HELLA ♚ BBC SHERLOCK [DISCONTINUED]

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER SEVEN | THE TAXI DRIVER

Sherlock didn't waste any of his time in questioning the brunette about how she got there first, instead, he was scrabbling in his left coat pocket, Sherlock pulled out an I.D. badge and flashed it at the driver as he ran to the right-hand side of the cab "Police. Open it up."

Panting heavily, he tugged open the rear door and stared in at the passenger, who looked back at him anxiously. Instantly, Sherlock straightened up in exasperation just as John joined him "No" the sociopath said. He leaned down again to look at the passenger a second-time "Teeth, tan: what - Californian?" he looked at something on the floor in front of the passenger "L.A., Santa Monica. Just arrived" he straightened up again, grimacing.

"How can you possibly know that?" John asked him still trying to catch his breath.

"The luggage" he looked down at the suitcase on the floor of the cab and its luggage label showing that the man had flown from LAX [Los Angeles International Airport] to LHR [London Heathrow Airport]. He turned to the passenger "It's probably your first trip to London, right, going by your final destination and the route the cabbie was taking you?"

The passenger gulped looking worried "Sorry - are you guys the police?"

Sherlock nodded "Yeah" he flashed the I.D. badge briefly at the man "Everything all right?"

"Yeah" he answered smiling.

Sherlock paused for a moment as if wondering how to finish this conversation, then smiled falsely at the man "Welcome to London" he immediately walked away, leaving John staring blankly for a moment before he stepped closer to the taxi door and looked in at the passenger.

"Er, any problems, just let us know" John told him. As the man nodded, John smiled politely and slammed the cab door shut. The doctor noticed Hella leaned to the driver's window and whispered something to him; he didn't hear but he did let it go. The passenger looked round to the taxi driver in bewilderment. John walked to where Sherlock had stopped a few yards behind the vehicle "Basically just a cab that happened to slow down."

The consultant sighed "Basically."

"Not the murderer."

"Not the murderer, no" Sherlock replied exasperated.

John continued "Wrong country, good alibi."

"As they go" he muttered. Sherlock turned to the girl who was walking towards them with her hands behind her back; he narrowed his eyes "How did you get here first?"

Hella sighed "If you would make an effort into thinking about it you would know how I knew first about the cab" she told him making emphasis in the last word. But nothing. She rolled her eyes thinking how Sherlock was so oblivious sometimes. Before he could question her again, she brought her gaze to the I.D card in his hand "Where did you get it?"