When John entered back into the flat he found Sherlock sitting on a kitchen chair near Maria and Mia who were sprawled on the couch, fiddling with something on his exposed forearm.
"What are you doing?" John stated from the doorway. Sherlock glances at him irritably showing his forearm.
"Nicotine patch, helps me think! Impossible to sustain a smoking habit in London these days-bad for brain work!" He said annoyed.
"Good news for breathing." John quickly retorted.
"Oh breathing- breathing's boring."
This gaining Maria's attention looked to said arms, eyes slightly widening. "Three patches?"
"It a tree patch problem." Mia answered, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "I hungry." She said looking at Sherlock.
"We will go out for dinner soon, do you want to get dressed." Sherlock said and soon enough the girl was running down the corridor. "Can I borrow your phone?" He said turning to John.
"All you wanted was my phone! I was on the other side of London." John said angrily.
"Well I cant use mine or Maria's. Theres a chance it will be recognised. Mines on my website and hers is on the schools homepage.
"Mrs. Hudson's got a phone."
"Yes. Good observation John, but I didn't want to wake up Mia with my shouting… I need you to send a text, the number is on the table.. now these words exactly 'What happened at Lauriston Gardens? I must of blacked out. 22 Northumberland Street. Please come." He said opening a pink suitcase.
Maria didn't pay too much attention to the two mens bickering instead she was thinking. 'This case doesn't feel right…How did they get there?' She thought before the was interrupted by Mia asking her to tie her shoes.
Soon after the four were walking out of the flat and into the streets of London.
"Where are we going?" John asked.
"Theres an Italian restaurant just five minutes away where we can grab a bite to eat." Maria said smiling following Sherlock and Mia's lead as the walked in front. Understanding why the man was confused.
"How do you do it?" He asked, earning a confused look. "How are you not shocked at his behaviour."
Maria laughed at the man. "The way we think is very similar, same as the man you met that dragged you to his lair before you came to a flat…i'm just nicer." She explained.
"Who was that man? He seemed to know a lot about you and Sherlock."
"Sherlock and I." She said.
"Excuse me?"
"The correct phrasing is Sherlock and I…Sorry i'm an English teacher, I have a bit of a habit of correcting people when they talk and as for the man… you will find out about him very soon…he never stays out of the way for very long." She smiled as they reached the restaurant. "Good Evening Angelo." Maria greeted, as Sherlock had lead them to the same table from the other night.
"Hello Maria, nice of you and Sherlock to come back. With a friend as well it seems." He said scurrying to get some menu's. Once seated Maria took one of the menus and helped Mia choose what she would like.
"Who passes unnoticed wherever they go? Who hunts in the middle of the crowd?" Sherlock suddenly said.
"Who?" John replied.
"Haven't the faintest. Hungry?" He said as they begun ordering food. Sherlock refused stating it slowed him down. However, Maria was able to convince to to have a few bites and soon both John and Sherlock were rushing out of the restaurant chasing a taxi.
'Somethings not right about this case.' She thought again before going to Angelo intending to pay.
"No need to worry, Sherlock took care of it." Angelo said kindly.
Quickly thanking the man she walked back to the flat only half paying attention to Mia's chatter about her dream, until it hit her. 'People's main form of transport in London are either cabs or the tube, they had to be driven to their destination, all the victims were passengers. It has to be the cabbie… Sherlock deduced that already though… Chasing about that cab…Something still isn't right.' Maria returned back to the flat, hoping to find Sherlock. However, was greeted by Lestrade sitting in Sherlocks chair, a number of other people were scavenging around the flat.
"What is going on here!" She yelled putting Mia down and giving Lestrade a furious look.
Lestrade stumbled on his words shocked at the woman who's tone was soft and gentle earlier that day was now harsh and angry. "We… came and saw … that Sherlock had found the case."
"Yes, I can gather that much, what I would like to know is about this 'We'." She said in her teacher voice, making Lestrade who was at least 15 years her senior feel like a child.
"It's a drug bust." He said while Mia sat on the couch watching the scene unfold, as Maria went into the kitchen.
"You shouldn't of don dat." She young girl said, turning to Lestrade. Confused and about to ask why, he stopped when he heard Anderson.
"Ow stop that right this instance, this is abuse and I am an officer." He looked towards the voice only to see the small woman having a ruthless grip on Anderson's ear, pulling him in front of Lestrade.
"Oh don't put yourself up so highly, you are clearly just on forensics… which brings me to my second point." She said looking back at Lestrade with a glare. "Only officers are allowed to be on drug bust squads, so this pathetic excuse of a man should be arrested instantly and you should be suspended for using improper tactics to get evidence…all of which you find by the way can no longer be used in the court of law because this 'drug bust'- which you have no evidence to actually perform- is illegal… Now would you like me to call your handler Mr. Lestrade or would you prefer I did so myself." She said smugly.
"Sherlock said you were the nice female version of him." Lestrade said scared.
"Yes and at this moment I am very angry so I will give you a choice." She said holding the arms of the chair Lestrade of sitting on, bending forward slightly with a smile. "Tell your so called officers to get up and leave whilst you wait for Sherlock to come back… Or I call your handler this instant and get this case off your hands… you and I both know that Sherlock will continue this case with or without you there." She said getting up and putting her hands on her hips. "Now I have a toddler to put to bed. Good evening. Come on ankle biter, time for bed." Turning back into the gentle woman he saw earlier today, walking the child into her room.
"Time to go, pack up, I will stay here." Lestrade yelled.
"Sir, you cant be serious?" Sally objected.
"Do you want her to come back out?" He told the team.