A few hours later Sherlock came back without a John. He told me about the gallery attendant being killed by Golem, an assassin, because he knew the Vermeer painting was a fake. When John comes back, we're going to find the Golem and I could come.
"Alex Woodbridge didn't know anything special about art." John said as he stepped out of the cab.
"And?"
"And..." John looked confused.
"Is that it? No habits, hobbies, personality?" Sherlock asked.
"He was an amateur astronomer." John said as Sherlock walked a little bit of ways away.
"Hold that cab." Sherlock said before going over to a homeless lady. "Fortunately I haven't been idle. Come on."
The cabbie drove us to an alleyway and Sherlock told him to wait here.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sherlock asked, looking up at the stars.
"I thought you didn't care about things like that." John replied.
"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate it."
"Listen, Alex Woodbridge had a message on the answer phone at his flat. A Professor Cairns?" John said.
"This way." Sherlock said.
"Nice. Nice part of town." John commented. "Anytime you want to explain..."
"Homeless network. My eyes and ears all over the city. Absolutely indispensable." Sherlock explained.
"Oh, that's clever. So, you scratch their back, and then..." John started.
"Yes, and then disinfect myself." Sherlock finished.
We walked down a dark section, Sherlock and John searching with their flash lights. I looked ahead of me and saw a shadow of a man standing up. He was very, very tall. In my opinion, it looked like a Golem. I tugged on Sherlock's sleeve and pointed.
Sherlock called for John as we hid behind a wall.
"What's he doing sleeping rough?" John asked.
"Well, he has a very distinctive look. He has to hide somewhere where tongues won't wag, much." Sherlock answered.
"Oh.. sh.." John started.
"What?" I asked.
"I wish I..."
"Don't mention it." Sherlock said, giving John his gun.
I saw the Golem run and I grabbed both of their arms and we ran after him. When we got to where he was, he got in a car and drove away.
"No! No! No!" Sherlock yelled, "It'll take us weeks to find him again."
"Or not. I've an idea where he might be going." John replied.
"What?" Sherlock asked.
"I told you. Someone left Alex Woodbridge a message. There can't be that many Professor Cairns in the book. Come on." John said before we ran back to the cab.
"Golem!" Sherlock yelled when we got to the dark room.
I heard something crack and the room went dark.
"I can't see him. I'll go around, I'll go." John said running toward the stairs.
"Amelia, stay where you are. Who are you working for this time, Dzundza?" Sherlock asked.
I let out a scream as the tall man grabbed Sherlock.
"Golem!" John exclaimed as he pointed his gun at the man, "Let him go or I will kill you."
Golem threw Sherlock aside and went for John and Sherlock anciently kicked the gun out of John's hand. Golem got John to the ground before going after Sherlock again. I wanted to help, but he told me to stay where I was. And beside, what good will it do if I end up dead? I helped John up and he jumped on Golem's back. If we weren't in a life threatening situation, I would laugh and film this.
The Golem got John off and started running for the door. I ran over to John's gun and aimed the best I could and pulled the trigger. It was too bright, so I didn't hit him. But I did get pretty close.
"It's a fake. It has to be." Sherlock said when we got to the gallery.
"That painting has been subjected to every test known to science." The lady replied.
"It's a very good fake, then." He said before turning to her, "You know about this, don't you? This is you, isn't it?"
She turned to Lestrade, "Inspector, my time is being wasted. Would you mind showing you and your friends out?"
The pink phone rang and Sherlock answered it, "The painting is a fake... It's a fake. That's why Woodbridge and Cairns were killed... Oh, come on! Proving is just a detail. The painting is a fake, I've solved it, I've figured it out. It's a fake, that's the answer. That's why they were killed... Okay, I'll prove it." Sherlock said when there wasn't a response, "Give me time. Will you give me time?"
"Ten..."
Oh, my god.
"It's a kid." Lestrade said. "Oh, god. It's a kid."
"What did he say?" John asked.
"Nine..."
"Ten." Sherlock answered and he looked at the painting, "It's a countdown, he's giving me time."
"Jesus."
"It's a fake, but how can I prove it? How, how?"
"Eight..."
