Before Holmes Met Watson (FEATURED)

Day Twenty: Pining

Violet had a crush on Sherlock. How had he missed it? It had been all the bloody white face paint and aggressive dark eye makeup masking her expression, hiding the flush of colour on her freckled cheeks, distracting from the dilation of her pupils. How dehumanising, Sherlock thought. The Rucastles had effectively erased Violet Hunter and replaced her with a not very good copy of J. Bess Wilson. Sherlock already had a steep hill to climb with Violet: convincing her that he wasn't some lunatic sent by her overbearing criminal father to spy on her. In addition, she desperately wanted to believe that she was valuable to the Rucastles, that she was "making it" in a highly competitive industry. And now, he had to navigate her misdirected romantic feelings before she made an advance on him. He had to allow her to save face or it would be impossible for him to gain her trust. She seemed a bit bashful, so that would give him some time. Thankfully, their server was an attractive, broad-shouldered Spaniard who introduced himself as Alejandro. Sherlock leapt through the fortuitously provided window and smiled seductively, giving the man a searing look as he asked after the specials. Alejandro flirted back just enough to keep Sherlock on the hook and ensure a good tip but left himself enough room to beg off if Sherlock pressed harder. Sherlock was impressed by the delicacy of the triangulation. Alejandro left to fill their drinks orders and Sherlock watched appreciatively as he walked away. When he turned back to Violet, she was more subdued and couldn't quite mask her disappointment at his lack of interest. Why do people put themselves through this, Sherlock wondered. Open themselves up to the humiliation? Then an image of Mark smiling as he dumped carrion beetles onto the carcass of a sheep flashed through his mind. There was a clear upside, he thought, his bitterness tempered with rue.

With the misapprehension about Sherlock's intentions set aside, Sherlock thought it best to give Violet some time to recalibrate. Alejandro returned with their drinks, and Violet downed her fruity cocktail in one go and ordered another. It seemed she'd inherited her father's fondness for spirits. Drunken Johnson-family bellicosity was not on, Sherlock thought. He had to move things along. "May I show you something?" he asked Violet.

"Of course," she replied, smiling brittly. Sherlock pulled up an image of Bess on his Life Management Device. It had been taken from a distance, and the quality was poor; she was wearing an electric blue dress and Kabuki makeup. Her signature red hair was her only real identifying feature. "Where did you get that picture of me?" Violet asked warily.

"That's not you, Violet," Sherlock replied. "That's a woman called J. Bess Wilson. She was engaged to Mrs Rucastle's older sister, Francesca, thirty years ago. That's when the picture was taken."

Violet stared at the photograph. "I don't understand," she said.

"I don't have a full grasp of the matter as yet, either," Sherlock confessed. "But the Rucastles hired you to impersonate J. Bess Wilson."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Violet protested.

"I know it doesn't," Sherlock said. "There is still more to uncover, but the Rucastles are dangerous people. There is something very sinister at the heart of all this, and it involves Mrs Rucastle's sister, whom I believe may be in grave peril."

"Who are you?" Violet asked.

"I'm Sherlock Holmes, and I'm a detective."

"How did you find out about this, about me?" Violet asked.

Sherlock knew he had no choice but to be direct. "Your father sent me. When he learned the details of your job, he knew something was wrong, and he was afraid you might get hurt." Violet became more agitated. Her face flushed in ugly red splotches that clashed horribly with her freckles and hair. Sherlock understood the source of her tumultuous emotions well. "I know Shinwell wasn't much of a father to you," he said kindly. "He knows he wasn't much of a father to you. But he would lay down his life for you. In a heartbeat. Without a second thought. You know that, don't you?"