More, more, more!
Sherlock tightened his coat around him as he exited the cab and waded through the snow to Bemidji's police station. He walked through the doors and shook off the white powder that had accumulated on his shoulders and hair.
"Gee buddy, you're gonna catch the death bein out in that!" A woman at the front desk said to him.
"Surely. Perhaps you could help me..." He said.
"Oh, you're British! How exotic!" She said excitedly.
"Right..." Sherlock paused for a moment and observed the woman, "I am looking for Molly Solverson..."
"Woh hoh, Molly's got two gentleman callers in one day. She'll be thrilled." She picked up the phone and spoke softly into it. Sherlock looked around his immediate area, eyes snapping back to the front when he saw a door open and a smiling brunette walk to him.
"You're the one sent to us from London, then?" She smiled and he couldn't help but return the grin.
"Uh, yes. Name's Watson... William Watson." He shook her hand and she led him back into the desk area, he sat next to another police officer, obviously not from Bemidji as he was wearing blue and everyone else was wearing brown.
"Uh this is Gus Grimly, from Duluth." Molly introduced him and he waved politely at Sherlock.
"I can assure you Mr. Grimly, I am of no threat to your budding relationship with Miss Solverson here. You have no need to be threatened by me. I am here to catch Lorne Malvo." Sherlock said quickly, the two officers barely had time to catch what he said. Gus cleared his throat, his cheeks going red. Molly spoke first.
"You know about Malvo?" She smiled, hope flickered behind her eyes.
"Yes. He's not the man you all think he is. He's extremely dangerous." Sherlock said and Molly let her eyes wander to Gus.
"Oh we know, Mr. Watson." She said.
"Yeah, we know all too well." Gus sighed. Sherlock turned to him and read him in an instant before he could reveal what happened.
"You let him go." Sherlock said and they snapped their eyes to him.
"How'd you know that?" Gus asked, sitting up straight.
"I am an expert at reading people. You will find by the end of the night that it comes in handy." Sherlock said and they looked at each other again, "You have someone you want me to question, don't you?" Sherlock rolled his eyes.
"Yeah huh. Lester Nygaard." Molly said, excitedly, "He's lied to us from the get go."
"Well I can assure you, that whatever this Lester Nygaard is hiding from you, I'll be able to figure it out. Can I look at the crime scenes?" Sherlock asked and again the two officers looked at each other.
"Probably not, no... You see it's been a few weeks... And the..."
"The evidence has been tampered with and there's probably nothing to go off of?" Sherlock inquired and they both nodded, "Well then tell me all the facts." They nodded again and dove into the story of Sam Hess, Pearl Nygaard and Vern Thurman.
"So you see, Mr. Watson... There wasn't much I could do after Vern's death. Bill became chief and I basically get shut down at every turn." Molly shrugged and looked down at her hands. Sherlock scoffed.
"You seem to be one of the most competent detective's I've ever met. I'd love to have worked with you in London. Someone who could actually keep up with me and Jo-" Sherlock cut himself off, "Nevermind that... They just don't know what they're missing is all." Sherlock smiled at the end of his complement, just like John had taught him and Molly smiled back before looking up.
"Well would ya look at that. Lester is here." Molly said and Gus turned around.
"We should question him now, that would be very time eff-" Sherlock stopped talking the moment he turned and saw Lester Nygaard walk into their area. The short blonde man spotted them and walked timidly to where they were seating. Sherlock stared, his mouth open.
"Oh hi there Molly." The man said and Sherlock shook his head in disbelief, "Officer uh, Grimes, was it?" He asked nervously, holding out his hand for Gus to shake.
"Grimly." Gus said and took it, standing up, causing Lester to turn his gaze upward.
"And this is Mr. William Watson." Molly introduced Sherlock and he stood, still staring in disbelief at Lester, "Mr. Watson, this is Lester Nygaard."
"Nice to meet ya, Mr. Watson. W-W. Fun initials." He laughed nervously and held his hand out to Sherlock, who kept his eyes fixed on Lester's face. Lester looked from Molly to Gus and back to Sherlock. His breath hitched as Sherlock took in every detail he could.
"Mr. Watson?" Molly asked, her eyes becoming worry stricken, she looked to Gus for help. Gus snapped his fingers in front of Sherlock's face and he blinked.
"Oh, uh... So sorry. How rude of me." Sherlock took Lester's hand into his and shook it, recognizing upon touch that this man that looked so much like John Watson, was not John Watson at all. This man was a coward, and murderer. A liar and... A very bad insurance sales man, by the looks of him.