"This kid will die. Tell me why the painting is a fake! Tell me!" Sherlock yelled, turning to the lady,
"Seven..."
"No, shut up. Don't say anything. It only works if I figure it out." Sherlock replied. "Must be staring me in the face."
"Six..."
"How? How? But how?!"
"Five..."
"He's speeding up." Lestrade said.
"Sherlock!" I exclaimed.
"Oh!" Sherlock exclaimed.
"Four..."
"In the planetarium, you two heard it, too." Sherlock said, "That is brilliant, that is gorgeous."
"Three..."
"What's brilliant? What is?" John asked as Sherlock gave him the phone and took out his own.
"This is beautiful. I love this!" Sherlock exclaimed as he walked towards us.
"Two..."
"Sherlock!" John and I yelled at the same time.
Sherlock grabbed the pink phone, "The Van Buren supernova."
The clock stopped ticking and it was silent for a few moments, "Please, is somebody there? Somebody help me."
We all let out a sigh of relief knowing that the kid was okay, "There you go. Go find out where he is and pick him up." Sherlock said, giving the phone to Lestrade. "The Van Buren supernova, so-called. Exploding star. Only appeared in the sky in 1858."
"So how could it have been painted in the 1640s." John laughed, looking at the painting.
We took a cab over to the Scotland Yard. While Sherlock went in with Lestrade, John told me he had to go somewhere. I stayed in the cab with him, and he dropped me off at the flat. I wanted to go with him, but he told me to get some rest, have a cup of tea.
I was bored out of my mind. Is this what Sherlock felt like when there weren't any cases? I was tempted to shoot the wall. Mrs. Hudson made me some dinner, risotto, I ate it before continuing the book I started that morning. After I finished the book I took a shower. When it started to get dark, Sherlock and John came back.
"Did you solve the Andrew West case?" I asked.
"Yes. We did. Wasn't that hard." Sherlock answered before he sat down on his chair.
John sat down too and turned on the telly. After a few minutes John went on his laptop. I sat on John's chair, watching whatever it was Sherlock was watching. Apparently it's a show about children finding out who their real father is, or something like that.
"No, no, no!" Sherlock yelled. He was getting way into this show. "Of course he's not the boy's father. Look at the turn-ups on his jeans!"
"I knew it was dangerous." John commented.
"Hmmm?"
"Getting you into crap telly." He answered.
"Not a patch on Connie Prince." Sherlock said.
"Have you given Mycroft the memory stick yet?" John asked.
"Yep. He was over the moon." Sherlock answered. "Threatened me with a knighthood... again."
"You know I'm still waiting." John said.
"Hmm?" Sherlock questioned.
"For you to admit that a little knowledge of the solar system and you'd have cleared up the fake painting a lot quicker."
"Didn't do you any good, did it?"
"No, but I'm not the world's only consulting detective." John replied as he shut his laptop.
"True."
"I won't be in for tea. I'm going to Sarah's." John informed us as he stood up, "There's still some of that risotto left in the fridge."
"Mmm."
"Milk, we need milk." John stated.
"I'll get some." Sherlock replied and John stopped in the doorway.
"Really?" He asked with a smile on his face.
"Really." He answered.
"And some beans, then?"
"Mmm." Sherlock said, his eyes still on the telly screen.
Once the door closed, I watched Sherlock open his laptop and type quickly.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
Sherlock looked at me and smirked before pressing enter and closing the screen. He stood up and flipped up his collar before walking towards the door. He stopped in the doorway and turned to me, "I'll be back in a while."
"Okay?"
He left and I stood up and put my shoes and coat on, ready to follow Sherlock. I walked down the side walk, about fifty yards behind him when an arm went around my waist and another pressed against my mouth and I was dragged into an alley. A needle pressed into my arm and everything went black.
A bright light filled my vision and I opened my eyes and saw that I was at a pool. Someone was behind me, pinning my arms behind my back, and I was sitting on a railing.
"Amelia!"
I looked down and saw fuzzy figures. But I recognized that deep voice.
"Sher... lock?" I questioned.
"What did you do to her?" He asked someone.
"Drugged her of course. Her sister was a pain in my arse for years." An Irish man answered.
