Jury duty, day two. Sherlock sat on his seat in the jury panel, bored. Hurry up and bring out the witnesses folks! He was so close to finding out what really happened! He carefully did not consider the fact that later today, the jury would actually meet and discuss whether the defendant was guilty or not. It was clear that Timothy was innocent of the murder, but parts of his story did not match up. For all Sherlock knew, he could very well have been the stalker and witnessed Keen stabbing Leister when he assaulted her instead. Perhaps the witnesses would help. Or perhaps not.

Judge Simon was reviewing the case as it stood since yesterdays'- interruption. Sherlock shifted in his seat impatiently. He stared at the empty spot where the woman who had vomited on him yesterday was supposed to sit. Evidently, she had elected to bow out of this court case.

Too bad he couldn't as well.

"Will the first witness for the prosecution stand up?" Judge Simon asked. A tall woman stood up from the witness' bench and walked nervously over to the stand.

"I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth." She repeated after the Court Clerk told her her lines. Keen's Lawyer stood up.

"Dr. Kayla."

"That's me."

"Are you aware why you have been called to the witness stand today?" Sherlock shook his head. Amateur! he was leading the witness!

"Um, because you want to question me?"

"Please tell us about Ms. Keen."

"Well, she works as a receptionist at my veterinarian clinic."

"Has she been employed for long?"

"A year to this day, and I must say, she's a good person, even if a bit out of it at times."

"Thank you. And what would you say her mood has been these past two weeks or so?"

"Um, she's been a bit jumpy? I don't know what word to use, but she still come to work every day at her usual time."

"So her habits are regular, you've just noticed a certain paranoia about her."

"Paranoid! Yes, that's the word."

"Thank you Dr. Kayla that will be all from me."

"Would the defense like to cross-examine the witness?" Judge Simon asked.

"Yes your honor, we would." Here Timothy's lawyer stood up and walked in front of the witness stand.

"Dr. Kayla, you mentioned that, and I quote 'she's a good person, even if a bit out of it at times.' Would you please elaborate on the second half of that statement?" Sherlock nodded thoughtfully, glad that the defense had noticed that statement.

"Well, you know, she's forever reading. Any chance she has she's off reading the latest Yirin Tailwind book or something. Has her head in the clouds often. But she still does her job well and promptly." Dr. Kayla hurried to elaborate. Sherlock didn't miss the guilty look she gave to Keen, so, since Dr. Kayla ran her own clinic, she could chose her employees personally. And she obviously felt loyalty to them.

"So could this paranoia she had been demonstrating be just her siccing herself up to hysterics?" Leading the witness again.

"Maybe, I don't know much about her personal life."

"Did Keen take time off work recently?"

"A few weeks ago she took three days off due to a nasty tumble down some stairs."

"Stairs?"

"That's what she said."

"But you don't believe this."

"Well…"

"Your honor, he's badgering the witness!" Lawyer for prosecution said. Judge Simon considered this.

"Very well, Dr. Kayla that is all we need from you." She looked relived. His fellow jurors were furiously taking notes; Sherlock just sat there and filed it in his mind palace for quick reference.

"Next witness please, we don't have all day." Judge Simon chivvied.

This time, it was a man, (Chinese, has a dog, surgeon's hands.) and after he had made his affirmation, he stood completely still, waiting.

"Your name and position at Pleasant Pets?"

"I'm Lei Chu, I am the surgeon at the pet clinic."

"And how do you know Ms. Keen?"

"She's the receptionist."

"How would you describe her?"

"Blonde hair, average height, blue eyes."

"Her personality I meant." The lawyer was visibly getting frustrated. Sherlock was beginning to like this Lei Chu.

"Then why didn't you say so?"

"I'm asking the questions here." Sherlock snorted. Cliché or what?

"Ms. Keen seems to be a professional individual, very soft spoken. She likes books."

"The both of you mentioned that she reads books. This is something everyone notices about her?"

"I wouldn't know about everyone, but she's seldom seen without a book or a rather vacant expression behind her receptionist face. As if she's not entirely present."

"Are you aware of her personal life?"

"No, why should I know?"

"That will be all." Lei rolled his eyes but stood stoically, looking evenly between Keen, who was idly pulling the sleeve of her left arm over her hand and Timothy, who sat in his place with an expression of worry on his face.

"Would the defendant like to cross-examine the witness?"

"No your honor."

"We the prosecution have one more witness, who claims to have seen Timothy exiting the alley in a state of disarray and panic."

"Get on with it then." Sherlock mumbled, his suspicions about what was going on were starting to become clear.

This man was skinny and pale (homeless, though not one of his irregulars, addicted to crystal meth.) He stood uncomfortably in an obviously borrowed clean shirt and grubby jeans. His hand shook slightly.

"Adrien. You told the police that came to the crime scene that you saw Timothy leaving the alley. Your exact quote was 'There was this man cleaning a knife and shoving it into his boot. Heavy set, he looked like he'd been in a scuffle. I just figured you cops would want to know 'cause I sure as hell ain't looking to find out what's going on.' End quote."

"Yeah, I said that."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Nope." Sherlock groaned. Why were these lawyers incapable of asking the right questions?

"After Timothy had left the alley, but before Scotland Yard came, did anyone else leave the alley?"

"No, only the lady who was crying over the stiff they were carrying on a stretcher."

"And you didn't see anyone entering the alley."

"Well, I might have seen this Timothy guy going into the alley, but I can't be sure because I just caught a glimpse before I moved on." To get his next fix. Sherlock thought cynically. He knew how people like him worked.

"That will be all." The prosecution said hastily, abruptly. Sherlock smiled with delight. The druggie had admitted he saw Timothy entering the alley sans Keen. He couldn't have assaulted her. It must have been the other way round, with Leister making unwanted advances upon her!