I.
15 August, 2014, 9:44pm
Sherlock Holmes, stable condition after near fatal accident. Weather, hot, or it will be for Magnussen when I get to him.

III.
Charles Augustus Magnussen. Media giant and blackmailer extraordinaire. People under his thumb: Current prime minister, and three former ones. Heads of the three largest corporations in Great Britain and Ireland, and the top ten by income in Australia and New Zealand. Has three quarters of Europe in his pocket. Diplomatically untouchable. Physically... we shall see.

IV.
The door opened and Magnussen looked up. He had a white bandage on the side of his head. Beyond the door, he could see his body guards being held back by men in black suits. He smiled.

"Mycroft Holmes, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"You know why I am here. Tell me who shot my brother."

"Your brother, Sherlock Holmes? I am sorry, I saw that he was here, but I had been knocked unconscious and did not see who shot him."

"Poppycock! Tell me who did it."

"Mr Holmes, I have been through a trauma. You have no right to come into my place of business and demand anything. If it were known that you threatened me..."

"Mr Magnussen, do you think for one moment that you have any power to control me?"

"Ah! But I do have power over you, Mr Holmes, because I have knowledge that you seek."

"And what is it that you want for this information?"

Magnussen adjusted his glasses and looked at Mycroft Holmes. "How emotional you've become. I have heard you referred to as 'the ice man', but you are all fire today. Your little brother really is your weak point, interesting."

"Who shot him?"

"You won't like the answer."

"Tell me!"

"I think that I will keep that information to myself."

"Then I'll find it out without you."

"By all means, do so. it will be so amusing for me. I can't wait to see what you'll do when figure it out." Magnussen threw back his head and began to laugh loudly. Mycroft turned on his heel and left.

On the way down the elevator, flanked by four of his security men, Mycroft barked orders into his phone. "I want full surveillance of Magnussen. Record all communications going in and out of his house. I want all ITV camera data of this building for the last day in my office by the time I get there, and Anthea, send a flower arrangement to Sherlock's room. Something bright."

II.
Magnussen does not think that I will be pleased with the killer, therefore it is someone that I know, personally. 'I won't like the answer...' he says and laughs. What does Magnussen find amusing? Deception. Secrecy. Things that are evil or painful to others. Who do I know for whom shooting Sherlock would be unexpected, ironic, or painful?

John Watson comes to mind.

He was there. He had the opportunity. Could he have shot Sherlock? There was a time when I thought he might be Moriarty's agent, but there was no evidence to support that view. Could he have been deceiving us all of this time?

But it makes no sense. John was the one who saved his life. Then again, he did die. Maybe he didn't try that hard to save him. Just enough to allay suspicion.

But there was no gun on him at the hospital. I would have seen it. Could he have discarded it before then?

No. That's ridiculous. John would never... but then again, I didn't think that John would ever marry and leave Sherlock. One mustn't make assumptions. Caring is not an advantage.

What about Mrs Hudson? She has a great skill at deception. She expertly kept Ms Adler's phone concealed when being held by CIA agents. A skill that she honed while living with her late husband, no doubt. The bullet went straight in, no angling suggesting that the person who shot him was about...5 foot 4 or 5 foot 5. Mrs Hudson is too short.

John Watson is only a bit taller than 5 foot 5. It could still be him. But statistically, this suggest that the shooter was a woman.

Sergent Donovan? She has no love for Sherlock, but she is too tall.

Miss Hooper? She is about that height. Could he have spurned her affections so often that she wanted to kill him? If so, why chose this office to do it in?

No. The person who shot Sherlock must have come to see Magnussen and been interrupted. But why didn't she kill him outright? Why didn't she kill both of them? Did Magnussen threaten her? Say that something bad would happen if she killed him?

Why shoot Sherlock?

A ballistics report would identify the gun. I must know who did this!

IV.
The phone rang.
"Sir, Mr Magnussen's personal assistant is awake. She's in the same hospital as Sherlock. She was unconscious at the time of the shooting, but I thought that ..."
"Oh yes, Janine, very good thinking Anthea. Keep her under guard until I get there. No one else is to enter."
"But the nurses?"
"No one."
"Yes sir.
He punched the intercom.
"Take me back to the hospital at once," he said before sitting back in this chair.
"Yes, let us find out what Sherlock's 'girlfriend' has to say about all of this."

I. The Hospital. 11:10pm

IV.
The room was small and private. Janine looked up as he came in.
"Mike! I'm surprised to see you here. Where is Sherlock?"
"Yes, about Sherlock. Can you tell me what you remember? What happened?"
"Someone hit me, that's what."
"Who?"
"I didn't get a look, they came up from behind."
"Where exactly where you hit?"
Janine touched the back of her skull.