"That's why you killed her mother. Amelia's sister laughed at you." John said.
"So you kill my parents?" I questioned.
"She needed to feel pain." He said, "The flirting's over, Sherlock. Daddy's had enough now." The man sang. "I've shown you what I could do. I cut loose all those people, all those little problems. Even 30 million quid just to get you to come out and play. So take this as a friendly warning, my dear. Back off. Although I have loved this, this little game of ours, playing Jim from IT, playing gay. Did you like the little touch with the underwear?"
"People have died." Sherlock commented.
"That's what people do!" The man's voice echoed throughout the pool.
"I will stop you." Sherlock stated.
"No, you won't." The man replied.
"Are you alright?" Sherlock asked John.
"You can talk, Johnny boy." The man said. "Go ahead."
"Take it." Sherlock said, holding out the memory stick.
"Huh?" The man asked and took it, "Oh, that. The missile plans." He kissed it before looking at Sherlock, "Boring! I could have gotten them anywhere."
The man threw the stick into the pool and John ran behind him and grabbed his arms.
"Sherlock, run!" John said.
"O-ho! Good! Very good!" The man chuckled,
"If your sniper pulls that trigger, Mr. Moriarty, then we both go up." John said.
"Isn't he sweet?" Moriarty asked. "I can see why you like having him around, but then people do get so sentimental about their pets. And so touchingly loyal, but... oops! You've rather shown your hand there, Dr. Watson."
I looked at Sherlock and noticed the red dot on his forehead, and they both look at at me, their eyes wide. I looked down and saw the red dot aiming for my heart.
"Gotcha." Moriarty said and John let him go.
He dusted off his suit, "Westwood. Do you know what happens if you don't leave me alone, Sherlock, to you?"
"Oh, let me guess. I get killed." Sherlock answered.
"Kill you? No, don't be obvious. I mean I'm going to kill you anyway someday. I don't want to rush it, though. I'm saving it up for something special. No, no, no, no. If you don't stop prying... I'll burn you. I will burn the heart out of you." Moriarty replied.
"I have been reliably informed that I don't have one." Sherlock responded.
"But we both know that's not quite true." Moriarty looked at my briefly and smirked, "Well, I'd better be off. So nice to have had a proper chat."
"What if I was to shoot you now, right now?" Sherlock asked, keeping his gun aimed at Moriarty's head.
"Then you could cherish the look of surprise on my face." Moriarty made a surprised face before smiling, "Because I'd be surprised, Sherlock, really I would. And just a teensy bit... disappointed. And of course you wouldn't be able to cherish it for very long. Ciao, Sherlock Holmes."
Moriarty walked towards the door, "Catch you... later."
"No, you won't."
Once the door closed I felt the arms behind my back disappear and I gripped the railing so I wouldn't fall forwards or backwards.
"Amelia, stay there!" Sherlock yelled and I watched as he unzipped the coat from John's body.
"All right?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." John answered and Sherlock tossed the coat away from them.
Sherlock went out the door Moriarty left in and John rested against the wall, "Amelia, you okay?"
My limbs felt heavy and I tried to keep my eyes open, "Yeah."
Sherlock came back in and paced around, "Are you okay?"
"Me? Yeah, fine, fine, fine." Sherlock answered.
"That, uh, thing that you... that you did, that you offered to do, that was, um... good." Sherlock said before looking at me, "Amelia, can you walk?"
I nodded, "Pretty sure. But I think I'll just hang here for a moment."
"I'm glad no one else saw that." John commented.
"Hmm?"
"You ripping my clothes off in a darkened swimming pool. People might talk." John continued.
"People do little else." Sherlock replied.
I started to move my legs toward the platform behind me when arms again grabbed my waist and covered my mouth. I saw red dots scatter around John and Sherlock's body.
"Sorry, boys! And girl. I'm so... changeable. It is a weakness with me, but to be fair to myself, it is my only weakness. You can't be allowed to continue. You just can't. I would try and convince you. Everything I have to say has already crossed your mind." Moriarty exclaimed, walking back into the pool.
"Probably my answer has already crossed yours." Sherlock replied, turning and pointing his gun at the jacket John was wearing that had bombs on it.