Inspector Geoff Lestrade's POV
I'm not sleeping. I can't. Instead I lie and look at the streetlights chase each other across the ceiling trying not to think about how the muted light from outside reminds me of how it plays across Art's body, how the bed smells of him, of us, and how he might be sleeping tonight. I try to take comfort in the fact that Sherlock is working hard on that sample I got for him but even this seems a slim hope at this time at night. I look at the clock, 2am, the sort of time when you start to think all kinds of dangerous things. I turn over and bang the pillow, I close my eyes but I am just lying still, no sleep is coming tonight. I'm just about to get out of bed and go to the mini bar when there's a terrific banging on the door.
I get out of bed wearily, slipping on my dressing gown over my pyjamas which I am wearing for the first time in weeks. I haven't worn them since I got together with Art. I turn on the lamp and make my way to the door. Whoever is banging sounds like they're trying to break the door down. I raise my eyes and offer a silent prayer that it's not the police again.
Sherlock is wearing his pyjama bottoms and a smart suit jacket. There is nothing on his feet and his hair is standing practically on end. The look on his face is even more alarming than his ensemble. It is manic, gleeful, disturbing. He waves a tiny piece of paper at me, so close to my face I cannot make out what on earth it is. He waves it again and claps his hands. Then he pushes past me.
I am just about to shut the door when John arrives, breathless as he jogs down the silent corridor. He too is wearing his pyjamas though he has gone for the more traditional matching top and bottoms look and is wearing slippers. He grabs the door as I make to close it and hustles me inside. I blink.
"Look, this is very nice of you but I don't need a pyjama party to cheer me up lads. In fact, well, whatever sort of party you were planning," I eye Sherlock's jacket which he is now buttoning up over his pale stomach. "It's a nice thought, but, no." I go to open the door again.
"Tell him then." John looks at Sherlock. Sherlock grins evilly like some kind of alien about to eat the entire crew of the exploration spaceship but he says nothing. I look at John.
"Tell me what? That Sherlock's a candidate for a Gok Wan make over?" I back up my comment with a wave of a hand that captures up Sherlock's current costume. "Or that you two are playing the hotel version of 'knock a door, run'?" I know I'm being mean but I'm seriously not in the mood for this shit.
"Tell him." John is insistent. Sherlock is still grinning.
"Am I a genius Lestrade?" Sherlock asks me infuriatingly. John sighs.
"The poison's synthetic, it's not puffer fish so Art didn't do it." John says, the words rushing out of him. Sherlock looks at him open mouthed. He takes a breath to speak and then stops. Sherlock speechless, that's a new one. John grins. Sherlock hits him on the arm.
"What?" Part of me is wondering if this is some kind of very sick joke and the other part is arguing that these are my friends and that they wouldn't do that to me. "I'm sorry? What?" I repeat frowning at them both.
"John is perfectly right, although it should have been me to tell you as I am the one who actually conducted the experiment." Sherlock says sharply, glaring at John. Then he looks back to me. "It's synthetic tetrodotoxin. Made in a lab. A bloody clever copy which you can only detect if you use... well, something I happened to acquire which is hard to erm... acquire in this country." I goggle at him, mouth open in frank astonishment. It's taken him two hours to find out what the Lothian and Borders police couldn't know in three days.
"So was it disguised?" John asks, sitting down once he's put the kettle on which sits on the small table. Sherlock starts to pace, waving the piece of paper as he explains.
"In a way. You see, I don't think anyone's made a synthetic form of tetrodotoxin before. Why would you need to? So there isn't a standard way to test for it. But I worked on a case a few years ago where there was a need for me to break down a synthetic version of acylpolyamine," he turns to John and comments, "trap door spider venom to you." He is enjoying this, the denouement of his experiment, showing us how clever he is. "Anyway, through working on this case I acquired a small quantity of Maleic hydrazid..."
"That stuff's illegal in the UK! Sherlock, when did you get this? And this case you're referring to... is this the thing with the driving instructor and the inheritance?" I ask him, sharply aware that, in order to free Art and prove his innocence we are all capable of breaking the law. He looks at me, head cocked and then he nods once.
