The Jack of All Trades {Sherlock Holmes}

Chapter Four

"It's been," Evelyn started, "Oh god, I don't even know how long it's been since I've been to a circus." Walking upon a slope, John kept pace with her.

"Yes, well," he muttered. "A friend recommended it to me."

"Ooh. What are they then? A touring company, or...?" Evelyn asked, turning around and walking backwards up the slope, watching John as they walked.

"I'm not sure, he didn't say anything." Stopping, the two paused, looking at a large number of Chinese lanterns strung outside the hall.

"Well," Evelyn announced, pointing up at the lanterns above their heads. "We know they're from China!" John laughed.

"Yes, I think... I think so, yes." Walking inside, John and Evelyn walked to the Box Office, where the manager was giving a customer her tickets. A moment later, the woman walked off, allowing John to walk up. "Hi. I have-er- two tickets reserved for tonight."

"And what's the name?"

"Er," John murmured, pulling his wallet out of his pocket. "Holmes."

"Oh," Evelyn chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand knowingly. "Okay." John smiled guiltily at her when the manager spoke.

"Actually, I have three in that name." John's expression contorted into one of confusion as he glanced at Evelyn. She didn't have to be a genius to know what was going on. She covered her mouth with only a few of her fingers, trying to keep from laughing.

"No, I don't think so," John said. "We only booked two."

"And then I phoned back and got one for myself as well," Sherlock said, walking up behind them. "Hello, Evelyn."

Evelyn, on the verge of laughing, replied: "Hello, Sherlock." John looked at him in disbelief before turning away in exasperation. Sherlock gave her a quick smile, obviously fake, before instantly turning and walking away.

"Stop- It's not funny," John said.

"It's a little funny," Evelyn laughed, a few chuckles escaping between her closed lips. "Go on, you know you want to talk to him. I'll wait here and get the tickets."

"Thank you," John said, quickly walking towards where Sherlock was waiting. It didn't take long for the tickets to be placed in Evelyn's hands as she walked over to them.

"-need your help," Sherlock said sternly.

"I do have a couple of other things on my mind this evening!" John exclaimed. Evelyn stood behind them, not yet making her presence known to either men.

"Like what?" John blinked, staring at him in disbelief.

"You are kidding."

"What's so important?" Sherlock asked, Evelyn fought the urge to start laughing, wanting to see where this would go.

"Sherlock, I'm right in the middle of a date," John ranted. "D'you want me to chase some killer while I'm trying to..." He broke off. Evelyn nodded slowly, realizing John's intentions before he had even said it. It was the whole reason she hadn't spoken up in the first place.

Walking up the stairs as Sherlock replied, "What?" She held out the tickets.

"I'm going to save you the trouble of drawing attention to yourself even more," Evelyn muttered, handing the tickets to John who was red with embarrassment and regret. "Come on, the show should be starting."

Sherlock rolled his eyes, not even bothering to try and deduce her, it wouldn't work. However, John, he could easily read. He knew what John had been about to say, but it was fun to mess with him when he got worked up so easily. In moments, Evelyn and John had followed him up the stairs.

In the performance area, a stage on one side of the large hall sat with the curtains closed. However, it seemed the stage wasn't going to be used, a circle of candles laid out in the middle of the floor.

No seats in the dimly lit room, the number of tickets had been limited, room for everyone to stand around the circle with a clear view. Standing side by side with John, Evelyn noticed she was much shorter than he.

Sherlock stood behind them, his back to them as he looked around the room and peered at the ceiling. Evelyn quietly listened, smiling at the decorations as John whispered to his flatmate.

"You said circus, this is not a circus, look at the size of this crowd," John grimaced. "Sherlock, this is... art."

"This is not their day job."

"No, sorry, I forgot. They're not a circus, they're a gang of international smugglers." John exaggerated. Evelyn leaned back slightly, inserting her own two cents.

"You never know with these types of people though," she said. "They very well could be smuggling things in." John stared at her as Sherlock smiled, glad someone was optimistic.

The performance began, someone tapping out a rhythm on a tiny hand drum. Sherlock turned to face the same direction as his companions, sharing a few facial expressions with John.

An ornately costumed Chinese woman with a heavily painted face walked into the centre of the circle, looking imperiously out at the audience before raising a hand in the air.

The drummer finished his riff, allowing the woman to walk across the circle to a large object covered with a cloth. She quickly pulled it back to reveal an antique-looking crossbow on a stand.

Evelyn's heart pounded in her chest at the sight of the long, thick wooden arrow, white feathers at one end, and a vicious metal point at the other. She thought her heart had stopped completely when the woman loaded it into the crossbow.