Two Freaks

The Great Game Part 1

Minsk, Belarus

In a prison visitors' room, Sherlock and Vera are sitting next to each other at one of the many tables in the room. Sitting at the other side of the table is Barry 'Bezza' Berwick, a young Englishman who is wearing an orange jumpsuit and who is obviously a prison inmate. With the exception of a uniformed guard who stands some distance away, they are the only people in the room. It's very cold in the room, as signified by their steaming breath when they speak. Sherlock sounds bored.

"Just tell us what happened, from the beginning."

"We'd been to a bar - a nice place - and, er, I got chattin' with one of the waitresses, and Karen weren't 'appy with that, so... when we get back to the 'otel, we end up havin' a bit of a ding-dong, don't we?"

Sherlock and Vera sigh out a deliberate and noisy breath. Vera was annoyed at his choice of words.

"She was always gettin' at me, sayin' I weren't a real man."

"Wasn't a real man." Vera corrected, having enough.

"What?"

"It's not 'weren't'; it's 'wasn't.'" Vera stated.

"Oh."

"Go on." Sherlock said.

"Well, then I dunno how it happened, but suddenly there's a knife in my hands. And, you know, me old man was a butcher, so I know how to handle knives."

Sherlock and Vera gaze to look at Barry's hands which are resting on the table.

"He learned us how to cut up a beast."

"'Taught.'" Sherlock corrected.

"What?" Berwick said, starting to get angry at the both of them.

"Taught you how to cut up a beast."

"Yeah, well, then-then I done it."

"'Did it.'" Vera corrected, clearly annoyed.

"Did it! Stabbed 'er..." He repeatedly slams his hand down on the table. "... over and over and over, and I looked down and she weren't..."

Sighing out a loud breath through their noses, Sherlock and Vera turn their heads away. Getting control of his temper, Barry immediately corrects himself.

"... wasn't movin' no more."

Sherlock, who had just turned his head back towards Barry, now turns it away again with an annoyed look. Vera just raised an eye brow at him.

"... any more."

He lets out a shaky breath and lowers his head.

"You two gotta help me. I dunno how it happened, but it was an accident. I swear."

Sherlock gets to his feet, grabs Vera's hand and they both start to walk away. Barry calls after them frantically.

"You've gotta help me, Ms. Smith and Mr. Holmes."

Sherlock and Vera stop.

"Everyone says you guys are the best. Without you two, I'll get hung for this."

Sherlock looks over his shoulder at the young man.

"No, no, no, Mr. Berwick, not at all."

Vera looks back at him.

"Hanged, yes."

They both quirk a smile at the man, then turn and walk away.

221B Baker Street