"I brought the hydrazid with me when I found out that poison was involved. It breaks down an organic toxin quite rapidly but has a slight time delay with a lab based version. And of course, the fridge slowed down the process so I could measure it more closely." I look at John. He shakes his head; I suspect he's as amazed as I am.
"So, now we have two questions..." he continues, stuffing the paper into his pocket and steepling his hands in that familiar way, still pacing.
"Who killed Sebastian?" John asks, getting up and pouring tea for us all. Sherlock shakes his head.
"No, that I think already know. Or at least I have a strong suspicion. The questions to which I was referring are these: one, where did this poison come from? And two, how do we convince McKay that Art is innocent."
"We can't tell him about the tetrodotoxin," I say taking the tea from John with a nod. "Because I nicked it from the lab."
"Could you convince that bloke? What's he called? The young bloke you met, gave you this stuff?" John asks me.
"Billy Pickin? Maybe. But how would he have made this discovery. The other chemicals Sherlock used were illegal."
"There is a way to reproduce the effect of the hydrazid in a big lab like they have at the police station..." Sherlock says thoughtfully, "If I could speak to him and tell him the exact circumstances..."
"Right, let's do that then." I say and get up. I pick up my phone and dial the Super.
"Hello?" His voice is sharp even at this time in the morning.
"Hi, look, sorry to bother you at this time... it's Lestrade. I know it's early but..." I say walking to the window.
"Geoff? Oh don't worry about the time. I was wide awake anyway," there is male laughter in the background. "Is everything alright? I heard about that awful business for Art up there in Edinburgh. Is that what you're calling about?" For a second I wonder how he has heard about Sebastian's murder but then I get back to the reason I have telephoned him.
"Yes it is. Two things boss. Is it ok to extend my leave? Sherlock's up here trying to help out and so I'd like to stay if that's alright Sir?"
"Yes, yes of course. Had the paperwork on my desk all week and have been waiting for you to ring. Consider it done. And the other thing? I am a little tied up at the moment." I don't say a word.
"Thanks. Yes, there's a lab guy here at 'L and B' called Billy Pickin, a Londoner sir. I wondered if you could get hold of his home contact details." There is a pause.
"Now? Well, yes I suppose I could. Can I call you back? I need to get to the laptop." There is another sound of laughter. The phone goes dead. I look at Sherlock and John.
"He's phoning back."
Dr John Watson's POV
We debate for a while how we're going to get Billy Pickin into the hotel. Geoff insists that the police will have the CCTV watched because that's what he'd do in a case like this. Sherlock wants to telephone Tiger, the teenage hacker, and get him to sabotage the system but it could be time consuming and Billy Pickin will be here in an hour. In the end we are going to go for old school tactics.
"I'll talk to the porter. Flash the badge; say I want to see the footage. Then I can try to work out how to turn it off for ten minutes. What do you think?"
"Do you know anything about these systems?" Sherlock asks Geoff, smirking up his mouth at the simple idea that he's suggested. Geoff shrugs.
"How hard can it be? It's a camera." Sherlock shakes his head like he's the only adult in the room.
"This equipment cost money, lots of money. It's installed by companies who make sure it can't just be shut down. Maybe Tiger will know how to do it from outside the building." He reaches for the mobile.
"Tiger? Sherlock. Howard Hotel, Edinburgh, security camera system. No, no, just the lobby, lift and corridor..." he waves his hand to us, like a magician conjuring up a number. We mouth it to him. "8c. Yes. Yes. In about..." he waves again and I show him my watch. "Twenty five minutes. If you can. Ok." He pauses and looks at us, then holds the phone away from his mouth.
"He's just getting in," he whispers grinning. Then he must hear something because he goes back to the phone. "They have? Oh. Does that mean...? You did? Right. Great. Thanks. Same account as always? Wonderful." He ends the call.
