CHAPTER 4. INTERROGATION
"This is ridiculous!" Sergeant Donovan growled pulling her arm from the uniformed PC that she viewed as beneath her. "I'm in the middle of an investigation-"
"Yes, ma'am I understand. But we are to bring you in."
"For what?"
"Orders ma'am, comes from the commissioner. He said that we are to use the cuffs if you don't comply."
"He what? Is this a joke!?" Donovan couldn't believe her ears, but the sound of Anderson's nasally objections made it that much more real, the situation was worse.
"Get your hands off of me! I outrank you!" the forensics officer snapped.
"Oh, Lestrade where the hell are you?" Sally muttered allowing herself to be pulled off the scene and directed to a car, several of their team was standing now, watching mouths agape. This would surely hit the yard before she even reached the interrogation rooms.
" Back to work! You still have a job to do!" And just as quickly her subordinates were back to their appointed tasks. It didn't escape Sergeant Donovan that the PC's put her and Anderson in separate cars. Her phone buzzed and her eyes narrowed, the freak, maybe he found something, he better have.
"Sorry ma'am its procedure." The PC took the mobile out of her hands and slammed the black and whites door. Sally Donovan Sergeant under DI Lestrade, straightened her shoulders, and refused to give in to her humiliation and fear. This was all a big mix up, someone was going to pay. After the short ride to the Yard, Donovan had enough time to go from concern, to anger, irritation and back to concern. Her one small thanks was not being handcuffed. That would have been the icing on the cake, at least the damned freak wouldn't see her like this.
"Detective Donovan!" Came the voice of the devil himself.
"What the hell are you two doing here." She growled,
"Come along Sergeant." The PC uncomfortably started directing her towards the entrance.
"Sherlock this is bad." John watched as Anderson shot them daggers over his shoulder.
"We have to get inside, I need to check Lestrade's desk."
"What? Are you insane that's NSY they aren't going to just let us walk in the back door. And what are we going to do about those two. Obviously its all been a set up."
"Evidently yes. And don't worry John as long as they are both in custody they are in fact safe. Can't be shot here in their own back yard, no pun intended. But as long as the two are detained for the next 24 hours than dirty cops or not they wont be touchable."
"Did you plan this?" Sherlock sighed.
"Oh John, as much as I'd like to take credit for watching Lestrade's two best sniffer dogs lead into the yard in custody, I can not take the credit. However-"
"You considered it a possibility?"
"Yes, that I did."
"And you didn't think to give them a warning." Sherlock shrugged starting for the entrance.
"John who's to say they'd of listened to me."
"You ass you're enjoying this?" Sherlock didn't reply, not meeting Johns piqued expression. He wouldn't deny that it did give him some degree of bored amusement to see the two least favorite people in distress. Still he pushed that all down and waited for a text. He needed to focus, to keep his mind on the puzzle at hand.
His thoughts drifted back to a time when he'd first come through these doors, escorted by an irritated Detective, Lestrade's hair was peppered white, at the time, more dark than light.
"How about you come in clean up and explain to me how the hell you figured that out?" Sherlock may have been flying high on cocaine but still he remembered the disappointment in the man's face. "I've warned you Sherlock, I wont have you stumbling around high as all hell. We had a deal, and now you've broken it."
"Pisss offt." Had been Sherlock's slurred reply and Lestrade only tightened his grip on the swaying younger man's arm.
"Have it your way. I've got a holding cell for you, you're smart enough to not be carrying the drugs on you, but I still can get you for a drunk and disorderly."
'I'mmnot drunk." The detective shot the dark haired kid an unconvinced look his eyebrow raised.
"Well I'm saving you the embarrassment of a drugs charge. Listen mate you might not believe it now but later you'll thank me."
"Why'd yoo car? I solved it faster than you lot, idiots."
The detective only sighed heavily, "I wont have any of my subordinates self destruct without trying to help. And you might not be a subordinate but you're valuable assets to the Yard, and I wont have a consultant of mine O.D. due to some miscalculation or superiority complex."
