"Where are we going?"
"Northumberland Street's a five-minute walk from here." Sherlock stated.
"You think he's stupid enough to go there?" John asked. "No, I think he's brilliant enough. I love the brilliant ones. They're always so desperate to get caught." Sherlock smiled.
"Why?"
"Appreciation! Applause! At long last, the spotlight. That's the frailty of genius, John, it needs an audience." Sherlock explained.
"Yeah."
Sherlock spun around the area, making John and Thea look at each other. "This is his hunting ground, right here in the heart of the city. Now that we know his victims were abducted, that changes everything. Because all of his victims disappeared from busy streets, crowded place, but nobody saw them go." Sherlock stated. He placed his hands on either side of his head. "Think! Who do we trust, even though we don't know them? Who passes unnoticed wherever they go? Who hunts in the middle of a crowd?" He asked.
"Dunno. Who?"
Sherlock shrugged his shoulders, "Haven't the faintest. Hungry?" Sherlock began to lead John and Thea to a small restaurant Sherlock entered first, the waiter gestured to him. "Thank you, Billy." Thea looked over her shoulder as she followed Sherlock to the reserved table. He took off his jacket, taking a seat so he could see out the window. Thea and John took their seats as well.
"22 Northumberland Street, keep your eye on it." Sherlock said.
"He isn't just gonna ring the doorbell though, is he? He'd need to be mad." John said.
"He has killed four people."
"He's got a point."
"Sherlock." Thea looked up from the plate in front of her to the man. Sherlock and the owner shook hands. "Anything on the menu, whatever you want, free." He placed three menus down on the table. "On the house, for you and for your date." Thea glanced to John.
It was like she wasn't even there.
"I'm not his date."
"This is Angelo." Angelo shook the hands of John and Thea. "Three years ago I successfully proved to Lestrade at the time of a particularly vicious triple murder that Angelo was in a completely different part of town, house-breaking." Sherlock explained.
"He cleared my name."
"I cleared it a bit. Anything happening opposite?" Sherlock asked. "Nothing. But for this man, I'd gave gone to prison." Angelo said.
"You did go to prison."
"I'll get a candle for the table. It's more romantic."
"I'm not his date!"
"And again, I'm invisible, aren't I?" Thea muttered to herself, looking over the menu.
"You may as well eat. We might have a long wait." Sherlock said, not looking at the menu. Angelo came back with a lit candle. John groaned, Thea leaned over, blowing out the candle.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Thea and John ordered, not asking why Sherlock didn't. The food arrived and they dug in. Thea was starving since she skipped dinner with the team earlier that evening. She drank some of her water, glancing at Sherlock who was just staring out the window, drumming his fingers on the table.
Thea reached over, placing her hand on top of his. He looked at her. "Stop, you are making me nervous."
"It helps me think."
"Well, you are pissing me off. Please stop for a few minutes, okay?" Thea asked, shaking her head. Going back to her eating. Sherlock went back to drumming his fingers against the table. She rolled her eyes.
"People don't have arch-enemies." John told him. It took Sherlock a minute to realize that John said something. "I'm sorry?" He asked.
"In real life. There are no arch-enemies in real life. Doesn't happen." John said. "Doesn't it? Sounds a bit dull." Sherlock commented.
"So who did I meet?"
"What do real people have then, in their 'real lives'?" Sherlock asked. "Friends, people they know, people they like, people that don't like… Girlfriends, boyfriends." John rattled off.
"Yes, well, as I was saying – dull."
"You don't have a girlfriend then?" John asked. "Girlfriend? No, not really my area." Sherlock stated.
"Mm." Thea shook her head. She just hoped John didn't ask her about her dating life. "Oh, right. D'you have a boyfriend?" Sherlock turned to look at him. "Which is fine, by the way." John added.
"I know it's fine."
"So you've got a boyfriend then?"
"No."
The smile on John's face looked more forced and awkward than anything, Thea just gave a slight headshake. "Right, okay… You're unattached, like me. Fine." John cleared his throat. "Good." He turned his attention to Thea.
"Oh leave me out of this – I'd rather not talk about my love life with two complete strangers." Thea said, sipping on the water.
"Cheated on." Thea choked on the water, her head was snapped towards Sherlock who spoke under his breath about what happened to Thea. She cleared her throat, waving off John. She was going to be okay, just as long as Sherlock stopped his madness long enough for her not wring his neck.
"John, um…I think you should know that I consider myself married to my work, and while I'm flattered by your interest, I really not looking for any-" John quickly interrupted Sherlock, "No. No, I'm not asking. No. I'm just saying; it's all fine." John told Sherlock.
Sherlock nodded, "Good. Thank you."
"Well that wasn't awkward at all." Thea commented to herself, placing the glass back down on the table.
