Sherlock Holmes: The Non-existent Ex-Boyfriend
Sydney woke up exhausted. She stretched and found Sherlock on the floor looking through all the clipings.
"You didn't sleep?"
"Too busy."
"I found what I was looking for though." He said looking over at her excitedly.
"What?"
"James Brook."
Sydney made a face.
"My dead ex-boyfriend?"
"Precisely."
"You might wanna explain"
"James Brook isn't a real person he's an actor. The same actor Moriarty created."
"Whose Moriarty?"
"My dead arch nemisis."
"Okay. So James Brook isn't real, an actor that connects me to you but does that mean anything?"
"Yes. It means your brother is apart of that network."
"Okay? I'm hungry. Do you wanna get food?"
"I've told you your brother is apart of criminal network that I'm trying to dismantle and you're asking for food?" He looked at her like she was crazy.
"Can't die on an empty stomach." Sydney said with a blank face.
Sherlock sighed annoyed.
"John's back with food." He said, shooing her away.
She kissed him on the cheek on the way out leaving him to his devices.
"Hello John!" She said excited.
"Afternoon Sydney. Is Sherlock alright?" John was sitting at the desk on his laptop.
"Fine. He's making a break through with my case."
She said as she looked for the food.
"I've got leftovers. Is that what you're looking for?" He pointed at the white bag on the desk.
"Yes!" She grabbed the bag and sat on the couch with John watching her eating the food happily.
"I don't understand how you can be so cheerful and want to be with Sherlock." He said.
"It's life and death John. I told him his chances of dying and you know what he looked at me like I was the greatest thing ever. Like he found a weird sense of happy. It just felt nice to be wanted. Besides I'm going to die soon. I know it so why not." She said wolfing down the food.
John chuckled to himself and went back to his blog. Sydney watched the news for a little bit before showering and changing her clothes.
"Oh, Sydney. This came in for Sherlock." John said handing her a blue envelope.
"Oh?"
She looked at it.
It said 'S.H. 221 B Baker St.'
"That's not suspicous." She said out loud.
"Well it's for Sherlock so it's not that surprising." John chuckled going back to his work.
"Sherlock?" She entered the room jumping onto the bed. Sherlock stood there in his white button up and slacks.
"Hello darling."
"Guess what, my dead ex-boyfriend wrote us." She said handing him the letter.
"James Brook?" He looked at the letter with wild eyes.
He ripped opened the letter.
"It's addressed to me asking about you." Sherlock said.
"but why wouldn't he come here?"
"He's confided to the hospital. He wants me to meet him."
"It's a trap obviously."
"Then it's what we'll do." He said beaming at her with joy.
Sydney made a face but decided to go with it.
"Okay."
"Dead ex-boyfriend and my current boyfriend meeting. Sounds like a soap opera." She giggled.
"Come on, we've haven't got time to waste."
"Two seconds." She said grabbing her bag from the under the bed.
She grabbed a small brown purse and made sure she had what she needed.
"Okay, ready." She smiled at him.
"John are you coming?" Sydney asked as they made their way in the living room.
"Hm? Where?"
"We're meeting my dead ex-boyfriend."
John blinked but realized it was stupid to ask.
"Alright."
He sighed and followed the pair into the cab.
"So ex-boyfriend?" John asked.
"Dead ex-boyfriend. We dated for three days." She looked over at Sherlock.
"You're doing great in case you were wondering." She smiled at Sherlock.
"So dead ex-boyfriend wants to meet with Sherlock to find you?" John asked, this wasn't unusual but it was getting up there.
"Yup so you guys will question him and I will go for the kill."
"What! You're going to kill him?" John asked.
"Yeah. Either he's really my dead ex-boyfriend or an impersonater and either way he needs to be gone." She looked at him smiling.
John looked at the girl in fear and uncertainty. She had a point but to actually kill someone?
"John, don't start with your moral compass." Sherlock chimed in.
"Killing someone Sherlock?"
"It's obviously a trap John."
"You've killed someone before, haven't you?" Sydney asked John.
"I mean of course but,"
"You're overthinking this John. Don't worry you and Sherlock do your thing and I'll take care of the rest." She looked out the window, they were almost there.
"I guess I expect this from Sherlock and not just a woman I met." John chuckled.
"That's how we get you." Sydney winked smiling.
They arrived at St. Mary's Hospital.
"I don't understand why he's restrain, it's not like a mental hospital." Sydney said as they got out of the cab.
