Vatican Cameos (A BBC Sherlock Fanfiction)

16. Major Sholto

INSIDE.
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The Photographer is taking photos of everyone attending. He turns and snaps several pictures of Greg who is sitting at a table and drinking. Greg, looking a little glum, raises his glass to him.

John and Mary are standing nearby. John asks as a waiter approaches with a plate of canapés.

"Oh, d'you want ...?" Says John.

Mary's already taking one from the plate.

"I'm starving." She says.

The waiter offers the plate to John, but he politely declines.

"Thanks." He says.

"Had to lose so much weight to get into this dress." Says Mary.

John chuckles. Sherlock and Janine are standing together a short distance away. Janine looks admiringly at the waiter as he walks past.

"He's nice." She says.

Sherlock sniffs deeply.

"Traces of two leading brands of deodorant, both advertised for their strength, suggestive of a chronic body odour problem manifesting under stress." Says Sherlock.

"Okay, done there. What about his friend?"

Sherlock turns to look where she's looking. In the nearby kitchen, another waiter is carefully pulling out the skewer from the middle of a large joint of roast beef.

"Long-term relationship, compulsive cheat." Says Sherlock.

"Seriously?"

"Waterproof cover on his smartphone. Yet his complexion doesn't indicate outdoor work. Suggests he's in the habit of taking his phone into the shower with him, which means he often receives texts and emails he'd rather went unseen."

"Can I keep you?" Asks Janine.

"Nope. I have..."

"Never mind."

Sherlock's eyes drift over to Elisabeth, then he looks away again. Mary puts a hand on John's shoulder. As she does so John raises his eyes towards the entrance and looks surprised.

"Oh, God, wow!" He says.

A scarred man, dressed in military uniform has just walked in.

"Oh, G... Is that ...?" Asks Mary.

"He came!" Says John.

While Mary smiles with delight, John walks over to the man and they salute each other. Sherlock walks over to Mary.

"So that's him. Major Sholto." He asks.

His voice sounds disapproving.

"Uh-huh." Says Mary.

Sherlock narrows his eyes as he looks at the two men.

"If they're such good friends, why does he barely even mention him?"

"He mentions him all the time to me. He never shuts up about him."

"About him?"

"Mm-hmm."

She takes a drink from her wine glass, then grimaces.

"Urgh. I chose this wine. It's bloody awful." Says Mary.

"Yes, but it's definitely him that he talks about?" Says Sherlock.

"Mm-hmm."

"I'm very, very glad to see you, sir. I know you don't really do this sort of thing." Says John, greeting Major Sholto.