A/N
Wakizashi- Forgiven(
Rosie- I'm getting them together in the next story. Now before everyone stones me, it's going to be worth it. I promise. Just for now I like the tension. It'll make the end result better.
WoC
It took all the persuasive power in my command to convince Micah to come with Damien and me. He finally tentatively agreed.
"I'm just curious," he said, "I didn't realize he worked so closely with the police."
I was still rather unsettled from my earlier revelation about my feelings towards Sherlock. I would just have to nip it in the bud. He didn't like me. End of discussion. But if he did…
I shook my head. There was no sense for getting my hopes up just to get hurt. That had happened to me too much in my life to try it again so quickly. I mean Micah, for all his odd looks, still seemed safer than Damien to me. Why did I always have to go for the unstable ones?
I got Micah to agree to drive me. He had a brand new jeep and was more than happy to show it off to someone. Men and their toys.
Damien was already there when we pulled up. He didn't look Micah in the eye and immediately turned for us to follow him.
"No one seems to be home," he said, "which is rather nice. We can look around without being harassed. Hawthorne gave me permission, because he said that the police had been here and gotten all the evidence they wanted today. That gives us just this evening before we're trespassing when we come here."
"Do you think they missed something?" I asked.
"No," Sherlock replied as he turned around to face me, "I think they may not have been looking for something."
I nodded.
"They did seem like they were in an awful hurry to convict Dillon," I said, "though to they're credit, he made it easy for them."
"You don't think the guy did it?" Micah ventured.
Damien shot me a 'the things I do for you, woman' look, and shook his head.
"I think there are some things that haven't been explained in a satisfactory manner," he said with a forced calmness to his brother.
I sighed. Yes, he was being nice, but did he have to make it so painfully obvious that he was putting forth such an effort?
"You know," I said, "I keep having the feeling that I've seen that gardener somewhere before. I wish I could place him, but I just can't figure it out."
Damien looked at me with interest.
"You mean like in town or something?" he asked.
"I don't know," I said with a sigh, "but when I think of it I'll tell you."
"Speaking of the gardener," Sherlock said, "I'd like to go into his personal greenhouse."
"Didn't the police already?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I don't know if they were looking for the right thing."
"And what would this right thing be?" Micah spoke up.
"I don't know yet," Damien admitted, "but I will when I see it."
He tried the door to the greenhouse, but found it locked. He tested his weight against it, but realized that the door was too sturdily made too give any. Damien turned back to me and sighed.
"I didn't want to break a window, but it looks like I have too," he said.
"Not really," Micah replied as he bent next to the door.
He jumped up and walked over to a small pile of debris. After rooting around a minute, he came back with a piece of wire. Sticking it in the lock he gave a few quick movements with his hand and stood back. The door swung open. Damien stared at his stepbrother as if Micah had just performed a magic trick. Micah gave one of his good-natured smiles back.
"You pick up some interesting stuff in art class now and then," he said with a shrug.
I could only look at Damien rather triumphantly. He gave me a 'maybe he is good for something after all' look and walked into the greenhouse. Micah and I exchanged smiles behind his back.
The greenhouse was divided into two rows with a long table down the middle. There were plants on the outside next to the glass, but on the table there were little containers all lined up on shelves. I pulled one out and nearly dropped it in surprise. Inside was some kind of cockroach type creature.
"What in heck does he have here?" I said in disgust.
"He told us he collects exotic plants and insects," Damien said non- chalantly, "I take it this is where he keeps them."
I wandered around the other side of the shelves and straight into a cobweb.
"You know," I said, "I really need to start getting paid for helping you. I shouldn't have to follow you around walking into spider webs for free."
Damien shot me a dirty look and proceeded to study the stuff on the table. I wandered around to the other side of him to see what he was looking at. It was rows of what looked like chemistry set tools.
"Maybe he uses them on the plants," Micah offered as he joined us.
Sherlock just gave a puzzled look then turned to me. His eyes widened and he grabbed me by the elbows.
"Shelley, don't move," he demanded, "whatever you do, don't move."
