Chapter 2

A Dangerous Interference

221B, Baker Street, 20 minutes after the incident

Watson ran through the streets of London as quickly as he could to get back to Holmes, he knew he had to inform him right away of Lord Mortythe sudden interference in the case. He barged through the market square and narrowly dodged a crate in the face before turning a sharp left and racing through a dim-light alley way towards their home, 221B Baker Street. Watson raced up the front door steps of the house and dodged the nanny in the hallway before dashing up the stairs and barging through the door to Holmes's study. Holmes sat facing a freshly-lit fire in a worn, red leather arm chair, he wore a royal purple dressing gown over his suit and had a dark, brown wooden pipe hanging from his mouth, puffs of smoke rose out the end of the pipe as Holmes turned to look at Watson.

"News, I presume? You took long enough" Holmes gazed back to the crackling flames which danced in the fire place.

Watson caught his breath and strode over to stand behind Holmes, he leaned casually on the back of the arm chair and looked down at Holmes "Bad news, I'm afraid Holmes. Lord Mortythe has taken a sudden appearance in the case. He was reported to have been seen at the speech and must of slipped away while the speech was taking place, the Professor's study was wrecked and the cure has vanished"

Holmes instantly leaped up from his sitting position and threw his dressing gown and pipe to one side before grabbing his top hat and over coat from the coat stand and hurrying out the door. Watson sighed and sprinted after Holmes down the two sets of stairs.

The nanny who had now appeared in the doorway of the large reception room sighed and shook her head as Holmes flew past her "I swear Watson, he's not in'a fit state to be runnin' around I tell ya!" Her accent was rich and common as she yelled after the two of them.

Watson stopped just inside the doorway of the large house and shrugged his shoulders "You can tell me all about it later Miss Evans, I do apologise for anything he's broken though in advance" he hurried on after Holmes.

The two of them ran side by side through the misty, damp streets of London, narrowly missing the busy pedestrian traffic of the market square. They turned a sharp left down a long alley way and came out onto a brightly lit street, just opposite them stood the grand hall, in all its glory and magnificence. Holmes led the way across the street and into the hall with Watson following at his heels. The two stepped inside the hall and walked a fast pace down the long corridor leading towards the main reception room, a young, olive skinned receptionist was about to protest before she realised exactly who the two were, she returned to writing on the stack of papers in front of her like nothing had happened. Holmes burst through the huge double doors and caused the large crowd behind them to silence and look directly at the two.

Watson muttered under his breath "Nice going Holmes"

Holmes simply shot an amused grin towards Watson before pushing through the crowd towards the back of the room where the Professor and Hound waited. Hound straightened up to his full height when Holmes and Watson came into view, Macario didn't as much as gaze up from the floor.

"I'm sure Dr. Watson here informed you of the recent events Holmes" Hound came across as a well brought up, mannered young man. His blond hair was neatly combed to one side and a well trimmed moustache sat just above his upper lip. He wore a dark, navy blue suit with a black tie neatly tucked inside the pinstriped waistcoat.

Holmes nodded once before crouching down and staring the professor directly in the eyes "Where will we find your study Professor?"

Macario met Holmes's gaze for a brief second before muttering "2nd floor, four corridors to the left"

Holmes stood bolt upright before gazing briefly at Watson and then making his way back through the crowd and back out the double doors once again into the corridor. Watson bowed his head at Hound and Macario before following after Holmes. The pair strode slowly down the long corridor, dim candle lit lamps lighted their path. They reached the first set of stairs and Watson couldn't help but watch Holmes as they walked, he could always tell exactly what Holmes was planning by the expression on his face, the smallest twitch of a muscle could make all the difference with Holmes. He recalled the time the pair had, had to investigate a murder of a local newspaper boy; he remembered the distant glare in Holmes's dark blue eyes and the regretful frown on his lips when they had seen the body. It wasn't a memory he was likely to ever forget. Holmes caught Watson staring at him and managed a small smile in his direction before descending the second flight of stairs and heading down the many corridors. When the two finally approached the study, the doors lay wide open and the windows were rattling against their frames each time the gust of wind caught them. Holmes stepped inside the study and walked right over towards the large mahogany desk, it was decorated with a small band of detail of the erotic nature. Holmes shook his head with a small smile playing on his lips and traced his eyes over the desk towards the broken draws. Watson watched him like a child watching their parents; his eyes gleamed with curiosity as he watched Holmes at work. He had watched Holmes work for years upon end now but he still never failed to fascinate him. Holmes had a nature about him which said 'extraordinary mind-set' and this showed through his methods of work. He took in every small detail, every nook and cranny that most would miss carelessly. Watson had learned a great deal from watching him over the years and had been successful in many of his own personal cases as a doctor using the techniques of observation. Holmes stepped carefully over scattered papers on the floor towards the windows and leaned out. Watson cleared his throat and took two steps inside the room.

"Well?" Watson removed his leather gloves and shoved them inside his right jacket pocket.

Holmes ignored the question and continued with observing out the window at the streets below.

"Holmes?" Watson took another five paces towards Holmes, making sure to step over broken objects and scattered paper that lay untidily on the red, carpeted floor of the study.

Holmes leaned briskly back inside the study, his hair was wild and untamed like usual but a look in his blue eyes told Watson that he was onto something.

"Holmes, what are you planning?" Watson removed his top hat and ran a hand through his short, brunette hair.

