Chapter 2!
" Well, this is a prime spot. Must be expensive" John commented as he looked at the place. Sherlock paid the cabbie a twenty saying keep the change.
" Oh, Mrs Hudson, the landlady, she's giving me a special deal. Owes me a favour. A few years back, her husband got himself sentenced to death in Florida. I was able to help…"
John looks shocked for a moment Vivian notices. "you stopped her husband being executed?" He asks. She hides her smile in the collar of her jacket. Knowing Sherlock and his answers. Giving a smile the handsome man replies, "Oh no. I ensured it".
When Mrs Hudson opened the door, Vivian realized she had really missed her. The woman had been a second mother to her and felt ashamed in the fact that she hasn't seen her in so long. " Sherlock! Vivian! Hello" she greeted giving them both hugs.
"Mrs Hudson this is Doctor John Watson" Sherlock said. "Hello dear" she smiled. "Hello".
The four of them made their way inside and Mrs Hudson locked the front door. John gives the room a look of appreciation. " Well, this could be very nice. Very nice indeed". He admits. "Yes. Yes, I think so. My thoughts precisely". Sherlock agreed, giving Vivian an 'I told you' so look. "So, I went straight ahead and moved in" he said, smirking happily.
" Soon as we get all this rubbish cleaned out ... Oh" He pauses, embarrassed, when he realizes this mess was clearly Sherlock's things. Vivian tried very hard to hide her grin, which didn't matter since Sherlock saw it anyway.
"Well, obviously I can, um, straighten things up a bit". He walks across the room and makes a half-hearted attempt to tidy up a little. Vivian sighed to herself. Getting Sherlock Holmes to be clean was like telling big brother to go on a diet.
"That's a skull"
"Friend of mine. When I say 'friend' ..."
"He doesn't have friends" Vivian finishes, sending him a secret look.
"What do you think, then, Doctor Watson? There's another bedroom upstairs if you'll be needing three bedrooms". Mrs Hudson smiled sweetly. Vivian nearly chocked on her breath.
"Of course, we'll be needing two". He explains. "Oh, don't worry; there's all sorts round here" Confidentially, dropping her voice to a whisper by the end of the sentence, " Mrs Turner next door's got married ones". She gasps.
John looks across to Sherlock, expecting him to confirm that he and John are not involved in that way, but Sherlock appears oblivious to what's being insinuated so john assumes she means him and Vivian. Mrs Hudson walks across to the kitchen, then turns back and frowns at Sherlock. "Oh, Sherlock. The mess you've made"
She goes into the kitchen and starts tidying up, and John walks over to one of the two armchairs, plumps up a cushion on the chair and then drops heavily down into it. Vivian feels bad for the ex-army doctor. She hopes he settles in nicely, knowing she and Sherlock could be a handful. They didn't even need a flatmate, and Sherlock refused to let her pay rent. " I looked you up on the internet last night" John says from the chair. "Anything interesting?" She asks. He seems very interested in the flooring for a moment. Vivian is sure that Sherlock threatened him.
"Found your website, The Science of Deduction, and your old blog Vivian, surrounded by normalcy"
" What did you think?" Sherlock asks, sounding proud. A small smile is sent his way by Vivian. John throws him a "you have got to be kidding me" type of look. Sherlock looks hurt. Vivian is very close to disliking John Watson.
" You said you could identify a software designer by his tie and an airline pilot by his left thumb"
"Yes; and he can read your military career in your face and your leg, and your brother's drinking habits in your mobile phone" she defended. John looks almost apologetic.
"How?" Is all john can say. Mrs Hudson comes out of the kitchen reading the newspaper. "What about these suicides then, Sherlock? I thought that'd be right up your street. Three the same". Sherlock stands next to Vivian at the window, looking outside to see a car pull up.
" Four". The Two of them correct. They look down at the car as someone gets out of it. The vehicle is a police car with its lights flashing on the roof. Vivian always thought Lestrade liked theatrics.
"There's been a fourth. And there's something different this time" he tells Mrs Hudson. Sherlock turns as D.I. Lestrade enters the room. "Where?" He asks.
" Lauriston Gardens."
"What's new about this one? You wouldn't have come to get me if there wasn't something different."
"You know how they never leave notes?"
" Yeah."
"This one did. Will you come?" He asks sounding hopeful. Vivian asks a question she deems important. "Who's on forensics?". "It's Anderson" he replies.
" Anderson won't work with me." Sherlock says, it really liking the other idiot anyway.
"he won't be your assistant.
" I need an assistant"
" Will you come "
" I'll be right behind."
Lestrade leaves and Sherlock waits until he has reached the front door, then leaps into the air and clenches his fists triumphantly before twirling around the room happily.
" Brilliant! Yes! Ah, four serial suicides, and now a note! Oh, it's Christmas!" He starts to put on his coat and scarf before handing Vivian hers. " Mrs Hudson, I'll be late. Might need some food."
" I'm your landlady, dear, not your housekeeper " she says fondly.
SHERLOCK: Something cold will do. John, have a cup of tea, make yourself at home. Don't wait up!"
Grabbing a small leather pouch from the kitchen table, he opens the kitchen door and disappears. "Shouldn't we bring him?" Vivian asks Sherlock. Shaking his head looks at her. " he'd slow us down" he says before changing His mind.
John has picked up the newspaper which Mrs Hudson put down and now he looks at the article reporting Beth Davenport's apparent suicide. Next to a large photograph of Beth is a smaller one showing the man who just visited the flat and identifying him as D.I. Lestrade. Before he can read on, Sherlock's voice interrupts him, and John looks up and sees him standing at the living room door.
" You're a doctor. In fact, you're an Army doctor".
" Yes".
"Any good?"
"Very good".
"Seen a lot of injuries, then; violent deaths".
" Mm, yes".
"Bit of trouble too, I bet".
"Of course, yes. Enough for a lifetime. Far too much".
"Want to see some more?"
"Oh God, yes".
John follows the two detectives out the room. " Sorry, Mrs Hudson, I'll skip the tea. Off out".
" Three of you?"
Sherlock has almost reached the front door but then turns and walks back towards her. "Impossible suicides? Four of them? There's no point sitting at home when there's finally something fun going on!" He takes her by the shoulders and kisses her noisily on the cheek. The older woman was so easy to love.
" Look at you, all happy. It's not decent"
"It isn't is it?
"Who cares about decent? The game, Mrs Hudson, is on!"
He walks out onto the street taking Vivian's hand and hails an approaching black cab.
"Taxi!"
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