I don't own Sherlock, just messing around while I can.
Sorry for the long wait, I am no longer going by schedule. I'm just updating when I have a chapter done and edited from now on, for all fics.
Any mistakes are my own.
Enjoy!
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sherlock and John followed Dimmock into the crime scene. Sherlock takes the lead as he headed into the flat properly and began to look around. He noted the suitcase, empty on the floor and then spotted a familiar sight. On the floor was a black origami lotus. The same as the one he had pulled from Van Coon's mouth. John and Dimmock watched as the Alpha went around the room, books and newspapers were everywhere, scattered around the room.
"Whe..." John began as Sherlock headed into the kitchen area and began to look out of the windows.
"Four floors up and they think they're safe. Deadlock and golden," he snorted, "They would never believe that there is another way inside."
Dimmock frowned, "What do you mean?"
Sherlock went out onto the landing and answered, "The killer can climb."
John and Dimmock watch as he jumps onto a box and has a closer look at the skylight, "He can cling to the walls, like a spider or fly," he unhooks the latch and pushes it open, "This is how he got in."
"What?" Dimmock questioned, not believing what he was hearing.
"He climbed the walls, went along the roof and dropped in right here," Sherlock grinned as turned to the two of them.
"He was like bloody Spiderman!?" Dimmock exclaimed, not believing it.
"Yes, he scaled six floors at the Docklands apartments to kill Van Coon. And that is of course, how he got in at the bank," he jumped down from the box and looked around, "Now what was it about these two men that attracted our killer?" he wondered aloud.
"What could that be they work in different places?" Dimmock questioned as Sherlock looked at the books and picked one up.
"That is what I am going to find out," Sherlock said as he made a note of the library the book he had picked up had come from.
John was about to say something when he felt a hand over his wrist and he was being pulled out of the crime scene, "Thank you, Dimmock," he called out politely as he was pulled away. Dimmock stood there shaking his head at the whirlwind that was Sherlock Holmes.
XxXxX
Sherlock paid the fare of the taxi and carried on pulling John around as they walked into West Kensington Library.
"Why are we here?" John asked him, hoping the man would let him walk properly.
"Ah, the book was stamped the day he died. So he was here, I am going through his steps to see if we can find anything," he answered absently as he walked through the shelves looking for where Lukis' book had come from.
"So what are we looking for?" John asked as Sherlock began to pull out books and look for them.
"Something that would frighten him enough to send him home and locking every window and door in his flat," Sherlock answered as he put the book back and pulled out another one.
John sighed and looked to the shelves and pulled out a book, "Oh," he said as he saw something behind it, "Sherlock," he called.
Sherlock went over to him and looked at the shelve, he pulled out some more books as the same yellow spray paint was revealed in the same pattern that was on the painting at the bank. Sherlock smirked, "Well done John. Home I need to think," he muttered, taking a quick picture and then putting the books back and headed out.
"Sherlock," John huffed as the Omega rushed to keep up with the long strides.
XxXxX
John sat in his chair as he watched Sherlock mutter to himself and pin pictures on the wall. When he finished John got up and made the two of them some tea. Dimmock had been kind enough to drop pictures of the two crime scenes to them as well as the few that Sherlock had quickly taken himself at the bank and the library.
"Here," John said as he held out a mug for Sherlock.
Sherlock hummed as he turned, blinking when he saw John standing there. He had been off in his own little world, thinking about the case and hadn't even noticed that John had got up, "THakn you," he said, taking the mug, sipping the hot liquid.
"Figured anything out?" he asked as he sat back down and watched Sherlock.
"So the killer goes to the bank and leaves a cryptic message for Van Coon," Sherlock mutters mainly to himself, ignoring John's question. "He rushes home, locks himself inside and has a gun out, ready and waiting for whoever shows up. Then hours later he is dead."
John nodded, "Then there is Lukis, who goes to the library, sees the same cryptic message behind a book he wanted and returns home. He locks himself away as well."
"Yes, and he too ends up dead hours later," Sherlock nodded as he taps the picture with the yellow spray paint. "Let's go, I need some advice," he said, putting his mug down and began to head out of the flat, grabbing his coat as he walked past.
John sighed and took a long gulp of his tea before putting it down and following him, "Advice?" John asked him, a teasing tone in his voice.
Sherlock gave him a blank look, "Yes," he muttered and turned hailing a taxi as soon as he reached the pavement.
John got int as soon as it pulled up and off they went. It didn't take them long to get to where Sherlock wanted and the man stepped out leaving the annoyed Omega paying the fare. He jogged to catch the Alpha up, "So who are we going to see?" he asked as they were near the National Gallery.
Sherlock just smirked as he walked passed the entrance and around the side of the building. Before them, was a young man, spraypainting something to the side. John's eyes narrowed as he tried to make out the smaller tag that was at the bottom of the artwork that now adorned the wall.
"Raz," Sherlock called out.
"Mr Holmes," Raz grinned to him, "What do you think of my latest work, I call it Urban Bloodlust Frenzy."
John chuckled slightly at the name, "Catchy for one thing."
