Disadvantageous

Chapter 35

"Sherlock, what are we doing here, shouldn't we be out looking for Mrs. Simon?" John demanded as Sherlock took a seat at the table. "You don't even eat while you're on a case."

"Relax, John, and do sit down," Sherlock spoke as he took a sip of the ice water already set at the table. "I can assure you that this is all for the case, we are expecting some guests."

John huffed with annoyance, not understanding why Sherlock didn't just tell him what was going on, but took a seat nonetheless. It was only a minute later that Robert Simon arrived, just as confused about the situation as John was.

"Mr. Holmes, why have you asked me to meet you here? Did you find my wife's killer?" Mr. Simon demanded, rushing over to Sherlock's table.

However Sherlock merely pointed towards the seat next to him and spoke, "why don't you have a seat Mr. Simon, all of your questions will soon be answered."

"What? What are talking about? What are we waiting for?"

"Not what. Who."

Mr. Simon looked over at John, desperate for some clarification, but the doctor merely shrugged, taking a sip of his own drink. There was a tense silence that befell the table until Sherlock made note of the pair entering the restaurant.

"Ah, here she is," Sherlock noted as he stood from his chair.

"No, that can't be," Mr. Simon breathed as he too stood from his seat, gaping at the woman he made eye contact with. She flinched upon seeing him and wanted nothing more than to turn back, but she gripped her partner's arm just a little tighter and pressed onward.

"Mr. Simon, I don't believe introductions are necessary for this woman here. But the gentleman is Frank Moulton. Harriet Moulton's husband."

"Moulton- but she can't be, Harriet is my wife! What the devil is going on here?"

"Mr. Simon, please have a seat," Sherlock spoke encouraging the enraged man to tone it down a hair, they were getting rather annoyed looks from the waitstaff. "You see, you were not Harriet's first husband. Back when she lived in America, she fell in love with this man. He got caught up with the wrong people and chose to fake his own death so as to keep Harriet out of danger. Distraught, Harriet departed for England, where she met you. She was intent on marrying you, rest assured, but when Mr. Moulton heard of his wife's intentions, he made his way over to England to reveal himself. Not knowing her address, he had to wait until the day of the wedding, where he dressed up as a member of the waitstaff so that he could be permitted entrance. That was when Harriet saw him and why she began to act so strangely at the reception. She ran away with him that night, tossing her wedding dress into the river as a diversion to keep you occupied while the two fled the country."

"How could you do this to me?" Mr. Simon growled, his hands clenched into tight fists.

Harriet finally spoke up, her eyes regarding him with pity, "I am terribly sorry, Robert, but I couldn't remain married to you while knowing that Frank was still alive. I swear to you, I never meant to hurt you in this way-"

"Yet you did anyway. Do you have my ring, Harriet? I would very much like it back."

Uncertainly, Harriet nodded and pulled the ring out of her purse, handing it back to Robert with tears welling up in her eyes. He roughly snatched it from her grasp and slammed it on the table in front of Sherlock.

"Why don't you take it, Mr. Holmes, you have about as much of a use for it as I do. Thank you for finding this traitorous whore, your services are no longer required."

"Mr. Simon, I do not wish to accept this ring," Sherlock spoke handing the ring back over. "As you say, I have no use for it and you may find that you wished you had kept it later in your life."

Although he didn't believe him, Mr. Simon snatched the ring back and stormed from the table, not even sparing his former wife one last glance. She sank into her seat as he ex-husband barged out of the restaurant, relieved that that conversation had concluded.

But she then lifted her head and turned to Sherlock, "are you going to report us, Mr. Holmes?"

"What happens between the three of you will be up to you to figure out. I have completed what I came here to do and will be returning to London. I suggest you either make amends with Mr. Simon or quickly leave the country before things can escalate any further."

"I'm terribly sorry he dragged you into all of this, I had rather hoped my escape would be quick and easy, but when I saw you in the threshold of our hotel room, I knew immediately that that would not be the case."

"Mr. Simon cared for you, he simply wanted to get to the truth of what happened to you. He may be angry now, but he'll come around. The question is if you still wish to be a part of his life when he does," John spoke up, finally recovering from Sherlock's brilliant deductions. He hadn't understood how Sherlock had managed to plan this meal in the few hours they had spent apart that day, but he was grateful that the ordeal was over and he could return to his wife.

Sherlock stood from the table and beckoned him over, "come, John. We have a train to catch."

...

"I wasn't entirely sure you would be coming back," Karnilla spoke as she turned to face her guest.

Lydia took a step forward and let the bag of cash fall from her shoulder, "yes, you were. You know how important that secret is to me and you knew I would do anything to protect it. Well, here you are. If I were you, I would've asked for a bit more in return, but I can see you're still a bit new to the job."

Karnilla smiled at Lydia's remark, "I must seem the fool, must I? I could have asked you to assassinate the Prime Minister or steal the Mona Lisa. But I do not wish to make an enemy out of you, Lydia. My brother surely proved that doing so would be a mistake. I offer you the only remaining proof that you were the Rose Killer as a gesture of good faith. And perhaps now we can agree that we will stay out of each other's way, how does that sound?"

"The information on me, where is it?" Lydia demanded, refusing to give her a straight answer. Karnilla held up a pendrive in her perfectly manicured hand, offering for Lydia to take it. Lydia eyed it, but refused to move to grab it, "and how do I know that is the only remaining copy?"

"All of the computers here are wiped, you can check for yourself. And my brother wasn't a very trusting person, for information as important as the Rose Killer, he wanted to keep in one secure place. I've only downloaded it to that so that I could make a physical exchange with you."

"And now you expect me to trust you?"

"Just as I trusted you not to run to your boyfriend. Do we have a deal?"

"I don't make bargains with criminals," Lydia spoke as she took the pendrive from Karnilla's hand. As soon as it was secure in Lydia's grasp, a gunshot rung out, a bullet tearing through Karnilla's head.

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(A/N): Well that escalated... I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!