Notes: Hello, everybody! Hope you are all fine! Here's chapter seven. Thank you so much for keep following the story and reviewing, commenting and all the favorites. I love reading your impressions. You are all freaking amazing!
Last chapter I don't know if I was clear enough as to how John was able to find Abelia's car through MSpy. Not everybody knows MSpy, so let me explain.
Abelia had the software called MSpy (My Spy) on her laptop. MSpy can track cell phones in the background without the owner's knowledge. On her contact list, John's found two contacts: Abelia and David. When he double clicked Abelia's cell phone, a map was showed, with a purple pin jumping on the exact location of the cell phone. So, as she was with her cell phone, he was able to follow the direction and find her, before the battery on the laptop died and before they entered the woody area where there was no cell service.
Not betaed. All errors are mine. But if you see something wrong, you can tell me so I can fix it on the next update (I really appreciate being corrected! It's the only way to improve my writing, isn't it?).
Disclaimer: I don't own Sherlock, or Stephen King's works, since I may have included some reference to one of his books somewhere within the story.
Warning: This chapter contains violence.
Chapter 7
"Sherlock, before I start, I need you to know that I love them with all my heart. Both of them. They've been my best friends since I started working here. They always supported me and helped me through difficult times, especially David. And they've been through a lot. I will not stand if you get to be judgmental about them." Samantha was still sitting on David's executive chair, and she was unsure on how to start this conversation.
"Samantha, I'm here to find David's murderer not to judge anyone." Sherlock tried to reassure her.
"OK. So let me get this out of the way. David was gay. And so is Stephen."
"Yes, I figured Stephen might be homosexual."
"How?" She asked surprised.
"I've been at his studio flat. He doesn't exactly try to hide it on his own home."
"It was the Elvis Presley, James Dean and Mickey Rourke's posters that gave him away?"
"Well, not just that, but yes. After seeing them, I noticed some subtle signs on his flat decorations and on his body language. But, never mind. Keep going."
"They met years ago, in college and fell in love. They moved in together and, although everybody thought they were roommates, they were in fact boyfriends. Of course their families suspected something was going on between them, but it was easier to close their eyes and pretend they were just friends. But Stephen was not happy and he wanted to get out of the closet, if you know what I mean. This was the main motive for them to argue, because David didn't want anybody to know." Samantha took a deep breath and continued.
"Stephen told his parents when he was still in college. They didn't accept and demanded him to stop seeing David. After that he avoided his parent's house, going to David's parents every holiday."
"They had a problem with drugs and alcohol?" Sherlock asked, remembering what Mrs. Anderson had told him yesterday.
"Maybe, but nothing serious. They were young and they were in college. They grew out of it before it could become a real problem. But after college they had a dilemma. Stephen wanted to go to Canada and start a new life with David without lies. David wanted to work on his parents' company, and he wanted their relationship to remain a secret. They couldn't get to an agreement so they decided to break." Samantha brushed her blond hair out of her eyes. She looked exhausted. The bags under her eyes told Sherlock that she had barely slept last night.
"Stephen lived in Canada for a while, but when he ran out of money, he returned to his parents' house. He lived there for a while, but his parents were very homophobic, especially his dad. When a friend told his dad that Stephen was in a gay bar kissing a man, his dad beat him very hard. He had to stay in the hospital for a few days, and when he left the hospital, he went to David's for help. You can imagine the rest. David got him a position in Anderson's company and they became a secret couple again."
"What about Abelia." Sherlock asked.
Samantha sighed. "David was a conflicted man. He was raised in a house with a very religious mother and a very intelligent, pushful and strict father.
"Mrs Anderson was a very sick woman on her youth, before she got married. The doctors didn't think she would make it to adulthood. So everybody on her family did everything they could to make her feel better. They'd do everything she asked and would grant all her wishes. Nowadays, she's not a bad person, she treats everyone kindly enough, but she's also used to have all her wishes done without questions. Back then, she was able to defeat the disease, and it was a little miracle, indeed. After that she became a very religious woman and raised her son under her beliefs.
"As to David's father, he is the one who managed to build up the Anderson's company and bring it to where it stands now. He built the Anderson's fortune with a lot of hard work, and David was really proud of him. And he wanted his father to be proud of him, too. His father wanted David to follow his steps and take over the family company.
"So, David loved his parents and wanted them to be proud of him. And he thought that exposing his homosexuality would disappoint them. I'm not trying to defend his behavior I'm just trying to set the background so you can understand his actions."
"When Stephen was back to David's life, Mrs. Anderson was very worried with her son's soul or whatever. She began to press him into finding a girlfriend, to get married and have children. He was able to resist her demands until she got breast cancer about a year ago. She used it to emotionally blackmail him into start dating Abelia, who she herself introduced to David. He started dating her behind Stephen's back, only to please his mother. Stephen discovered, of course, and they broke up again. They had huge fights concerning Abelia in the office, in front of everyone. But I don't think anyone knew what the fights were really about. Abelia certainly didn't know about them. She always thought I was the one who wanted David. One day I had a serious conversation with David and tried to talk some sense into him, and he decided to dump her and try to win Stephen's forgiveness. The S and D pendant was an apology gift. But then, Abelia got pregnant, which I think was totally on purpose, and his parents demanded him to marry her."
