The Detectives Daughter

Chapter 1: A Study In Pink: Doctor Meets Detective

Ex- Army Doctor John Watson limped heavily through park on his metal cane.

"John! John Watson!" A Man from behind him shouted. 

John turned to see the man get off the park bench and hold his chubby hand out to him.

"Mike... Mike Stamford we were at Bart's together," Mike smiled warmly at John.

"Oh yeah. Mike Hi," John smiled back and shook his hand.

John couldn't believe it was Mike, he looked very... different.

"Yeah I know I've gotten fat, I heard you were abroad getting shot at... what happened," Mike asked.

John looked down uncomfortably.
"I got shot..." John answered simply.

Mikes smile dropped.

The two men sat on the bench drinking coffee and making small talk.

"So still at Bart's?" John asked
"Yeah teaching now, bright young thing like we were... God I hate them," Mike joked. The two men chuckled.

"So staying in town until you get your self sorted then?" Mike asked. John shook his head.

"Can't afford London on an army pension," John sighed.

"Ah but you couldn't bare to be anywhere else... you could get a flat share," Mike suggested with a grin.

"come on, who'd want me as a flat mate?" John said.

Mike just chuckled at him.
"Your the second person to say that to me today," Mike smiled.

"Who was the first?" John asked...

--------- (little time skip) ---------

John and Mike entered the lab in St Bart's. John saw a tall, skinny man doing an experiment.

"Different from my day," John smiled as he looked around the room.

"You have no idea," Mike chuckled.

"Mike can I borrow your phone, mine has no signal," The tall man spoke up.

"What's wrong with the land line?" Mike looked over at the tall man.

"I prefer to text," The tall man replied.

Mike started checking his pockets... he couldn't find it.
"Sorry left it in my coat," Mike replied then sat on a stool.

John checked his pockets and pulled out his phone and offered it the tall man.

"Uh, here use mine," John gave the man his phone.

"Oh thank you," The man flipped the phone to use the keys and began typing.

"Afghanistan or Iraq?" The man asked John while keeping his eyes glues on the phone screen.

John looked at the stranger shocked at his question, Mike just smiled at the two men.

"Sorry...?" John asked the man again.

Had John heard him right?

"Which was is Afghanistan or Iraq?" The strange man repeated his question then turned his head to John.

"Afghanistan, how-" John was interrupted when a women in a white lab coat entered the room with a cup of hot coffee.

The tall man looked from John to the women.

"Ah Molly, what happened to the lip stick?" The man inquired.
"It wasn't working for me," Molly smiled a fake smile.

"Oh I thought it was a big improvement your mouths to... small now," The tall man said and brought the mug to his lips as he walked over to the micro scope.

"How do you feel about the violin?" The man asked while continuing with his work.

"Sorry?" John looked at the strange man.

"The violin, I play it when I'm thinking, sometimes I don't talk for day's. Would that bother you? Potential flat mates should know the worst about each other," The man looked at John and smiled.

John looked at Mike, "Are-, you told him about me?" He asked Mike.

"Not a word," Mike shook his head. John looked back at the man.

"Then who said anything about flat mates?" John asked

"I did. Said to Mike this morning that I must be a difficult man to find a flat mate for. Now here he is just after lunch with an old friend, clearly home from military service in Afghanistan. Not a difficult leap," The man spoke while shrugging on his long dark coat and wrapping his scarf around his neck.

"How do you know about Afghanistan?" John asked and shifted a little.

The man ignored his question and continued to talk.

"Got my eye on a little place in London, together we should be able to afford it. We'll meet there tomorrow seven O'clock. Sorry gotta run left my riding crop and Daughter in the mortuary," The talked while making his way to the door.

"Is that it?" John turned to face the man.

"Is that what?" The man asked John.

"We've just met and we're going to look at a flat together?" John asked.

"Problem?" The tall man asked. John smiled and looked at Mike then back to the tall man.

"We don't know a thing about each other, I don't know where were meeting, I don't even know your name!" John waited for the tall man to answer.

"I know your an army Doctor, recently sent home form the military. You have a brother who's worried about you but you won't go to him for help because you don't approve of him possibly because he's an alcoholic or more likely he just left his wife, and I know your therapist thinks your limp is sociomatic, quite correctly I'm afraid it's enough to be going on don't you think?" With that the man and was half way through it, then doubled back and said,
"The names Sherlock Holmes and the address is 221b Baker Street," Mr Holmes winked at John then turned to Mike and said
"Afternoon"