Sherlock Holmes and the Red Maverick

Chapter 4- Gold Cufflings .

Sherlock Holmes was a surprisingly accommodating host. He had held onto the bag he had confiscated from me at the pub only a few days ago. He had pulled the leather bag out from under his arm chair as he smoked on his pipe and stared at the fire intently. After searching the contents I had realized that my things had only been riffled through and that there was nothing else strange about it other than that.

"You searched my bag?" I asked through a smile

His quick eyes glanced at me and he seemed to consider something for a moment before he gave a short now and his gaze became fixed on the fire once again. 

"What did you hope to find?" I prodded

He sighed with some annoyance and turned toward me again "As you intended Ms.Caruso, I was interested by the case and the odd circumstances that surrounded it. I found the receipt for the docking of your ship and so headed to inspect the vessel. Which is where I found the documents of transfer and the evidence of your frequent trips to China. Which in turn lead me to you."

I nodded briefly and looked around the room in discomfort. I did not know John Watson from anything else than the extraordinary tales he wrote about in the papers sometimes and that was the only I place I recognized Sherlock from as well. How odd to be standing in a room with the two of them and to find that my tongue had gone mysteriously numb.

"Well sit down," Watson insisted as he finished with his own inspection of me. He motioned to a chair next to the fire and I recognized the description from his short stories in the papers. This was the chair that they would often interview clients in.

"One piece does not fit though," Said Holmes leaning forward a little. "The manager of the bank admitted to being the employer of a Ms.Caruso. After you mentioned her."

"He was apart of the plan." I nodded "I had explained my predicament to him and he had obliged to help me. He had at one time wished to be an actor on the stage and thought of this as a chance to prove his talents. To who Im not sure, perhaps to himself."

"Interesting." Holmes nodded to himself and turned his gaze away from the fire and to the window that allowed us to peer out from the cozy flat to the rainy day outside. London seemed to have a permanent haze over it that hung like a curtain over a window. Only just letting the light peek through to the citizens below. 

"is this what you two do all day?" I asked in frustration. 

"No," Holmes shook his head "Watson generally spends his days documenting our little adventures or serving as a Doctor to the few loyal customers he has. While I sometimes sit and experiment on chemical reactions, other times study my old cases. Yet with you here it would be most difficult to do either."

"Forgive us," Said Watson with a kind smile "But we are not so accustomed to entertaining. Our clients tend to pass in and out of our premises all day. Never staying for long."

"Oh," I nodded my head and looked down at my lap "Its quite alright. Im not sure what I expected."

"Do tell are criminals a more lively bunch?" Asked Holmes with an unreadable expression. I couldn't tell if he was attempting to insult me or if he was just curious. 

"Depends which ones you encounter I suppose," I shrugged to myself and rummaged through my bag again. Withdrawing my usual clothing. I had been sitting in these clothes I would wear as the boxing trainer for the several weeks that I had waited ever so patiently for Holmes to come and perform the rest of my plan. 

I looked at the folded up white shirt in my hands along with the trousers and boots I was accustomed to wearing. I dug further in my bag and withdrew my opal buttoned waiste coat and smiled at it. It was perhaps my favorite piece. When I had to wear men's clothing I preferred these over the costumes I was mostly forced to adorn myself with to carry out my plans.