"So David and Stephen were not together anymore?"
"When the threats to David's life began, they approached again. I think David had no intention to marry Abelia. He wanted Stephen back. But he cared about her and didn't want to break her heart. Besides, she is pregnant. He had his child to consider."
"Do you think they really loved each other? Stephen and David?" Sherlock asked curious.
"When David's father called me after he identified the body, he asked me to tell everyone in the office. So I gathered everybody in the meeting room and told them the bad news. Stephen excused himself and ran to the restroom. Everybody was sad and upset, but Stephen was devastated. I gave him some space, but he was taking too long to come back, so I went to the restroom and demanded him to open the door. He did and I stepped inside. He was crying, Sherlock. He leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. It broke my heart to see him like that, so I opened the cabinet and took one of those 'Restroom closed for cleaning' sign and hung it outside. Then I sat down on the floor with him, held him and we both cried, I don't know for how long." Samantha said sadly, picking up another post-it and drawing again.
"I took him to my room and gave him one of my Valium pills. Then I took him home. I didn't want to leave him alone, so I stayed in his house last night. We talked about David. The good moments, the funny moments and the bad moments. He was so sleepy! But I made him eat something before I put him to bed. I couldn't sleep, so I stayed up till late night, drinking a lot."
"I need to ask you one more question. When you last talked to David?"
"I didn't talk to him while he was hiding. He only called his father and Stephen regularly, and Abelia sometimes."
"Do you know what he was doing on Baker Street that night?"
"No. I have no idea."
"So, the facts are: David was engaged to Abelia but loved Stephen. He started to be threatened and he was attacked once. He was scared so he decided to hide and investigate his principal suspect. He told everyone he was in Canada, but he was staying in a hotel outside London. At some point in his investigation he decided to contact me. Although nobody knew exactly where he was, he was still afraid, because he didn't go to my place during the day, he waited until after midnight to try to contact me. And in that very night he was murdered." Sherlock said thoughtfully. He looked Samantha in the eye. "The murderer knew that David was going to look for me. And he killed him before he could reach me." He concluded.
"Oh, my God! But why? What David was going to tell you?"
"What I need to know now is who else knew David was going to meet me. I know for sure that Stephen knew it. Now I need to know if Abelia also knew it and if she knew about David and Stephen. Sherlock picked up his cell phone to call John. "I have someone in her house right now. I'm going to ask him to..." He trailed off.
"What?" Samantha asked.
"The battery is dead." Sherlock said, looking at his cell phone.
"You can call him from my phone." Samantha said and, in the same time, the phone rang.
"Yes, Martha?" She answered the receptionist call.
"There's a man from Scotland Yard named Lestrad on line two. He wants to talk to Mr. Holmes."
"It's Lestrad from Scotland Yard." Samantha said passing the phone to Sherlock.
"Sherlock."
"Sherlock! What the hell! What's the problem with your cell phone?" Lestrad said from the other end. "I've been looking for you for ages!"
"Is there something wrong?" Sherlock asked worried.
"Yes! Abelia is missing! John called me and told me someone invaded her house and took her."
"What?" Sherlock asked in disbelief.
"He was the first one there, but he is not there right now. I'm going to Cambridge."
"Have you left London yet?"
"No, not yet. Why?"
"Come here to get me. I'm going with you." Sherlock said ending the call.
"What happened?" Samantha asked.
"Abelia is missing." Sherlock said getting up from his chair.
"Oh, my God!" She got up too.
"She was kidnapped from her home in Cambridge. Where is Stephen?"
"What? You are not suspecting him, are you?"
"I just want to know if he is in London right now. Just call him, OK? I'm going to call John. May I use you phone?" Sherlock said picking up the phone without waiting for her answer.
The two people in the room jumped to their feet, turning to face John wide-eyed.
"Oh, my God, John! You scared the shit out of me!" Abelia said, putting her hands on her heart, as soon as she realized who it was.
"Who is this?" The man on her side asked, pointing the fireplace poker to John, who immediately remembered he was carrying a knife, which he pointed to the man.
"He is John Watson. The doctor I told you about." Abelia said turning to John. "How did you get here?"
"How did I get here? I thought you were in danger! I followed your cell phone with your My Spy on your laptop!"
The man with a hood turned to look at Abelia with angry eyes.
"OK! It was my fault. I completely forgot to bring my laptop with me!" Abelia said raising her hands in a gesture of an admission of guilt. "But how could I imagine he would use my own laptop to track me?"
"Is your cell phone off?" Jimmy asked sharply.
"There is no service here!"
"Turn off your cell phone, Abelia! Now!" Jimmy said authoritatively.
"OK!" Abelia picked up her cell phone from her pocket and turned it off.
"Who are you?" John asked looking at the man.