"The stroke goes up. The person who hit you was shorter than you are."
"Really? Well when I get my hands on whoever it was, I'll be sure to return the favor."
"Please tell me everything that happened that evening."
"Did Sherlock ask you to come? He didn't say what you did except that it was some government job. Do you work for the police?"
"Indeed not, but I must know. Please..."
"Okay, if you think that it will help then I'll tell you," Janine said as she shuffled her shoulders leaning further back on the pillows until she was comfortable. "You don't happen to have any tea do you? I'm a bit parched."
Mycroft pulled out his phone. "Tea please, two sugars, no milk."
"Right away, sir," Anthea replied on the other end.
"And biscuits? I like the lemon ones."
Mycroft sighed, "Lemon biscuits as well."
Janine smiled and crossed her feet at the ankles.
"The story, if you please..."
"Well, alright. Mr Magnussen was going on a meeting, but it was canceled at the last minute so he was still in the office when Sherl arrived."
"Sherlock came to see you? Why?"
"Didn't he tell you? He proposed to me! He had a ring and everything. It was so unexpected. We've only been together a month."
"Sherlock proposed... Marriage?"
"Yes! I guess that will make you my brother in law."
"Ah..."
"Wonderful isn't it? Well, I had just buzzed the door to let Sherl into the elevator when I felt a pain on the back of my head, and then I woke up here."

"You don't remember anything else."
"No, nothing."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Why do you want to know, and where is Sherl?"
"Sherlock has been shot."
"What!"
"In the chest."
"Oh God! Is he dead?"
"Fortunately, no."
"Then I must see him. I am his fiancee."
"He is under sedation recovering from an operation. He cannot see you now."
"But who did it? Who shot him?"
"Could Magnussen have shot him?"
Janine frowned. Disgust crossing her face. "No. He would never dirty his hands with such a thing. Much easier to trick someone else into doing it for him."
"Who?"
"I don't know. It's not what he would do. Someone must have been after Magnussen. There are so many people who want him dead."
"Do you want him dead, Janine?"
"I'm sorry. My feelings for my employer are not something that I want to share. Let's just say that I wouldn't be unconsolable if he were to die, but I would never do such a thing myself. If I was the type, do you think that he would have employed me?"
"Good point. Are you sure that you know nothing that would help us find the person who shot Sherlock."
"No, I'm sorry. But Mike, is Sherl going to be alright?"

There was a light knock and the door opened. Anthea entered with a plastic cup of tea, and a pack of lemon biscuits. Mycroft nodded in Janine's direction, and rose to his feet. Anthea placed the items on the table beside Janine.

"Thank you for your information, Miss..."
"Call me Janine. We are family after all."
Mycroft gave half a smile and left followed by Anthea. In the hallway, she turned to him.
"Family? What did she mean?"
"It means that Sherlock has learned much more about how to manipulate others than I had ever imagined. John Watson's doing no doubt. Where is he by the way. Sherlock's room?"

"No, I saw him in the cafeteria."

"In the cafeteria, then who is with Sherlock now?"

"I don't know, sir?"

"Then go to his room and find out! I will see if I can find John Watson."

.

He found him on his way back, carrying a sandwich and a large cup of tea.
"John!"
"Mycroft, you're back."
"Why aren't you with Sherlock? I thought that you were going to keep him safe."
"He's not alone. Mary is with him."
"Mary?"
"Yeah. She's keeping an eye on him while I get some food. I'll be staying here all night."
"Mary. Where has she been all of this time?"
"At the surgery. She had some paperwork to get done, so she went in after hours to finish it."
"Was anyone else there?"
"No, I don't think so. Why? Do you think that she's in danger too? What have you found out?"
"Nothing. I'll tell you as soon as I have news, and I will keep someone nearby to supply you with food, clothes, or anything that you need. I would like it if you would remain here for the time being until I have a chance to track the killer."
"He's not a killer. Sherlock is still alive."
"Yes, of course. By the way, the yard is likely to search your flat just in case the shooter was trying to gather some information that Sherlock may have acquired. If they do, there is a certain item in your possession that they may find. It might be expedient if one of my people recovered it first, don't you think."

"Item? Oh, that item."

"Yes," Mycroft said. "Where might I find it?"

"Under my bed."

"Really? How...quaint. I'll take care of that for you."

"Thanks Mycroft. I've got to go. I told her I'd only be gone a moment." Mycroft nodded and John jogged off toward Sherlock's room.

II.
The ease with which he told me of the gun suggests that he did not use it to shoot Sherlock. We can easily see if the gun was recently fired, but I now know that it wasn't. John had no opportunity to return it to the flat. He has been under observation all of this time. But Mary... Hmmm, what do we know about Mary? How tall is she? Shorter than John, about five four, five five?

Now that is something that Magnussen would find ironic, although I personally don't find it that unexpected. I never could tell what kept her from killing Sherlock from the first moment he returned. I wonder if her alibi will stand up.

But Mary was alone with him just now. I must take a look in on him to make sure that all is well, then to find out more about Mary Morstan Watson.

IV.
"Anthea, I'll be at the office all night. Can you please pick up a meal for me from the Diogenes? The salmon, I think."

"Yes sir. Do you want me to wait with you?"

"No Anthea, I'll need you well rested in the morning."

"Yes sir, but don't fail to call me if you need anything."

"I shall," he said before striding purposely down the hall to see his brother.