I Can't Stand You Sherlock

Chapter 25: Tip Off From Friends

Look out for the <>!

I woke up in my old room the next day with sun pouring into the room. I was not sure how I got here, and I didn't linger on the subject. With a stretch, I got up and looked around and noticed that it looked the same, the mess I left it in was now in neat stacks on my desk. It was as if Sherlock knew I was coming back and he didn't toss out anything. I walked over to my dresser and saw my clothes were still in place. I thought that as soon as I left everything would be tossed, at least that is what I would do, than focus on the memories.

I walked out of my room and into the family room where Sherlock was asleep on the floor with bits of shredded paper lying around him.

I hated to admit it but I really missed him. I missed the company and the feeling of belonging I got when I was around here. I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge to see nobody parts in it but a full fridge of food. "This is new," I said as I pulled out some goat cheese and got out a slice of bread for breakfast.

As I put the bread in the toaster, I heard movement from behind me.

"Goat cheese?" Sherlock asked as he moved right beside me.

"I like it on my bread," I said and shrugged as the bread popped out of the toaster.

"I'm on the verge of something. The lady that confronted you. She lives in Scotland. The phone number she gave you has a Scotland area code. Also, she was awarded the best volunteer last year in Gairloch," he said and showed me a photo of the woman with a huge smile on her face looking more like a football mum, not like how I saw her. Hate boiled through me. It was her. "Lives in the Scottish highlands and goes by Alice Parish."

"Ok, Let's get her," I said confidently, not thinking it though. The more time we wasted, the more powerful she could get. I was going to be the last person she would ever black mail or threaten to join her team. This was ending with me.

"No the plan needs to be played out carefully. She knows what she's doing, we can't rush."

I frowned at him, not liking the answer he gave. We had little time until she started killing again.

"We need you working like normal. John and I are you going to take you out on the street and you're going to steal some wallets for practice? You need to be on the top of your game if we want to stop her."

We were just wasted time that we didn't have.

"We are leaving now. Get ready," Sherlock said as John walked through the door of the flat.

I rushed back into my room to change as I pulled my hair up and threw on some clothes that I was sure didn't match. I walked back out, then together went to the river in the center of town. We all knew that this was the place people went for their lunch breaks and in a matter of minutes, being here, we were in the thick of the lunch rush.

Sherlock did not waste any time trying to get me to practice. He would pick a person and I would have to get their wallet, although we had been out here for the past hour and all I got was some pocket change. This was just the first easy step for white-collar crimes and if I couldn't do this, then I was in trouble. I had lost my touch, and I wasn't sure if I could ever get it back.

"Just go for it," Sherlock said.

"I- ok," I said, still unsure if I could take this women's wallet without her knowing. I walked up to her and bumped into lightly and in the process I slipped my hand into her pocket only to pull out nothing. With my head hung in shame, I walked back over to Sherlock and John.

"So?" John asked eagerly.

"Nothing. Wrong pocket," I said and shrugged as I pretended it didn't bother me. I should have seen that it was on her other side, but I was too busy watching her face to notice anything else.