ABRIELLE'S POV
After a very short walk, not more than six minutes later we stood in front of a block of flats. While we had been walking I had taken the liberty of looking up Van Coon's address on my phone, because I be the very smart person I was had a whitepages app on my phone. And of course, since the internet is rarely wrong I got the address and lead us here, the exact place we would find Van Coon … If he was still at his home of course. You never really knew considering he was after all the victim that was being threatened. He could be a million miles away and in hiding, or he could be captured by the people who threatened him. Only a complete and utter idiot would choose to go straight home when their life was on the line. And knowing Van Coon's type it was quite a possibility. Men were just idiots when it came to most things, they didn't take hints, they spaced out like half the time, and they never listened! It was like talking to a brick wall! That's why I never really enjoyed relationships, they always ended up with me breaking the guy's nose, or me getting my heart broken. Either way, men were just annoying creatures placed on Earth to irritate the heck out of us. That's why I never really saw myself ever really getting married. You know how all those girls grew up dreaming about the perfect wedding, well I wasn't one of them. I was busy thinking about how long it took a blood to dissipate at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, or how long it took a corpse to rot in the summer sun. I wasn't fixated on weddings, and dear god I'm glad that I wasn't. If you thought dating wasn't my thing, well weddings were worse. At Harry's wedding I ended up chasing after a killer and ripping my dress to shreds in the middle of the ceremony! Imagine what my wedding would be like! It would end up being a disaster! Yeah, no, I'm NOT a wedding girl. That's why I never really thought about weddings, because honestly I didn't think I'd ever fall in love let alone get married. Besides who'd ever want to marry me, I was rude, sarcastic, demanding, dramatic and worst of all manipulative. No one would ever in their right mind ever end up marrying me, it just wouldn't happen. I was too broken, too uniquely different to ever be loved. I was destined to be alone, and alone would protect me. I snapped out of my thoughts, watching as Sherlock pressed the door buzzer, his perfect eyes glancing up towards the security camera not long after. Wait what am I saying … Perfect eyes?! Am I going freaking insane! His eyes weren't perfect they were too calculating, and piercing, and so perfectly turquoise you could just get lost in them. Oh, and the way he looked when he was thinking, it was just adorable. Sherlock was just so cute in fact I'd go as far as saying he was hot and he knew it. Wait, what am I saying … Okay, I'm losing it. I'm talking about him as if … No, that's silly I can't be. But it's the only explanation. I'm talking about him as if I'm in love with him, but I can't be! I've only just met him this morning for crying out loud! You can't fall in love after just one day! That isn't how it works! It's that stupid talk about weddings that's all. Yeah, I'm just thinking about stupid weddings too much is all. I'm not in love. I'm not, there is no chance at all. Besides, me and Sherlock were at each other's throats a few hours ago… we absolutely hated each other! No, no, no but what was that flirty conversation I had with him outside of the bank? A mutual understanding of one another … A friendship of some kind? It wasn't actually flirting. Something was just wrong with me at the moment, the feeling would pass, it always did.
"So what do we do now? Sit here and wait for him to come back?" John questioned, making me jump from fright after being snapped out my deep thoughts. Yes, we wait here in the middle of the sidewalk for a victim that could be dead for all we know. Amazing idea John, just bloody fantastic. Of course we don't just stand here and wait, we find our own way into the man's flat. I stood there and watched in fascination as Sherlock did exactly that. He walked back a few paces and looked up at the building, my eyes analyzing his every move. He came back to us, a wide smile set on his lips in a triumph smirk. He knew something, and that something was going to get us into the flat.
"Just moved in." He stated, pointing at one of the labels in a very matter of fact way.
"What?" John inquired, looking at Sherlock with a very confused expression. It literally hurt my head, to watch his blank eyes look at Sherlock in such a confused manner. It was so simple, yet John had no clue as to what Sherlock was trying to say. To be quite honest it was sad. John and his silly goldfish brain. He was really very smart when he tried, but he was acting like a confused child. He wanted the answer handed to him on a silver platter, in fact he expected it. And he wonders why I treat him like condescendingly!
