Erna tried to call Ella's phone several times. She did not blame her for not answering. She decided to go in early the next day to work to talk with Tom the other counselor in the practice. Just as she sat down with a cup of tea her phone rang.

"Erna?" the voice said.

"Yes?" she replied.

"It's Dectective Inspector Lestrade." he said.

"Oh, hello." she said as the voice sounded familiar now.

"I do apoogize for earlier with Sherlock. He can be a bit difficult as I'm sure you noticed." he said.

"Oh, no problem." she said as there was a pause on the other end.

"Well, I would like to share what I can with you to help you with your paper." he said. "I hope it's not too forward to ask but if you are open I could meet you for lunch or dinner tomorrow?"

"Sure, I mean, I would need to check the schedule with my co-worker but one of those should work. Can I let you know tomorrow?" she asked.

"Of course. Well, I will let you go. Look forward to hearing from you tomorrow." he said,

"Thank you." she said.

She sat the phone on the side table. She needed to prepare a list of questions. Since he suggested checking the papers she decided to Google Moriarty. She had never heard the name before her professor suggested it. She spent several hours and collected much information she was curious about. Mr. Holmes seemed to play a particular role of interest for Mr. Moriarty. He seemed almost obsesed with the man. She wondered why? Her professor was right, this man was interesting. It was unfortunate she could not interview Mr. Holmes. She felt it could be a conflict of interest since he was a client. Even if it was a temporary arrangement. Erna was startled by her phone signaling a text. She looked at it.

"Stop your research." said the text. It ws not a number she recognized. She checked her received calls and the number did not match Lestrades's, Sandras's, or Ella's. She brushed it off as a wrong number. Although it did mention research which she was doing. She turned the alerts off and returned to her work.

"Sherlock, have you heard from John?" asked Mrs. Hudson setting down a tray with tea and biscuits.

"No." he said typing at his computer.

She nodded and walked out. Sherlock had not been the same since their friendship had dissolved when Mary died. She had urged John at every opportunity to talk to him. John had returned to his medical practice and she and Molly took turns sitting with baby Rosie. John never acknowledged her pleas, he would just smile and nod. Sherlock poured himself into his work. He was losing weight, not that he had any to spare, but the work consumed him. At least, Mrs. Hudson hoped it was just the work.

Sherlock was following several leads amd still looking further into Mary's past. Although the case seemed benign he still suspected Moriarty had some hand in it. Although he needed the other cases to busy his mind he wondered if that was a factor Moriarty had calculated into his plan. He wondered if he had missed something. He rarely did but something went wrong. Mary was not supposed to die. He needed to retrace his steps but emotion clouded his efforts. It was not just the death of Mary but also his friendship with John. He had to keep the emotions in check. He had hoped the counseling session would help him find a way to fix it. That is the only reason he took his brother's offer. It was normally something he would refuse but this was not normal. Although he was not sure he had ever known the true definition. He was curious as to why his interim therapist was coincidentally interested in Moriary's case, he knew the universe was rarely so lazy. Of course it only made him more curious to attend the sessions. He decided to not research Ms. Erna Halbeck as it would only make the sessions more interesting to learn about her, from her. Of course, he had already developed his own story as to her beginings to current. The question was, is she friend or foe?

Erna arrived an hour early to the office to talk with Tom. She knew he always came in early to start the kettle and enjoy the quiet. At least those are the notes Ella left about him.

"Morning Tom." said Erna. "Do you have a minute? I'm rather stuck with a client."

"Uh, sure just give me about ten minutes. I'll meet you in Ella's office." he said. Tom was a middle aged man, stocky with glasses. She guessed he was single. He was at least a foot shorter than she was. He seemed kind.

"Thanks, Tom." said Erna heading into the office. She brought her own coffee today knowing she would need it. She laid Mr. Holmes file on the desk in front of her. She felt compelled not to open it. For s8me reason she felt it imoortant to draw her own c8nclusions about him rather than read Ella's. Hoever, if Mr. Holmes was not going to give her any information then it might be all she would have to work with. She looked over her notes she had written regarding Moriarty. She hoped Lestrade could give her enough information, after all, her time here was limited.

"So, Ella, who is the client?" asked Tom walking in and taking a seat with tea in hand.

"Sherlock Holmes." she said sliding the file towards him.

Tom rolled his eyes, "Stuck, eh? Surprised he has given you enough to even be stuck." he said smiling, "He must like you."

"Right, well, if he likes me then I better stay on his good side cause even on this side he seems like an a-" she stopped herself fom saying what she really wanted to, "an aggravated person."

He smiled at her. "I know he is guarded and that is putting it lightly. Ella has been working little by little with him. From what she has shared she has talked with him for maybe five minutes at a time. He hasn't stayed long enough to share anything. I'm sure you read it in the file."

"The file, yes. I just wanted your take." she said. "He seems rather controlling. He called in for a emergency session and just when he seemed to start to share omething, he turned the tables to ask me about myself."

Tom looked at her wih surprise, "Interesting."

"I told him that is not what the sessions are for." she said.

"True, but, you might indulge him. I mean it's not the best practice but he's not the normal case to crack either. Your call but you could throw him a few small bones and see what happens?" said Tom. "He's uncharted territory for the most part, but of course, behind the wall he's built he' probably just like any other bloke. I'd say that's what he is avoiding most." said Tom walking to the door. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Tom." said Erna. She knew she couldn't let this one client consume her. She had twenty minutes until her first client. She flippted through the stack of clients for the day. It seemed to be the same old things yet each client brought their own unique challenge to the session. Perhaps that is why Mr. Holmes interested her so much. Most clients were predictable to a degree. Mr. Holmes was proving to provide something new. She would need to find a unique way to get through to him and she had a feeling that nothing in her educational career prepared her for what was ahead. For some reason, she was looking forward to it.