Holmes simply gazed at Watson for a minute second before walking over towards a large pile of scattered paper which lay in the centre of the room, he shuffled through the papers and lay down slowly onto the floor, looking underneath the desk. Watson watched him curiously, trying not to smile at the sight, the man could be a complete and utter nuisance at times but he loved him thoroughly. Holmes reached a hand underneath the desk and snatched out a crumbled up sheet of paper, he quickly folded out the sheet of paper and scanned over its contents, Watson came to stand by his side and looked over his shoulder at the sheet.

My dearest Elizabeth,

I am pleased to inform you that I will be making my speech today and that I will be able to travel home to you shortly. I am missing you dearly, my love. I hope all is well with you at home and the dogs are not giving you too much trouble. I shall see you shortly.

All my love

Adam

Holmes looked up from the message to Watson "It appears the Professor, has a wife waiting on his return"

Watson nodded and started to read the note through again before Holmes shoved it into his jacket pocket and continued pacing around the study.

"Shouldn't we get the recruits downstairs to look the room over officially?"

Holmes simply stopped pacing, looked up at Watson and nodded "Well off you go then"

Watson turned quickly on his heels and headed back out of the door back down towards the hall. Holmes continued pacing around the study for a few short moments while calculating something over in his mind, he knew a crucial detail of the case was missing, the cure was gone that was for sure but there would be no way that any man could have jumped from such a height to the streets below without being injured, there had to be another way Lord Mortythe had escaped. He leaned back out of the window and glanced down once again at the streets below, he sighed and turned back to face the study, a thought suddenly crossed his mind and he leaned out of the window slowly backwards looking directly above him. A small torn scrap of fabric waving in the breeze gave him his answer. He leaned further backwards out of the window and reached for the top of the window frame; he latched on and stood carefully onto the window frame before reaching up a little higher and grabbing the next available hand hold and then the next to haul himself up out of the study and onto the roof of the building. Watson shortly returned to find an empty study and stopped dead centre in the doorway scanning the room.

"Where the devil has he gone this time?" He muttered under his breath as he walked over towards the window in time to catch a glimpse of a pair of dangling legs. He quickly leaned out the window and looked upwards "Holmes, you're going to get yourself killed doing that!" The legs shortly disappeared up onto the roof and Watson sighed, shaking his head. Holmes looked back down over the top and smiled smugly at Watson. Hound and his recruits knocking lightly on the doorway startled Watson back into reality.

The recruits filled into the room and started shuffling through the papers and broken objects on the floor, dusting for prints and collecting any useful evidence. Hound came over to stand by Watson "Where's Holmes old boy?"

Watson simply looked Hound in the eyes and gestured out the window.

"Still at his crazy antics then?"

"When isn't he?" Watson let out a small chuckle before heading towards the doorway "The stairs to the roof are where exactly?"

Hound smiled at him "Down the corridor to your right and round the next left"

"Thank you" Watson headed off in the intended direction with a small smile planted onto his face, he headed down the corridor and turned to the left until he came to the large flight of stairs leading to the roof. He sighed and began his descent, when he finally reached the top of the stairs, he pushed open the large, heavy metal door in his path and stepped out into the brisk, winter air, he glanced around the rooftop before spotting Holmes lingering on the edge, he quickly walked over to stand behind him and tugged at his sleeve a little "Holmes please, you're worrying me, step back a little bit"

Holmes half smiled and took a step backwards "You really do worry far too much about me, old boy"

Watson managed a small smile back and took a risky glance over the edge of the building, he instantly returned to meet Holmes's gaze when the drop made him feel ill, he swallowed the lump in his throat and took a few steps backwards from the edge.

Holmes chuckled lightly and bent down to pick up the piece of scrap material that was snagged onto a loose edge "This is the whole reason I made my way up here, Watson" He held the material between his right index finger and thumb towards Watson.

Watson scanned his eyes over the scrap material and shook his head "Well, you could use the stairs like everybody else, you know"

Holmes smiled smugly "Now where is the fun in that Watson?"

Watson turned his back on Holmes and headed back towards the door he had entered from "Now that you have your evidence can we please make our way off the roof? I'm starting to feel nauseous"

Holmes followed after taking one last glance around the roof top, he stepped past Watson and took the lead down the stairs, when he hit the floor of the corridor he stepped into a fast pace back towards the study. Watson followed quickly and pulled his overcoat a little tighter around him as a shiver ran down his spine. The pair reached the study once again and stood lingering in the doorway watching Hound and the recruits search the room, Hound spotted them at once and made his way towards them "You'll be pleased to know that we nearly have all of the evidence collected, Holmes"

Holmes nodded briefly before glancing over at Watson "I want you to collect all of the evidence and bring it to me downstairs, I'm going to go have a talk with the Professor"

Watson nodded and headed into the room over to one of the young recruits who was taking sketches of the whole room. Hound watched as Holmes headed down the corridor towards the hall, he looked over at Watson with a questioning look; Watson simply shrugged his shoulders and went back to conversing with the recruit. Hound watched Holmes as he disappeared down the hallway, 'what in the hell is he doing now?' Hound shook his head at the thought and headed back inside the room to help out the recruits to gather up the very last of the evidence, he really did hope Holmes and Watson would be able to get the cure back soon, for the professor's sake if no-one else.