"The floor above Van Coon's there is a new resident which is evident due to the fact that her buzzer has a new label. It wasn't a replacement because the ink is fresh, besides, no one replaces their nametag. It never happens." I explained, showing him the name tag that Sherlock had formerly pointed out to him. I buzzed the little buzzer next to it, hoping with everything I had that whoever lived in that flat was home. That person was their ticket in the building and into Van Coon's flat.
"Hello?" A younger woman's voice questioned through the intercom. Sherlock rushed towards the camera, smiling innocently towards it as if he were a normal harmless everyday human being rather than the detective John and I knew him to be.
"Hi! Um, I live in the flat just below you. I-I don't think we've met." He said politely, his eyes looking towards the camera in a kind way. He was different, much different than the Sherlock I knew. Sherlock wasn't nice or kind, and his eyes rarely light up in delightment lime they were now. They were usually scowling at me, piercing through my heart and tearing down my soul with just one glance. But seeing Sherlock so nice and kind … It was just heartwarming. It made my heart miss a beat to see just how different Sherlock could actually be if he tried. I knew he was simply acting, but damn could he act!
"No, well, uh, I've just moved in." The woman stuttered over the intercom, her tone flustered as she explained the situation. I knew she had just moved in I Just knew it. So being the show off I am I shot John a brief 'I told you so' glance at John. John doing nothing but frowning in annoyance. I looked back towards Sherlock who was now nodding his head in acknowledgement.
"Actually, I've just locked my keys in my flat." He stated in faux embarrassment, biting his lip plaintively, as if upset at his blunder.
"D'you want me to buzz you in?" The woman asked, sounding very helpful and kind. She honestly wanted to help, no deceit or bitterness in her voice.
"Yeah. And can I use your balcony?" Sherlock questioned, the tiniest bit of the real Sherlock seeping into his voice.
"What?" The woman questioned, her voice faltering as if deciding whether or not she should actually let Sherlock in. Sherlock was letting his disguise fall apart piece by piece and now we may never get into Van Coon's flat! I needed to act and I needed act fast! So being the person I am I rushed into action, quickly (and quite forcefully I might add), pushing Sherlock out of the camera's view as I took his place.
"I'm so sorry about my boyfriend, he can be a little strange sometimes." I apologized, whispering the end part as if it was a secret I was trying to hide from him. Wait a second … Did I just call him my boyfriend? Is that the best I could come up with, really? We looked more like siblings than boyfriend and girlfriend?! I had two seconds to come up with my role and I came up with apologetic girlfriend!? This better bloody work, I'll tell you that much!
"Oh, it's totally fine." The lady in the other side of the intercom assured me with a laugh.
"Whew. I'm glad, he can be a little rude at times, you know how it is." I replied, giving her a huge smile, my eyes sprinkled with joy as I looked up at the camera.
"Yeah. I get it, it's how guys are. The first time I met my boyfriend he had punched me in the face, broke my nose, and somehow asked me out all in the span of five minutes!" She said with a laugh her voice entertained and very much happy as she told us the story. So, maybe pretending to be his girlfriend wasn't so bad a choice after all. The woman related to it which made it easier to get her on my side.
"Ha! And we wonder why we're still dating them." I said with a bright tinkly laugh, looking towards the camera with a glimmer in my eyes, the sound of the woman laughing with me ringing through the intercom. Okay, me stepping in was definitely a good idea, there was no doubt about it. If I hadn't stepped in everything would have gone to hell, and our opportunity to talk to the victim would have flown out the window. It was all due to me that we may actually have a chance to get into the man's flat.
"Come on up, the kettle's just boiled, and I'm sure you'd love to get out of the cold." The lady said, laughter lacing with her voice as the ring of the buzzer rang from the doors. The doors were unlocked, she had buzzed us in! Now we were guaranteed to get into Van Coon's place! Thank you acting!
"Thanks!" I exclaimed, giving the camera one final smirk before I turned around to see Sherlock smiling at me and John simply staring at me in surprise.
"What in the world was that?" John questioned, looking at me in appalment. Great I had shocked my brother, nice going Bree, great job. Cause that's just what you do after seeing your brother in so long, you show him the part of you that he wasn't ever supposed to see. Bloody fantastic!
