Stranger Danger

by HAL HARV and Watson

John is caught in the middle of an explosion, literally, and the police find a stiff. After waking up in the hospital, John and Sherlock try to hunt down the third man who was there to try and get answers, but John is getting the unsettling feeling they may be in more trouble than they had realized.

3. Act I, Scene 3

SCENE 3: RUINED BUILDING/WAREHOUSE IN LONDON'S OLD INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT-NIGHT

BUILDING IS IN RUINS, AND THE WHOLE PLACE IS WELL-LIT BY PORTABLE FLOOD LIGHTS. EVERYTHING IS ROPED OFF WITH YELLOW TAPE, AND POLICE INCLUDING THE ARSON DEPARTMENT, ARE CATALOGING EVERYTHING. THE BODY CANNOT BE SEEN

SHERLOCK and LESTRADE duck under the tape, and SHERLOCK pauses an instant to take it in. He continues toward the camera, supposedly where the body is.

NOW WE ARE BEHIND SHERLOCK AND LESTRADE AND SEE THE BODY. IT IS BURNED TO A CRISP, AND WE CAN JUST BARELY TELL IT IS A BODY. (IT MAY NOT EVEN BE HUMAN) ANDERSON AND AN ARSON INVESTIGATOR ARE EXAMINING IT.

SHERLOCK and LESTRADE join them.

SHERLOCK: (murmuring)
Well, what do we have here?

He peers at it and reaches out as if to touch it, and ANDERSON looks at him irritably

ANDERSON:
I'd prefer it if he makes it to the morgue intact!

SHERLOCK:
Himm? You never told me you personify your stiffs...

ANDERSON:
There is quite a bit I haven't told you, Sherlock!

SHERLOCK rolls his eyes.

SHERLOCK:
No, but I can tell infinitely more from just looking at you. Like your problem with soda.

ANDERSON: (shouting)
HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?!

He springs up in a rage and looks like he's going to grab SHERLOCK.

LESTRADE:
Anderson!

ANDERSON regains control and returns slowly to his stiff.

ANDERSON: (under his breath)
Snoop.

LESTRADE:
What was that?

ANDERSON: (quickly)
Nothing!

SHERLOCK: (at the arson investigator)
What can you tell me?

INVESTIGATOR 1 sighs.

INVESTIGATOR 1:
Not much. He's male, but until we can run some tests, that's all we know about him. Everything's so burned there's almost nothing.

SHERLOCK looks at the body for a moment then stands back up. He turns to LESTRADE.

SHERLOCK:
Is there anything else of interest here?

LESTRADE: (shrugging)
Well, one of the guys found some stuff.

He walks over toward where several officers are gathered in a semi-circle around a spot on the floor where some blackened materials lie.

LESTRADE: (to one of the investigators)
What have you found?

INVESTIGATOR 2:
Well, it seems to be the remains of a machine of some sort. We've been finding bits and pieces of it around, so it's very probable it was what exploded.

He points at the several black "bits and pieces" at his feet.

LESTRADE:
Sherlock, what do you think?

SHERLOCK:
We need to talk to our witness.