The burn of the alcohol going down his throat was nothing. The constant, annoying emails from his boss demanding better results were typical, boring even. The one thing Greg Lestrade could not handle was complete and utter idiocy.
Lestrade had been told once or twice that his anger issues were a problem; but the way he saw it, the thicker the skull the louder he needed to be.
"Well, tell him to call service then if he doesn't know how to change his own bloody tire!" He hung up on the patrolman and slammed the empty shot glass on the bar. "Buggers." What officer couldn't change his own flat? The incompetence these days…
Lestrade held up a finger for a refill and turned to watch the television in the corner. Two more people dead from a mall shooting that morning. He had long given up hope on a violence-free world but it still saddened him to see more of it. He looked away in frustration.
The bartender, Levi, swapped his glass with a full one. He was well accustomed to Lestrade's presence and therefore, his preferences of drink depending on his mood. Greg gave a nod to the man for switching his drink to vodka after the angry phone call.
Not even tipsy yet, Lestrade decided to catch up on the messages building up on his phone.
Cheating ex: "I miss you".
Nope. Been there, done that.
Sherlock: "Brain. Hospital. 1 pm".
Being used to odd requests from the brilliant detective, Greg immediately set up a virtual reminder to call Molly for a cadaver.
He continued down the list, alcohol in hand, until both email and text message inboxes were empty. Lestrade congratulated himself by ordering another drink, even though the room was already spinning. He didn't even notice the man with the umbrella sitting next to him until he heard a too-calm voice say, "Detective Inspector or Off-Duty Alcoholic?"
"What's it to you?" Greg grumbled without looking at him.
"Nice to officially meet your aquaintence." The man said with no emotion whatsoever. "I am Mycroft Holmes, and you're sitting in my bar. I have a case for you, Inspector Lestrade."