"I'll be out by morning."
"Yeah well gives me enough time to find a damn halfway house that will take you in and let you detox, even if I have to lock you in the bathroom myself. Its either you do this for me or I'll not have you work any cases, I'll have the other Detectives, and DI's all know to arrest you on sight. Then were will you boredom lead you?"
That Sherlock grumbled but the older Sherlock the one of now, wore a tight grin marveling at how determined and very stubborn Greg Lestrade had been. The detective also knew when to bend, and when to stand his ground, occasionally murmuring "God help me."
"Mr. Holmes, Doctor Watson." Came the familiar voice, forcing Sherlock out of these threatening waters of memory. Sherlock nodded as a bruised PC Clarke escorted them inside. "I received your text Mr. Holmes, and came straight away."
"Yes. How is your partner."
"I'm no help sitting in a hospital waiting room. Besides I don't think I'm the only one who thinks this all smells funny. Please this way." He lead them through a side entrance, no one stopped them, busy with their own menial tasks having no idea of what was happening around them. Idiots. Sherlock sneered, just as quickly forced a bored expression over his face.
" We'll take the stairs that way we avoid any suspicion"
"What about the security camera's." John quarried, looking around at the empty corridor.
"Oh, it's Nancy working IT tonight, the camera's will be down on the stair well, the hall leading to the Homicide Investigations department. And when we reach the top of the stairs the hall will be empty." Sherlock seemed surprised by the young officer.
"When I told the guys that DI Lestrade was missing, and of course that incident at the Detective Inspectors house, a few of the guys were more than relieved to have Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson on the case even unofficially. So Nancy, who's got a bit of a crush on that dult Henry was more than willing to help. Two of the SC's brought in treats from the bakery down the street so some of the night shifters on that floor are going to be in the break area. For a few minutes at least that should be enough time."
"Well done." John thought he was hearing things, or maybe he hit his head, because that compliment came from the consulting detective himself. Sherlock looked the young PC from head to toe, and John could just hear him firing off deductions in his head.
"There, the corridor is clear, it's only a sharp left and then it's the DI's office." Clarke didn't take offense to the intense glare of the thin consulting detectives near icy gray eyes, instead he went first to the corridor, checking his phone for the next text from IT's Nancy. "Alright the cameras are down. Its just-"
"We know the way." Sherlock moved quietly into the corridor then quickly around the corner. John shrugged looking back at the young man.
"Thanks we'll take it from here."
"Right then. Good luck."
"Gregie Gregie…tsk tsk tsk" came the over friendly voice. "Why do you make this so hard? Who did you give the pictures to? Hmm, we checked your desk, I have a man going through your home as we speak. Make this easier Just tell me what I want to know. Then this will all be over, and my friend there will end this all, so quickly and you'll be a hero, killed in the line of duty or some rubbish. Actually, your two subordinates Anderson and Donovan will be labeled dirty cops and hit with charges of conspiracy to kill an officer." This brought Gregs head up, his left eye swollen shut, blood dried just above his lip where his nose had finally stopped bleeding, the action of lifting his head sent a drumming pain down his neck to his stinging shoulders, he glared at his interrogator with one good eye.
"See Detective Inspector, no worries " the man emphasizing the D and I. Greg could hear the anger just below the surface, or was it panic. "we aren't going to get our hands dirty and eliminating your two subordinates. No, we are framing them for your murder. Looks like they got mixed up in some bribes and you were going to blow the whistle so the Sergeant texted your mobile to get you in the right place at the wrong time. Now her little boyfriend, well if department gossip was correct, he doctored evidence for the Sergeant. What a shame, such a scandal."
"Who's pulling your strings?" Greg managed to get this out, his throat dry and head pounding. How long had he been here? Days, hours he didn't care, but he would do anything for a cigarette.
"That would be cheating DI, besides we're in this together." Greg looked up seeing the familiar dark coat, then the smug face of a thin detective. "Great, I've finally gone crazy."
