Life At Fanwood

Episode 3.1: Stolen, Missing, Lost

“Have you seen my red scarf?” Christine asked Paris.

Paris lowered the book she was buried in and said, “No, I haven’t seen it.  Sorry.”

“Hm,” Christine mused, “I could have sworn I left it here on the coat rack.”

Paris dropped her book in shock.  “We have a coat rack?” she asked in surprise, “When did we get a coat rack?  I don’t remember seeing a coat rack.  Am I going blind?!”

Christine stopped and looked at Paris oddly.  “Yesterday,” she said, pointing to the golden, intricately carved coat rack that stood next to the television.

“I didn’t know you got a coat rack!  That’s cool!  I’ve never had one before,” Paris said as she resumed reading.

There was a pause.

“Paris,” Christine said slowly, “I didn’t get the coat rack.”

Paris once again lowered her book.  “Then where did the coat rack come from?” she asked.

 -

London was running down the apartment stairs two at a time.  Alice had asked her to get some groceries, so London was running off to the supermarket.  She only ran down one flight stairs because a red-eyed, white-furred rabbit sat smack in the middle of the staircase and she fell down to the seventh floor.

She was not happy.  This was the second time in the past week that she had done that.  London muttered to herself about white rabbits and a holy grail but as she turned to continue down the stairs, she stopped dead in her tracks.

“So, I hear you’re the one we have to thank for saving our lives,” a familiar voice said.

London grimaced inwardly.  “Hello, Loki,” she responded tonelessly, “And no, I did not save your lives, Moriarty was just building a bridge.  Plus, I did not stop him, Batman did.”  She turned to face the god of mischief, who was leaning against the door frame.

“Oh,” he said innocently.

“Why?” she asked.

“Tom was going on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about Paris and how she helped,” he stopped.  “I thought she was you.”

London backed away from him and towards the stairs.  “No, no.  My name is London.  I helped you find your shadow, which you got back, I see,” she said rather hurriedly.  Any social interaction made her uncomfortable, but a conversation with Loki was just downright ridiculous.

Loki arched one eyebrow.  “London?” he asked, trying to keep the discussion going, “That’s a city, isn’t it?”

“Yes.  Yes, it is,” London turned and started down the stairs.  “It was nice talking to you.  Good-bye!” she said and then bounded down the stairs.

 -

“JOHN!!” a voice shouted from the living room.

John Watson practically jumped out his chair.  He was sitting on a chair in his room, reading.

Peacefully reading.

“JOHN, COME QUICKLY!!” Sherlock shouted in alarm.

John sighed and stood up, snapping his book shut and tossing it on the vacant chair.  As he opened the door, he saw Sherlock staring at the mantelpiece with wide eyes.  “What is it, Sherlock?” John asked.

“The skull, John.  It’s gone.  My skull.  Someone stole it.”  Sherlock spun around the apartment, dashing here and there, looking for clues.

“Hm,” John mockingly mused, “The doors and windows were locked?”

“They still are,” Sherlock answered carelessly, looking under the couch.

“No footprints, fingerprints, no scuff marks on the carpet?”

“None.”

“Huh,” John tsked as turned to go back to his room, “Must have been a goblin.”

The door to John’s room slammed shut and Sherlock jumped to his feet as he said, “Goblin?  Goblins?  That’s cheating!”

 -

Graverobber stared at the shelf which, up until ten minutes ago, held eight to ten vials of his stash of Zydrate.  However, the shelf was empty and nobody had come into the apartment.

He could hear Erik in the far side of the apartment they shared thundering away at his pipe organ.  Graverobber knew that Erik respected privacy and wouldn’t even think about stealing something as important as Zydrate from him.

Who else had been in the apartment?  Nobody.

He crossed the living room and knocked on Erik’s door.  Almost immediately, the music stopped.

“Yes?” Erik asked with a horror movie narrator lilt to his voice, obviously still at the organ.

“Has anyone come into the apartment?” Graverobber asked.

“Interesting question,” Erik said, his voice becoming louder as he opened the door, “Yesterday, my coat rack disappeared.”

“My Zydrate is gone,” Graverobber said.

Graverobber and Erik stared at each other for a moment.

“Do you think we should alert the landlord?” Erik asked.

“Indeed, we should,” Graverobber replied.

 -

Alice frantically searched her dressing table for her blue headband.  She could have sworn she left it draped over the mirror!

Maybe London borrowed it, she thought hopefully.  Alice stopped and laughed at her absurdity.  She hadn’t seen London wear any pins or headbands in her hair!  Why would she start now?

The front door opened and shut.  “Alice?” London asked.

“Here!” Alice replied and sprinted out to the front door to meet her roommate.  To Alice’s dismay, London was not wearing her headband.  Instead, she was carrying two grocery bags, which she set on the counter.

“Hey?  What’s up?” London asked when she saw Alice’s obvious dismay at her arrival.

“Oh, I just lost my headband,” Alice replied, “I thought you borrowed it.  I hoped you had borrowed it.  That band was special.”

London gestured towards her room and said, “I’ll go look in my room, maybe you dropped it in there somewhere.”  Moments after London stepped into her room, there was absolute silence.  “Alice?” London asked eerily, “Did you borrow my Doctor Who sonic screwdriver flashlight?”

“Um, no,” Alice replied, lifting herself up onto the counter, “Why?”

London stormed out of her room and made a beeline for the door.

“Where are you going?  You just got back!” Alice said loudly.

“I’m going to have a little chat with a certain someone,” London answered as she opened and shut the door behind her.