforting as it soothed her body and released the tension. Janine thought about the case. The weird teenager being connected to the case was very cliché. The case somehow had gobbled her thoughts about Sherlock, but every time he was around all she wanted was to hug him and never let him go. He somehow seemed subdued. Back in London he was always full of energy, maybe it was the drugs.
Suddenly, she felt fingers brush her stomach and she froze. She let out a muffled cry. She remembered Baker Street and the nights she stayed over. It was happening again. Sherlock was taking her over, consuming her, drawing her deep inside him which was ironic because she would never know what went on inside this man's head. She wavered, teetering on the brink of pushing him away or staying in the same position as he pushed her hair aside to tend to her throat. She turned to face him.
"Sherlock?" She was breathing heavily, "I thought this was human error."
He pressed her nose against hers as the water from the shower engulfed his face, "Well, I like human error. Once in a while."
There was a long pause. Finally Janine smiled as Sherlock kissed her and whispered, "You are a manipulative bastard Sherlock Holmes." And she felt him smile back.
However her conscience shadowed her arousal and she pushed him away. Once again, his face was clouded with confusion.
"I am done bathing." Janine muttered.
"What!?" Sherlock looked at her in disbelief.
"This can happen only when some real feelings kick in." Janine wrapped a towel around her.
"Are you trying to get back at me?" Sherlock looked at her.
"If that's what you want to think." Janine smiled triumphantly.
After their 'encounter', they went back to the case. Sherlock seemed offended and pissed off.
"This is a beer stain." He peered through his microscope at the library card.
"And what does that mean?" Janine asked.
"Someone else searching for the photo." Sherlock smiled in delight. Janine stared at him. He was impossible.
It was 8:00. They drove over to the hospital to question Meghan. She was thankfully completely fine except for some fever and two stitches on her head. Mackenzie and Gunnar were both present their.
Sherlock took charge of the conversation which worried Janine.
"Tell me the name of the guy you met that day I arrived."
"Guy?"
"Yes, that guy you were talking to so intently."
"His name is Guy. Guy Waters. He was back in school with me. What about him?" Meghan looked surprised.
"Well, he kind of flirted with my fiancée." Sherlock caught a glimpse of Janine smiling.
"Oh! Guy is a total pervert. He flirts with my mom as well." Meghan laughed and then composed herself when she saw Sherlock's serious face.
"Right. Tell me more about him. Does he have any criminal records?" Sherlock asked.
"I don't know since I am away in Stockholm but I caught up with him some school friends and they said he was caught driving under the influence once or twice."
"Interesting." Sherlock muttered.
"There is this thing about him. He is part of a band which consists of wierdos. I mean they say that they follow some satanic cult."
"Satanic cult?" Sherlock asked.
"Yes, I mean once he told me about how they offer a drop of a virgin girl to the satan some six months each. Some of the girls have even volunteered. They say it brings you good luck." Meghan rolled her eyes.
Sherlock got up and left the room without saying anything.
