Secrets

Secrets are the only thing kept locked away, never to be told, never to be shared. Everyone keeps secrets but Lemon never thought a man could hold as many secrets as Leaves, but then again Lemon had never met a man as peculiar as Leaves. Walking downstairs Lemon could not possible think of what to ask him first there were so many questions and queries that needed an answer. As Lemon wearily pushed open the door to the sitting room he saw at once that Leaves was stood with a cup of tea by the grand French inspired fireplace, 'I though you weren't coming' teased Leaves, 'I haven't made you tea, weren't sure you would want one' followed Leaves while finishing the rest of his tea and throwing the cup in the direction of the nearest wall, 'what did you do that for, it was fine china' heatedly asked Lemon while entering further into the room. 'ha fine china it was cheap … can't you see it ought to have stayed in one piece' scoffed Leaves, 'no it shouldn't have, that wall is solid concrete' shouted Lemon clearly annoyed by Leaves irrational actions. 'Fine, fine I will buy you a new cup … so come on, you haven't just come here to shout at me, I am ready to be questioned'.

After much talk the boys slowly began to reveal more and more about themselves, Lemon revealed his hatred for his father, his time at the war and his injury. In return Leaves shared almost nothing about himself apart from his passion for science. 'Come Leaves you know my life, tell me yours' asked Lemon in the most careful way he could think of. 'Ahhh there is much to tell' whispered Leaves, 'Well let's start with …. What's your area of work', inquired Lemon, Leaves then stood up and picked up one book from the bookshelf in the corner of the room, he then handed it to Lemon, 'Officers in Crime' , Lemon read, 'So are you a police man …. No wait you work from home', 'Well observed' snapped Leaves, 'Well you are secretive, so I can only guess Detective', Lemon then stood up and placed the book back on the bookshelf, 'You are sharp', mocked Leaves, 'If I am right the people at our house a few days ago, where your customers ….. Who do you work for?' questioned Lemon. 'I work for myself and they were my clients, you see people come to me with a suspicious … happening and I solve it' stated Leaves. Happy that he had answered enough personal questions Leaves decided to pick up todays newspaper and retreat to his room, Lemon accepted this move and decided he too would find something more stimulating to do till he had to meet Maria for dinner. Putting on his jacket, gloves and hat Lemon left for the street.

It was Thursday, market day; the streets were full with sellers trying desperately to sell their products to the rich, or the well to do passer bys. Lemon liked the market days there was so much happening no one noticed a doctor pacing through the streets; as on other days this type of behaviour would have provoked many old women asking him if he was lost. Walking through the streets however things did not seem like an ordinary market day, everyone was their but the usual excitement was gone, everyone seemed weary, scared almost to be treading alone. Lemon while noticing this change thought little of it. One o'clock had finally arrived and Lemon was quietly waiting at The National café, for Lady Taylor to arrive.

It was a little after one when she finally arrived, perfectly made up, with her hair loose and hanging down her back, she wore an elegant red dress accompanied with an red lace hat, to Lemon she looked different; she was not his usual innocent angel, but a seductive irresistible one. As she sat down Lemons eyes were glued to hers, 'would you like some tea madam' asked Lemon, a small smile appeared on Marias' face 'Yes please doctor that would be most divine', Lemon then drew the attention of one of the waiters and ordered two cups of tea. 'So doctor, where do you work now', the doctor paused before answering the question 'I was stationed at a hospital in the second Anglo-Afghan war, I was shot in the shoulder and I am currently unemployed', the news shocked Maria but she was curious to hear more, 'Does your shoulder still hurt you … where do you live now …. Wait how do you live' cried Maria hysterically before like the other times quickly regaining posture, 'pardon me I ask too many questions', said Maria while lowering her, 'Don't be foolish you are merely curious, and my shoulder no longer hurts but I have a nice scar, I share a flat with someone who can only be described as a maniac and I still receive a doctors pay, in fact I will still receive a doctors pay till the end of next month', when Lemon finished he gave a great sigh, Maria looked up at him and their eyes met, 'your story is truly amazing and all true I can tell by the look in your eyes', 'it is all as true as my love for you' replied Lemon. He then took Maria's hand and kissed it softly, 'Do you fancy a walk my Lady' said Lemon, Maria nodded eagerly 'Of course that would be lovely … oh and one thing call me Maria please nothing different', 'as you wish Maria and I insist then that you call me John'. The two then stood up and hand in hand walked to the garden in the centre of the village.

'How did your date go?' Leaves whispered to a tired looking Lemon who was sleeping on the sitting room couch 'I guess since you are on the couch, that you were too tired or drunk to go to your bed' jested Leaves, 'Because of that my clients are in the kitchen' said Leaves rather unimpressed, as Leaves was about to walk out of the door he suddenly stopped and quickly turned on his heel so he was once more facing Lemon, 'ha you are a lemon and a lemon with a Taylor as your girlfriend' mocked Leaves in a very childish manner causing Lemon to throw one of the many plump cushions straight for Leaves head. 'Well from that I can conclude you are a bit heated from your date, I can only assume she took you for the lemon that you are and slapped you silly on your pretty little face', when Leaves had finished his rant his face was almost purple from lack of oxygen, 'I will now see to my customers', Leaves then turned once again on his heels and marched out of the room, leaving Lemon slumped on the couch.