"Let's find out." Sherlock lead the way in.
"James Brook." He said to a nurse.
They were led to a room with two beds one empty and the other occupied by the man claiming to be James Brook. An iv was hook up to him and the other was cuffed linked to the bed.
"Sherlock Holmes. I didn't think you'd come that fast!" He said amazed.
James Brook was tall, pale, black hair, brown eyes, wearing a hospital gown. He was moderately attractive or at least Sydney found him to be attractive.
Sydney waited outside the room, waiting for the moment to strike.
"John Watson. Hello."
"Of course. I love the blog!" James smiled.
Sherlock cleared his throat.
"So what exactly was so interesting about this case of yours?"
Sherlock said trying to humour the man.
"Well I'm here because of my ex-girlfriend. Her name's Sydney and she tried kiling me."
"What evidence do you have of this?" Sherlock glanced over at John.
"Well we were having dinner and I don't remember exactly what happened but at some point she drugged me and dragged me to alleyway leaving me to die."
"Do you have witnesses? Anything credible?" John asked.
"This was six months ago. She tried harvesting my kidneys. I didn't die obviously but I was close."
Sydney came into the room dressed as a nurse changing the iv bag, doing her best not to glare at James.
"Anyways I'd figure it was strange case enough for Sherlock Holmes." James said continuing his story.
"How long were you dating Sydney?" John asked.
James cleared his throat and looked embarrassed.
"A week."
"Why would she want to kill you then?" John chuckled awkwardly.
"Well that's why I wrote you Mr. Holmes. I know it wasn't recent but obviously I had trouble getting here." James said pointing at the iv.
John turned to Sherlock, hoping he would say something.
"Do you know her whereabouts?"
He shook his head, "she doesn't stay in one place for long. Said she had a stalker, I thought she was just making it up. I was just trying to shag her but someone broke into my flat."
"Well thank you for wasting my time James Brook." Sherlock said turning to leave the room.
"Wait, Mr. Holmes! I swear it's a case worth looking into!" James cried out.
"Give me a name." He said stopping in the door frame.
"Sydney Holt. She's dangerous Mr. Holmes."
John glanced over at Sherlock he was talking to Sydney dressed as a nurse. Obviously she wanted James dead but walked away.
"Mr. Holmes?"
"Why the sudden interest in your ex-girlfriend?" He turned around to look at him.
"What?"
"It's been six months and you claim she's the one that put you here in the hospital but you're bandages and the lines around your wrist suggest you've been here a few hours." He took a step closer to observe more of James.
"I don't know what you mean. I just want to find her." James said.
"Then what? Have justice served?"
"Something along those lines." He said.
"You didn't answer the question. Why now?"
"I-" He took a moment. Sherlock and John glanced at each other, obvious James Brook wasn't who he said he was.
"The truth is I kinda miss her."
Sydney walked in with an old man on a mobile bed.
"Come along sir, it'll just be a moment." She said in a very american voice.
James looked away and cleared his throat.
"I know this is all weird but if anyone could understand it. It'd be you Mr. Holmes." He said.
Sydney had opened the curtains momentarily to let the room looked lighter. It gave a chance for the old man to see James Brook, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson were standing in the room.
"I don't work for free." Sherlock said.
"I'll pay you Mr. Holmes. Ten grand to find her."
John was taken back but the amount.
"Ten grand to find your ex-girlfriend?"
Sydney closed the curtains.
"Yes. Or even a location. Ten grand." He sounded desparate.
"Ten grand for an ex-girlfriend that may not want anything to do with you?" John asked.
"I'm turning her into her brother."
That got Sherlock's attention.
"What did you say?"
"I'm turning her into her brother. He offered me that kind of money. Why am I telling you this?"
Sydney came out from the curtains.
"Because that's truth serum in your i.v. bag James. Surprised. Thought you could lie your way here. Don't mess with me." She said dramatically taking the scrubs off.
"Oh my god Sydney! I've missed you."
"Sure you do." She did a hair flip and closed the door behind them.
"What about the old man?" John asked.
"He's deaf don't worry about it."
"Now hurry up and finish talking. You're suppose to be dead."
"I mean, nevermind. Shut up and tell us what we wanna know."
"Tobias Holt."
"Wonderful. Now if you'll excuse me." Sydney said leaving the room.
Sherlock and John watched her leave, while James was sitting there sweating and pleading with the two.
"Please, I don't wanna die."
