Dancing With The Devil (part two)

Chapter 9: In Love With The Devil

The old residence given by the consulting criminal was almost perfect. It was large, yet quiet. Not posh like the mansion, but almost like it was a farm house. That is why after a few weeks of Astrid living there with the varying company of her two best friends, she decided she needed some non human company, so, she decided to get two large Golden Retrievers to be her companions.

The giant dogs settled in quickly, and after a week, she developed a friendship with the beasts that she had never had with a human. Astrid knew that the events of that December would never leave her memory, but her new friends acted as a distraction, however, one afternoon February she got an unwanted visitor.

It happened whilst Astrid was sat in the front room watching a film with her new dogs, that she had decided to name Luna and Lucy, asleep on each side of her. There was a sudden loud knock at the door. Astrid frowned as the dogs's heads sprang up alert. She stood up and walked towards the door, the two Retrievers followed her like loyal guard dogs as she approached the door. She could see a somewhat familiar figure through the blinds stood in the porch and as she opened the door her mouth dropped at the sight.

"Where is he?!" The man almost shouted into her face.

"How the fuck do you know where I live?" was the only thing that she could think of to say.

"I said, where is he?" he repeated

"Yes, Shirley, and I want to know how the hell you know where I live"

"My brother." he snarled "is basically the British government, how else would I know?"

"How are you still alive? You jumped off a building!" Astrid asked as he rudely pushed passed her into the kitchen.

"Where's Moriarty?"

"He's dead, Sherlock!" she practically screamed, "and no thanks to you!"

"You're lying."

"I really wish I was."

"What happened, I know you know where he is?"

"Well your wrong." Astrid shook her head, "for once in your life, you're actually wrong."

"Is he dead?"

"Well, you tell me Sherlock?" Astrid growled like a rouge pet, "you were there, you saw him shoot himself in the head. You saw his blood flowing out of the back of his lifeless skull."

"You're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" she said before a large pause, "now go away."

"Why?"

"Because I'm grieving Sherlock." she put her hand on her hip expectantly, and after the consulting detective continued to ignore her request she smirked and looked down at the two dogs sat protectively on each side of her, "if you don't leave, then I'll have Luna and Lucy tear you apart limb from limb; then you'll really be dead. I'm sure no-one would notice."

Sherlock shook his head and chuckled, he waltzed around the house nosily and looked back at her.

"What is this place?" he asked, "a safe house?"

"It's just a normal house."

"Who did he steal it from."

"He didn't, it belonged to him."

"Really?"

"Yes, now what do you want?"

Sherlock paused for a few seconds, he opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. The detective slowly walked towards the door before stopping and turning and facing the mourning girl. His six foot height towered over her as they stared at each other for a good minute before Sherlock spoke up.

"Did you love him?"

There was another pause, and then...

"Yes."

"Even though he's dead."

"I still love him."

"Well then, you're in love with the devil."

Sherlock turned to leave but was stopped.

"No."

He turned around and faced her.

"Sorry, what?"

"I said, no." she repeated, "he was not the devil. He was no way near the devil."

"What do you-"

"I know a man, who has done things ...things much worse than Jim Moriarty," Astrid snarled, "he could kill everyone in this perfect little town and no-one would know how, not even you."

"Wh-"

"So maybe, its best if you stayed back, wouldn't want you to end up dead," Astrid tilted her head, "actually dead."

"And who would this person be?"

"Like I'd tell you." She smirked, "maybe you should ask your big brother, turns out, he knows things that you don't."

"Like what?"

"Maybe you should ask him?"

"Maybe I will."

"Good for you Sherlock," she crossed her arms and nodded towards the door, "now leave."

After a few seconds of retaliation, Sherlock sighed and allowed Astrid to open the door and watched him walk out.

"Do me a favour Sherlock." she called after him, causing him to whip his head around, "never come back here again."

The consulting detective smirked before walking around the corner, leaving Astrid on the porch with her two over-protective dogs snarling as the intruder left the drive.