Chapter Three
John walks up to the front door of Scotland Yard. He nods hello to all the officers he knows and walks on up to Detective Lestrade's office. He enters the floor where Lestrade is based and pushes open the door to open desk area of Lestrade's team. He stops open mouthed at the scene before him. 'You took your time John.' Lestrade mutters.
'Yeah well, dealing with a Holmes can be life changing.'
'And don't I know it.' Lestrade grins.
'No, you really don't Detective Inspector.' John mutters. 'You really don't. Where's Sherlock?'
'You missed all the fun John. Sherlock got so bored that he decided to solve all our unsolved thefts. He led us straight to the thief but we don't know her real name. Sherlock reckons that he can worm it from her.'
'I doubt that.'
'How?'
'Where are they?'
'My office.' John walks over to the office and pushes the door open revealing Anne-Marie and Sherlock sitting opposite each other locked in a battle of wills.
'Not now John.'
'Anne-Marie Florence.' Anne-Marie visibly flinches.
'How-' Sherlock and Lestrade say together.
'You didn't say my surname.'
'A name you hate.'
'John, how do you know her?' Sherlock tries to interject but both Anne-Marie and John ignore him.
'How do you know me?'
'I know your father.'
'No one knows my father, not really.'
'You could say no one really knows anyone.' John counters.
'True.' She concedes. 'But it's doubly so for my father.' John inclines his head.
'He told me about your brother and sister. He hates himself for it.'
'Am I supposed to feel sorry for him?'
'If he could change it he would. He is crying at this very minute, well maybe not now but he was when I left.' Anne-Marie shrugs.
'And?'
'Happy Birthday, Anne-Marie Florence, twenty-eight today. Where's your mother?' Anne-Marie laughs.
'Nice try, a very nice try.'
'He just wants to see her. He misses her and you.' John retrieves his phone from his pocket and accesses the most recent picture. He turns the screen towards the young woman. 'Have a look.' She reaches apprehensively for the phone. She looks closely at the picture.
'Me with-'
'Stephen and Amy celebrating your mother's 45th.' Anne-Marie looks up at John with tears in her eyes.
'How?'
'I told you. I misses you.' John gestures to the pictures of various heists and break-ins. 'Rather pathetic way to catch his attention though.'
'He'll pull strings.'
'I doubt it young lady.' Sherlock interrupts unable to stay silent much longer.
'She's right, he will. He's not going to lose his only surviving child.'
'Who is her father?'
'For a genius you are rather thick Sherlock.'
'Anne-Marie, he thanks you for saving Victoria.'
'Her name isn't victoria you know.'
'We know.'
'Why did you save her?' Anne-Marie rises from her seat and uses her handcuffed hands to shove Sherlock firmly in the chest.
'I couldn't not save my godmother, you moron.' Anne-Marie yells as she pulls her hand out of the handcuffs and flees out of the office. All the officers make to go after her. John stops them with a wave.
'I know where she's headed.'
'She's got your phone John.'
'I know, she'll return it. I trust her.'
'Who is she John?' Lestrade asks.
'A very scared, confused young lady, She wants nothing more than to be with her father but hates him because he was too slow to act to stop the deaths of her siblings.' Lestrade reclaims his seat.
'Who were they?'
'According to the newspapers, Stephen Michael Tilbury and Amy Sophia Tilbury.'
'According to the papers?'
'Their mother's maiden name was given to the press.'
'Joy-Anne Tilbury?' Lestrade asks. John nods. Lestrade's eyes open. 'He's her father. HE is HER father?' John laughs and nods again
'Who?'
'What was that picture?'
'The last photo ever taken with all three kids pictured. Three days later Stephen and Amy were kidnapped and Anne-Marie tried and failed to get her father to listen. The died a week later.'
'BUT WHO?' Sherlock thunders. John ignores him and makes his way to the door.
'Come on Sherlock.'
