I have one thing to say. I really am, so very sorry. This may seem like a bit of an anti-climax after the MASSIVE wait some of you have had. I can only tell you that I've had several rather important essays to do, some of them in for the same day and as a sign of just how busy I've been I'll be posting the creative pieces and poems that I had to write for my portfolio onto my writing blog soon so if you fancy reading them then I'll be putting links on my fan-fic profile.
Anyway, I'll be posting now…
total-animal-lover: I know it was short but I didn't want to focus too much on Heather's family because they aren't the focus of the story, Sherlock is and if he's not joining in then it's not necessary to the story line, unfortunately. But if I write more than certain people may make come backs.
bored411: Sorry I didn't update sooner :( but yes, I can't help thinking that Sherlock at my family dinner would be a horrific affair.
A Plan
It was early. Too early, like, 9:00 am early and a Monday. Who was at the door? Heather slumped down the stairs in a large white t-shirt and her underwear, pulling the door open and immediately regretting it. "Heather." She looked away from the occupant of her porch and glanced over her shoulder at Sherlock who stood fully dressed across her hall sipping coffee. She shook her head and stepped aside.
"Come on in," she told Lestrade, "Everyone else has." Ignoring her state of undress she padded into the kitchen and sat down at the table.
A cup of coffee appeared in front of her and she looked up startled. Sherlock was staring down at her, his long fingers still touching the ceramic. He stared for a good thirty seconds before turning to speak to Lestrade. She picked up the mug, noting it was her favourite coffee mug and trying to work out whether he had worked it out himself of whether her mother had let him know.
"You said you had news for me." Greg reminded Sherlock, standing awkwardly in the unknown kitchen.
"I have motive, and of course your killer."
"Great, let's have it."
"The evidence is circumstantial." Greg sighed.
"I knew there'd be a catch." He crossed his arms, "Go on then, what do you need."
"A warrant."
"Since when have you needed a warrant?" Sherlock stood tall and defiant so Greg lifted his hands and nodded. "Alright, one warrant. What for?"
"Any and all animals located on the Roylett estates. Both Elm house and the London town house. Get two copies."
"You want to hit them both at the same time? When?"
"In two hours." Sherlock called as he walked towards the back door, grabbing the key to the cellar as he went.
"Two Hours! Sherlock!" but he was gone. Lestrade looked down at Heather but she shrugged.
"I haven't the faintest clue." She told him, sipping her coffee blankly.
The doorbell was a loud obnoxious way to gain entrance to Elm house. It rang clearly and in such a tone that Heather could feel the reverberations though her body. She didn't like this plan, mainly because Sherlock still refused to tell her anything but her lines. She hadn't a clue what she was walking into. The door swung open slowly and silently, revealing the old woman from the dog show the day before. John and Sherlock hung back, hidden behind the bushes surrounding the house. "I'm sorry Mrs Roylett, do you know me?" The old woman eyed her for a moment then nodded.
"You're the Taylor child, the polite one." John noticed Heather stiffen at the observation but she smiled through it.
"My name's Heather, I was wondering whether I could talk to you?"
"About what?"
"Well, I work for the British Library and I've been tasked with going through some records that apply to your family and this estate. I just had some questions." John's lips twitched nervously, pouting and unpouting as he watched the exchange.
"I don't like this plan Sherlock."
"Why?"
"It could be dangerous."
"Only if you don't stay focussed John. Now keep a hold of that torch."
Mrs Roylett had opened the door wider for Heather to step through and closed it quickly behind her. Heather took off her coat and hung it on the hat stand in the hallway before following her host into the main drawing room.
"Now, what can I help you with exactly?" Heather sat down on the sofa, cleared her throat and crossed her legs over.
"Well firstly the early plans seem to show a basement of sorts beneath the building but they disappear during the war." Mrs Roylett's eyes narrowed.
"Really? How interesting. I mean, I was just a girl but my father never mentioned any dramatic changes to the house plans."
"That is odd." Heather continued, "Well, the other issue is the Animalarium that used to be here. You only shut it down twenty years ago and according to the records you had several animals in your possession that just disappeared. Mainly reptilian. We like our records to be complete and I thought I'd better let you know so you can fix it." Mrs Roylett smiled.
"Well thank you, I didn't realise. Did you notify your superiors?" Heather smiled.
"Oh no, our work is strictly confidential until we complete our tasks, then I give the written file to my boss and he types it up to go in our online records and so on and so forth, it's quite long and dull really. Oh, do you mind if I use your bathroom?" Heather stood up and Mrs Roylett motioned to the door.
"Not at all dear. It's the first door on the right as you walk into the house." Heather smiled gratefully and wandered out of the door towards the bathroom. She opened the door and locked it behind her, flicking open the window lock and pushing the pane of glass up.
"Oh thank God!" John let out a breath and stood up, Heather stood aside so they could climb through the window carefully and quietly before shutting it again and holding a finger to her lips. She flushed the chain and turned on the tap, dampening her hands and drying them slightly before unlocking the door and stepping out into the corridor. She pointed to the door of the drawing room then headed back inside. Mrs Roylett was still sitting behind her desk smiling contentedly up at Heather through her glasses. Then the lights went out.
Heather gasped and instantly felt cold.
"Oh Goodness! Find the switch dear, would you?" Heather moved towards where she thought the door was and moved her hands across the wall, suddenly something pushed her back and she heard a grunting and thrashing noise.
"John, John, the light John" The torch in John's hand flickered and Heather felt cold, rough, skeletal fingers enclose her wrist. In the changing light Mrs Roylett's face was terrifyingly ghostly, pale, sallow and filled with pure rage. Heather yelped and threw her off, hearing a thump and a scream of fear. Finally the torch stayed on and the three looked down on the crumpled body of Scarlett Roylett.
Heather's eyes widened and she instinctively stepped back. Sherlock grabbed her arm and held her still.
"Don't move." He ordered, eyes darting around the floor at an alarming speed.
"There!" John cried.
They looked down at the body of Mrs Roylett and Heather noticed the movement, was it a belt? No, she tensed up as the snake slithered towards the neck of the body. Sherlock backed them all away to the desk and opened the draws, keeping an eye on the reptile. He pulled a white bag from the top draw and a snake hook from behind a cabinet in the corner of the room, handing the bag to John and lifting the snake into it. John dropped the bag into the top draw once more as Heather tried the light switch. The bulbs lit up straight away, illuminating the scene.
"Ingenious." Sherlock commented, looking down at the old woman, "And all for a rotting house."
"You're going to have to back up and explain again, Sherlock." Heather stared at the corpse unhappily, "Because all I know is that I scared an old woman and now she's dead." John leant down and touched his fingers to the old lady's neck.
"Wait! She's alive," he told them, Heather's eyes widened and she pulled out her phone, "just knocked out."
"I'll call an ambulance." Sherlock interrupted.
"No, Lestrade will be arriving in less than two minutes, late as usual, leave her to him."
Once again I'm really sorry for not updating sooner but I'll be home tomorrow so you'll have one before the end of the week. PROMISE!