Against the Odds

Chapter 28: Fairytale

Marie came home to find Sherlock sitting in his armchair thoughtfully, his hands steepled before his mouth. She glanced down at the apple that was sitting on the tea table beside John's chair and her eyes narrowed.

She turned back to Sherlock, who was now watching her intently. She sat down in John's chair, leaning back as she stared at Sherlock silently. "What did he say?" She asked and he said monotonously: "He told me to give 'Vicky' his love."

Her eyes narrowed but otherwise she remained unmoved as she just nodded. "So, what now?" She asked and Sherlock replied thoughtfully: "Now, we wait."

***********

Marie was incredibly irritated as she read the morning paper. She read the small advertisement that declared a special on Sherlock by a Kitty Riley. Marie recognized the picture of the female reporter as the woman she'd spotted at Moriarty's trial; the one Sherlock had been irritated with.

She went back to the source, re-reading the name again. Brook. She folded the paper, tossing it aside just as Donovan and Lestrade came barreling into the flat. She sighed as Sherlock looked up at them from his armchair.

Marie ignored them as she moved to the windows, glancing out. She saw John arrive outside the flat, looking incredibly worried for some reason. He'd been longer than necessary and he didn't have the groceries. Marie sighed again as she realized Mycroft must've gotten to him and told him about their new 'neighbors'.

She waited for John to walk inside, turning back to the room as the other three worked through the new case urgently. "Sherlock, something weird..." John called as he walked in but he paused as he saw Lestrade and Donovan.

"What's going on?" He asked, confused and Marie focused on the present as Sherlock replied shortly: "Kidnapping." Lestrade said to John: "Rufus Bruhl, the ambassador to the U.S."

"He's in Washington, isn't he?" John said confused and Lestrade explained: "Not him. His children, Max and Claudette, age seven and nine." Donovan showed them the pictures as Lestrade continued: "They're at St Aldate's."

"Posh boarding place down in Surrey." Donovan explained at John's confused expression. John nodded understandingly as Marie looked closer at the pictures. Sherlock was typing quickly on his laptop as Lestrade continued: "The school broke up; all the other boarders went home. Just a few kids remained, including those two."

"The kids have vanished." Donovan sighed and Lestrade looked at Sherlock as he said pointedly: "The ambassador's asked for you personally." Sherlock ignored it as he walked passed them and Donovan added cynically: "The Reichenbach Hero."

Sherlock just walked out the door without even looking at the woman. Marie sent a disgusted look at Donovan as she followed Sherlock out. John sighed while Lestrade said sarcastically: "Isn't it great to be working with a celebrity?"

Lestrade drove them to the boarding school, and as they pulled up they spotted a woman crying as she sat on the hood of a police car outside the front doors. A female police officer was speaking to her soothingly as the woman sobbed distraughtly into a handkerchief.

"Miss Mackenzie, House Mistress." Lestrade informed them and as Sherlock walked forward, he warned: "Go easy." Sherlock just strode up to the sobbing woman as he said in a gentle but firm tone: "Miss Mackenzie, you're in charge of pupil welfare, yet you left this place wide open last night!"

Sherlock's tone changed, becoming spiteful as he demanded: "What are you: an idiot, a drunk or a criminal? Now quickly, tell me!" The other three looked over as Sherlock's voice raised, Lestrade groaning while John and Marie hung their heads in exasperation.