The Baker Street Brothers

Chapter Five

The three of them walk down the road, Enzo pulling his jacket tightly round himself "Where are we going?" John asks the brothers. "Northumberland Street's a five-minute walk from here." Sherlock responds. "You think he's stupid enough to go there?" John asks. "No, I think he's brilliant enough. I love the brilliant ones. They're always so desperate to get caught." Sherlock tells him. "Why?" John frowns. "Appreciation! Applause! At long last the spotlight." Enzo tells the man. "That's the frailty of genius, John, it needs an audience." Sherlock adds. "Yeah." John remarks, giving the brothers a pointed look. "This is his hunting ground, right here in the heart of the city. Now that we know his victims were abducted, that changes everything. Because all of his victims disappeared from busy streets, crowded places, but nobody saw them go. Think! Who do we trust, even though we don't know them? Who passes unnoticed wherever they go? Who hunts in the middle of a crowd?" Sherlock asks. "Dunno. Who?" John asks. "Haven't the faintest. Hungry?" Sherlock asks, leading John and Enzo into a restaurant. The waiter at the door motions to a reserved table at the front window "Thank you, Billy." Sherlock tells him, taking off his coat before sitting down. Billy takes the reserved sign off the table as Enzo sits next to Sherlock, John sitting opposite.

John and Enzo take off their jackets as Sherlock motions to the building opposite the restaurant "Twenty-two Northumberland Street. Keep your eyes on it." he tells them. "He isn't just gonna ring the doorbell, though, is he? He'd need to be mad." John remarks. "He has killed four people." Enzo points out. "...Okay." John says looking unsure. Angelo, the owner of the restaurant, walks over "Sherlock. Enzo." he smiles, shaking the brother's hands "Anything on the menu, whatever you want, free. On the house, for you both and for your friend." Angelo continues, giving them menus. "Do you want to eat?" Sherlock asks John and Enzo. "This man got me off a murder charge." Angelo tells John. "This is Angelo. Three years ago I successfully proved to Lestrade at the time of a particularly vicious triple murder that Angelo was in a completely different part of town, house-breaking." Sherlock explains as Angelo shakes John's hand. "He cleared my name." Angelo smiles. "I cleared it a bit. Anything happening opposite?" Sherlock asks. "Nothing. But for this man, I'd have gone to prison." Angelo responds before addressing John. "You did go to prison." Enzo points out, Angelo smiling before walking off. Sherlock puts his own menu down onto the table "You may as well eat. We might have a long wait. Enzo, you have no say. You're getting your usual." he says, giving Enzo a look.

After a while, Enzo and John sit eating as Sherlock looks out the window "People don't have arch-enemies." John pipes up. "I'm sorry?" Sherlock asks, turning to look at John while taking note of how little his brother has eaten so far. "In real life. There are no arch-enemies in real life. Doesn't happen." John tells the brothers. "Doesn't it? Sounds a bit dull." Sherlock tells him, looking out the window again. "So who did I meet?" John asks. "What do real people have, then, in their 'real lives'?" Enzo asks. "Friends; people they know; people they like; people they don't like ... Girlfriends, boyfriends ..." John trails off. "Yes, well, as I was saying – dull." Sherlock tells him, Enzo shaking his head slightly. "You don't have a girlfriend, then?" John asks. "Girlfriend? No, not really my area." Sherlock tells him, still looking out the window. "Mm. Oh, right. D'you have a boyfriend?" John asks. Sherlock looks round at him sharply "Which is fine, by the way." he adds. "I know it's fine." Sherlock responds. "So you've got a boyfriend then?" John asks. "No." Sherlock tells him. "Right. Okay. You're unattached. Like me. Fine. Good." John says. "John, um ... I think you should know that I consider myself married to my work, and while I'm flattered by your interest, I'm really not looking for any ..." Sherlock starts. "No. No, I'm not asking. No. I'm just saying, it's all fine." John says. "Good. Thank you." Sherlock nods.

"What about you Enzo?" John asks. Enzo shakes his head "Last relationship did not go well." he says, Sherlock snorting. "That's one word for it." he says. John frowns in confusion "Ended with Lestrade having to get involved, either that or..." Enzo motions to Sherlock with his head. "Still should have let me deal with them." Sherlock mutters, Enzo rolling his eyes. John nods unsurely "Right..." he trails off. Enzo shakes his head "Don't ask. Best not." Enzo tells him. "Look across the street. Taxi." Sherlock says, making Enzo and John look out the window. "Stopped. Nobody getting in, and nobody getting out. Why a taxi? Oh, that's clever. Is it clever? Why is it clever?" Sherlock rambles as the passenger looks out the windows. "That's him?" John asks. "Don't stare." Sherlock says. "You're staring. " John points out. "We can't all stare." Enzo counters, turning round. Sherlock grabs his coat and scarf, heading for the door. Enzo grabs his jacket and follows with John close behind, forgetting his walking stick as he does.