It didn't take the detecting duo long to get back into Leadworth; the walk surprisingly quiet bar that of a few unlikely wolfish howls to which John secretly winced at, suspecting what they may be linked to. Neither he nor Melody spoke until they reached the village centre, the hustle and bustle of normal people surprising the pair of them due to a local market taking place; food and product sellers crying at the top of their voices for the local and neighbouring villagers to buy their produce.
"So, Saxon's got an army and planning… what exactly?" Melody asked as she speedily followed just a strides' distance behind John, not knowing his direction so playing it safe as they maneuvered through the throng.
"I don't know" came the melodramatic responsive tones of her companion.
"That's helpful!" She replied overly dramatically, John obviously not paying attention as he pushed through the crowd to the other side of the village centre and changing direction. "So where are we going then?"
"I don't know" the reply was exactly the same, as if someone has recorded his voice and played it back to save the effort of the man using his vocal chords.
"Good to know" Melody muttered, realising in fact that the Detective was leading her down the road that directed back to his house. Without thinking things through she whipped out her arm and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks and forcing him to turn around. "Saxon has an army!" She implored, a sudden idea forming in her mind to which she was suddenly determined to see through.
"I know, which is why –!" John had started, Melody immediately interrupting;
"Why we need to go to the police! The whole county has an army of men ready to serve the public and this is precisely the reason why!"
"Is it?" John asked darkly, the tone and phrasing immediately chilling Melody, her thoughts questioned as John continued, "they serve the need of the public, they stop riots and robberies – what about a war? When people are being slaughtered, what will the police do then?"
"They help" steeling herself, knowing how serious and one-minded John could get, she stated boldly, "We'll get to the police and they'll stop the army before the slaughter, before the mayhem, before… everything."
John seemed to contemplate the information provided, ticking things over as he looked into Melody's determined eyes. Realising that the only way for Melody to realise the situation was for her to learn. John seemingly deflated, smiling even as he simply nodded. "Okay, we'll see what the police can do."
Smiling at her accomplishment, Melody grabbed the Detective's arm, leading him back towards the village centre, although this time manoeuvring around the outskirts as they reached a two-storey building, dark blue fronting some aspects, including the lamps around the door, as Melody pushed the wood aside to get within the building.
Smiling behind at a rather morose looking John and shaking her head at his odd smirk, Melody walked up to the desk of the Police Station, a burly man in a dark blue uniform not looking up from paperwork until Melody coughed rather loudly, feeling slightly insulted at the man's rudeness.
"Ma'am?" the police officer asked, looking up with curved eyebrows before glancing behind Melody to John behind, the eyebrows lowering to a more serious expression, not addressing John.
"We have gathered information regarding the Highwayman known as Saxon, in fact we've just come straight back from obtaining him – sadly he got free though" Melody spoke in one long breath, the pride in her voice apparent as John looked to the Sargent's expression to which she must have been blind sighted by.
"Members of the public should not fraternise with known enemies of Her Majesties' Police" the Sargent stated, almost militant.
"Even so, we've met with Saxon and he has himself an army! I suggest very strongly –"
"You suggest? I'm sorry Ma'am but I do not see a badge of Her Highness upon your clothing, you have no say within these four walls."
"I am working along with a Private Detective on Her Majesties' Service!" Melody stated harshly, John wincing at this bit as the Sargent stood suddenly, a smirk upon his face as he nodded in John's direction.
"He's working for her is he? Did you do a full check before signing on the dotted line? I'm sorry Miss but we cannot help you, especially if associated to traitors such as Smith. I thank you for your concern though but once Saxon is caught then we cannot follow the direction of a mere woman" sitting back down again, the Sargent bent meaningfully over his paperwork, Melody literally speechless as she looked between the man in blue and the Detective until the latter grabbed her arm with a soft "Come on…" and lead her from the building once more.
Neither spoke until they were at the Smith family front gate, John having decided that Melody needed time to process the information the Sargent had provided her with. Well, that and the fact that he didn't want to go into that aspect of his life anyway – he had moved on since.
About to open the gate, the cry of Melody demanding him to wait actually caused the Detective to wince, immediately spinning around to see her fuming red face. "You're rogue?"
It was an odd question, almost like a statement, as the man had presumed a question regarding his past or even why the Sargent had said what he's said, but instead that… Melody was odd at times.
"It depends on your aspect of the term, but I suppose on the broader sense: Yes, I am indeed rouge." Realising that he needed to get this out of the way as best and as quickly as possible, Smith turned to properly face his associate, folding his arms and waiting for the next question… which didn't come.
"Okay… Well, what are we doing here then?" Melody pointed towards the house, John looking in amusement and bewilderment towards the woman at the sudden change of conversation.
"Erm… oh yes! I need to make a telephone call!" clicking open the gate, he allowed Melody to pass by, although she stopped just in front of him, disallowing him to actually move or close the gate.
"A tele-what?!" she simply asked with a raised eyebrow and a confused smile.
"A telephone – it won't be released to the public for another few years which means that there's only a few others with such devices and makes things so much easier. So if you would please make your way to the house we can then set things in motion to which the police would never even dream of!"
It seemed to work as Melody winked at him before striding back toward the blue front door, it opening before she got there as the Smith manservant greeted her with a smile. Placing a hand upon the man's shoulder, John spoke to his manservant quickly and with ease, "Melody and I have left our horses near the Williams' Hospital, you know what to do."
"Asking the servants to do your dirty work, how rather rude of you" Melody joked from the top of the staircase as the other man immediately left through the front door, Smith looking up to her with a shaking head as he too sprinted up the steps and directed the woman to a room directly left from his office, revealing a similar décor within a smaller room and an odd metal object placed upon the desk.
"That's a tele-whatsit?" Melody questioned, moving towards it and about to touch it before Smith pulled her hand away.
"It is indeed and an extremely rare and expensive piece of equipment so if you wouldn't mind treating it with care…" moving around the desk to his chair, the Detective removed a large cone from the top of the device, moving his mouth towards some sort of circular disc and pressing a button. Believing dead silence to be the way of this odd device, Melody looked to the few other objects within the room, atop some shelving and marvelled at the things: oddly shaped vases, strange boxes and something associated with the police…
"Hello?" Melody jumped at the sudden noise, looking over to John as he spoke into the disc, "This is John Smith. Yes, I need to speak to Miss Shaw. That's correct, Elisabeth Shaw… Thank you." There was a pause, and a second later, "Hello, Liz! Yes, I need to ask in a favour, well several actually…"