Sherlock Holmes and The New Detective

An Orange is Not A Meal

Sherlock payed the driver and opened the door for Emma, being the gentlemen he really is not. Or at least the gentlemen only his parents have seen. Emma raised one eyebrow, why is he being so nice to me?

She looked at the name of the restaurant: Bertoldi's.

They walked into the restaurant and went up to the front desk. "Table for E." The lady behind the desk got out two menus. "Right this way." The lady led them to their table, which was at the back corner of the restaurant.

"Sherlock, thank you for all this, but this random and awkward surprise would've been just the more special had it been equipped with a better table." The sass level was way higher than required.

"Yes, well, sorry to disappoint, but we most likely won't be eating at all tonight."

"First hands in the freezer, now this?" she threw her hands up in exasperation. "How have I managed to stay with you for almost a full two days?"

"A murderer is chasing you, so it's not like you would want to leave my side", he started.

"Sherlock", Emma tried to stop him.

"But even if that didn't happen", he took a sip of water, "you would still want to finish this case."

"Sherlock, it's oka--"

"And anyways, you're scared to death about this crime. About the note. About the Apple murders. And that was a rhetorical question, wasn't it?"

"Yup", she opened her menu and he did the same. "Now tell me what we're actually doing here."

Emma peered around from her menu and looked at the surrounding tables.

The one behind Sherlock was a black widow, grieving her husband by going to the restaurant where he proposed. How sweet. She held her engagement ring tightly in her hand, admiring it like a lost jewel.

To the left of the woman was an Asian couple. He was married, but she didn't know. She also wanted to have a serious relationship, but he had other plans. He had an indent from a ring on his finger, one that was plainly obvious. Wonder when the woman will find out.

In front of them and beside Emma and Sherlock was a happy married couple. They seemed to have everything under control. Well, except for the lies they keep. She's pregnant, but he feels too old to be a father, so she hid it from him. Will probably hide the abortion from him, too. She keeps putting her arm over her stomach, like that would do something for no bump.

In front of them was a lone woman. She had quite a few cats, probably illegal to have that many. She was completely obsessed with cats. The different colours of cat fur on the bottom of her legs means that she has a big variety of cats, and the Union Jack kitty key chain hanging out from her purse wasn't exactly very subtle against the beige leather bag.

Behind Emma was a man. He was alone for now, but was waiting for another woman who had went to the washroom. Australian.

"Close, but you're going to have to look farther than that", Sherlock stated while glancing at the menu.

She examined the next row of tables. Indian who was of no harm with his wife, some Canadian/American tourist who had 'booked' this restaurant for so long (called an hour before), and an empty table waiting to be filled with people and food and whatever stains may come its way.

"Wrong way", Sherlock took another sip of his water.

Emma dropped her fork on the ground. "So clumsy of me." She leaned down in her chair to pick it up and quickly took a glance behind her. Mark Jennings sat at a table with a woman. A woman who wasn't his wife (no matter that she's dead), isn't his boss, or any type of friends or family. Well, depends on definition of friend and how far you can stretch family.

Emma put her fork back on the table. "He's having an affair." She was shocked. How did Sherlock know this before her?

"She was always at her sister's or at work, and family time means including the kids, no personal time for the married couple. No romantics."

"Looks like we're staying and eating", Emma said, taking Sherlock's menu and placing it on the table.

"We can go back to my flat and eat there", he suggested.

"You have no food."

"I might have an orange."

Emma laughed. "I don't think that really counts. I also don't think you have an orange. I would consider taking you up on those hands", she joked.