"Did he do it? That was bloody quick." I say still marvelling that the tiny waif I met at 221b has so much power in this technological age.
"Who's Tiger?" Geoff says suddenly interested in this master criminal.
"A ten year old boy with a Dell laptop." I deadpan. Geoff mutters something and raises his eyebrows. His phone beeps. He looks at it. "Billy will be here in twenty five minutes."
"That should be fine." Sherlock says passing me his cup to refill with tea. "He said they had some kind of advanced system but he's bypassed it."
"Do I even want to know how?" Geoff asks rubbing his hands through his hair and looking at me. I shake my head.
"I don't think we'd understand it if he explained it. It's surreal, he's a little boy but he's got the attitude of someone out of the Matrix." Sherlock laughs and nods and Geoff shakes his head in defeat.
"We should go back down to my lab." Sherlock gets up and pulls down his jacket.
"Our room." I correct and he grins.
"Let me get some clothes on," Geoff says looking at our pyjamas. "I'll meet you down there when I've collected Billy."
Twenty minutes later there's a knock at the door and Geoff arrives with Billy Pickin. He's fresh faced with spiky dark hair and I can tell he's genuinely thrilled to be involved in what for him must be the most excitement he's had in ages.
"John, Dr John Watson, Billy Pickin," Geoff introduces us and we shake hands. I am struck by the warmth of Billy's smile and the way he holds himself considering his young age. He looks past me. "And this is..." but Billy is already halfway across the floor. He puts out his hand, oblivious to Sherlock's bizarre costume of striped pyjama bottoms and suit jacket and grins. Sherlock smiles back.
"Sherlock Holmes." He says reverentially. I look at Geoff who shakes his head.
"You know me? Have we met? No, I don't think we have. I would remember." Sherlock answers his own question and Billy's grin widens.
"No, we've not met but... well I used your paper on the properties of London soil deposits to pass my finals at university and I've followed your website ever since. Fascinating stuff with those nuns and the cars, how did you...? Anyway, then when Inspector Lestrade turned up I remembered that McKay had mentioned some civilian poking their nose in and, well I couldn't help wondering and so..." He spreads his hands and looks at Sherlock like he's not sure if he should have revealed his fanboy status. Sherlock looks at him seriously and Billy shrinks back a little.
"And you're the person who split the tetrodotoxin?" he asks, his face expressionless. Billy just nods, he looks scared now. Sherlock purses his lips. There is a silence which stretches out as Sherlock seems to be thinking.
"That was a good idea, the splitting. Very inventive." He says quietly and then turns to the travel lab before him. Billy looks at us and I try to give him an encouraging smile. Sherlock starts to tinker with test tubes and chemicals, sloshing things about and sniffing things. He turns to Billy who is looking at him apprehensively.
"I have discovered that the tetrodotoxin is synthetic venom." He says without giving away his thoughts on this fact. Billy frowns.
"What? It is? How did you find that out? Did you combine it with a separating suspension?" he asks incredulously. Sherlock turns to him, his eyes glittering with delight.
"No, I combined it with Maleic hydrazid." We watch the impact of this news spread across Billy's face like ripples on a pond. Disbelief, realisation and awe follow each other across his features.
"What? But how did you...? Wow! Show me!" He says enthusiastically and rolls up his sleeves. Sherlock puts on a pair of latex gloves and, without looking at Billy, passes him an identical pair. Sherlock is smiling broadly as he takes a thin tube out of the drinks fridge which he had us move to the table top. He hands it to Billy like it's a precious jewel. Billy receives it in very much the same manner.
"Oh my god. It is too! Christ, I never even thought about... but I don't have any hydrazid, not allowed." He looks at Sherlock. "And you want me to pretend that this is my discovery? I'm not good enough for this. You'll have to tell me how to do it." He hands the vial back to Sherlock who shakes his head vigorously even though he takes the glass vessel back and puts it in the fridge.
"No, Billy, I am going to guide you to make this discovery yourself. That way it will sound quite real when you tell McKay what you have found." His pale blue eyes have Billy in their glare. Billy blinks.
