𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘺 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 | 𝘖𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 1 ✔︎

Chapter IV - Chasing Evidence

The Victoria and Albert Museum has a fair amount of visitors on the Wednesday afternoon that Clara and Sherlock barge in. John has stayed at home because he has a date with a girl named Sarah. However, Clara's ship has not sunken yet.

Without saying a word to the front desk, Sherlock walks behind it and opens a door marked 'Surveillance.' A few people seem curious about the fact that a consulting detective was around, but none act on it. They probably recognise his face from the papers.

Once they were inside, Sherlock sits down at a computer. Luckily, the employee manning the room is on break. Seven large monitors are hooked up to the computer, streaming footage from the security cameras.

Sherlock searches through the history of the cameras as Clara stands by and watches him work. The employee comes back and spots Sherlock and Clara. It seems that the small woman catches his eye more than the tall, pale sociopath.

'Come here often?' the man begins to flirt, either oblivious or indifferent about Sherlock going through the museum's security footage. The employee's tag reads Riley M. Clara trys her best not to snort at the man's poor excuse for flirting.

Clara answers, 'No, we are just here to find some evidence--'

'For a case.' Sherlock finishes for her. 'And you might want to be careful; you are flirting with a criminal.' Sherlock is still absorbed in his work. Is Sherlock trying to cut off our flirtations? Clara wonders. Why?

'For the last time: I didn't--I'm not a criminal!' Clara steams.

'Oh, that's alright,' is Riley's reply to Sherlock's comment. 'I have actually had some experience with criminals.' Sherlock glances up at him and then back down. Riley winks at Clara. 'Is he your boyfriend, then?' He asks, so only Clara can hear.

Clara makes an abrupt snorting noise. 'That's funny, but no,' she replies.

'Then would you like to go for coffee sometime?' Riley asks. Clara notices he is going straight for the jugular.

Why not? Clara wonders. It's not like I've got much use to do lately. 'That would be nice, as soon as I get back to my usual life--'

'Found it!' Sherlock interrupts. He zooms in on the far right screen and the trio slowly watches the crime unfold.

A figure resembling Clara stumbles away from a body, her hands bloody. There is blood on the floor and the source of it seems to be the left side of a man's chest. The woman's face is not visible from the angle of the camera, but her bottom half is exactly identical to Clara's. The small flashlight of the woman's phone is the only source of light. The woman turns and walks away, to the right. The footage goes black as the security cameras switch. In the next panel, where the woman should have been, there is nothing except for darkness.

Clara's teeth clatter nervously. She would never do such a thing, but the mysterious disappearance does slightly make sense...

'Argh! You impossible girl!' Sherlock cries in frustration, jumping up from his seat. 'How did you escape?! We don't have any more evidence!'

'I... I told you, I didn't do it!' Clara stutters, trying to regain her confidence.

'Fine, but eventually you will admit to the crime! We're taking this footage to Mycroft,' Sherlock leaves the room. Clara hurries after him.

'So... see you around 3 pm at Pinkberry tomorrow?' Riley calls out.

'If I can make it...' Clara responds as the door shuts behind her.

~~~~~

Hello! I just want to note that all the places mentioned in this story are real, I OWN NOTHING except for Riley M.

Thanks for reading! I hope you are enjoying the story so far.

WC: 590