Chapter21: The Great Game Part
The next few days rushed by and though it was now late April the weather was not improving much as the rain continued to poor and the wind still had a rather cold bite to it.
It had been a while since Sherlock and John's last big case which John had named The Blind Banker in his blog. Sherlock was becoming more and more annoying Scarlett had gone to see him evening when both Mrs Hudson and John were out. He had got back the day before from Belarus having gone there for a case about a woman's murder.
"Hello" Scarlett called up the stairs as she entered 221b "Sherlock?"
Suddenly two shots were fired and Scarlett ran up the stairs panic stricken, only to find the door open and Sherlock sitting in his chair still in his pyjamas and robe, a gun in his hand. Scarlett stood in the door way staring at him, flabbergasted. She heard the door shut door stairs and heard someone enter, as Sherlock raised the gun again pointing it at a smiley face which had been drawn onto the wall firing again, John rushed up the stairs towards her.
"What the hell are you doing" Screamed John standing next to Scarlett and looking between Sherlock and her.
"This is nothing to do with me, I just got here" Scarlett defended, motioning towards the brooding detective.
"Bored" said Sherlock not moving from his chair.
"What" said John looking at the other man.
"Bored!" said Sherlock again standing up now he shot at the wall again repeatedly shouting "Bored Bored Bored!"
John moved quickly taking the gun from Sherlock.
"Don't know what's got into the criminal classes" said Sherlock making his way pass, Scarlett and towards the sofa and smiley face.
"Good job I'm not one of them" continued Sherlock
"So you take it out on the wall" John said
"Ahh The wall had it coming" Sherlock replied fingering one of the bullets holes, before collapsing dramatically onto the sofa again.
"What about that Russian case" asked John removing his coat, Scarlett moved to sit in the chair Sherlock had just vacated.
"Belarus. An open and shut domestic murder. Not worth my time" he said moaning slightly, Sherlock really needed a case soon.
"Oh shame" said John making his way into the kitchen, Scarlett got up and made her way over to Sherlock. He looked at Scarlett and smiled, she leant down to him.
He kissed her quickly before she heard John and moved away slightly.
"Anything in I'm starving" called John from the kitchen Scarlett heard him open the fridge and then shut it again. Steeling the chance Sherlock grabbed Scarlett pulling her on top of him, she glared at him motioning her head in the direction of the kitchen, they were doing well at keeping this a secret, but Sherlock was not helping right now.
"Oh Fu..." Scarlett heard John cry. Propping herself up on Sherlock's chest she looked round the corner into the kitchen John stood looking down holding the handle of the fridge shut.
He opened it again blocking Scarlett's view of the inside. He stared for a moment before shutting it again.
"There's a head" he said quietly.
"A severed head!" called John, and Sherlock began to nibble at Scarlett's neck.
"Just tea for me thanks" Sherlock said, and Scarlett restrained a laugh, Sherlock only grinned at her.
"No there's a head in the fridge" John said, Scarlett looked wide eyed at Sherlock, who only shrugged; she jumped off him, staring down at him in shock.
"Yes?" said Sherlock, Scarlett wasn't sure if he was answering her or John, either way he didn't seem as distressed about it as John or Scarlett clearly were.
"A bloody head!" said John angrily as he entered the room again.
"Sherlock!" said Scarlett suddenly feeling rather dirty.
"Well, where else was I supposed to put it" reasoned Sherlock now staring up at the ceiling again.
"You don't mind do you" Sherlock said and once again Scarlett was unsure which one of them he was speaking to.
"Well" said John quietly looking back toward the kitchen and the fridge.
"Got it from Bart's morgue" said Sherlock "I'm measuring the coagulation of saliva after death"
John shook his head, cover his face with his hand, rubbing his temples slightly.
"I see you've written up the taxi driver case" said Sherlock, lifting his arm to point at the computer on the table.
"Err... yes" said John moving toward the laptop.
Scarlett sat back in the chair in the corner, watching in silence.
