It Started With Stealing | Sherlock Holmes

26 - My Little Trinket

After Irene had gracefully and speedily abseiled out of the building, she hurried out of the alley and onto the busy London pavement. A car pulled up in front of her and she froze, half-expecting more Americans to be sat behind the window, however, the dark-tinted glass rolled down to reveal Jim.

The Irishman smiled, "Your ride, Miss Adler."

Smiling gratefully, she opened the door and he slid across the seats at the back to the other side so that she could get in.

"Have to say, nice coat." He complimented, "I can only wonder where you could have gotten it from."

"Well, I won't divulge that information but I'm quite sure you already know." She looked at him knowingly before putting on her seat belt.

The sound of sirens made her pause though and she looked up to see out of the window screen. Even Jim didn't want to risk staying in the area any longer than need be so he tapped the back of Seb's seat. Moran had been driver enough times for Jim to know what the wordless action meant and the car left promptly.

"So, how is my Lizzie?"

"She seems fine, Jim. Seems to enjoy playing detective. But..."

"But what?"

"She still feels out of place. Elizabeth still believes that all the men want her for is for information about you."

"Well," He scoffed, "That's probably true."

"Although both men appear to think differently. I think they enjoy having her around."

"Why?" Jim frowned, confused by this revelation.

He certainly didn't expect that. It was almost like she still wasn't fighting it at all. If that was true, then it certainly would be a cause for his concern.

Irene shrugged, "She must have made an impression on them - like I did with Mr Holmes."

Jim smiled amused by this thought. While he wasn't intending to play matchmaker, he did wonder how the detective would react to the loud presence of Irene, who almost matched his intelligence.

"All I'm hearing is that it will be harder to get her back unless you talk to her and persuade her that they are not what she needs." The psychopath paused.

Impulsively, Irene had to ask, "And you believe that you are what she needs?"

"I'm all she ever needs, all she's ever known."

Irene nodded, trying to get into the mind of the psychopath that Jim was. After all, she liked detective stories and couldn't help trying to create her own one. Getting into the mind of such a controlled killer would be an awfully great adventure.

Quietly, Jim added, "And personally I'd prefer trying to use a softer method first after the last one..."

Irene scoffed, "Now that is a rarity...Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Jim's head was leaning against the window as he watched everything zoom past.

"Why do you care about her so much?"

He turned to look at The Woman, "She's - important to me."

"Important how?"

Jim's face formed a thoughtful frown, trying to search his complex mind for the explanation, "Have you ever had a little trinket that reminds you of something special that happened in your life? Something so...unique to your life that you would rather die than let it go?"

Irene's brow lowered as she listened to him explain.

"My dearest Lizzie is like that. She's my little trinket. My reminder of the beginning - my beginning. She was there when it all started. She was there to see my empire of sorts grow. And I helped her grow too." He gave a little chuckle, "She's the only one to have stolen any kind of feeling from me but I don't know what that feeling is. I've never known. I've just felt it. And it doesn't feel right when she is gone."