"He is my brother Jimmy." Abelia said, brushing her hair out of her eyes, in a nervous gesture.
John began to think hard, trying to find out what was going on. Abelia forged her own kidnapping? No, that was not possible. But she clearly wasn't happy to see him here, and she sure doesn't seem someone who needed rescuing from a kidnapper. Was this man really her brother? Has John understood all wrong, and therefore, he was making a fool of himself? And what they were doing in this place? Did this house belong to them?
John took a quick look around the place and his brows furrowed. The living room was very charmingly decorated in a cottage-style. Cozy couches and armchairs in neutral colors, made in natural materials were disposed in the big living room. The beautiful flowers in the garden outside were visible through the big windows on the front of the house. But John was impressed with the amount of photos disposed all around the living room. Some of them were from David working on the garden outside or smiling in a breathtaking landscape. Some were from another man, with brown hair and hazel eyes, with a leather jacket in a motorcycle or with an apron in the kitchen, cooking a meal. But what had John gaping were some selfies with both of them holding each other and smiling to the camera. In one of these photos they were … kissing? "What the hell?" John thought.
"What are we going to do now? I never imagined he would be able to follow us here." Abelia asked worried.
"It could be the police Abelia!" Jimmy said still angry at his sister.
"I know! I said I'm sorry! What do we do now?"
"Does anybody know you are here?" Jimmy asked slowly, looking John in the eye.
John sensed a change in the atmosphere. The question had a hint of a threat to it, as if, in case he said no, his life wouldn't be worth anymore. John remembered he hadn't managed to talk to Sherlock, and the last time he spoke to Lestrad he hadn't told him he was going to follow Abelia's car. So nobody knew where he was.
But he didn't need to share this information. He needed to buy sometime to think what to do next.
"Were they lovers? David and that man in the photos?" John asked looking straight to Abelia.
She avoided eye contact and didn't answer.
"And you knew it." It wasn't a question anymore. John thought about what Sherlock had said about the 'D' and 'S' pendant. The 'S' was not for Samantha. The 'S' was that man's initial. And Abelia was particularly vehement when accusing David's best friend, Stephen, of murder. Was this man Stephen? And the most important question: "Are both of you involved in David's death?" John asked aloud.
Abelia looked quickly at her brother, who moved so fast, that took John totally out of guard. In one fluid move, he stepped on the couch and hit John on the head with the poker. John fell to the ground, his vision blurred and the knife flew from his hand. Jimmy jumped from the couch straddling John's hips and picking up the knife, holding it to his throat.
John felt an excruciating pain on his head. Everything was spinning and he felt himself drifting. He fought against unconsciousness, trying to bring Jimmy's face, above him, back to focus. He could feel blood dripping from the wound on his head and he started feeling nauseous. As a doctor he knew he had to stay conscious. If he was luck, he was now with a severe concussion, but in the worst case scenario, he would be with some kind of head trauma.
"Stop!" Abelia screamed, although, for John her voice was muffled. "Give me the knife, Jimmy!"
"Why?" Jimmy's dark eyes were on John, following his every move with interest.
"You can't kill him! His friend is one of the best detectives on UK."
"OK, Abelia. You are right. So let's apologize for being so rude to him. Let's give him a ride home and let's ask him to kindly not tell anyone anything, and we'll be cool!" Jimmy said sarcastically, while pressing the knife to John's throat, cutting the skin. John felt sick and tried to turn his head to the side to avoid choking on his own vomit.
"Jimmy, Stephen will be here soon. We need to stick to the plan. Let's do what we need to do. We can leave him here. Nobody except Stephen knows this place. He can scream his lungs out and nobody is going to hear. Meanwhile, we can find out if anybody knows he is here, and we can think this situation through, before we do something we'll regret later." Abelia said pleadingly. She was afraid. Jimmy loved being in control, and it was very hard to dissuade him, once he had made up his mind. And the way he was looking at John right now sent shivers down her spine.
"Jimmy, look at me!" Abelia screamed again. "Give me the damn knife!"
Jimmy looked at his sister considering. Finally he gave up and agreed. "OK. I'll lock him in the bedroom. Then we'll wait for Stephen.
"OK." Abelia said relieved.
"And Abby, when Stephen arrives, you get him out of the house as quickly as possible. We don't want him wandering around the house and finding this guy in his bedroom. Take him with you in your car. I'll be hiding upstairs."
"OK, don't worry. I'll do everything like we planned."
Jimmy felt John trying to roll over underneath him.
"Are you not going to pass out already? Abelia, would you give me the wood vase, please?" Jimmy asked coldly, but politely.
Abelia took the slim wood vase from the coffee table and handed it to her brother, who had picked up John's cell phone from his pocket and turned it off.
"Thank you." Jimmy struck John in the other side of his head with the vase, knocking him out.
Next chapter: John suffers.
Sherlock examines the crime scene in Abelia's house and finds out an important clue.
Abelia and Jimmy are up to no good and so, someone else is in danger.
Following chapters: Sherlock meets Jimmy, gets really angry at him and has to be escorted out of the building by the security guard.