"A study in pink?" questioned Sherlock as John sat in the chair Scarlett was sitting in earlier. "Nice"
"Well, you know. Pink lady, pink case, pink phone. There was a lot of pink. Did you like it?" John said looking to Sherlock, who picked up a magazine and began to flip through the pages.
"Urr... no" said Sherlock and Scarlett sensed a tone of anger in his voice.
"Why not? I'd thought you'd be flattered" said John, Scarlett had read the blog, it was the case Sherlock and John had first done together and completed just a month before Sherlock and Scarlett had first meet. But she could see where this was going and it wasn't good. Scarlett shifted uncomfortably watching every movement Sherlock made.
"Flattered?" Sherlock demanded looking over to John passed his magazine, before putting it face down in his lap "Sherlock sees through everything and everyone in seconds. What's incredible though is how spectacularly ignorant he is about some things" Sherlock did look rather annoyed, Scarlett feeling it was not her place, left for the kitchen to make tea.
"Hang on I didn't mean it like that" explained John
"Oh you meant 'Spectacularly ignorant' in a nice way" said Sherlock
"Look it doesn't matter to me, who's Prime Minister or who's sleeping with who" Sherlock began
"Or that the earth goes round the sun" interrupted John.
"Oh not that again! It's not important!"Sherlock practically shouted at John.
"Not import? It's primary school stuff. How can you not know that?" said John to him astonished. Scarlett smirked slightly as she poured the boiling water into each mug, her phone buzzed angrily in her pocket and she pulled it out while, she waited for the tea to brew a little.
Message from Eddie (Agent) 7:01
Meeting has been moved up with Dior to tomorrow morning at 10
Eddie
Scarlett pushed her phone back in her pocket and took the tea bags out of each mug before adding milk to all, the boys continued to argue as she place tea on the tables near them before sipping at her own which was far too hot to be drunk quickly.
"Listen" said Sherlock sitting up from the sofa and looking at John.
"This is my hard drive, and it only makes sense top put things in there that are useful. Really useful." said Sherlock with a finger on his skull.
"Ordinary people fill their heads with all kinds of rubbish. That makes it hard to get at the stuff that matters. Do you see?" said Sherlock his voice dark.
"But it's the solar system!" said John his voice loud and high.
"Oh, hell! What does that matter!?" Sherlock said his head in his hands as he frustratedly yelled.
"So we go round the sun. If we wet round the moon, or round and round the garden like a teddy bear, it wouldn't make any difference!" Sherlock said to John angrily who turned his face away to stare at the kitchen doorway.
"All that matters to me is the work! With that, my brain rots!" Sherlock said to him.
"Put that in your blog! Or, better still, stop inflicting your opinions on the world!" said Sherlock before he fell dramatically back into the sofa and curled up into a ball facing the wall, his dressing gown wrapped around him.
Down stairs the door opened and shut and without another word, John rose from his chair and left.
"Where are you going?" Said Sherlock looking up from his ball.
"Out! I need some air" said John pulling on his coat and making his way out of the flat, passing Mrs Hudson on the stairs and disappearing from sight.
Scarlet sighed as Sherlock returned to his ball of self pity and downed her tea in one go and headed to the kitchen to put her mug in the sink.
"Woo-hoo!" said Mrs Hudson called, knocking on the open door.
"Have you two had a little domestic?" said Mrs Hudson and Scarlett laughed.
"Oh hello dear" she said as made her way into the kitchen and past Scarlett.
"Ooh, it's a bit nippy out there. He should have wrapped himself up a bit more." said Mrs Hudson to no one in particular.
"Look, Sherlock this ordinary person need to go too now, dinner with my parents, but try to behave." said as he rose and literally walked over the coffee table to stare out the window. She walked over to him and stood beside him.
"I'm sure you'll get a case soon, bye Sherlock" she said as she kissed his cheek and looked at her and the best smile he could muster, before she turned on her heel and left.
She meet her parents in town and the three went to dinner, the asked about work and were happy to hear so was moving away from glamour modelling, they asked if she was dating and she said no.
