Better Than Before
Chapter 10
Holmes and I are currently stationed in the far corner of the Stardust Diner, a quaint little place where the waiters and waitresses randomly burst into song to entertain the guests, located in Times Square. Kenzie had applied for a second job, since being a bartender wasn't cutting it for her. Terry had followed suit, immediately after being fired from Staples. The two were almost inseparable, which was quite odd, given their completely different upbringings and views on life, but one could only assume they have Holmes and I to thank for that.
The girls have been receiving at least three cases a week since their successful first case, which they have taken to refer to as The Jones Case... Although Holmes refers to it as the 'Partially Solved Case,' solely because the person who stole the necklace and kidnapped young Timothy Jones was never found and brought to justice. Kenzie argued that the New York City Police Department should do their job and find the culprit on their own, but Holmes informed her that they were hired by Timothy's father, therefore they should see it through to the very end and hunt the man down themselves. Terry was kind enough to point out the father hired them to return the boy and the necklace. Holmes sulked in the unused walk-in closet space for three and a half days after that, only coming out when Terry decided to go bar-hopping.
It was mid-day and the girls looked absolutely miserable. They looked ridiculously bored, as well. Holmes was rocking on his heels, and I doubt his anxiousness was fairing well on Terry, who had taken to mirror Holmes' movements when she wasn't needed on the floor.
"Holmes, stop that!" I growled, earning a strange look from the man in question.
"Oh hush, Watson. It's not like anyone can see us..."
"Other than the two women who work here, you mean? Your anxious energy is driving Terry up the wall. Calm down, lad."
Holmes looked over at his ward for the first time all day and noticed she was rocking on her heels, seemingly inching closer to Kenzie to try and talk. He sighed and stopped rocking, making Terry slowly do the same. She looked relieved when she made it to Kenzie and the two started whispering amongst themselves. Holmes and I walked over to them to see if they were going to discuss the details of their most recent case, which was sitting mostly unnoticed and unsolved in their flat.
"This is the last time those two are coming to work with us. It's insufferable!" Terry stated, earning a nod in agreement from Kenzie.
"I feel bad leaving them alone in the flat all day, but I'm almost positive they can come up with something to do... Oh. Hey, boys."
Terry looked at us from the corner of her eye and sighed again. "Can you please keep calm, schizophrenic delusion? You're driving me insane."
"I offer my sincerest apologizes, Terry. This... Stuffy atmosphere is doing no good for my genius intellect. I have to get out of here and... Pace around elsewhere."
"Why? Do you sense something is up?" I inquired, raising a slightly concerned eyebrow.
"I assume one could say such a thing, although I'm completely unsure as to the legitimacy of it. I just feel cramped in here, and I wish to enter my mind palace in another location... The most recent case is most interesting. I see by the looks on your faces, you haven't given it much thought."
"It's hard to give anything thought when I technically work all day." Kenzie replied through gritted teeth.
"Scotch is right. I don't think you ever had a job while doing your consulting detective stint, so I'd think it'd be best for you to get off of our backs a little. It's only our second week in business. We've solved about six cases. I haven't had a drink since 10 AM. What more do you want from us?"
"Total concentration when I ask for it! I cannot converse with people about specifics, nor can I move things around as I desire. I need the two of you to do it for me, and it is outright frustrating!" Holmes shouted, stomping his right foot on the ground.
Surprisingly, a glass fell from the shelf and smashed into pieces once it connected with the floor.
Kenzie and Terry eyed one another warily, then Kenzie knelt over to clean up the glass before any of the managers came around and noticed. Terry continued staring at Holmes in awe.
I reached over to my dearest friend and put an assuring hand on his shoulder. "It's quite alright, old chap. Terry and Kenzie are the best parts of us. They'll do what you ask when they have the time for it, of that I can assure you... Just be patient. I know you and patience don't mix, but right now, you need to trust me. I promise the case will get solved."
Holmes looked up at me and offered a small smile, which I took as an agreement to what I had said. His face suddenly became emotionless as he whirled around to face the television in the dining area.
"Ask someone to turn the volume up!" He shouted, making his way towards the television.
Terry, Kenzie and I followed him.
"Can someone turn that up?" Terry asked, her voice surprisingly kind for someone of her nature.
"...With breaking news. It is being brought to our attention that an armored Brinks truck was driven off of the road by several unmarked black trucks, two of which were escorting the truck to a secure location. It is unknown if anyone was killed, or what the contents of the truck were, but police are reporting a mysterious symbol was spray-painted on the truck shortly after it crashed..."
Sure enough, a depiction of a triangle with a calligraphy-style 'R' coming out of the right side of it popped up on the screen.
"...The symbol's origins are unknown, although similar sightings of the symbol have been reported during the course of the day. Earlier this morning, a warehouse outside of Washington D.C. caught fire, and witnesses say the fire started as the symbol seen on your screen..."
"Fire of Reverberation." Holmes deducted.
"That's the second time we've seen that symbol... What could it mean?" I asked.
"Well, the first appearance of the symbol was seemingly harmless... It was just a tag on a wall. A lot of people do that, and I, for one, don't think it can be connected to anything that goes on... It was probably just mere coincidence."
"But you don't believe in coincidence." I pointed out.
"Hush, Watson, I'm rambling. Now... This occurrence is a lot more hostile than a simple tag on a littered wall. Whoever this... Fire of Reverberation tag belongs to... Is trying to make a point. They're trying to make people notice them. I'm afraid things are going to get messy from now on. We have to keep an eye out for anything with the Fire of Reverberation symbol on it. Is that understood?"
The girls nodded their consent, then went back to work.
"Holmes... What I said when we first saw it... Kenzie's father has a tattoo of the Fire of Reverberation."
"Let's hope it's a coincidence, old friend." Holmes remarked, still staring at the television.
"But..."
"Watson... How long have you known Kenzie?"
"Her whole life."
Holmes finally turned to look at me. "Right, and, in that time, do you honestly think her father was planning on doing anything extreme? A lot of people get tattoos of things they perceive to be as cool looking. Maybe her father had a thing for Alchemy. I don't know, nor do I care. What I do care about is trying to figure out who the hell is so obsessed with the Fire of Reverberation symbol, what their purpose is and why the hell they did what they did today."
I sighed, glancing back at Kenzie and Terry. "Let's hope you're right, old chap..."