If You Love Me, Get Clean

Chapter Fourteen

2005

You said some things that I can't unabsorb
You turned me into an idea of sorts
You needed me, but you needed drugs more
And I couldn't watch it happen

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. I'll wait in the car."

Alice nods once, allows Jenny to squeeze her knee, then she opens the door and climbs out the car.

She walks up to the building and pushes open the heavy wooden front door, and approaches the desk. Alice can tell this place is Mycroft's choice just from looking around the entrance. It's all dark wood and red carpet and very posh.

"I'm here to see William Holmes." She says, her voice sounding small in the large echoing entrance hall. She had hoped she'd appear more confident, but she also didn't expect to feel so intimidated by the whole place.

The woman behind the desk looks up at her, sniffs, and then picks up the telephone. She dials a number and waits while it rings without saying a single word to her.

"A girl's come to see Holmes."

Alice would rather be a girl than a bitter old hag, but perhaps it's best to keep that opinion to herself. She just wants to see her bloody boyfriend.

A clipboard is slapped on the counter top with various sheets of paperwork.

"You need to fill this out."

Alice fixes the woman with a dark look, before snatching the pen and clipboard away, taking herself over to the expensive looking sofa against the window. She has the sudden urge to tear the thing to shreds if that woman keeps looking at her like she's some insipid child.

Alice fills the paperwork out, signing on the dotted lines, and then waits.

The huge clock on the wall mocks her as every minute passes by. It's horrendously quiet in the building, which surprises her, she expected some kind of commotion, people talking at the very least. The place feels like a haunted mansion.

Fifteen minutes later a tall man in a suit comes down the stairs and towards her. He doesn't look very friendly, either.

"Miss Fletcher?"

"Yes."

"Ah," he tucks his hands in front of him. "You wanted to see William Holmes, correct?"

Alice isn't entirely sure why she's now having to deal with another patronising twat, but needs must. "He's my boyfriend."

"I see. Well, unfortunately, William isn't up to visitors at the moment."

She blinks. "Did you tell him it was me?"

He offers her a smile, but it falls flat. "As I said, he's not up to visitors. Would you like to leave a message for him?"

"I..." she takes a calming breath, shoving the clipboard at the man. "Tell him I'll be back."

Then she turns and leaves. She cried when she got into the car. Jenny didn't get a word out of her until they were home.

The next week she was back, as she said she would be, and the woman behind the desk appeared to have even more contempt for her. Alice couldn't give a fuck.

"Let me guess," she mutters as the same man from the week before strolled over to her. "He's not up to visitors."

"Quite."