So sorry about the long break...kinda lost track of the days. Anyway, here's another chapter! :)

Chapter 5

10:51 - Pentonville - Prison - Solitary Confinement

The cell itself was at the end of a long corridor, hidden away from the rest of the prison. The hall was dimly lit by a few flickering lights in a row along the ceiling. This area was reserved for the more dangerous criminals, which certainly did not bode well. John silently compared the situation to a horror film, but it made no note of it.

The guard unlocked the final door leading to the prisoner's cell and led them inside.

At first, they couldn't see anything. The figure in the cell was obscured by shadows in the dim light. There was the silhouette of a dog next to him, growling at the new visitors. When the guard stepped forward, the dog began barking aggressively, causing the guard to step away.

The prisoner stood from his bed, and his dog suddenly stopped.

"You have some visitors," the guard said.

The prisoner grunted.

Lestrade spoke up, "Sir, we would just like to ask you a few-"

"Gregory Lestrade," the prisoner said. He stepped forward into the light, revealing his face. "I remember you."

Lestrade seemed taken aback. "Hirano…"

Sherlock hadn't seen this face in years. It was an investigation he worked on with Lestrade. Needless to say, it was successful, but he had forgotten about it until now.

The man was tall in stature, but older, with greying hair and a pallid appearance. He seemed ancient in both manner and image. His eyes were glazed and clouded, blind from birth. He was of Japanese lineage, Sherlock remembered, who was born here in London.

"Shoichi Hirano," Sherlock murmured.

Hirano grinned menacingly. "I recognize your voices..." he said.

"Er...Sherlock?"

"This is Shoichi Hirano...an assassin."

Hirano's dog suddenly growled at Sherlock again, the bell around his neck ringing slightly has his head shook. Sherlock tensed up at the sound.

"That was his trademark, the bell. The dog would wear it around his neck. That's how you knew he was coming. It would be the last sound his victims would ever hear.

"Lestrade and I worked together on the investigation. We caught him, of course, and I testified against him in court. I suppose he hasn't quite forgotten."

Hirano smirked, his glassy eyes wandering listlessly.

"But this isn't why we're here," Sherlock seemed to relax a bit, "we need to-"

"The other detective was in here earlier. He didn't find anything regarding the case."

"You know about the investigation?"

"Everything."

Lestrade shifted uncomfortably, "...W-Where were you between 8 and 10 o'clock this morning?"

"Where do you think?" Hirano said irritably as he kicked the bars of his cell.

"So you didn't attend the play?"

"No. Didn't really want to, either."

"Did the other detective search your cell?"

"Yes. But they didn't find any murder weapon."

Sherlock glanced at the dog.

He knows that we're searching for the murder weapon.

Sherlock stepped closer to the cell to look inside. Lestrade followed along and began asking Hirano more questions.

Inside were several figures of some sort, but it was too dark to make any of them out. They appeared to be carved sculptures.

Why would they allow a dangerous assassin in solitary confinement such resources?

Further into the light, Sherlock saw a chessboard with a game already in play. A small scrap of paper was set to the side with a rough drawing on it.

"You play chess?" Sherlock asked, interrupting Hirano and Lestrade.

"...Yes," Hirano seemed pleased the Sherlock had noticed. "I play correspondence chess. Do you know what that is?"

"Two players have their own board and play over long distances, usually sending their chosen move the other player."

"It gives me something to do."

"How do you do it?" John asked, "...I mean...you're…"

Sherlock look closer at the chessboard one of the pieces was different. It looked like it had been sculpted into an odd shape.

"You do not need a proper pair of eyes to play chess," Hirano said.

One of the black pieces resembled a three-headed dog.

"Where has your dog been in the past few hours?" Lestrade asked.

"Kuro? With me, of course. He took a walk without me not long ago, though."

Something within the cell caught Sherlock's eye...a metallic glint reflecting off of something behind the chessboard.

"Why would you ask me where Kuro was?" Hirano asked.

Sherlock changed his angle slowly to see what was it was. It was silver…

"It's just standard procedures," Lestrade said.

It was a blade.

A chisel?

The dog, Kuro, apparently, saw Sherlock looking into the cell and began barking. Hirano tried to soothe him as Sherlock stepped away.

He spoke to the guard, "This man is in possession of a chisel. It must be confiscated immediately."

The guard sprung into action. As he unlocked the cell door, Kuro pulled away from Hirano and made an odd movement. He ran back to Hirano as the guard came in.

"Behind the chessboard," Sherlock told him.

"Uh...I-I don't see a chisel, sir."

"What?" Sherlock entered the cell to search with the guard. He searched all around the chessboard, but it seemed that the blade had vanished.

What the hell?

"You have no business here," Hirano said. "I have nothing to do with this case."

Sherlock glared at him. Before he could retort, he heard a door slam from outside. He rushed out of the cell to see who had arrived.

Killian, the prison warden, was accompanied by several guards. She seemed surprised by the group of people already present, but didn't bother.

"We need to take Mr. Hirano in for questioning," she told the guard.

10:55 AM - Pentonville - Prison - Hallway

Sherlock, John, and Lestrade had been ushered out of Hirano's cell so they could conduct their interrogation.

"I'm going to have a talk with Dimmock," Lestrade said. "He obviously missed something."

Sherlock nodded. "If you find anything, be sure to tell me."

Sherlock and John were on their own.

"Do you really think that dog killed him?" John asked.

"...It's not impossible."

"H-How?"

Sherlock wasn't sure if he should tell John. "When Hirano was at large...there was a rumor about him."

John seemed tense.

"Some people said that the victim would hear the sound of the bell tied around Kuro's neck. Then the dog would...bite the victim...not enough to kill...and then Hirano would...well…"

"...But that's just a rumor. It was never confirmed...was it?"

"...No…"