The case was unpleasant. Two teens found in the boy's car, parked on a scrap of waste ground between building sites. The police reckoned it was a suicide pact, but Sherlock suspected foul play.

"There was nothing illicit in their relationship, Watson."

They were watching the car be towed away from the crime scene. The bodies had been removed to the morgue already -Sherlock had spent time there irritating the pathologist by telling her how to do her job. "Their parents knew and accepted it, the school had no problem with it, even their priest was prepared to turn a blind eye to a little light petting so long as they kept it out of church."

He knelt and plucked at the dusty ground. "They were doing well at school -the boy was on the local swim team, run, by the way, by the priest, and boy and girl were popular. What possible reason could one or either of them have for suicide?"

Joan looked around at the bleak waste ground. Two young people had died here, of carbon monoxide poisoning, in view of the shiny offices of three big corporations. It was the foreign banking quarter, and the neon signs on the tower blocks featured Korean and Chinese characters.

She shivered. How depressing to think of these kids out here while vast sums were being shunted around the globe inside these faceless buildings.

"What's up, Watson - too emotional for you?" Sherlock brushed his hands on his jeans and straightened up. "Come on, let's get to the car impound before their hacks ruin any evidence the killers may have left. I want a closer look at those bodies."

As they walked back to the subway, Watson asked, "Captain Gregson -he's not married, is he?"

"Divorced. Twice. A classic case of allowing one's work life balance to slide. Then the drink, the casual liaisons, the general bad behaviour. It's a wonder he remarried at all. Divorced again of course." Sherlock glanced at Joan.

"He told you all that?"

"I witnessed a lot of it. Why d'you ask?"

Joan shrugged.

Sherlock darted in front of her and walked backwards, ignoring the complaints of the people whose paths he veered into. "You find him appealing, " he stated. "You're considering asking him on, what, a date - to prove to me that my assertion about your not being a woman was incorrect."

He peered into her face and she ducked her head away, frowning. "You fancy him," he accused, halfway between mockery and smugness.

"I'm transparent. Sue me." Joan reached the steps up to Sherlock's home and pushed past him. "Oh, and Sherlock?"

"Mnn-huh?"

"I'll need you to do a drugs test later. I'll be leaving you alone for a while tonight. Now if you'll excuse me. I have a date to arrange and, apparently, a point to prove."

She smiled mirthlessly at him and went inside.

He clattered up the steps after her. "What about the case? We need to go to the precinct!"

"I'll see you there."

Sherlock stepped slowly back to the street, already lost in thought.