"Oh but what about that lovely young we met at the hospital, John I think his name was" said her mother.
"John! No, not really my type, plus he's friends with Oliver, they were in the same squadron before John got injured, you probably have a picture of him at home somewhere. I doubt you've met him before though" said Scarlett as she poked her last few chips around her plate.
"Oh yes, I knew I recognised him from somewhere" said her father loudly and Scarlett smiled.
Tonight was her parents last night in London so she took them on the London eye, her mother must have taken around about 100 photos. She saw them off in a taxi at the end of the night, promising to visit soon. Before heading to the tube to get home, when she got in her feet ached and she pulled off her shoes and sat down on the sofa as a very sleepy looking Great Dane sat padded over, she mad a fuss of him, before switching on the TV. She turned the new over start away, not in the mood for the doom and gloom of the world.
She watched TV until around midnight before heading to bed, mentally preparing herself for tomorrow's meeting.
When she early woke the next day she turned on the TV and turned to the news listening while she readied herself for the meeting that morning.
'There has been a massive explosion in central London.' said the man on the TV and Scarlett peered her head around her bedroom door to see the TV. There on the screen was Baker Street covered in rubble. The caption on the bottom of the screen read 'House destroyed in Baker Street'
'As yet, there are no reports of any casualties and the police are unable to say if there's any suspicion of terrorist involvement. '
Scarlett rushed as she pulled on her coat and her shoes, before rushing out the door, not even bothering to turn the TV off. She literally ran around the corner of the road that lead to Baker Street, only to be stopped by a police man at the scene of the explosion, 221b look undamaged but she couldn't be sure as looked around at the rubble that filled the road.
"Please let me through that's my boyfriends flat" she said to the police officer and with kind eyes he allowed her through, she ran over to the door and pulled in open before running up the stairs towards Sherlock's flat.
"Sherlock!" she called worriedly but as soon as she entered she stopped dead. Sherlock sat in his chair with his violin in hand, his brother Mycroft sat opposite, and the two brother's looked up when she entered.
"Morning Scarlett" said Sherlock looking at her.
"On the TV it said... Are you OK?" she said slightly out of breath.
"Yes I'm fine." said Sherlock and Scarlett sat down heavily on the sofa.
"Where's John?" said Scarlett looking around the flat slightly as she stood from her seat, finally noticing the second inhabitant of this flat was no where to be seen.
"Out" was all Sherlock responded with and Scarlett decided if Sherlock was not worried it was because he knew John was OK.
"Miss Monroe, it is a pleasure as always" said Mycroft as Scarlett approached the Holmes brothers and Mycroft took her hand in his and kissed it lightly.
"If I didn't know you, Mycroft I would say you were flirting" Sherlock said with a smirk as he looked over his brother closely. Mycroft seemed offended by his brother's taunting, and smiled sweetly at Scarlett.
"Oh so you are flirting then" said Sherlock with a laugh and Mycroft shot him a dirty look.
"Really, Sherlock stop being a child" said Mycroft as Scarlett moved away checking her watch she had an hour before needed to be at her meeting, so sat down again on the sofa, her legs crossed.
"Miss Monroe, maybe you can help, my brother to understand the job I have for him is highly important." Said Mycroft looking to her.
"Oh no, Sherlock's work had nothing to do with me. And I found if Sherlock says no, not many people can convince him otherwise" said Scarlett shaking her head at Mycroft, who looked highly disgruntled as Sherlock smirked.
"Sherlock!" shouted John's voice as the front door slammed shut. "Sherlock" he shouted again, just before appearing around the door. He looked over the two brothers in much the same way, Scarlett had minutes earlier.
"John." Sherlock said looking up at his friend and plucking at the strings on his violin.
"I saw it on the telly. Are you OK?" said John looking very confused, Scarlett laughed at the mimicked conversation and wondered if she had looked so flustered when she had asked the exact same thing.
"Me? What? Oh, yeah, fine. Gas leak, apparently" said Sherlock not really paying attention to his flat mate as he stared down his brother.
