Deducing Romance

A Beautiful Freak

Tuesday, 6:00am (10 hours later)

I sat there, drinking some morning tea and reading a newspaper. Ben was getting dressed and he walked over behind me, kissing my neck. "Since when do you drink tea?" He looked at the tea cup on the table. I shrugged. "I'm trying to get use to the British lifestyle. How do you guys like this stuff? It's disgusting. He laughed and grabbed some, taking a sip. "Wow, this is horrible... Maybe you didn't prepare it right... this just tastes like sour water." I took the cup from him. "Don't judge my tea making skills. Maybe you can teach me how to properly prepare tea some other time." He smiled and kissed me. "I got a new audition today. I'll tell you how it goes, and watch out for that detective guy... He's creepy and has weird cheekbones."

I scoffed. "He does not!" Ben put a tie on. "Whatever, I'll see you later at home... Let's have some fun when you get off of work." He winked at me and left. I continued to read the newspaper and thought about Ben. I couldn't help but wonder if Sherlock was actually telling the truth. Did Ben just like me for the sex? I hope not. Maybe Sherlock is just jealous. I dismissed the thought, and got up, put my trench coat on, and headed to work.

I got into a taxi, and stared out of the window until I had arrived. I payed the driver and headed inside. I walked over to my desk and sat down. My boss walked over to me with documents in his hands. "New case, Sterling." He handed me the files, and I began to examine them. He cleared his throat. "Weird suggestion, but somebody specifically asked for you to help them with the case... It's the freak." My eyes widened. I remember everyone in the office always talking about a detective who they called, "the freak". They said he was a psychopath who gets turned on when he sees murdered bodies... That's why he likes to do cases for free, and he always manages to solve even the strangest cases. Some say he might be behind some of the murders, but those are just rumors.

I gulped. I had never actually seen "the freak" but from what I heard about him, I wasn't sure he'd be such a pleasant sight. "Sorry kiddo. I know you're new and all, but he was really persistent." I nodded, and got up out of my seat, holding the files. "Any idea as to why he chose me to help him?" My boss just shrugged. "He says that you are really good at solving cases." We walked together, and made it towards the main entrance. "That's him... be careful." My boss whispered in my ear. I looked up, seeing.... Sherlock? "What? You're the psychopath everyone talks about?"

My boss facepalmed and Sherlock scoffed. "I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high functioning sociopath. How many times do I have to say this to people?" He crossed his arms angrily. I continued to stare at him in surprise and looked over at my boss. "He's the freak?" I whispered questioningly. My boss gave me a brief nod and looked back at Mr. Holmes. "Well what are you waiting for woman? We don't have all day." Sherlock rolled his eyes. "Are you sure that this is the right one? She seems like a bit of an airhead if you ask me." I raised a brow. My boss pushed me forward. "Yes sir, this is Zinnia Sterling. She is very clever, trust me. You won't be disappointed." My boss seemed a bit uneasy and so did the woman at the front desk.

"I sure doubt that. I'm starting to regret my decision already. Come with me detective Sterling. Murderers don't wait." Sherlock opened the door and gave me a deadly look. Why was he being such an arsehole? I followed him, and took one last glance at my boss, who whispered, "Good luck." Sherlock and I walked out of the building and got into a cab. "What was that all about?" I asked. He smirked. "Something I do just to keep my reputation. The scarier I am, the more information they will offer to give me. They are terrified of me, so they always give me what I want. Simple."

I nodded. "Very clever." He smiled at me. "I know." We got to the location, and got out of the car together. "A mortuary?" I asked. "Have you already investigated the crime scene?" He nodded and we walked inside. "We need to examine the body of Katherine Rogers, former stripper at the Starshine Night Club. She got shot during her dance." I nodded. "Alright, this case seems simple enough." He shook his head. "Guess again. This woman worked for one of the most wanted drug lords in the UK." We continued walking and ran into a woman. "Molly, perfect timing. Mind if we take a look at a body?"