Welcome to Baker Street

30. The (un)usual suspects

221B Baker Street

Half an hour later

"She was there. I swear I saw her. I even talked to her," Giulia exclaims, flinging open the door of the living room.

"I believe you. I'm just saying that I didn't see her," John replies, following her into the flat.

Sherlock looks up from one of his experiments and lifts a brow. "Who did he miss?"

"A very suspicious woman," she affirms.

A twinkle of excitement darts into his eyes, but he keeps his voice neutral when he asks, "Suspicious how?"

"She was standing at the furthest end of the cemetery and wouldn't come any closer to the service but was clearly following the funeral. When I spoke with her, though, she denied any connection to the deceased, claiming to be a cabbie who had just driven some participants to the graveyard."

"This looks perfectly plausible to me," John retorts.

"It does. If it weren't for some details."

Sherlock tilts his head, intrigued by that allusion. "For instance?"

"First, she was wearing sunglasses in this weather." She points out of the window at the leaden sky.

"A lot of people wear sunglasses at a funeral," John intervenes.

"Exactly. Because people consider the possibility of weeping and prefer to keep their composure. She was probably crying but didn't want anyone to see it. I watched from afar before approaching her: she was blowing her nose and hiding the tissue. And when she spoke, she sounded hoarse, as if she had a lump in her throat because of emotion."

"She could simply have a cold. It's November, and it's freezing. Giulia, those things don't prove anything," Watson protests, striving to stick to the facts.

"Even assuming that she was sobbing, I don't see why it should be suspicious. As far as I know, killers don't mourn their victims," Sherlock says sarcastically.

"I wasn't accusing her of murder. I just noticed that she was acting strangely," Giulia mumbles, irritated.

"It could be strange only if she was somehow connected to the dead and was indeed in an emotional peril over his death," Sherlock notes with a sceptical look.

"Except that she wasn't. She told Giulia that she didn't know him," John underlines.

Giulia's eyes light up. "Precisely. She said she didn't know him, but I hadn't specified who was lying inside the coffin, whether a man or a woman. I am sure I didn't mention it, and yet she knew. But she wasn't even facing the headstone with the name on it. How do you explain this, John?"

Watson rubs a hand over his tired face.

"She said she had driven some participants; maybe they were Mr Chadley's relatives. They could have talked about him and his funeral during the cab ride." He doesn't mean to belittle Giulia's intuitions, but he has the impression that she is just building castles in the air. She doesn't have any hard evidence that the mysterious woman is linked to the murder.

Giulia flashes him a cunning smile. "That's the point: that ride never happened. She lied."

Sherlock furrows a brow, suddenly paying attention. "How can you tell?"

"She lied about being a taxi driver. While I was standing next to her, a beggar came asking for some spare change, and she took her wallet. I glanced at it while she was taking some coins, and I saw an Oyster Card. What cabbie would own an Oyster Card for public transport?"

"Suspicious indeed. A crying woman attended a funeral in disguise, trying to go unnoticed, and when she was approached by a stranger, she lied and denied any connection," Holmes sums up, folding his hands under his chin and pacing the room.

"But if she wanted to conceal herself, why did she go to a public place during a public event, to begin with?" John asks, bewildered.

"She couldn't miss it, apparently. The question now is: why was the funeral so important and upsetting to her?" Sherlock looks like a teacher quizzing his students.

"No idea. Why?"

He rolls his eyes at his friend's slowness. "Because she was his lover, obviously."

"Wait, what? Michael Chadley's lover?" Giulia flickers her eyelashes, surprised. She hadn't considered that option.

"Yes, as showed by the detailed information you so observantly provided—thanks again for it; John would have never caught that." He lowers his voice at the end but keeps it still perfectly audible to the doctor, who looks daggers at him. "It's quite clear that the victim was having a secret affair with our 'funeral ghost'."

"So, she kept a low profile, standing at a considerable distance from the ceremony because of her inappropriate connection to Chadley, but attended anyway to pay her last respects to him?" Watson struggles to understand.

"Yes, John, can you believe it? Risking it all just for a heart-wrenching goodbye. How dull," Holmes spits out in horror.

Giulia frowns. "Risking what?"

"Questioning, suspicion, maybe murder charges. In case you forgot, we are dealing with a homicide. Whoever appears to be connected to the victim (especially with a secret and prohibited relationship like an affair) immediately becomes a suspect in the investigation," Sherlock explains and strides across the living room, fidgety.

"There's something wrong, though. I am missing something."

He walks to the window and looks down as a police car stops in front of the main door.

"I get the feeling we aren't the only ones who made headway today," he says while heavy footsteps echo along the staircase.

Holmes turns around to face the familiar police officer, who has just appeared in the doorway.

"Evening, Lestrade. Any good news on the case?"

Greg swallows hard and looks around the room. His eyes land on Giulia, and his expression hardens.

"I wouldn't say so."

He moves close to her, followed by three other officers. One second later, metallic clang jangles in the room as Lestrade handcuffs her.

"Giulia Ferrini, you are under arrest for the murder of Michael Chadley."