Chapter 6: The Illusive One

Sherlock Holmes stood over the girl she had blacked out the second he'd caught her. He'd carried her upstairs and placed her on her bed, he stared at her his mind swimming, the girl from the fight, living the same house as him, when he'd seen her at the fight his mind became full of questions, trying to place where he'd seen her before. Now getting to look at her properly he knew it was her, that young girl the only survivor of that massacre 8 years ago, the one he'd carried out of that house himself, and that man chasing her, he was the same one responsible for the deaths in that house. The doorbell ringing brought him back to reality; he walked downstairs and opened the door, inspector Lestrade and constable Clarke stood on the doorstep,

' Lestrade, Clarky, to what do I owe the honour?'

' No joking Holmes this is serious, we got one murdered girl and another one missing, the missing one lives here?'

' A pretty blonde I had the pleasure of rescuing 8 years ago by any chance?' he said knowingly walking back into the house,

'Yes, how did you know?' Lestrade said as he and Clarke followed him inside,

'I had the pleasure of coming to her aid again tonight'

'What! She's here?'

'Upstairs resting blacked out the second I opened the door, absolutely terrified'

' So she hasn't said anything yet?'

'You haven't missed a word yet Lestrade don't panic, now if you'll excuse me I have business to attend to, Watson will be here soon explain everything to him and he'll look after her' he said as he got up,

'Holmes where are you going?' Lestrade shouted but Holmes was already out the door.

Upstairs Nancy stirred in her sleep she felt a hand against her forehead, her eyes shot open in shock memories of the cloaked man flooded back, instead she found herself looking into kind blue eyes of a young man,

'Stay calm it's alright you're safe, I'm Doctor John Watson, Scotland Yard are downstairs they'd like to talk to you about your friend Lenore if you're feeling up to it, but if you're not I can tell them they'll have to wait'

'No it's fine, I'll talk to them, was that you that opened the door?' she knew as she asked the question it wasn't him, he had a scent of surgical spirit and faintly a woman's perfume, his fiancé she guessed, the man that caught her had a very familiar scent, a scent she knew.

' No that was my colleague he's out at the moment, though if he's back in time you can meet him, but he's a bit unpredictable'

' So I've heard' Nancy said smiling as she gestured to a bullet hole in the wall.

She sat down in the living room, Mrs Hudson had returned from her meal with her friends and made sweet tea, she was still wearing what she had run through the streets in, she noticed the younger policeman staring at her filthy stockings,

' What happened to your shoes' he asked

' I took them off so I could run from the man more quietly, I was hoping it would stop him following me'

' That's very clever' Watson said giving her a reassuring look,

' Would have been better if it had worked' she said smiling back,

' Miss, if you please' Lestrade interrupted, 'would you please recount your story exactly as it happened'.

After Nancy had recounted the story and shed a few tears Lestrade began questioning again, Nancy hadn't noticed Holmes slip in and stand behind Watson in the doorway when she had begun telling Lestrade the nights events.

'So the last time you saw Miss Wilson she was on her bed, in her room?'

'Yes, why do you ask that?'

Lestrade and Clarke exchanged looks before Lestrade continued,

'When we arrived at Miss Wilson's house we saw her on the bed and she was pronounced dead but when we returned to the room five minutes later the body was gone, and too be honest we're not entirely sure where' Lestrade looked guilty, Nancy felt bad for him, she knew if the press or his superiors got wind of this he would be blamed for allowing a body to go missing from a crime scene, he continued;

' Dr Watson any sign of your illusive colleague yet?' Lestrade said without looking up,

'I've been here the whole time inspector' he stepped out from behind Watson allowing Nancy a look at her saviour, the lent round the back of her chair and couldn't suppress the shock, it was him the man that had so easily knocked out William in the bare knuckle fight. She gazed at him her mouth parted in shock and her eyes slightly wide before remembering her manners; she stood up and held out her hand;

'I want to thank you for saving me from that mad man, I don't know what I would have done without you Mr…?'

' This is Sherlock Holmes, Miss Jones, he assists Scotland yard with a few cases, though he does partake in some freelance cases occasionally' Lestrade interrupted the exchange between Nancy and Sherlock, the man had perfect timing Nancy thought quite bitterly, she was longing to hear him speak.

Holmes bowed taking her hand in his and gently squeezing it, before standing upright and giving her a small smile undetectable unless you were standing face to face with him.

' Well Lestrade I think Miss Jones needs some rest it's been a terrible night for her, she needs some time to get her head around everything, wouldn't a man of your profession agree with me Watson?'

' Absolutely' Watson said a small smile on his lips, it was apparent, however hard he was trying to mask it, that Lestrade had wanted to ask many more questions of Nancy.

Nancy gave Watson a smile to silently convey her thanks, Lestrade got to his feet,

'Well I'll escort you up miss Jones if –'

' I shall escort Miss Jones back to her room and ensure she is safe you stay and have your tea inspector, don't want it to get cold now' Holmes said linking his arm with Nancy's and sweeping her out of the room.

He didn't say a word until they reached her door, he entered the room first and checked the window was secure before poking around, indiscreetly, she knew he was making sure they were the only two people in there.

' I'd very much like to talk to you tomorrow if you're feeling up to it Miss Jones? I'll be working on this case and it would help if I could ask you questions without the inspector ear wigging', she stifled a laugh at his use of the word ear wigging, there was something about him that put her completely at ease, she felt safe with him.

' That's no problem'

' We can't talk here obviously inspector Lestrade will be round first thing in the morning to occupy your time, so if you don't mind we'll make an early getaway?'

'Yes I think I could manage that…thank you again' Holmes stared at her, his strong gaze made her avert her eyes,

' Your always welcome Nancy', with that he swept out of the room closing the door behind him. She sat down on the bed taking a few deep breathes through her nose, there was that scent again, the scent that comforted her. She lay awake most of the night partly reliving the terror that had befallen her that night, and the rest of the time she thought of him and that intense gaze, the feeling of his hand on hers and that silky confident voice, it had to have been him all those years ago.