Wakizashi- Forgiven(
Rosie- I'm getting them together in the next story. Now before everyone stones me, it's going to be worth it. I promise. Just for now I like the tension. It'll make the end result better.
WoC
It took all the persuasive power in my command to convince Micah to come with Damien and me. He finally tentatively agreed.
"I'm just curious," he said, "I didn't realize he worked so closely with the police."
I was still rather unsettled from my earlier revelation about my feelings towards Sherlock. I would just have to nip it in the bud. He didn't like me. End of discussion. But if he did…
I shook my head. There was no sense for getting my hopes up just to get hurt. That had happened to me too much in my life to try it again so quickly. I mean Micah, for all his odd looks, still seemed safer than Damien to me. Why did I always have to go for the unstable ones?
I got Micah to agree to drive me. He had a brand new jeep and was more than happy to show it off to someone. Men and their toys.
Damien was already there when we pulled up. He didn't look Micah in the eye and immediately turned for us to follow him.
"No one seems to be home," he said, "which is rather nice. We can look around without being harassed. Hawthorne gave me permission, because he said that the police had been here and gotten all the evidence they wanted today. That gives us just this evening before we're trespassing when we come here."
"Do you think they missed something?" I asked.
"No," Sherlock replied as he turned around to face me, "I think they may not have been looking for something."
I nodded.
"They did seem like they were in an awful hurry to convict Dillon," I said, "though to they're credit, he made it easy for them."
"You don't think the guy did it?" Micah ventured.
Damien shot me a 'the things I do for you, woman' look, and shook his head.
"I think there are some things that haven't been explained in a satisfactory manner," he said with a forced calmness to his brother.
I sighed. Yes, he was being nice, but did he have to make it so painfully obvious that he was putting forth such an effort?
"You know," I said, "I keep having the feeling that I've seen that gardener somewhere before. I wish I could place him, but I just can't figure it out."
Damien looked at me with interest.
"You mean like in town or something?" he asked.
"I don't know," I said with a sigh, "but when I think of it I'll tell you."
"Speaking of the gardener," Sherlock said, "I'd like to go into his personal greenhouse."
"Didn't the police already?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I don't know if they were looking for the right thing."
"And what would this right thing be?" Micah spoke up.
"I don't know yet," Damien admitted, "but I will when I see it."
He tried the door to the greenhouse, but found it locked. He tested his weight against it, but realized that the door was too sturdily made too give any. Damien turned back to me and sighed.
"I didn't want to break a window, but it looks like I have too," he said.
"Not really," Micah replied as he bent next to the door.
He jumped up and walked over to a small pile of debris. After rooting around a minute, he came back with a piece of wire. Sticking it in the lock he gave a few quick movements with his hand and stood back. The door swung open. Damien stared at his stepbrother as if Micah had just performed a magic trick. Micah gave one of his good-natured smiles back.
"You pick up some interesting stuff in art class now and then," he said with a shrug.
I could only look at Damien rather triumphantly. He gave me a 'maybe he is good for something after all' look and walked into the greenhouse. Micah and I exchanged smiles behind his back.
The greenhouse was divided into two rows with a long table down the middle. There were plants on the outside next to the glass, but on the table there were little containers all lined up on shelves. I pulled one out and nearly dropped it in surprise. Inside was some kind of cockroach type creature.
"What in heck does he have here?" I said in disgust.
"He told us he collects exotic plants and insects," Damien said non- chalantly, "I take it this is where he keeps them."
I wandered around the other side of the shelves and straight into a cobweb.
"You know," I said, "I really need to start getting paid for helping you. I shouldn't have to follow you around walking into spider webs for free."
Damien shot me a dirty look and proceeded to study the stuff on the table. I wandered around to the other side of him to see what he was looking at. It was rows of what looked like chemistry set tools.
"Maybe he uses them on the plants," Micah offered as he joined us.
Sherlock just gave a puzzled look then turned to me. His eyes widened and he grabbed me by the elbows.
"Shelley, don't move," he demanded, "whatever you do, don't move."