The Death Game

Chapter 29 The Reichenbach Fall

-Three months later-

Everything was going smooth for Sherlock Holmes and his friends, there were no big explosions in their life, perhaps a little bit of Moriarty and murder yet they occupied their time with little investigations there and there. Lately, it had been a painting. The great detective had thankfully finally recovered a missing masterpiece, the Falls of the Reichenback. It went on with finding a man that had been kidnapped. And it ended with the 'Ricoletti evades capture', where a wanted man had been finally found once again by Sherlock Holmes.

These little investigations there and now where nothing but a mere distraction. They were waiting. Waiting for something big. It had been too quite for a long time, they knew Jim Moriarty was up to something yet even if sometimes he would just disappear into thin air, they watched his every move.

-221B, one morning-

John was quietly sitting on the sofa reading the papers, while Sherlock, who was wearing his blue dressing gown over his shirt and trousers, stomped across the room, throwing the newspaper he held in his hands. It landed directly onto a large pile of newspapers on the coffee table, where Juliet was silently drinking her cup of tea.

''Boffin!'' the detective exclaimed as he repeated what the newspaper showed about him, ''Boffin Sherlock Holmes!''

''Everybody gets one.'' Juliet smirked with a small laugh.

''One what?'' the tall man replied frantically.

''Tabloid nickname of course...'' she answered, ''SuBo, Nasty Nick... shouldn't worry though, John will probably get one soon.''

''Page five, column six, first sentence.'' Sherlock said as he handed John the newspaper.

''Bachelor John Watson?'' the small man read, ''Bachelor? What the hell are they implying?'' he continued as he read the article, ''Frequently seen in the company of bachelor John Watson... confirmed bachelor John Watson!'' he shook his head, ''Okay, this is too much. We need to be more careful.''

''What do you mean, more careful?'' Sherlock wondered.

''I mean that you're not exactly a private detective any more.'' John exclaimed, ''You're this far from famous.''

''Oh, it'll pass...'' Juliet sighed as her eyes danced on the articles in front of her.

''It'd better pass.'' Watson said as Sherlock slumped down into his armchair, ''The press will turn, Sherlock. They always turn, and they'll turn on you.''

''Just try to keep a low profile.'' the woman stated as Sherlock looked closely at her, ''Find yourself a little case this week. Stay out of the news.''

A few hours later, a phone in the living room trilled a text alert. Sherlock and Juliet were sitting at the table in the flat's kitchen, looking into microscopes and throwing things at each other. John came along the corridor leading from Sherlock's bedroom with wet hair, wearing a bathrobe and toweling the back of his neck dry.

''It's your phone.'' John stated yet with a confused look on his face.

''Mm... keeps doing that.'' Sherlock replied disinterestedly.

John Watson walked into the living room and made his way passed the body in a suit, which was hanging by its neck from the ceiling. He sat down in his chair as if the body hanging from the ceiling was normal for him, he picked up his newspaper. The body swayed gently in the breeze as the man looked up and glanced over to it. He suddenly realised that it wasn't a real body but a mannequin.