Holmes: The Kismet Trail

Chapter Fourteen

Her nails cut deep in my arm as she moved behind me, but close enough so I could feel the tips of her shoes click the back of mine. She apologized each time as I nodded to show I was listening. Something Watson told me I should do more of and I know how women can be...difficult. My mind ended on these thoughts quickly as we moved to the spot where the dirt had been removed once more. Only now, I could see the markings of my climb and my makeshift shoes still at the bottom. Taking the platform they used to move me down on, I placed it there before allowing Rose to go down first. I followed behind before searching the grounds.

"What could be here?" I asked as I pushed on each section as Rose did the same for her area of vicinity. Moving around, we looked at each section before finding that nothing had been there. Rose grew anxious before suddenly growing aggravated. Even in this state, she stunned me, but I could not hide that I was humored by this; which made her more angry. She threw her head back before the wall gave way. I caught her and pulled her back up to me before the wall began to close. We moved down the steps before it shut completely. I pushed her up against the wall before dropping to my knees. I took my teeth near her leg and gently tore a section of her dress which made her gasp.

"I will buy you another, I promise." I said as I wrapped it around a stick upon the ground and lit my match on it.

"It's worth it." She teased as she followed me just as she did before, her nails deep in my skin. A feeling I did not loathe, but would rather have her soft had on my cheek instead. As we moved further, I found it was just a damp corridor. Filled with spiders and snakes. Coming to a wall, I found chalk markings before entering. A map drawn on the wall to show the way out. We moved toward the entrance before I motioned her to what I could remember. My impeccable memory granting me great success as we moved one step to the next before coming to an end. A dead end. I thought I made a wrong turn before she noted something unintentionally.

"It's freezing here, aren't you cold?"

"A draft..." I said as I pushed against a part of the wall before it broke free and entered me into the basement of the Judge's home. I was astounded, partly on how far we had walked without realizing it. We moved forward and the door began to close, catching her dress in it, and pulling her to get stuck. I ripped it once more, but now it was shorter. Not good for the classy types in Upper England. We moved through the corridor before going outside and straight to a phone. I continued to call Watson who then brought Rose a dress and me my carriage back. I showed him the chambers before he stopped.

"Very odd..." He said as he analyzed it.

"What is it?" I asked him as I was searching or clues to the other walls.

"You claim it had a draft strong from the inside. Yet, there is none on this side... Almost as if the insulation is...man-made..."

"What do you mean?"

"It appears someone made this to trap someone. Set senors, forced closing..."

"A maze on purpose...I believed it to be just a labyrinth of walls..."

"Unfortunately no....What reason would he have for this?"

"I think he's trying to tell me something about the Judge. Rose overheard him talk about getting rid of one of his allies and suddenly the judge is murdered and I'm seen fit for the crime."

"That Rose gave you up to..."

"She did to protect me. They would have killed me otherwise."

He paused. "Are you certain you can trust her? You hardly know her and it is not like you to just go with someone's word...without evidence."

"I can see she's truthful. I told you Watson, I cannot explain it, I can just see it."

"I understand. Sherlock has a crush." He teased.

"I do not. We must not waste time on topics like this. We have a murder, now two to solve-"

"We must find out everything there is to know about the judge."

As we made our way out, I saw the carriage was moving as a wild animal was loose inside. I then remembered Rose was changing inside of it. As I moved my gaze to look away, I saw her. Partially exposed skin and her hand hard against the glass to catch her balance. My mind instantly went to a thought more sexual then I would like to write down. I found myself staring at her and she saw me glancing. I moved my gaze instantly towards the ground and moved my hat down over my eyes before I saw the curtains in the carriage clothes. Great....