A New Mystery at 221 Baker Street

Chapter 24: Impress the Girl

AN: Episode Transcript provided by Ariane DeVere/Callie Sullivan

***

John arrived in 221b with groceries in hand only to meet Sherlock walking out of his bedroom with a concerned look on his face.

"We have a client," Sherlock said to John.

"What, in your bedroom?" John followed Sherlock into his room. "Oh,"

Irene Adler was fast asleep in Sherlock's bed.

"Should we call Alice?" John asked, looking at his friend.

*

Irene sat in Sherlock's chair, freshly showered and wearing one of Alice's dressing gowns. Alice sat in John's chair while John sat at the table and Sherlock in the chair designated for their clients.

"So who's after you?" Sherlock asked Irene. Alice rolled her eyes at Sherlock's initial question; she had expected more from the detective.

"Killers," Irene replied, showing no emotion.

"You know it would help us if you were more specific," John remarked, his arms crossed over his chest.

"So you faked your death to get ahead of them," Alice concluded, "But you let john and me know that you were alive, and therefore Sherlock,"

"I knew you'd keep my secret," Irene said, giving a flirtatious look at Sherlock. "Where's my camera phone?"

"It's not here," John said "We're not stupid," His statement was ignored as Sherlock pulled out the phone from his jacket.

"So, what do you keep on here, in general?" Sherlock asked as he closely observed the camera phone.

"Pictures, information, anything I might find useful," Irene said nonchalantly.

"For blackmail?" John asked.

"For protection," Irene corrected, "I make my way in the world; I misbehave. I like to know people will be on my side exactly when I need them to be."

"So blackmail," Alice confirmed. "Let me guess, you've acquired something that's more danger than protection. That's why you're here, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I don't understand it,"

"Show me," Sherlock instructed. "The passcode?"

Irene took the phone from Sherlock's hand and typed in her passcode. "It's not working,"

Sherlock took the phone from her, smiling. "No, because it's a duplicate that I had made, into which you've just entered the numbers 1058," He walked over to his chair and removed the real phone from under the cushion. "I assumed you'd chose something more specific than that but, um, thanks anyways," He smiled at Irene smugly and typed 1058 into the passcode box. His smile faded when the phone buzzed warningly.

"I told you that camera phone was my life. I know when it's in my hand," Irene said, smiling at Sherlock's failed attempt.

"You're rather good,"

"You're not so bad yourself,"

John and Alice looked at each other, then at the scene in front of them, then back at each other. You could have cut the sexual tension with a knife. "Hamish," John said abruptly, "John Hamish Watson- in case you were looking for baby names,"

Alice looked at him and smiled before turning her attention back to Irene with a straight face. "So whose fantasy did you fulfill in order to get that information?"