After a few hours Lemon decide to leave the house for he was becoming a little sick of Leaves and his clients nattering on in the kitchen. Lemon unlike other times only grabbed his jacket and cane; there was no need for his top hat. He however had no where to go, so he decided to walk along to the key side and spend a few moments gazing at the ships, all docked and ready to set sail. At the dock many lower class men were heaving heavy cargo onto huge ships, while the upper class constantly scrutinized them and often moaned when something wasn't done absolutely perfectly; all seemed normal. Lemon continued walking down the dock weaving in and out of people until he reached the quietest part of the dock, the most secluded part, full of disused warehouses and black market sellers. He was mismatched on the dull, foggy backdrop; the only people that where around where thugs, assassins and desperate women; Lemon was most certainly out of place.

Lemon quickly turned his head; he had heard several loud bangs. A few more then fired, Lemon knew they were gunshots. Something inside him caused him to run; most men would run away from the incident but Lemon did not, he ran straight for the sound of the gunshots. More shots fired but Lemon continued running in and out of the warehouses, Lemon then stopped and listened. There was silence. 'Hello, Hello …. Is anyone their' shouted Lemon with a tone of apprehension in his voice. A rat then scattered in front of Lemon, the shock caused him to skilfully hit the rat; swiftly breaking its back, knowing the rat would not have scarpered for no reason Lemon headed of in the direction that the rat ran from. The atmosphere was chilling; not knowing what could be around the next corner however thrilled Lemon. As he crept about he knew something was not right, he could smell the usual stink of a gun that had recently been fired; the doctor followed the stench. In front of him now stood an old warehouse recently the home of an old English brewery.

Slowly opening the door Lemon was shocked at what he saw, nothing could have prepared him for the scene that opened up in front of him, not even his time in the war. Lemon pushed the door further open and the scene only got worse and more shocking. In front of Lemon were three bodies, one body was of a boy, he appeared to be small and skinny and young, looking only to be about twenty two, he had been shot four times. The second body was a young girl also small and skinny, she wore a glistening ring on her finger, clearly some poor man's wife, she also seemed to be in her early twenties and had been shot twice. The third body however was the most shocking; it was the body of a man in his late forties. This body was different however as unlike the others this body was been displayed on a rope hanging from the ceiling, the body also had several bullet wounds. Lemon fell against the door of the warehouse, feeling slightly faint; blood was still trickling from the bodies of the victims', like a river running through the warehouse. The whole scene was nauseating and repulsive, with the stench of copper filling the room, the deep red pools and streams of blood forming a gruesome murder scene.

Lemon must have been sat there for a few minutes before he heard the sound of footsteps heading towards the warehouse. Was this the killer returning to finish of what was left of his prey, Lemon clearly startled by this jumped up from the ground as quick as he could; he picked up his cane again and hid behind the door, his fighting instinct urging him to injure or even kill then next man that walked through the door. Many more moments passed, waiting, listening, the footsteps where getting louder and clearer. The door then began to open slowly, getting his timing just right, Lemon then threw his cane straight for the man who was entering. The cane however did not hit its target, but the hand of the man who was walking through the door. 'Well hello my friend, I see you are involved in my crime' spoke the man, as the man raised the peak of his hat, Lemon was shocked at who he saw; Leaves. 'Did you kill them', shouted Lemon angrily, 'No I am only investigating this crime, one of my clients told me that her father, brother and best friend was missing' revealed Leaves 'and I seem to have found them' finished Leaves. Lemon then looked back at the bodies in the abandoned brewery and nodded in acknowledgment, as he knew he was staring at one poor woman's father, brother and best friend who were taken away from her undoubtedly before their time. 'So, as you are involved, would you like to join the case', Lemon considered this request from Leaves for a while but he felt compelled to say yes, so in the biggest voice he could muster he replied a simple 'yes'. This brought a vast, cheesy grin to emerge from his face.

'So Lemon, we are looking for a man with a motive, should be easy to figure out' declared Leaves, 'Oh, for the first time i seem to have a partner, a Leaves and a Lemon, oh may I call by your first name', said Leaves, but Lemon seemed to have an answer already thought out, 'No, call me Lemon, no one calls me by my first name', the refusal seemed to have took Leaves by surprise but he managed to reply in a respectable manner, 'Well if you insist … ha Pineapple Leaves and Dr. Lemon, detectives', Leaved then turned to the side and pulled a face which seemed to be an attempt at a curious pose. It took Lemon a small while to realise what was said before he muttered; 'Your first name seriously can't be Pineapple'.