-reader's pov-
shoulders brushing against eachother, enola and I treaded down the stairs and back onto the stage.
"who taught you how to fight?" she asked out of curiosity as I tossed the empty gun to the floor.
"myself." I replied, keeping my eyes ahead.
"hm," enola hummed as she thought, "you're good for someone who's self taught."
"thanks." I beamed, despite a surge of pride rushing within me, my cheeks burned a shade of crimson at this compliment.
we then entered back onto the stage to reunite with the others. tewkesbury had a large stream of blood pouring from his nose and sherlock suffered a bullet wound to the forearm.
sarah collected the papers from enola with a small smile before returning back to comfort bessie. until the sound of someone clapping came from the back of the theatre.
"congratulations." the male voice bellowed, many policemen followed this man.
"lord mcintyre?" enola said, slightly confused, "what are you doing here?"
"I was summoned." he chuckled as he made his way up onto the stage, "your brother knew that I would want to see the right people shown justice and I don't know how to thank you for retrieving this government property and, uh, bringing this killer to light. a rot amongst our ranks."
the group shared an unfamiliar glance as mcintyre continued, "the world shall know the name enola holmes, I'll make sure of it. lestrade, arrest that girl." he pointed a finger to sarah, who gasped sharply.
"-she's done nothing wrong!" enola protested.
"on what charge, sir?" lestrade questioned, he too was confused by mcintyre's orders.
"theft." mcintyre simply answered.
"-all she stole from you was the truth!" enola cried out.
"she took personal information," mcintyre approached sarah and grabbed the papers out of her hands, "which she used for extortion and blackmail. which is why she will serve her time." sarah tried to keep the papers but failed, miserably.
"-ah," sherlock interjected, "but you are mistaken. she was not your blackmailer. I summoned you here to draw that very person out. the accounting was masterful. a tangle of roots, but all pointed to one pocket. one person receiving the fruits of their schemes with no one noticing."
"hearing everything," enola added as the pieces clicked together like a jigsaw puzzle, "seeing everything. ignored for years."
mcintyre's expressions changed substantially as sherlock continued again, "playing them all."
"it's all a game." enola realised under her breath before speaking more loudly and clear, "miss mira troy."
"absurd." mcintyre chuckled in amazement, "oh, I don't believe it."
"it's remarkable what can be done when people underestimate you." mira suddenly said, emerging from out of the shadows.
"and then came the problem." enola spoke, "william stole the contract."
"-and he threatened to cut off your money train." sherlock added.
"-and you couldn't have that." enola said.
"-you hired grail to retrieve the document." sherlock said as they took their turns to piece the story up.
"-and grail didn't want to get the full blame if your plan didn't roll out smoothly, which is why he got y/n to work for him." enola continued the story.
"-which is exactly what happened, things got out of hand." sherlock said, "so you tried to point us to lord mcintyre, a rare misstep in your game.. moriarty."
mira looked down with a smile across her lips, "such a shame our divertissement has to end, mr holmes." she said as she walked closer, "I was so enjoying it. and you, enola." she chuckled.
"miss troy, you have been behind this?" mcintyre quizzed.
"of course, you never can find the proper staff." she replied, "I only wanted the agreements back. though I couldn't be seen to question william myself, you were so obliging." she gave enola a smug look, "just a pity he was smarter and braver in the end than I'd expected. they both were, their deaths were so unnecessary. but, superintendent grail and his little partner weren't so bright either."
"you!" mcintyre spat ferociously, "how dare you take advantage of your position!"
"I take advantage?" mira turned around to face him slowly, "what were my advantages? treated like a common servant when I have twice the mind as yours." she turned around to give us all a look, "any of yours."
sherlock, enola, tewkesbury and I all turned to give eachother a baffled look with our eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"why shouldn't I have a share of your ill-begotten riches and punish you at the same time?" she refaced mcintyre, "why shouldn't I be rewarded for what I can do? where is my place in this.. society? I am a woman, I cannot join clubs, I cannot own shares, I cannot advance myself as they can. so.." she re-approached sherlock, "I found my own way, and it was fun." she finished with a light chuckle.
"lestrade," mcintyre angrily began, "take her away."
"yes sir." lestrade replied, "on what charge, sir?"
"-extortion." mcintyre snapped.
"-uh, yes. yes." lestrade obliged.
"blackmail, murder." mcintyre continued as the list went on.
"such a shame our little dance has to end," mira spoke out to sherlock as the handcuffs were applied to her wrists, "for now at least. perhaps we shall take to the floor again." the policeman then led her away, his hand on her back as she was escorted out of the theatre.
mcintyre then held the papers over the candle, causing the important information to completely set aflame.
"no!" sarah roared as she scurried over to the burning papers, kneeling down and trying her very best to put the fire out.
"well, there." mcintyre said, so very smug with himself, "that's that then." everyone in the room, including me, stared at the man with pure hatred in our hearts, directed at this monster of a man. "I accidentally burnt my own property, what of it?"
"you are corrupt, sir." tewkesbury spat the words out with fury.
"and complicit in the deaths of hundreds of match girls." sarah miserably added, slouched on the stage in a puddle of her own sadness.
"where is your proof?" mcintyre jeered but no one could answer, "good. so.. back to business." he then headed down the stage steps.
"-bastard!" I called out after him, enraged by what he had just done.
"-y/n, patience." sherlock stopped me, "justice will be served, tewkesbury will make sure of it. won't you now?" he gestured a nod towards tewkesbury.
"certainly, mr holmes." tewkesbury gave a satisfied sherlock a determined nod.
we were just left to watch in silence as all the proof was burning to a crisp before our very eyes. it was heartbreaking.
YOU ARE READING
sleuth's love
Fanfiction"catch me if you can, ms holmes." who would've thought that the sherlock holmes' younger sister could crack a case of her own? no one, that's your answer. no one until now. as enola embarks on her journey to find a missing girl, she discovers an u...