"Look across the street. Taxi." Thea leaned her body forward, seeing the taxi across the street. John turned his head to see the car too. "Stopped. Nobody getting in, and nobody getting out." Sherlock said. Thea wasn't completely understanding what was going on, but Sherlock was muttering to himself about the taxi.
"That's him?"
"Don't stare."
"You're staring."
"We can't all stare." Sherlock said as Thea leaned back in the chair. She went to lean back in the chair when Sherlock stood up from the table, grabbing his coat and scarf, and heading straight to the door without Thea and John.
Thea was up next, grabbing her jacket, heading after Sherlock. John followed suit, meeting up with Sherlock outside. He was staring at the cab, trying to figure it out. Just as Thea was going to ask a question, Sherlock darted out into the road after the moving taxi. "Sherlock!" She yelled, running after him. Thea held out her hand as she moved across the street, stopping traffic for a moment. John caught up with Thea easily, continuing after Sherlock.
The detective and former army doctor caught up with Sherlock when he stopped.
"I've got the cab number."
"Good for you." Sherlock brought his hands to his head, closing his eyes. John and Thea exchanged looks, watching Sherlock carefully as he did whatever in his brilliant brain. "Right turn, one way, roadworks, traffic lights, bus lane, pedestrian crossing, left turn only, traffic lights." He spoke quickly, almost losing both Thea and John.
Sherlock raced off straight to a man opening a door. Thea and John followed, hearing the yell from the man. John apologized for Sherlock, as they raced up the stairs and out onto the fire escape. Thea felt like she was just along for the ride, not knowing the destination. Sherlock urged on Thea and John to follow him, they were trying their best to – but Sherlock had longer legs than them, and Thea was in heels.
Thea grabbed Sherlock's arm, stopping him. "There is no bloody way we can make that." Thea said, pointing to the gap between the buildings. Sherlock didn't listen; he took some paces backwards, running straight at the other side, getting it on the first try. Thea's eyes widened, there was no way she could do that.
"Come on, we're losing him!"
Thea closed her eyes for a moment, trying to get the courage to jump the gap. John went first, hesitating at first. But he made it too. Thea gulped, taking off her heels first as she moved backwards. "Lord, please don't let this be my death." Thea groaned as she took off running, leaping off the edge of the building.
Her heart was pounding but she made it. Sherlock darted off without John and Thea behind him. Thea quickly as possible slipped the heels back on her feet, running after Sherlock with ease. Sherlock continued the run with John and Thea behind him, just as they turned the corner Sherlock wanted, the cab was already ahead of them. "No!"
Thea placed her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. "This way." Sherlock grabbed Thea by the arm, making her run with him. "No, this way!" Sherlock snapped at John who was going to go after the cab.
"Sorry."
Running down the street, the three of them took a new route to get to the cab. Thea was starting to loose her cool with all this running – she didn't need to hit the gym tomorrow.
Sherlock jumped out in front of the cab that was coming straight at them. He held out an ID badge to make the cab halt right in front of him. "Police! Open her up!" Sherlock ordered. Sherlock quickly yanked open the door to the cab, seeing who was inside. "No." He said quickly. Thea was breathing heavily next to John. "Teeth, tan. What – Californian? LA, Santa Monica. Just arrived." Sherlock told Thea and John.
"How can you possibly know that?" John asked.
"The luggage." Thea looked around the boys, seeing the luggage at his feet with the label on the handle. "It's probably your first trip to London, right, going by your final destination and the route the cabbie was taking you?" Sherlock asked.
"Sorry, are you guys the police?"
"Yeah." Sherlock flashed the badge quickly, not wanting the man to see the picture on the inside. "Everything all right?" Sherlock asked.
"Yeah."
"Welcome to London." Sherlock walked away after that, leaving John and Thea standing there. Thea closed her eyes, walking off without John. John leaned towards the passenger, "Er, any problems, just let us know." He told him. John quickly followed Sherlock and Thea.
"Waste of time."
"Basically just a cab that happened to slow down."
"Basically."
"Not the murderer."
"Not the murderer, no."
"Wrong country, good alibi."
"As they go."
Thea noticed Sherlock switching the ID card in his hand. "Let me see that." She snatched it from his hand, seeing who was written on it. "Seriously? Detective Inspector Lestrade." Thea groaned.
"Yeah, I pickpocketed him when he's annoying. You can keep that one, I've got plenty at the flat." Thea groaned again. This was one tough job.
John was laughing to himself.
"What?"
"Nothing, just…'Welcome to London.'" John said. Thea even had to admit, that was pretty funny. Sherlock chuckled for a moment before turning to look at the cab – apparently a cop car was stopped there, wondering what was going on. The passenger was pointing straight at the three of them.
"Got your breath back?"
"Ready when you are."
"Thea?"
"Yeah, before anyone notices me." She said, running off with John and Sherlock.
OMG, I actually posted!