Chapter 6
Lestrade tapped her foot against the cold tile floor impatiently. The doctor and Holmes had been in the examination room for five minutes. Okay, so she was nervous. Who wouldn't be? There was so much that could go wrong. The DNA mask could dissipate; the doctor could catch Holmes in the act of sabotaging the equipment; the data might not register....Luckily her nervousness could be interpreted as anticipation of the news, good or bad, that the doctor would have.
"Relax sweety," the elderly woman sitting beside her said, "I'm sure everything will be just fine. You're husband looks like a very spry individual."
Lestrade offered a tremulous smile, while inside she was laughing hysterically. Somehow thinking about Holmes in that manner was an extremely funny joke...on her. She was almost glad when Dr. Higgins chose that moment to beckon her into his office. Rising on shaking limbs, she walked forward.
As she sat down in the chair beside Holmes and opposite the doctor, she was reminded why she hated doctors' offices. A memory surfaced, one she'd tried and succeeded in suppressing, except in situations like this.
She sat beside the man, a friend of her mother's he had said. She didn't care who he was. He was nice to her. The doctor sitting across from them sneered down at her with undisguised contempt. It was her father.
"You believe a child over me, Jacob?" her father was saying, "She's a clumsy little thing, and a chronic liar to boot. Have you ever known me to hit a child? I'm a pediatrician for God's sake!"
"Yes, I know. However, she didn't tell me anything about the bruises she has all over her face, and most likely her body as well. I just came to ask if you minded if she came and stayed as a companion to my daughter. My wife and I are gone so much that I'm worried she may not get the attention she needs. Beth is her age."
"Hmm...I guess it wouldn't do any harm," her father said with a shrug, "But like I said, she's a clumsy little thing and a.."
"..a chronic liar, yes I know. I shall keep that in mind. Come on Beth," the man stood up and walked out the door. She started to follow.
"You just remember, you're mother was a whore and you'll never be any better. Got it?"
She nodded swiftly before scurrying from the room.
She viciously shoved it to the back of her mind, and concentrated on what the doctor was saying.
"The good news is...it isn't a life threatening disease," Higgins was saying, "however, it does afflict many males; more than it ever has in the past. Researchers have theorized that it's caused by the high pollution, which is higher now than it was. Mrs. Johnson, are you all right?"
Lestrade blinked and looked at the doctor, slightly confused, "I..."
Higgins nodded in understanding as Holmes gently took her hand. "Yes, I know. It is rather difficult to comprehend. You're husband is sterile. There are of course other ways...artificial insemination is just one."
"We've already tried that," she replied at the same time as Holmes. He smiled at her and gestured for her to go on. "They said that there was no reason why it should have failed, but it did. I...I've always wanted to..to..have.." She stopped, not entirely pretending to be too choked up to continue.
Holmes placed his arms around her shoulders, and she buried her face into his chest. "Thank you doc. I...guess we'll be leaving now. Her parents will want to hear the news."
"There is another alternative," Higgins quickly inserted, "If you're interested." Lestrade looked up. "We'll do anything to get a baby, " she told him, "Won't we Charlie?"
"Of course Danni."
Higgins smiled as though he had just won the million cred prize. "Excellent." He then proceeded to tell them all about an adoption agency, and explained the procedure to them. Lestrade exchanged a glance with Holmes. His eyes told her he had some very choice news for her.
"Isn't that illegal," Holmes asked when the doctor had finished.
"Do you want a baby?" Higgins rejoined, having obviously gone through this several times.
"Yes!" Lestrade exclaimed right on cue, giving her 'husband' a hard glance. "We want a baby very much. I said we'd do anything and I meant it."
"Yes," Holmes said with a sigh, "Anything. Just tell us what to do now."
"Go to this location," Higgins handed them a map of Sussex, "There you'll find a lodge. I've already registered your names. You'll be staying there until a child is available."
Once they were out of hearing of anyone else, and Holmes had checked for possible planted listening devices, he told her something very interesting. "It's all a set up."
"What?"
"Here, I didn't need this. They falsify their own data when someone has no problems. Anyone else would not have noticed the extra amount of time spent on the scanner, but I am not just anyone else."
She took the small device and crushed in her hand, letting it drop to the ground. "So, it's a set up from the start? Wonderful. I mean, well you know what I meant."
"I do indeed. It's just one more loop in the rope they're going to hang themselves with." He gave a grim smile then.
Watson still could not believe what he had read in that letter. Lestrade could not be a murderer, no matter what evidence Holmes had found. The detective had been known to be wrong before. Well, whatever the case may be, Watson was determined to prove either way. And the first place to start was Derrick Stanhope, the deceased's husband.
********************* "And you actually believed that note? He's probably in on the set up too," Stanhope was saying, his voice agitated. Watson noted heightened blood pressure. The man was certainly upset.
"I see," Watson said, even though he didn't, "And exactly how do know Lestrade is innocent? Is it perhaps because you killed your wife yourself, and now your guilty conscience is making you....." He trailed off at the derisive snort.
"Look, I can't tell you how I know. I just know that Beth did not kill my wife. Neither did I. Elaine what are you doing?!"
Watson turned around to see a slight figure walking into the room. She had very light brown hair, and chocolate eyes. It was almost the same as the picture he had seen of Elaine Stanhope. He felt his mouth drop open. "How the devil?"
"Watson...nice to meet you," she said in a soft, hesitant voice, "my sister was always reading those journals."