"I can't." he said to Mycroft.
"Can't?" questioned Mycroft, staring at his younger brother with a slight annoyance written across his face.
"Scarlett?!" said John finally noticing the raven haired woman on the sofa.
"Were you here, when it happened" he asked and she simply shook her head.
"No, I just got here came to check on you and Sherlock" she said, noting as she said that she felt slightly guilty as the thought of John had not entered her mind until she knew Sherlock was OK. John smiled at her kindly, his eyes almost pitying her. She tried to hide the smirk that tried to rise to the surface as she remember that John knew Scarlett was in love with Sherlock and nothing more. So he felt sorry for her.
"Stuff, I've got on is just too big. I can't spare the time" said Sherlock to Mycroft who looked at him angrily.
"Never mind your usual trivia. This is of national importance." said Mycroft and John turned his head away from the woman on the sofa and back to the squabbling brothers. Sherlock plucked at the strings of his violin and again a looked at his brother.
"How's the diet?" he joked.
"Fine." said Mycroft and Scarlett watched on, this was clearly a touchy subject with Mycroft.
"Perhaps you can get through to him, John?" said Mycroft.
"What?" said John looking over to Mycroft.
"I'm afraid my brother can be very intransigent." said Mycroft and Sherlock plucked at the string of his violin again.
"If you're so keen, why don't you investigate it?" said Sherlock.
"No, no, no, no, no. I can't possibly be away from the office for any length of time. Not with the Korean elections so..." Mycroft cut himself off and smiled.
"Well, you don't need to know about that, do you?" he said. "Besides, a case like this, it requires... legwork" said Mycroft pulling a face at the thought.
"How's Sarah, John? How was the lilo?" Sherlock said looking up at his friend and ignoring his brother.
"Sofa, Sherlock. It was the sofa" Mycroft said to his brother while he opened his fob watch and looked at the time.
"Oh, yes, of course." said Sherlock looking up at his friend again before plucking at the strings of his violin again.
"How..? Oh, never mind." said John sitting down next to Scarlett and shooting her a look, she only shook her head at him.
"Sherlock's business seems to be booming since you and he became... pals" said Mycroft looking over to John.
"What's he like to live with" the elder Holmes brother joked. "Hellish, I imagine"
"I'm never bored" John admitted.
"Good. That's good, isn't it?" said Mycroft with a fake smile.
Mycroft stood and stared at his brother a case file in hand, before deciding against it and he strode over to John.
"Andrew West, known as Westie to his friends. Civil servant." he began handing John the file.
"Found dead on the tracks at Battersea station this morning with his head smashed in." said Mycroft.
"Jumped in front of a train?" asked John.
"Seems the logical assumption" agreed Mycroft.
"But?" John question.
"But?" Mycroft parroted.
"Well, you wouldn't be here if it was just an accident" said John to him.
"The MoD is working on, a new missile defence system, the Bruce-Partington Program, it's called. The plans for it were on a memory stick. " said Mycroft and Sherlock let out a small chuckle.
"That wasn't very clever" said John with a smirk.
"It's not the only copy." said Mycroft far too cheerily. "But it is secret. And missing."
"Top secret?" John clarified.
"Very. We think West must have take the memory stick. We can't possibly risk it falling into the wrong hands. You've got to find those plans, Sherlock" said Mycroft turning his head found to Sherlock again.
"Don't make me order you." said Mycroft warningly to his brother.
"I'd like to see you try." said Sherlock as he pulled his violin up to his chin.
"Think it over" said Mycroft defiantly.
"Goodbye, John" said Mycroft holding his hand out to shake. John stood to shake Mycroft hand.
"See you very soon." said Mycroft, he turned to Scarlett and smiled.
"I assume you will be leaving soon, for you meeting, Miss Monroe, would you like a lift. Pavilion Road isn't" said Mycroft to her and Scarlett didn' t bother to ask how he knew she had a meeting or that the office was in Pavilion Road.
"That would be lovely thank you" said Scarlett as she stood and Mycroft only smiled.