"It's called acting, brother mine." I replied smugly, looking at him with a tiny smirk set upon my lips. On the outside I was cool, calm and collected … But on the inside I was freaking out! What if he figured it out! What he knows my secret, the one part of me I've been trying to keep from him for years! If he knew he'd freak out, especially now! Alright, calm down … It's fine. John was just a goldfish, he didn't know anything about it. He wasn't that smart, now Sherlock on the other hand. He was a different story. John didn't know and he wouldn't for a while, my secret was safe. I was simply overreacting. My silly head and it's ridiculous thoughts.
"That was a perfect performance, Miss Watson." Sherlock said, stopping me from thinking on the matter any longer.
"In fact it was almost too perfect." He continued, looking at me with the smuggest of smiles. He knew, he bloody knew! I had to throw him off suspicion and quickly. It was the only way to keep him off my tail just a little longer.
"Well, I did work in Hollywood Mr. Holmes. I know how to perfect a role." I explained, looking at Sherlock with the raise of my brow.
SHERLOCK: "No, that was more than just simply perfecting a role. You're hiding something Abrielle, and I will get to the bottom of it." He replied, his eyes glancing over me in a very analytical way. He was trying to deduce me, and yet he couldn't. Just from the way his eyes twinkled briefly with confusion I knew he couldn't. He was confused, I confused him. He thought everything he had deduced about me the first time he had met me was all he had ever needed to know about me. That everything ha had said was all he would ever need to know about, that it was my life. When in reality, what he had deduced hadn't even scratched the surface of who I really was. I was a puzzle that he would never be able to figure out. I was rubix cube of all rubix cubes and I knew that if he couldn't deduce me now, he'd never figure me out. My secret was safe, and I was one hundred percent positive that it always would be … Well until I told them myself of course.
"Whatever you say, Sherlock." I replied, strutting away to lean against the door. I was close enough to hear them, and I was keeping the door open. Win, win situation for me. I don't know how the guys felt, but to me, watching them communicate with each other was hilarious. It was like some reality Tv show! They were just so entertaining! I seriously felt the urge to buy some popcorn and a large coke so I could watch the show in style. Too bad I didn't have any time.
"She is a screenwriter Sherlock, just because she is good at acting doesn't mean that she's keeping something from you." John said, making me smile with delight. Oh that gullible idiot, only if you knew. Only if you knew.
"No she's hiding something. There's something else there." Sherlock said, making my smile turn into a pleased smile. Yes I had thrown him off my tail but not for long, Sherlock was smart. He knew that I wasn't really telling the truth.
"Everything doesn't have to be a complicated answer Sherlock, she might just be passionate about her old job." John replied, making me giggle. How gullible could my brother get, he honest to god thought I was passionate about a job that I didn't even have anymore! It was like he wasn't even trying to think anymore. Geez, get your head in the game, John. Maybe take some time to actually think about what you're going to say before you say it. Passionate about my old job my arse! Like that would ever happen in real life!
"No she's keeping something a secret. I don't know what it is but I promise you I will find out." Sherlock exclaimed in irritation. Wow, he really didn't like that I was keeping a secret from him did he? Everything puzzle had to be solved for him or else the world was ending. Sherlock was a real drama queen, that was for sure.
JOHN: "You don't ever listen to me do you? She's not hiding anything." John said, causing me to snicker. Poor John, no one ever listened to him. Even if he was wrong half the time, he deserved at least some respect. Yeah, I wasn't hiding anything super important, or at least nothing that would qualify as important to John. But if John were to find out he would flip out, and I couldn't have that on my hands now could I? So … Instead of telling John now I would keep in the dark, wait until it felt like the right time to tell him. Which was really anytime except this exact moment, to be perfectly honest.
ABRIELLE: "Stop gossiping about me and get your arses over here." I said, walking slowly into the building, the door slamming shut behind me. Yup, I locked them out, and yes I felt no shame at all whatsoever. I'd let them in eventually, but it was just so funny to see them beg. Besides, they shouldn't have been gossiping about me anyways. This was their punishment, and maybe just maybe I'd let them come in. After I made them ask nicely of course! After all, I was invited up for tea, not those bozos. They almost made a mess of things! I was the one who fixed them and got us in, if anything I should be the only one going in. I wouldn't do that though, I mean if I did that I'd have no one to show off to! No, no, no I'd let them come with me, not now, or maybe in the next few minutes but I would. Because after all, what's a queen without her servants!
