Stranger (A Study In Pink)

Strange Man

Mike took myself and John to outside a building and led us in. Mike knocked on a door and walked in.
John walked in before myself and I went straight to Mike's side. I wasn't used to being in a lab. I didn't want to break anything.
"Well, bit different from my day." John finally spoke.
Mike chuckled. "You've no idea."
That's when a voice spoke out. 
"Mike, can I borrow your phone? There's no signal on mine." 
Since when was he there? I must not have noticed him.
" And what's wrong with the landline?" Mike asked him.
" I prefer to text." Was his reply.
I saw John pull something out from his back pocket.
"Er here. Use mine." 
"Oh. Thank you" the stranger looked at Mike and then our eyes briefly met before walking towards John.
"He's an old friend of mine, John Watson." Mike spoke introducing John to the stranger.
"Oh and this is, we'll I don't know her name really. I met her in the park she's suffering from some sort of amnesia ." Mike added.
The stranger took John's phone before speaking.
" Afghanistan or Iraq?" 
I saw Mike smile at the confused John.
"Sorry?" John asked.
"Which was it- Afghanistan or Iraq?" 
"Afghanistan. Sorry, how did you know...?" 
The sound of the door opening brings the stranger's attention to the woman who walked in.
"Ah, Molly, coffee. Thank you."
"What happened to the lipstick?" He asked while giving John his phone back and taking the mug from this Molly woman.
"It wasn't working for me." She smiled awkwardly.
"Really ? I thought it was a big improvement. Your mouth's too small now." Ouch. Her face had a look of hurt so I'm guessing she takes to heart whatever he says to her. Perhaps she likes him?
"Okay..." Was all she said before walking back towards the door. I feel sorry for her. As she made her way back to the door, we had a brief eye contact. Just after that I could see blurred lines around her. What was that?
I tried to focus on her retreating frame but the stranger's voice interrupted me.
"How do you feel about the violin?" 
"I'm sorry what?" John asks.
" I play the violin when I'm thinking. Sometimes I don't talk for days on end. Would that bother you?" He briefly gazed at John and then at me. Wait. Why is he looking at me? "Potential flatmates should know the worst about each other."
John looks towards Mike.
"Oh, you... You told him about me?" 
"Not a word." Mike answered .
"Then who said anything about flatmates?" John asked, now looking back at the stranger.
The stranger stood up and put on an greatcoat. "I did. Told Mike this morning that I must be a difficult man to find a flatmate for. Now here he is just after lunch with an old friend and a mystery, the old friend clearly just home from military service in Afghanistan. And the mystery..." He looked at me with scrunched eyes. "I've yet to find out about. Wasn't that difficult a leap."
"How did you know about Afghanistan ?" John asked, but the stranger just ignored him and placed a scarf around his neck.
He then picked up his phone and checks it. " Got my eye on a nice little place in Central London . Together we ought to be able to afford it. " He walks towards John .
"We'll meet there tomorrow evening; seven o'clock . Sorry - gotta dash. I think I left my riding crop in the mortuary." He begins to leave .
"Is that it?" John asked completely irritated .
He popped his head back through the door, which I found quite amusing .
"Is that what?" 
"We've only just met and we're gonna go look at a flat?" John motioned towards himself , the stranger and then a me. So they were including me. I'm surprised the stranger hasn't asked me anything yet.
"Problem?" Stranger asks .
"We don't know a thing about each other ; I don't know where we're meeting ; I don't even know you're name."
Stranger looks closely at John before speaking.
"I know you are an army doctor and you've been invalided home from Afghanistan. I know you have a brother who's worried about you but you won't go to him for help because you don't approve of him - possibly because he's an alcoholic ; more likely because he's recently walked out on his wife. And I know that your therapist thinks your limp's psychosomatic - quite correctly , I'm afraid ." John shuffles slightly before the stranger speaks again " That's enough to be going on with, don't you think?" He sounded smug with himself. 
 He then turned towards me to speak. He opened his mouth, but then quickly shut it.
He walks out the room fully only to turn back in a second later.
"The name's Sherlock Holmes and the address is two two one B Baker Street. " He does a click wink at John, briefly looks at me again and then at Mike. 
"Afternoon." 
Mike waves a farewell. John and I just look at him.
"Yeah. He's always like that." 
What an interesting stranger. It's nice to meet you Mr Sherlock Holmes.