Chapter 14: Don't Run Darlin'
' Are you going to tell me where we're going Holmes?' Holmes didn't answer he just kept walking at a quick pace ignoring Watson's question, they were in a cheaper, much darker part of London, occasionally they came across a prostitute who would offer herself to them, neither paid them any attention. Watson had had enough of walking with no idea where he was going,
' Holmes will you just tell me what your resourceful mind had discovered?' Holmes kept moving through the narrow alleyways and over the cobbles,
' The stain on Mary's dress was animal blood most likely bovine or porcine'
' So we're going to a slaughter house?' Watson quickened his pace at the word slaughterhouse,
' Indeed we are but not just any slaughter house, that blood had traces of metal shavings in it, minuscule, almost undetectable to the naked eye, but the human tongue can detect the pure metallic taste of it soldered metal, there was also a strand of cotton, not from Mary's dress, but from a textile mill, so we can now assume that the location we are looking for is a slaughterhouse near a textile mill and a metal work, therefore can you deduce where we are heading Watson?'
' London docks, home of many an industry'
' Precisely' Holmes once again quickened his pace, his mind completely focused on Nancy; he refused to let anything happen to her.
Nancy ran, she had no shoes on and she could feel water and stone under her feet, the air around her stank of soldered metal, and rotting meat, she coughed constantly as she ran, there were fibres in the air, catching in her throat, she was cold and her feet hurt, but she kept running, with no idea where she was. There was something dripping from the ceiling onto her she felt as though she was running through a tunnel encased in darkness, seconds later she felt the cold sting on the London night air on her face, she stood still for a moment catching her breath, she rubbed her face, she couldn't help the tears falling down her cheeks, after everything that had happened she still felt bad for that man, the cold finally got to her and she began to shake and tremble, she looked around trying to work out where she was. Her eye caught sight of a figure ambling down the street, a bottle in one hand and he was slurring his words as he attempted to sing, he seemed to suddenly notice Nancy,
' Alright darlin', and how much would it cost an upstandin' gent like myself the pleasure of your company'
' What?' Nancy's voice was still hoarse
' Don't play silly beggars darlin' how much or do I get a free ride?' he was laughing coldly, as he stumbled towards her, she tried to scream but nothing would come out, instead she decided to run, her feet still ached but she ran,
' Don't run darlin' I don't bite' he was running and stumbling after her, he was quicker than she anticipated and he grabbed her pulling her down from the ground, Nancy lashed out a precise blow with the heel of her hand, he fell backwards clutching his face, she got to her feet but he was angry now and was also on his feet, he swung a punch at her she dodged it and sharply, with all the force she could muster, she elbowed him in the side hitting his ribs, she then quickly kicked him in the stomach knocking the breath out of him, she turned to run and only made it a few paces when she noticed the two men watching her. The two men were staring at her in shock at what they'd just witnessed, Nancy met Holmes eyes and slowly continued walking towards him, he began walking to her taking his coat off as he did, when they reached each other he put his coat around her pulling her close to him, they walked together his arms around her protectively, no one said a word.
Back at Mrs Hudson's Nancy sat in her room, Mrs Hudson was in the bathroom, she had insisted Nancy needed a relaxing bath after her ordeal. Watson was downstairs filling Lestrade in on all the events, as soon as they'd got back to the house Holmes had removed his arms from Nancy and walked upstairs, he looked so angry, Nancy thought as he walked away. Watson had insisted on checking her bleeding feet and cleaning up her cuts, and fussing over her until she was able to assure him she was fine. Nancy sat in a thin robe waiting, when Mrs Hudson left she hauled her aching body off the bed and walked into the bathroom, she stared at her reflection in the mirror, she was filthy, there was dirt all over her, and the occasional spot of blood had dried on her skin. She turned and dipped her fingers in the hot water, Mrs Hudson had added bath salts and they had turned the water cloudy, the scent of lavender filled the room, and she found it soothing, but she couldn't stop thinking about Holmes, was he angry with her? The thoughts troubled her as she sank into the hot water, she let herself melt into the heat soothing her aching muscles, she washed herself trying to remove the dirt and grime from her skin and washed her hair, she ran her fingers over the small locket round her neck and her mind drifted back to Holmes.