He strode past Sherlock and pulled his coat from the back of the chair that he had just vacated and looked at his younger brother, who was now repeatedly playing the same note on his violin. Mycroft strode out and Scarlett turned to them, she smiled.
"Bye boys" said Scarlett and with a quick wave, she made her way down the stairs. Mycroft stood waiting at the front door for her, she smiled at him as he opened the door for her in a very gentlemanly way.
He led her to the car that was waiting and held the door for her, Scarlett slid in and Mycroft joined her in the back before the car drove off quietly down the street. The journey was silent for a while as Mycroft looked over something important on his phone.
"Clearly I have a talent" said Scarlett as she noticed Mycroft eyeing her slightly after 10 minutes of silence.
"What do you mean" said Mycroft and Scarlett grinned.
"Well men like you and Sherlock are not easily distracted by women." said Scarlett as the car pulled up at the Dior offices, she spotted her agent waiting by the side of the revolving doors outside. As the car pulled to a halt Scarlett let herself out and bent back in, deliberately giving Mycroft a prefect view down her top.
"But I seem to have both of the Holmes boys hooked" she laughed before shutting the door behind her and making her way over to her agent Eddie.
The meeting at the Dior offices went well and they seemed excited about Scarlett being the new face of a particular fragrance called 'Excite'.
By 1oclock Scarlett was heading home she sent John a text asking how Sherlock was now and if he fancied lunch, but John quickly replied that they were on a case, and so far it seemed to be keeping Sherlock and himself very busy.
Though Scarlett was glad Sherlock would no longer be bored she did worry that if it was keeping Sherlock busy for more than a few minutes, it could possibly be something a little more dangerous, she thought about texting Sherlock and telling him to be careful, but ended up deciding against it as she was sure he would not listen.
When she got in, she changed into something a little more comfortable and took Bruce for a walk, as she walked she looked down at her dog. He was so much more than a pet to her and she smile to herself thinking about when she had first got him. She had never really thanked Mrs Hudson for looking after Bruce while she was in hospital, so stopping at the florist she picked up bunch of pink roses and head off to Baker Street, he dog still padding along beside her. She let herself into the front door and called out to Mrs Hudson.
"They're not in dear, got a case, came barging in earlier on, wanting to look at the basement flat" said Mrs Hudson as she greeted Scarlett by the stairs.
"I know, I actually came to see you" said Scarlett and Mrs Hudson looked at her strangely.
"I never thank you properly for along me to stay with you, looking after my dog while I was away and all the other lovely things you've done for me over the few months we've known each other." Scarlett explained. "So first off I got you these" She handed the bunch of flowers to Mrs Hudson who smiled and took them from Scarlett.
"Oh thank you dear, they are very beautiful" Mrs Hudson said tearing up slightly.
"and secondly I thought I would invite you to lunch, just use girls" Scarlett and Mrs Hudson smiled even wider than before.
"Oh, you don't have to do that for me" she said, but after a little insisting Scarlett and Mrs Hudson headed out together.
Mrs Hudson, or should she say Martha and Scarlett talked for a long time. She learnt about Martha's husband being sentenced to death, and that was apparently how she had met Sherlock in the first place. They talked about Scarlett being a model, though she felt she would not go into the glamour side over lunch. She tried to tell Mrs Hudson that Sherlock and John weren't gay but she would just keep saying things like. "live and let live" "It doesn't bother me" . So Scarlett just laughed and let her carry on. By 4oClock Scarlett paid for their food much to Mrs Hudson's fussing and the two women headed back to Baker Street walking through the park.
"Well that was very lovely dear, thank you very much. I really enjoyed myself" said Mrs Hudson as the two women hugged.
"Me too. We'll have to do it again soon" said Scarlett before the pair made there goodbyes, Mrs Hudson stroking Bruce on the head. Scarlett made her way home quickly smiling to herself, as she got in. She curled up on the sofa with Bruce at her feet and switch on the TV, but soon felt her eyes slipping shut as she yawned tiredly.