Chapter Nine: An Encounter In The Park
Later that night, Melissa sat in the living room of her flat, watching as the sky changed from a beautiful turquoise to a very deep violet. The weather had been unusually clear that night, allowing the beautiful colors of the sunset to be seen.
We're alike, you and I.
The words haunted her.
The room was becoming increasingly dark. The only light came from the flickering flames of her fireplace.
Melissa had always thought that becoming a detective would somehow solve all her problems. But it didn't change what she had done. Nothing ever would. But was Moriarty right? Was she nothing more than a criminal, like him?
No. She was nothing like him - she had told him so and now she had to stick to it.
Moriarty knew her secret and she knew that he wouldn't think twice about using it against her. She just had to make sure she was ready for whenever he unleashed it.
Her thoughts were racing. She couldn't stop thinking and it was moments like these that made her wish that she could just turn it off. Stop thinking and just be.
She tried to close her eyes but all she saw was her ex-boyfriend's face, pale and motionless, or Moriarty's smile, taunting her with the knowledge of her secret.
Melissa awoke a few hours later feeling utterly disoriented. She sat up to find that she was still on the couch, but the fire had diminished to a small, sputtering orange glow. She glanced at the clock to see that it said 2:43. Looking out the window, she saw that the sky was still unusually clear.
She deliberated for another moment before standing up and stretching. Her mind was still whirling with thoughts of the night she had tried so hard to forget.
She found that walking in the park across the street from her flat always helped to clear her mind. Maybe she was crazy for walking around London in the dead of night, but she didn't really care.
Melissa slipped on a pair of sneakers and wrapped herself in a scarf and jacket. She made sure she had her gun, her phone, and her keys.
Stepping out of her flat, she noticed that it was crisp and chilly. She pulled her jacket more tightly around herself, then locked the door and crossed the street.
The park was silent, as it was most nights like these. Melissa walked for a while and tried to clear her mind. It usually worked, but not tonight. All she could think of was the murder she had committed and her meeting with Moriarty.
She hadn't been surprised to find him alive after Sherlock's tale, yet she had found it unusual that he wanted to help her. He probably didn't even want to help her; more than likely, he wanted to use her to his advantage for some dastardly plan that he had orchestrated.
As she rounded a corner, following the dimly lit path, she saw a figure sitting on a bench ahead of her. She hesitated, considering turning around and walking the other way, before deciding to quicken her pace and continue down the path. The figure would have already spotted her from where he or she was sitting.
But as she approached the bench, she noticed that the man who occupied it was someone familiar.
"Fancy meeting you here," Melissa said softly, stopping in front of him.
He smiled slightly before replying, "I have an apartment in the area."
"Funny we haven't run into each other before then," she replied somewhat sarcastically, catching his bluff.
Moriarty gave a short laugh before his face became serious once more.
"It wasn't the right time for us to meet before," he explained, lacing his fingers together upon his lap. His hair was slightly messed up and his tie was loose and askew. She wondered what he had been up to prior to arriving in the park, but she had a feeling that she probably didn't really want to know. Melissa also noticed that he was still wearing his Westwood suit without a warmer jacket over it. It seemed to be rather chilly and she wondered how he wasn't freezing at the moment.
She settled herself upon the bench next to him and crossed her legs.
"I guess you were kind of right, you know," Melissa said quietly after a minute.
Moriarty gave her a quizzical look.
"You said that we were alike. Clearly we both enjoy late night walks," she elaborated, trying not to crack a smile at her own stupid joke.
Moriarty laughed once more, turning towards Melissa.
"That wasn't quite what I meant," he replied laughingly, and Melissa let out a small laugh as well, knowing all too well that that wasn't what he'd meant.
As they both fell silent a breeze caused the trees surrounding them to rustle. Melissa involuntarily shivered a little bit, pulling her jacket tighter around her.
Before she was even aware of what he was doing, Moriarty had stood up and removed his jacket, draping it around Melissa's shoulders.
"Oh, you didn't have to – "
"You're freezing."
"But you'll be – "
She fell silent under Moriarty's unwavering gaze that clearly indicated that she should shut up. Now he sat in only his ivory button down shirt and loosened dark blue tie. He must be freezing, she thought, but she understood that he wanted no further argument.
"Thank you," Melissa finally whispered, as he laced his fingers together and once more placed them upon his lap.
Moriarty looked as though he were about to say something, but then focused his gaze upon the ground instead.
Suddenly, the opening chords of Stayin' Alive began to play, followed by: Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk / I'm a woman's man / No time to talk.
Moriarty glanced at Melissa as he pulled his phone from the pocket of his pants. He looked at the screen then hit decline and returned his phone to his pocket.
"Sorry about that," Moriarty said.
"It's fine. Clearly you're a very busy man. Receiving calls at nearly three in the morning," Melissa observed in a light tone.
"The Consulting Criminal never rests," he replied dramatically, before his tone turned serious. "Speaking of which, I really should be getting back to my flat. I'm expecting a client."
"A client...? At three in the morning?" Melissa asked suspiciously.
"What can I say?" Moriarty said, raising a hand defensively. Then he whispered with a wink, "I'm still Mr. Sex."
Melissa leaned back and rolled her eyes. It was amazing how arrogant he was.
"Maybe I'll see you around, Detective Hughes," he said, standing up. And with that, he walked slowly down the path and around the bend.
It was only after Moriarty had rounded the bend and Melissa had stood up herself that she came to realize she still had Moriarty's jacket around her shoulders.
By the time Melissa returned to her flat, it was after 3:30. She pulled out her phone and quickly typed: "You forgot your jacket." and sent it to Moriarty.
With a man as calculating as Moriarty, he surely didn't leave it with her by accident. But why did he leave it then?
She reached into his outer pockets but came up empty-handed. Then she reached into the inner pocket to find a white business card. She must've pulled it out the wrong way though as the side she saw was completely blank. But she was dismayed to find the other side blank as well when she flipped it over. She held the card up to the light, but nothing changed. It was just blank.
Beep.
The screen on Melissa's phone lit up, signifying a text. Without really thinking, she slipped the business card into her own jacket pocket. Then she opened it to find that Moriarty had written back: "Well I'll just have to pick it up next time I see you. x JM"
Next time?
Melissa had a feeling that she was playing with fire by associating herself with him. She thought for a moment before deciding on: "Oh, I can't wait."
A split second later, she received a response that said: "I hope that wasn't sarcasm, love. x JM"
She wasn't entirely sure, but she didn't think it was.
A/N: I know that's not the part of Stayin' Alive that Jim has as his ringtone in A Scandal In Belgravia, but I thought it fit the circumstances better.
Thanks for reading, guys. :)