" Yes, we'll statistics show that when a body is in great distress or strain the individual under duress recedes into the mind as way of escape. Fascinating that yours would conjure me up."
"Go away." Greg murmured but instead the consulting detective kneeled down, keeping at eye level, "You understand that I'm clever enough to peace your clues together. Could be on my way as we speak. Do stay alive long enough for me to find you."
Despite the situation, the beaten detective had to chuckle, his ribs cried out in protest, but the imaginary Sherlock could have been the real thing, at least Greg got the smug tone of voice, as if it was such an inconvenience for even the imaginary Sherlock to show up and reassure the man of what he obviously should have already guessed. "Now don't get sentimental on me Lestrade, I'm not very fond of nostalgia. Why can't you think of anything else, like a happier moment in childhood." Imaginary Sherlock frowned and nodded his hands behind his back he stood to pace infront of Lestrades metal chair, his boots silent against the dirty cement floor. "Right, you had a shit childhood, well never mind that."
"What how did you know that." Greg wasn't sure he was saying this out loud or in his head he didn't care anymore.
"Because I'm in your head, and there is some rather interesting things in here-"
"Dammit I'm not an experiment you stay out of my head you ass."
"Find them! You were supposed to make it look like an accident! They were supposed to be taken care of at the Park! Someone messed up and put the wrong PC's-No, I'm not going down for this. Someone will take care of the idiot at the hospital, where is Patterson and Clarke? I want them illuminated. No, I couldn't just kill them leaving work! That would have drawn up a few eyebrows two evidence room rookies murdered in a robbery? No, that's why I had them moved. Now where the hell are they. Good, so they are separated shouldn't be to hard should it. At this point I don't care if it looks suspicious we can pin it on Anderson or Donovan, evidence can always be lost. Check his office again!"
"Panic, interesting. Sounds like he is only the second in command, a goon just hired muscle. His boss my guess isn't going to be too happy when he finds out you haven't given the location of those photographs." Imaginary Sherlock placed his hands under his chin in a praying fashion, his eyes closed.
"Well you idiots, follow them! If that supposed genius is in on the case than perhaps he will find the file before we do. At that point kill him and his little friend."
"He's a bit over confident. Like I wouldn't know that we were being followed. And as if I wouldn't have contingency plan. Really to be underestimated by you is one thing but this fool? He does realize he looks impractical in that horribly cliché beige trench coat that black cheap suit obviously a designer knock off. It just makes him look pail, not intimidating. I cant believe you were friends with such a dolt."
"Well Lestrade change of plans. Looks like you have been granted a reprieve. Temporarily."
"Oh joy, might as well kill me now. Because when I get out of this chair-"
" You understand no one is coming for you right? Carvali has half a dozen higher ups on his payroll not to mention the Detectives and PC's. No one is coming for you LESTRADE! We can keep this up all night. You will talk because I'm through asking." He removed his coat, and jacket, rolling up the white sleeves, removing a knife from his belt, "My father was a butcher when I was growing up I was raised around knives and how to cut and bleed a pig. Amazingly enough, people bleed the same way, they even squeal louder."
"You killed those two young officers. They worked under you! How could you do that? " Lestrade said through clenched teeth.
"Well yeah, I know. But I was compensated for my conscience and I find it beats what the government would pay a simple little DI like myself. Besides who cares, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now I want to know about this Sherlock Holmes and his little lap dog Watson. Why would they be snooping around? Perhaps I underestimated your relationship with the asinine Private detective."
"He's every bit of a genius and if he's onto this case than you're safer to turn yourself in. "
"No, I'll have someone take them out, of course they are a team. So divide and conquer seems to be the theme of the day."
"Greg, nows the time to pass out, stop being a stubborn bastard. You heard the man, I'm on the case. We've faced smarter men than this obnoxious child." Greg fought the darkness creeping in slowly form the edges of his sight.
"Dammit stay with me-I'm not done."