Face the Odds

Chapter 16: Culverton Smith

Present

John's therapist's house

"Did you call the police?" John questioned as he led Mrs. Hudson back inside the house, and Mrs. Hudson snapped as she followed him: "Of course I didn't call the police. I'm not a civilian!"

************

Earlier that morning

221B Baker Street

Sherlock twirled and paced about his living room, tearing at some of the photographs as he went, before clutching his head in frustration with his pistol still in one hand.

"These pictures..." Mrs. Hudson began uncertainly from where she was standing in the kitchen, pouring tea from the teapot she'd managed to scrounge up from the chaotic mess lying around the whole kitchen "They're that man on the telly, aren't they?"

"What pictures?" Sherlock demanded as he paced around anxiously, and Mrs. Hudson looked up nervously as she said tentatively: "They're everywhere."

She placed down the teapot, picking up the teacup in its saucer shakily while Sherlock gestured wildly around the room with his hands as he said: "Oh, these pictures! Oh, you can see them too."

He pointed at her with his gun as he continued: "That's good."

He then turned away, swaying worryingly as he stared at a few of the photographs, looking at various ones in particular as they jumped out in his frenzied brain while he clutched at his head with his hands again.

************

Present

John's therapist's house

"Culverton Smith."

John's therapist showed John her laptop, where she'd opened the search page for the billionaire entrepreneur that Mrs. Hudson reported Sherlock had apparently been inexplicably obsessed with.

John leaned in to look as his therapist peered at the screen, pushing up her glasses on her nose as she scrolled down the page before murmuring: "This, I think, is relevant from this morning. "

She clicked on the top news story of the day, which read: 'He's a serial killer!'

"He's publicly accused Mr. Smith of being a serial killer." She read as she opened the page, which showed a picture of Sherlock in his deerstalker mashed next to a picture of Culverton Smith. Under the heading, read the caption: 'Net detective blasts Culverton Smith on Twitter'. Below that, the articles key statements were bulleted, reading: 'Defamatory remark goes viral on social networking site' and 'Media tycoon yet to comment'.

"Christ!" John muttered as he stared at the screen. "Sherlock on Twitter. He really has lost it."

"Don't you dare make jokes." Mrs. Hudson interjected, cross and distressed. "Don't you dare! I was terrified!

************

A few hours previously

221B Baker Street

Sherlock stood, facing the sitting room as Mrs. Hudson stood trembling with the cup of tea, staring at Sherlock in a mix of worry and fear. He was making strange gestures and motions with his hands, at thin air... while still holding his gun in his hand, when he called through grit teeth: "Cup of tea!"

Mrs. Hudson flinched, as Sherlock spun around to face her and he rolled his eyes at her as he snapped: "Oh, for goodness' sakes."

Mrs. Hudson was staring at him, her hands shaking so badly half the tea had spilled over already, while she slowly took a step back in utter fear.