221B

Chapter 3 - The Blind Banker

Sebastian leads us across the trading floor towards another door.

"Sir William's office. The bank's former Chairman. The room's been left here like a sort of memorial. Someone broke in late last night."

"What did they steal?" I ask.

"Nothing. Just left a little message." Sebastian answers, holding up his security card up against the reader by the door to unlock it. We walk inside, and hanging on a boring white wall behind a large desk is a framed, painted portrait of a man in a suit who I assume in the deceased Sir William Shad.

On the wall to the left of the portrait someone sprayed what looks to be a graffiti "tag" in yellow paint. The tag reminds me of the number 8 but with the top of the number left open. Above it is a nearly straight, horizontal line. Across the eyes of the portrait is another line which has also been sprayed. The yellow paint has run trails down the painting, and Sebastian leads the way towards the desk. He steps aside to let Sherlock get a clear view of the wall. John moves to stand on the other side of Sebastian, and Sebastian looks at Sherlock expectantly as he stares at the graffiti.

Shortly after, we're back in Sebastian's office, where he's showing us the security footage from last night.

"Sixt seconds apart." Sebastian says, flicking back and forth between the still taken at 23:34:01-which shows the paint on the wall and portrait, and the still taken at 23:33:01-when the wall and portrait had no paint.

"So someone came up here in the middle of the night, splashed paint around, then left within a minute." Sebastian says.

"How many ways into that office?" Sherlock asks.

"Well, that's where this gets really interesting." He answers.

In the reception area, he shows us a computer screen which has the layout of the trading floor and the offices surrounding it. Each door has a light against it showing it's security status.

"Every door that opens in this bank, it gets logged right here. Every walk-in cupboard. Every toilet." Sebastian says.

"That door didn't open last night." I say.

"There's a hole in our security. Find it and we'll pay you, five figures." He reaches into a pocket inside his coat and takes out a check.

"This is an advance. Tell me how he got in, there's a bigger one on its way."

"I don't need an incentive, Sebastian." Sherlock says, then walks away. John and I watch him go, and John turns to Sebastian.

"He's, uh, kidding you, obviously." John says, then holds his hand out. "Sh-shall I look after that for him?"

Sebastian hands John the check.

"Thanks." John says, and looks at the figure on the check in disbelief that that's only an advance.

I look back at the direction where Sherlock had gone.

"Oh God where did he run off to now?" I say, and John and I go to look for him.

"Two trips around the world in one month." John says a little while later as the three of us head towards the escalators. "You didn't ask his secretary, you said that just to irritate him." He finishes.

Sherlock smiles but doesn't respond.

"How did you know?" John asks.

"His watch?" I guess.