Fate Without Time

Chapter 17 (Flashback)

1 week ago

That week, Sherlock and I were in a prison visitors' room in Minsk, Belarus. We were speaking with a young Englishman named Barry 'Bezza' Berwick, one of the inmates and our client. With the exception of a uniformed guard watching us from a distance, we were the only people in the room. It was very cold in there, which was bad news for me because the only protection that I had was a tuxedo jacket, which wasn't very warm. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that the experience was boring myself and, judging by the way he spoke, Sherlock as well. "Just tell us what happened, from the beginning," said Sherlock. "We'd been to a bar – a nice place – and, er, I got chattin' with one of the waitresses, and Karen weren't 'appy with that, so ... when we get back to the 'otel, we end up havin' a bit of a ding-dong, don't we?" said Berwick. Sherlock and I let out a deliberate and noisy sigh as he spoke. "She was always gettin' at me, sayin' I weren't a real man-" 

"Wasn't a real man," I interrupted. "What?" asked Berwick. "It's not "weren't"; it's "wasn't"," said Sherlock. "Oh," said Berwick. "Go on," I said. "Well, then I dunno how it happened, but suddenly there's a knife in my hands. And, you know, me old man was a butcher, so I know how to handle knives. He learned us how to cut up a beast," said Berwick. "'Taught'," I said. "What?" asked Berwick, starting to get angry. "Taught you how to cut up a beast," I said, getting really annoyed. "Yeah, well, then-then I done it," said Berwick. "Did it," said Sherlock. Berwick was seriously losing his temper as he talked. "Did it! Stabbed 'er... over and over and over, and I looked down and she weren't... wasn't movin' no more," Berwick paused as he corrected himself. "...any more," he said. Berwick let out a shaky breath and lowered his head. "You've gotta help me. I dunno how it happened, but it was an accident. I swear," he said. But Sherlock and I had heard enough. We stood up and started to walk away. "You've gotta help me, Mr. Holmes and Miss Harrison!" Berwick called frantically. We stopped. "Everyone says you're the best. Without you, I'll get hung for this," said Berwick. We looked over at him. "No, no, no, Mr. Berwick, not at all," said Sherlock as he smiled at me. "Hanged, yes," I said. After I flashed a a smile at the man, Sherlock and I walked away.