Sherlock waited as Gwen climbed into the cab.
"Where are we going, exactly?" Gwen asked, looking at Sherlock, who was busy on his phone.
"We," he said to her, "are going to the ex-wife's house."
"How do you know where it is? And what's her name?" Gwen asked curiously.
"Her name is Maria. It was on the inside of his wedding band, which he had in his pocket. There are skid marks from tires which go in the direction we're travelling. Also, mud was deposited near the window that had been tampered with. It was relatively fresh and it comes from the more swampy areas outside of London. And he still had her contact information in his phone."
Gwen nodded, amazed. How did he do that?
They sat in silence as they rode to their destination: Sherlock typed on his phone as Gwen stared out the window. As they arrived at the end of the long driveway, Sherlock instructed the cabbie to stop and wait: they would walk the rest of the way. After paying the fare, Sherlock and Gwen started up the long driveway. Gwen discreetly texted her father to let him know where they were, but told him not to come just yet.
Sherlock knocked on the front door of the large house.
"What's our excuse for being here?" Gwen asked, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
"No idea. Think of something." Sherlock said.
The door was answered by a maid.
"Hello, we're from Trends, a fashion magazine in America. We're here to see if Ms. Maria Wilson would like to be a model for our cover." Gwen said, using a flawless American accent.
The maid invited them in, leading them to a sitting room. "The lady of the house will be with you in a few minutes."
Sherlock shot Gwen a side-glance when the maid was out of earshot. "We're from a fashion magazine? Do I look like the kind of person who would be working for a fashion magazine?"
"That scarf is pretty chic…" Gwen teased.
"Where did you pick up that American accent?"
"I watch the telly."
Maria Wilson swept into the room in a short dress and high heels. "And to what event do I owe this pleasure?"
"Ms. Wilson, it's an honor to meet you. My name is Gwendolyn Marks, and this is my partner, Joseph Lance. We're here from Trends, a popular fashion magazine in America. We came to Great Britain on vacation, but we saw some of your pictures in the local paper and decided that we wanted to do a story. We've never had a British model on our cover before, so Joseph and I thought that you could be the first. Just out of curiosity, who are your fashion advisors?"
"Oh, I don't have fashion advisors. It's just me." Maria said, smiling.
"You're joking! That's marvelous. Joseph, this was a wonderful find." Gwen said, turning to Sherlock.
"Thank you, Gwendolyn. Ms. Wilson, you seem to have some very nice gardens outside. Would it be alright if you and I took a stroll while I asked you some questions? You see, I write the stories; Gwendolyn takes the pictures." Sherlock asked in a deep tone.
"Oh, Mr. Lance, it would be my pleasure." Maria giggled.
"Gwendolyn, go out to the car and call the corporate office and tell them we have a story. I'll interview Ms. Wilson and be out soon." Sherlock told her.
"Oh, please call me Maria," she said to Sherlock. "Ms. Wilson is much too formal for an occasion like this."
"If you insist…Maria." Sherlock said, smirking. He looked pointedly at Gwen and said, "I'll see you later."
She nodded and walked out of the house, down the cab. She knew that Sherlock was all pretend right now; he knew what he was doing. When she had safely reached the cab, she put a call into the "corporate office": her father. It was time to call in the troops.