Sherlock: His Enigma Called A

Deducing from Inquiries

Two Days Later

Buzz...

Sherlock took his mobile out of his blazer pocket, expecting it to be Lestrade. To his almost pleasant surprise he found it to be A, "What is it today then?"

Over the past few days, A had texted a handful of times. Mostly to ask about the cases he was working on or to comment about his website or John's blog. A couple of times she had surprised him with how deeply she had analyzed a detail of a case that she'd found on the blog.

So far Sherlock had deduced that A was at least thirty years old with an especially well rounded education and intelligence to match. She was introverted, so he deduced that she was a lot shyer and more quiet in person. She was a thinker and observer as well- which Sherlock appreciated.

Given what he had gleaned with only text conversations he had narrowed down her occupation to one requiring a broad yet specific knowledge and considerable brain power and capacity for information. This placed her in the scientific field, although Sherlock needed more information to safely confirm his theory.

Today the text was simple- asking about the recent graffiti case that had turned into a ring bust. He obliged the details with a ghost of a smirk.

Missus Hudson came up with afternoon tea and saw Sherlock on his mobile, "Sherlock, dear, is it a new case that's got you like that?"

"No." He replied, not taking his eyes off of the screen.

She set the tray down and then looked at the torn up mantle, "Sherlock, that is going on your rent!"

"Mmm? What is?" He glanced up at her.

She puffed, "The damage to the nice wood mantlepiece, young man!"

"It is critical to my thinking process, Missus Hudson." He replied flatly.

"Oh and a fine thing that!" She remarked sarcastically and handed him his cuppa, "Isn't John coming over, Sherlock?"

"No, he's working a double shift today."

"And Mary?"

"Busy preparing for the baby." Missus Hudson nodded.

"Well then I'm off to the shops. I suppose you already need more milk, Sherlock?"

"Yes, I'm fresh out." She rolled her eyes and left him to his mobile. Sherlock watched A's status as she typed her response to him.

One corner of his lips quirked up as he responded. Alright. Let's see if I can't pull another clue from her. Sherlock was not going to press her too much yet. He enjoyed A's anonymity and wanted to gradually uncover her full identity. It was like a beachside puzzle- he could work on the Enigma of A when he wasn't devoting his brain to cases. Thus sparing him from boredom. And everyone else from his destructive behavior when he was bored.

"She caught on rather quickly."

He hummed to himself and continued the conversation, hoping for another clue to slip.

He took a sip of his now cooled tea and responded.

Duty calls? Such an interesting phrase. It could indicate that she holds a leadership position at her workplace. He theorized as Lestrade texted him for a new case. Sherlock had never really enjoyed puzzles, but A's game could prove to be rewarding.

Thank you for reading!! Just as a heads up, this story will move along faster than my previous series so be aware. Length was an issue with the last series and I want to be able to maintain a good pace. Ta!!