Sherlock..........Who?

The Lying Detective Part Three

Smith is standing in the middle of a play area in a children's ward. Child patients and their nurses and other support staff are sitting and standing around him. He turns and everyone applauds as Nurse Cornish leads Sherlock, Jenny and John into the room. Another nurse smiles at them as they walk past.

NURSE: Oh, my God; I love your blog!

(Sherlock points both index fingers at her and smiles.)

SHERLOCK: You're welcome!

(He puts a friendly hand on her shoulder as he walks past. John and Jenny looks at them straight-faced.)

SMITH (offscreen): Right, here he comes, the internet 'tec!

(Sherlock continues into the room, mock-gaping at the sight.)

SMITH: You all know Sherlock Holmes!

(The children cheer and applaud harder.)

SHERLOCK: Hello!

(Smith walks closer to him as the applause dies down.)

SMITH: Oh, Jenny smith and Doctor Watson, of course.

(The audience clap again, far less enthusiastically this time. John presses his lips together.)

SMITH: Mr Holmes. I was wondering – well ... (he turns to the kids) ... we all were, weren't we? – maybe you could tell us about some of your cases.

SHERLOCK (instantly): No.

JOHN & JENNY: Yes.

SHERLOCK: Yes! Absolutely, yes.

(He goes into lecture mode as he walks forward into the circle of children.)

SHERLOCK: The main feature of interest in the field of criminal investigation is not the sensational aspects of the crime itself, but rather the iron chain of reasoning, from cause to effect, that reveals – step by step – the solution. That's the only truly remarkable aspect of the entire affair. Now, I will share with you the facts and evidence as they were available to me, and in this very room you will all attempt to solve the case of Blessington the Poisoner.

(He has wandered back towards John while talking, who now speaks quietly.)

JOHN: I think you slightly gave away the ending.

SHERLOCK (to the audience): There were five main suspects ...

JENNY: One of them called Blessington.

SHERLOCK (briefly throwing her a look): ... but it's more about how he did it.

JOHN: Poison?

SHERLOCK: Okay.

(The kids laugh.)

SHERLOCK: Drearcliff House. Remember that one, John?Jenny?

(He blows out a breath.)

SHERLOCK: One murder, ten suspects. (He excitedly holds up his hands and splays his fingers.)

JOHN: Ten, yeah.

SHERLOCK: All of them guilty.

JENNY: Sherlock ...

(Mary is sitting at one side of the room, smiling fondly at him. She giggles silently. Meanwhile Sherlock is starting to lose concentration.)

SHERLOCK: Uh, wh-wh-wh-what did you call that one, John? Um, something to do with murder at the zoo.

JOHN: Yeah, I called it Murder at the Zoo.