"Yeah, well uh... The guys wanna take me out to dinner... So I'll catch you folks later." Lester laughed and gulped upon looking at Sherlock once more as he turned on his heels and tried to walk away. Sherlock's gaze followed him.
"Actually, Mr. Nygaard, I was wondering if I could have a quick word with you." Sherlock said and Lester turned back, the fear becoming obvious to only Sherlock.
"Oh, uh... Not sure if there's time, pal. I'll have to catch up with you later." Lester tried to walk away again.
"Oh Lester, you weren't supposed to be here till 5!" Bill shouted from his office. Lester closed his eyes and bowed his head in defeat. Sherlock smirked and Molly smiled at Gus who stifled a laugh.
"It seems that you have thirty whole minutes to speak with us, Lester." Sherlock said, being sure to linger on his name.
"Well would ya look at that. I do." Lester laughed and turned back to them, following them into an interrogation room. He sat across the table from the three of them. Sherlock was between Gus and Molly, staring directly into Lester's soul, "So um..." Lester cleared his throat and looked down at his hand, which he turned into a point and pressed against the tabled, "I already told Bill everything... So uh, I was under the impression... That uh, there wouldn't be anymore questions regarding this... Whole um... You know, this whole ordeal." Lester looked back up at them at the end up his sentence, they all sat, unfazed.
"Lester..." Sherlock began, tilting his head ever so slightly at the man who wore his doctor Watson's face, "Have you ever been held at gunpoint before?" He asked and Lester was taken aback, he blinked multiple times.
"Uh, no. I can't say I have." Lester smiled ever so slightly, still blinking.
"That'd be a lie." Sherlock said, "The placement of that wrap on your hand tells other stories. You were on your knees, hands to your head when Vern was shot." Molly and Gus let their eyes widen at this revelation, "I'd go so far as to wager that Vern was the one holding you at gun point when he was shot. Obviously he wasn't shot by you. He was shot by a marks man, with your shot gun."
"I... Uh..." Lester stuttered for a moment before sitting back, staring unemotionally at Sherlock. He looked down and laughed a bit before looking back up, "You got all that from my hand?" Lester held up his hand and looked at Sherlock before laughing again, "Ah geez that's a good trick." His laughter got louder and thicker before he finally calmed down and Sherlock's brow furrowed in confusion, "How can you guys believe this guy? He's just looking at my hand and making guesses!"
"They're not guesses, Mr. Nygaard, they're fully formed deductions." Sherlock defended himself and Lester stopped laughing. He seemed to look through Sherlock, as if he was realizing something.
"Hey, aren't you uh... Supposed to be dead?" Lester asked, the image he saw on TV earlier clicking in his mind.
"Excuse me?" Sherlock asked, realizing he'd been sussed.
"Yeah, you're supposed to be dead. I saw it on T.V. earlier today." He smiled and sat back, crossing his arms, "Huh. Would ya look at that." He laughed and glanced up dangerously at Sherlock, "It seems we've got a dilemma on our hands." Sherlock breathed deeply, understanding Lester was a severely disturbed individual.
"Whatever you think you know, Lester... I suggest you forget it immediately." Sherlock threatened.
"I could say the same to you, pal." Lester continued to smile at Sherlock, who promptly stood and left the room, Molly and Gus followed shortly there after.
"Hey what was that?" Molly asked.
"Lester Nygaard murdered his wife and framed his brother for it. Without evidence I cannot validate my deductions. But yes, he does know who killed Sam Hess and Vern Thurman, I am sure of it." Sherlock said quickly, "Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going."
"Wait, Mr. Watson!" Molly called after Sherlock, but he was already through the doors of the police station. She sighed and turned to Gus who was watching Lester walk smugly out of the interrogation room and into Bill's office. He rolled his eyes and thrust himself back against the wall. Molly joined him.
"We have to figure something out." Gus said, "We will figure something out."
"I'm not so sure, Gus." Molly sighed again, "This whole thing is just so fudged up!" She said exasperated. He stood up straight and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, calming her.
"Hey hey. It'll be ok, I promise." He said softly as he turned to see a short blonde man walk into the station, "Moll... Does uh, Lester have a twin?" He asked and Molly picked her head up from her hands.
"Not that I know of, why?" She asked, eyes wide as she turned her head to see the man who was walking toward them.
"Hello, I was told I could find Molly Solverson here." He said, she noted his British accent, "I'm John Watson, I'm here to help."
DUN DUN DUUUUNNNNN! I'm not sure why I decided, 'I'm John Watson, I'm here to help' is dun dun dun worthy... heh.
Anywho, what did ya think!?