The Man With The Umbrella

- 27 -

Amelia met Jessica for coffee a few days later, in a little café on Oxford street. Jessica smiled wryly at the green paint lining underneath Amelia's fingernails. "Does your guy like that you paint?" Her eyes sparkled and her accent was northern.

Amelia shrugged as she sipped her coffee. "I've painted for him if that's what you're asking. He asked me to." She answered.

They talked about Dominic, and his attempt to try it on. According to her, the event had been quick and was felt with a borderline of worry. His slurred attempts and physical contact held enough motive behind them. Jessica had relayed that she thought it was for the best to warn him off with a call from the police.

"Have you heard anything recent from him?" Amelia inquired. "Nah. Doubt you will either to be honest. Best to forget about the creep."

Amelia found the whole conversation a little odd but she considered how Jessica felt about talking freely of it. Perhaps it was her way that Amelia did not get in the crossfire with him.

Somehow, her one-night stay at Mycroft's turned into a a few days of night stays. Mycroft didn't mind that Viola stayed around for a night and neither did she to be honest but Amelia didn't want to overwhelm her daughter so the previous night was spent at her own place.

She still had her own work to do both being an artist and lawyer. With customer favourites from Etsy of landscapes based from fantasy worlds to dealing with court cases that Amelia found utterly boring.

Amelia thought about what Mycroft had relayed the night Viola stayed and she couldn't help but smile into her cup. "Assume that you and Viola are welcome in this house at anytime, Amelia. It would spare myself from requesting the company."

As herself and Jessica exchanged goodbyes a black car pulled up to the curb next to her. She eyed it, a little hesitant about slipping into the vehicle.

The drivers window was pulled down, a haughty, balding looking man eyed her before speaking: "Miss Watson, I'm here to drive you to your destination."

She didn't think before she pulled the car door open.

It would be something Mycroft would later remind and reprimand her for.

***

Amelia became engrossed with her phone as she sat in the back of the car. It was something that was oddly familiar when she thought about the exterior and leather seats.

Twenty minutes later of scrolling through Twitter, she looked to the window and became aware that they were driving through a part of London that she wasn't familiar with.

She frowned as she gazed towards the low buildings and suburban front gardens. Locking her phone, she pressed her thumbs together and blinked.

Her surroundings most assuredly did not seem like somewhere Mycroft would beckon herself to go.

She unlocked her phone once again and went on Google maps only to find that they were driving through Tottenham. Her eyes fluttered across to the black screen separating herself from the driver with hesitancy. "Hello?"

There was no answer.

She hung her head low for a moment beginning to understand that this driver may not be his chauffeur.

"Hello?" She tried again with little luck. Yet again, she received no response.

The car swerved right sharply and she began to realise that she was nearing her destination.

She held her phone awkwardly, in two minds of calling Mycroft. In the end she settled on a simple message:

I think I may of done something stupid - Amelia