The front door of 221B Baker Street flew open with a bang. Out of it Stormed Sherlock Holmes, his eyes bright and a spring in his step. No one would have guessed he had had his first couple of hours of sleep in 4 days last night. Behind him came John, he was pulling on his coat as he ran after Sherlock, a look of annoyance on his face which was trying to hid the keen excitement that they were on another case.
"Excellent!" grinned Sherlock as John came to fall in step with him. "Just excellent!" he repeated beaming. "A case like this doesn't come along often!"
"Yes it is something new isn't it?" said John frowning but smiling as well. As he came into step with Sherlock he looked him up and down worriedly. Sherlock was still very pale and haggard looking, however his eyes where more alive than John had almost ever seen them and he walked with the force and speed of a man at the height of his physical health.
"You see John," continued Sherlock as they turned a sharp corner into a gloomy alleyway "If John Douglas's murderer was killed in place of him but he has since been found dead then..." They turned another sharp corner into an open busy street of tourists walking very slowly much to the infuriation of Sherlock who push past them rudely.
"Then it was an organisation which killed him?" asked John jogging to keep up with Sherlock apologizing hurriedly to the many disgruntled tourists who had been almost tripped over by Sherlock's urgency.
"Exactly what I was thinking. He could have been a hired assassin, although no one very notorious otherwise I would have recognised them." said Sherlock then added with a grin "Or an assassin who is one of them if we were lucky."
They hurried along another alleyway emerging next to a Marks and Spencer which Sherlock darted in pushing his way past the shopping isles and customers then going through the back entrance and out onto the street
"Now we have the brilliantly puzzling question to WHO wanted John Douglas and his wife out of the way!" John hurried to keep up, feeling as though if he hadn't been there then Sherlock would have just as happily said all this to the street. "Or should I say WHO didn't want the Douglas's to reveal something. Judging by their movements prier to the assassins mistake, they lived a quiet life. Maybe too quiet? Something must have happened recently to make these assassins make such a public attempt to kill them twice."
"Who then?" said John bluntly "and what something?"
"Exactly!" said Sherlock with glee and almost skipping with delight into a tall glass covered building, typical of the London business corporation. He then spun round sharply as John followed him making them bump into each other. "No John," said Sherlock slowly "I think it would be best if you stayed out here." Then he span back round and opened the door into the reception.
"What!" said John loudly after Sherlock feeling rather disgruntled at this wasted journey. Sherlock turned round again, letting the door close behind him. He walked over to John, their faces inches apart.
"The person who resides within this building is an old friend of mine," Sherlock said in a urgent but playful whisper. "We need to find out who we are dealing with and I believe she might be able to help us."
"Who is she?" asked John also in a whisper. Sherlock lent in even closer.
"My best connection to the underworld of London." he said with a cunning smile. "I think it would be best if I went alone, you know, the personal touch." He finished with a grin
"Right..." said John skeptically. He looked right into Sherlock's pale grey eyes in which to his surprise he saw a flicker of pained remorse and nostalgia in them. Sherlock blinked and this time his eyes had turned back into his usual look of cool calculating excitement. Then he grinned, turned away, and headed back up the steps. "I'll just go back to the flat then." John finished keeping his sudden glimpse into Sherlock's feelings to himself, he turned around to head back into the street trying and failing to remember the rout back.
"Oh John!" called Sherlock after him "Go to Scotland Yard! Pester Lestrade about finding more data on Ettie Douglas!"
"The wife?" said John turning to face Sherlock with a frown on his face "I thought she was innocent in all this."
"She must have known something, find her contacts, her relations and tell Lestrade to get off his ass and get to work! We might have a criminal organisation on our hands!" he finished grinning so broadly and getting some very strange looks from passers by. "See you in about a hour" he called over his shoulder as he strode into the glass reception.
John hailed a cab "Scotland Yard" he said mulling over what had just passed over Sherlock's eyes and the dangerous meeting that he knew he was going into. John could never remember the phrase 'old friend' ever sounding more ominous.
SBBCSBBCSBBCSBBC
Sherlock strode into the modern minimalistic reception area. "I'm here to see Miss Lindsey Pike" he said with a grin to the haughty receptionist who sat be hind a huge glass desk.
"Do you have an appointment?" he asked looking up at Sherlock suspiciously.
"No." said Sherlock smiling inanely.
"Then I'm sorry but Miss Pike is a very busy woman and can't just have people..."
"Tell her 'Sherlock Holmes' wants to see her" interrupted Sherlock "and I'm sure she will find the time for me." he smiled turning round with the swoop of his coat to the waiting area. He sat down on one of the luxurious sofas and pressed the tips of his fingers together knotting his eyebrows into one concentrated line. The receptionist looked at him with distain and then pressed the intercom and quietly spoke into it.
A few moments later a tall, glamorously dressed, middle-aged women stepped through the doors at the back of the reception. She opened her arms in greeting towards Sherlock who at the sight of her stood up and held out his hand.
"Sherlock!" she said warmly ignoring his out stretched hand and enveloping him in a loving embrace. Sherlock stiffened at this sudden attack and pushed her away.
"Miss Pike you don't want to do that, I have a terrible cold and would hate for you to catch it"
"Lindsey, please!" she insisted and then pulled away "You poor dear!" she said holding Sherlock at arms length and looking him up and down with a sympathetic look on her face "If you're so ill why have you come to me? I would hate for something awful to happen to you! Then again I wasn't expecting to see you again!" She laughed shrilly.
"I'm fine, really" said Sherlock brushing down his coat "and it's on different business that I call on you today."
"Oh really then?" she said raising her eyebrows, the warmth almost completely disappearing from her eyes "Better come strait into my office then."
Sherlock followed her along an ornate corridor with closed door on either side with brass words across them like: 'Financing' and 'Customer services'. Sherlock's eyes lingered on this door and Lindsey smiled and raised and eyebrow at him
"We could stop off if you want." She smiled mischievously.
"No thanks." said Sherlock, trying to hide the undertone of thirst in his voice.
"Very well then." she said playfully and strode to the end of the corridor and opened the big opaque glass doors to her office.
It was a huge room decked out with modern furniture and ornaments, a huge high backed black chair was positioned behind a thick driftwood style desk. She sat in it and gestured to the white leather armchair opposite the desk for Sherlock to sit in. He obliged sinking into the cushions until his knees almost rose up to his chest, then deciding that he looked ridiculous, perched on the edge of the armchair leaning over towards Lindsey Pike smiling sweetly.
"Please tell me everything you know about the assassins from the John Douglas case." He said with a sickly sweet smile.
YAY things finally got moving in this chapter! Hope you like it so far, would really appreciate some reviews 3