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Lestrade tapped her foot against the cold tile floor impatiently. The doctor and Holmes had been in the examination room for five minutes. Okay, so she was nervous. Who wouldn't be? There was so much that could go wrong. The DNA mask could dissipate; the doctor could catch Holmes in the act of sabotaging the equipment; the data might not register....Luckily her nervousness could be interpreted as anticipation of the news, good or bad, that the doctor would have.
"Relax sweety," the elderly woman sitting beside her said, "I'm sure everything will be just fine. You're husband looks like a very spry individual."
Lestrade offered a tremulous smile, while inside she was laughing hysterically. Somehow thinking about Holmes in that manner was an extremely funny joke...on her. She was almost glad when Dr. Higgins chose that moment to beckon her into his office. Rising on shaking limbs, she walked forward.
As she sat down in the chair beside Holmes and opposite the doctor, she was reminded why she hated doctors' offices. A memory surfaced, one she'd tried and succeeded in suppressing, except in situations like this.
She sat beside the man, a friend of her mother's he had said. She didn't care who he was. He was nice to her. The doctor sitting across from them sneered down at her with undisguised contempt. It was her father.
"You believe a child over me, Jacob?" her father was saying, "She's a clumsy little thing, and a chronic liar to boot. Have you ever known me to hit a child? I'm a pediatrician for God's sake!"
"Yes, I know. However, she didn't tell me anything about the bruises she has all over her face, and most likely her body as well. I just came to ask if you minded if she came and stayed as a companion to my daughter. My wife and I are gone so much that I'm worried she may not get the attention she needs. Beth is her age."
"Hmm...I guess it wouldn't do any harm," her father said with a shrug, "But like I said, she's a clumsy little thing and a.."
"..a chronic liar, yes I know. I shall keep that in mind. Come on Beth," the man stood up and walked out the door. She started to follow.
"You just remember, you're mother was a whore and you'll never be any better. Got it?"
She nodded swiftly before scurrying from the room.
She viciously shoved it to the back of her mind, and concentrated on what the doctor was saying.
"The good news is...it isn't a life threatening disease," Higgins was saying, "however, it does afflict many males; more than it ever has in the past. Researchers have theorized that it's caused by the high pollution, which is higher now than it was. Mrs. Johnson, are you all right?"
Lestrade blinked and looked at the doctor, slightly confused, "I..."
Higgins nodded in understanding as Holmes gently took her hand. "Yes, I know. It is rather difficult to comprehend. You're husband is sterile. There are of course other ways...artificial insemination is just one."
"We've already tried that," she replied at the same time as Holmes. He smiled at her and gestured for her to go on. "They said that there was no reason why it should have failed, but it did. I...I've always wanted to..to..have.." She stopped, not entirely pretending to be too choked up to continue.
Holmes placed his arms around her shoulders, and she buried her face into his chest. "Thank you doc. I...guess we'll be leaving now. Her parents will want to hear the news."
"There is another alternative," Higgins quickly inserted, "If you're interested." Lestrade looked up. "We'll do anything to get a baby, " she told him, "Won't we Charlie?"
"Of course Danni."
Higgins smiled as though he had just won the million cred prize. "Excellent." He then proceeded to tell them all about an adoption agency, and explained the procedure to them. Lestrade exchanged a glance with Holmes. His eyes told her he had some very choice news for her.
"Isn't that illegal," Holmes asked when the doctor had finished.
"Do you want a baby?" Higgins rejoined, having obviously gone through this several times.
"Yes!" Lestrade exclaimed right on cue, giving her 'husband' a hard glance. "We want a baby very much. I said we'd do anything and I meant it."
"Yes," Holmes said with a sigh, "Anything. Just tell us what to do now."
"Go to this location," Higgins handed them a map of Sussex, "There you'll find a lodge. I've already registered your names. You'll be staying there until a child is available."
Once they were out of hearing of anyone else, and Holmes had checked for possible planted listening devices, he told her something very interesting. "It's all a set up."
"What?"
"Here, I didn't need this. They falsify their own data when someone has no problems. Anyone else would not have noticed the extra amount of time spent on the scanner, but I am not just anyone else."
She took the small device and crushed in her hand, letting it drop to the ground. "So, it's a set up from the start? Wonderful. I mean, well you know what I meant."
"I do indeed. It's just one more loop in the rope they're going to hang themselves with." He gave a grim smile then.
Watson still could not believe what he had read in that letter. Lestrade could not be a murderer, no matter what evidence Holmes had found. The detective had been known to be wrong before. Well, whatever the case may be, Watson was determined to prove either way. And the first place to start was Derrick Stanhope, the deceased's husband.
********************* "And you actually believed that note? He's probably in on the set up too," Stanhope was saying, his voice agitated. Watson noted heightened blood pressure. The man was certainly upset.
"I see," Watson said, even though he didn't, "And exactly how do know Lestrade is innocent? Is it perhaps because you killed your wife yourself, and now your guilty conscience is making you....." He trailed off at the derisive snort.
"Look, I can't tell you how I know. I just know that Beth did not kill my wife. Neither did I. Elaine what are you doing?!"
Watson turned around to see a slight figure walking into the room. She had very light brown hair, and chocolate eyes. It was almost the same as the picture he had seen of Elaine Stanhope. He felt his mouth drop open. "How the devil?"
"Watson...nice to meet you," she said in a soft, hesitant voice, "my sister was always reading those journals."
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Go back to 5
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