"But how would I...? I wouldn't have thought to..." he ends, fidgeting with his hands. Sherlock gets hold of his chin and tilts Billy's head up towards him. The gesture is intimate and almost fatherly. It's strange and I've never seen him like this before but I suppose he is a born teacher. He loves to expound, to encourage theories from all of us around him even though they are usually incorrect.
"You knew I had been 'interfering'," Sherlock grins and lets go of his chin. Billy smiles. "So you remembered my case with the driving instructor..."
"And the Trap Door venom!" Billy finishes nodding excitedly. Sherlock nods too.
"So, my next question is, how do you replicate the effects of Maleic hydrazid Billy Pickin?" They turn to the desk, their backs to us still talking excitedly. Geoff looks at me.
"Bloody hell. A fan."
"Another one, let's hope he's not the dangerous kind." I say remembering one of the first cases we all worked on together. Geoff widens his eyes at the memory and nods.
"Drink?" he says pointing to the whisky larva has left in our room. I look at my watch, it's 5.30am, nearly breakfast time.
"Why not?" I say and pour us both a double.
By the time Billy is leaving he and Sherlock are sharing chemistry jokes that neither Geoff nor I understand. It took them about an hour and a half to replicate Sherlock's experiment using only what Billy is allowed to use in his lab.
"How long did it take for the elements to separate once you had them in the fridge?" Billy asks and Sherlock looks at me.
"I'm not sure." Billy stares at Sherlock like he's just said he kills babies, obviously not being careful when timing experiments is a cardinal chemist sin. Sherlock frowns, thinking.
"About thirty minutes?" I offer and Billy looks from Sherlock to me and I smile helpfully.
"Twenty seven minutes and forty five seconds." Sherlock says and I know he's just made the calculation from seeing my watch in the dark. He smiles at me and winks. I sigh, Geoff looks at us both.
"Ok, good. If I go straight to work I can have this on McKay's desk by the time he gets in this morning." Billy picks up his coat. What is it with these people? Doesn't anyone need sleep? Sherlock looks wide awake. He shakes his head.
"Billy, you need to give me until tomorrow morning." He says seriously. Geoff starts to protest but Sherlock holds up one long, white hand. He waves Billy out of the door. "Text Tiger," he says to me throwing me the phone. "We need to get Billy out unseen."
"So, what now?" Geoff asks as he finishes his whisky and puts down the glass when Billy has gone.
"Bed." Sherlock says seriously pointing at me and pointing and Geoff.
"What all three of us? Look Sherlock..." Geoff starts and then realises Sherlock is laughing.
"You two need some sleep. I can manage perfectly well for four days with no sleep, I've proved it. You two, however, are merely mortal and if you're to be of any further use to me you need some sleep. I need to see Laura."
So, shall I do the next bit from Laura's POV or is that too far? Real advice needed. I don't want to stray too far from Conan Doyle's formula. Do we like Billy? This chapter flowed really well so I am worrying that it's not good.
I love my Baker Street Irregulars; hopefully some of us can meet when I go with Verityburns to London next Saturday (27th) for the fanmeet. If you're interested in coming please check the LiveJournal Sherlock Community or send me a PM. PrincessNala (stop guessing!) And Peachsilk (I think of her when I write the word cock!) Darmed (sending you good luck and love) Clubba Bear, Tasty- Kate, 2cajuman2, Tanya Zsa Zsa, Munchiees!, Aelfric's cat (it's the Sherlock Holmes walk on later on Saturday, can you come?), Mrs winny, Despairandcupcakechild!, Mouserjb4, Tillif and Harpyquin and Jazzysatindoll (you must be v busy, hope everything's ok) thegeekyprincess (who writes some detailed reviews and is a lovely start to the day) and Flabagash and new girls regrette rien, afrieal, Dead Air Space, Melissa Ivory( nice girl), staceuo and Sapphykins! Thanks for your help, support and general all round loveliness!
Love as always to Reggie for being a sweetheart.