A/N: Hey everybody! I'm back with the next two chapters! Umm just so you
know, I wrote The Ultimate Challenge, while my co-author wrote The Faulty
Firework. I do not own anything Sherlockian except Kathryn and Julia. The
plot thickens here so please R/R! Enjoy!
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Chapter 3- Curious Events
As the evening's events ended, we parted company with Kathryn Granger and set off back to our own lodgings. We walked for a while, when Holmes suddenly came to a stop.
"I'm sorry to leave you at such short notice, my dear fellow," said he, "But I still have something to do. Go back to Baker Street, and I'll be back soon."
"Does it have something to do with a case?" I asked anxiously, "I don't want you to get hurt, Holmes."
"Oh, don't worry about me, Watson." he replied reassuringly, "I can take care of myself. This does not have anything to do with a case, nor is it anything dangerous, or else I would have asked you to come with me. I just need to pay a visit to brother Mycroft tonight."
"Well, all right then. Goodnight, Holmes," I said.
"Goodnight Watson, and do not wait up for me," replied Holmes. He waved at me, then turned around and disappeared around the corner of the street and faded into the dense swirls of fog.
There was nothing left for me to do apart from going home, so I followed his directions and hailed a cab to go back to Baker Street. I was determined, however, to wait up for him and ask him what he had done, so I picked up a novel I was reading, sat down by the warm hearth, and started my lonely vigil for Holmes. I waited for many hours, but as the clock chimed midnight, I saw it was useless to wait for him and so retired to bed.
In the morning, I found Holmes sitting at the breakfast table, a little haggard, but otherwise in high spirits.
"So, how did it go with your brother last night?" I asked.
"I was just paying a visit to him to see how he was doing, that's all, and there was nothing to worry about." Holmes replied simply. This was very strange of Holmes, as he never went anywhere unless it had to do with a case and seldom visited Mycroft at all. Seeing the unspoken question in my eyes, he said casually,
"Mycroft has had some slight problems lately concerning some commonplace trifles that he stumbled over and was just asking for some advice." This reply was just as awkward as the first one but his tone implied that the subject closed for discussion.
"By the way, Watson, did you see where my jack-knife went?" asked Holmes.
As it happened, I was so used to the knife being there, I did not even notice that it was missing, but now that Holmes drew my attention to it, I saw that it was not stuck onto the mantelpiece as it usually was.
"No, I have no idea," I replied, a little confused. "I didn't notice that it was missing until you informed me just now."
"Hmmm, it seems that we have a little mystery on our hands," said Holmes sardonically with a twinkle in his eyes. We were interrupted from further discussion by Billy, the page, who walked in and announced the arrival of Kathryn Granger and Inspector Lestrade. The pallid, thin-lipped inspector had a very haggard face and wore a grim and agitated look when he came in which showed that he had been up all night, probably supervising a case.
"Ah, good morning, Lestrade," announced Holmes brightly. "May I introduce to you a very good friend of mine, Miss Kathryn Granger. You have come to ask for advice on a case, I perceive. Pray take a seat and inform us of the details, and I'll see what I can do to help you."
"Well, Mr. Holmes, I have indeed come to consult you about a fresh case, though how you could know is beyond my reckoning." Inspector Lestrade replied restlessly, "I think you'll find this case to have some personal interest, as I understand that you know the victim. At 7 o'clock, this morning, a woman was found lying on the floor or her temporary lodgings, dead in a bed and breakfast at 243 Oxford Street. The woman was later identified as none other than Miss Julia Stamford."
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Chapter 3- Curious Events
As the evening's events ended, we parted company with Kathryn Granger and set off back to our own lodgings. We walked for a while, when Holmes suddenly came to a stop.
"I'm sorry to leave you at such short notice, my dear fellow," said he, "But I still have something to do. Go back to Baker Street, and I'll be back soon."
"Does it have something to do with a case?" I asked anxiously, "I don't want you to get hurt, Holmes."
"Oh, don't worry about me, Watson." he replied reassuringly, "I can take care of myself. This does not have anything to do with a case, nor is it anything dangerous, or else I would have asked you to come with me. I just need to pay a visit to brother Mycroft tonight."
"Well, all right then. Goodnight, Holmes," I said.
"Goodnight Watson, and do not wait up for me," replied Holmes. He waved at me, then turned around and disappeared around the corner of the street and faded into the dense swirls of fog.
There was nothing left for me to do apart from going home, so I followed his directions and hailed a cab to go back to Baker Street. I was determined, however, to wait up for him and ask him what he had done, so I picked up a novel I was reading, sat down by the warm hearth, and started my lonely vigil for Holmes. I waited for many hours, but as the clock chimed midnight, I saw it was useless to wait for him and so retired to bed.
In the morning, I found Holmes sitting at the breakfast table, a little haggard, but otherwise in high spirits.
"So, how did it go with your brother last night?" I asked.
"I was just paying a visit to him to see how he was doing, that's all, and there was nothing to worry about." Holmes replied simply. This was very strange of Holmes, as he never went anywhere unless it had to do with a case and seldom visited Mycroft at all. Seeing the unspoken question in my eyes, he said casually,
"Mycroft has had some slight problems lately concerning some commonplace trifles that he stumbled over and was just asking for some advice." This reply was just as awkward as the first one but his tone implied that the subject closed for discussion.
"By the way, Watson, did you see where my jack-knife went?" asked Holmes.
As it happened, I was so used to the knife being there, I did not even notice that it was missing, but now that Holmes drew my attention to it, I saw that it was not stuck onto the mantelpiece as it usually was.
"No, I have no idea," I replied, a little confused. "I didn't notice that it was missing until you informed me just now."
"Hmmm, it seems that we have a little mystery on our hands," said Holmes sardonically with a twinkle in his eyes. We were interrupted from further discussion by Billy, the page, who walked in and announced the arrival of Kathryn Granger and Inspector Lestrade. The pallid, thin-lipped inspector had a very haggard face and wore a grim and agitated look when he came in which showed that he had been up all night, probably supervising a case.
"Ah, good morning, Lestrade," announced Holmes brightly. "May I introduce to you a very good friend of mine, Miss Kathryn Granger. You have come to ask for advice on a case, I perceive. Pray take a seat and inform us of the details, and I'll see what I can do to help you."
"Well, Mr. Holmes, I have indeed come to consult you about a fresh case, though how you could know is beyond my reckoning." Inspector Lestrade replied restlessly, "I think you'll find this case to have some personal interest, as I understand that you know the victim. At 7 o'clock, this morning, a woman was found lying on the floor or her temporary lodgings, dead in a bed and breakfast at 243 Oxford Street. The woman was later identified as none other than Miss Julia Stamford."