Raz grinned at him, "Yep, proud of this, so you got about two minutes before Comunity Support Officer comes around that corner, talk..." he prompted Sherlock as he carried on spraying his tag.
"This," Sherlock said as pulled out his phone and showed him the picture of the cypher on the painting at the bank.
Raz took it, tossing the can into the bag at his feet, "Hmm," he hummed as he flicked through them.
"Know the author?" Sherlock asked.
"Recognise the paint. It's Michigan; hardcore propellant too. I'd say... Zinc." he said as he began to hand the phone over.
"Raz, two people are dead, do you recognise the symbols at all?" Sherlock pressed for more information.
"No, don't," he told them.
"Raz, put the word out see what you can get," Sherlock told him.
"W-" he was cut off by a voice in the distance.
"Oi!"
The three men turned and looked, two community support officers were coming down shouting. Raz quickly scarpered as soon as Sherlock grabbed his phone. Grabbing John's wrist he pulled the man along as they ran off from the officers that gave chase. It wasn't hard for Sherlock to pull John along and to avoid the two men following them.
Sherlock and John breathed hard for a moment as soon as they were sure they had lost the two. "That was..." John breathed hard, an exhilarated look on his face.
"Indeed," Sherlock grinned back.
"So what next?" John asked as he stood up straight, the adrenaline finally levelling out.
"I need you to go and see Dimmock, get Lukis' diary or something. We need to retrace their steps and find out where they have been and gone. I'm going to Van Coon's PA, where ever they overlap is the key to this," Sherlock said seriously, the jovial attitude from moments ago gone once more.
"All right," John nodded as the two of them went to find a taxi. John went in the first one and headed for the police station, while Sherlock headed for the bank.
John quickly reached the police station and DImooxks desk. "I need Lukis' diary?" he asked his fellow Omega."And whatever you are going to say about him, way I," he pointed out.
Dimmock nodded and began to go through the personal effects of Lukis' to find it. "He's an arrogant sod isn't he," he muttered.
John blinked, "Well that was mild compared to some of the things I've heard since I started living with him."
"Here," Dimmock said as he held out the diary, "This is what you're looking for isn't it?" he asked.
John took it and flicked through it, "Yeah it is, thanks," he smiled. "And he is arrogant, but it's well deserved at times. He is brilliant, but he needs to work on his social skills a little more."
Dimmock snorted, "Help him with that will you," he joked.
John nodded and walked out of the room.
XxXxX
John was walking down the street, following what he had found in the diary. He jolted as he bumped into someone. "Sorry," he said as he turned to look at who it was. "Sherlock?" he queried.
"Yes John," the Alpha smiled back, "and I can see that their paths do cross," he added as he had glanced into the diary that John was holding.
"So they were both at this address?" he asked as he glanced to the shop across the road from the two of them.
Sherlock nodded, "Let's go in," he said as the two of them cross the road and enter the shop. Sherlock begins to look around as John does the same, fending himself from the onslaught of a pushing salesman trying to get him to buy a Lucky Cat. "John," Sherlock called to the man.
John quickly went over and looked to where Sherlock was pointing, "Ah," he nodded.
"The same as the cyphers," Sherlock smirked, "Numbers."
"Right," John said, "And how are we going to know which ones?" he asked.
Sherlock grinned as he led the way out of the shop, they soon passed grocers, "It's an ancient numbering system, Hangzhou. And here," he said, pointing to the handmade signs on some of the items outside.
"Here's one," John pointed out to one of the handmade signs, "The number fifteen."
"And the last," Sherlock said as he found the other, "One."
The two went to a nearby restaurant and John ordered some food, thankful that Sherlock had considered him this time. "Right, we have two men travel to China, come back and go to the Lucky Cat Emporium. What did they see?" John asked him as they waited for John's food to arrive.
"It's not what they saw," Sherlock pointed out, looking up from a napkin that he was using as a jotting pad. "It's what they brought back in those suitcases."
"And I doubt that was duty-free," John pointed out, wondering if Sherlock would just tell hi what was going on.
"Think about Van Coon, and how he stayed afloat in the market," Sherlock prompted him to think.
John paused for a moment, "Lost Five mil and gained it in a week," he said as he remembered something Sebastian had said. "Smuggling," he murmured.
"Yes, the two of them go to China, bring something back in their luggage and bring it to the Lucky Cat," Sherlock murmured quietly. They both went silent as John's food arrived.
John happily dug in, "So why kill them if they were smuggling for them? They delivered whatever it was they were bringing into the country."
"Hmm, maybe one of them got a little light-fingered," Sherlock said as he took a quick forkful from John's plate.
"Stole something," John nodded, eating a little more. "Yeah, I can see that."
Sherlock looked out of the window and directly at the shop. "Tell me, John," he began, staring at the plastic-wrapped yellow pages that was leaning against the doorframe of a door next to the shop. "When did it last rain?" he asked, noting the drops of water that were clinging to the plastic.
Sherlock got up and left the restaurant. John looked mournfully at his barely eaten meal, "He owes me," he muttered as he took one last bite and follow Sherlock across the road.
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