Loving a Holmes

London Aquarium

It hadn't been long since we got back from Morocco and Sherlock had come jumping out of the back room. "I know who did it!"

"What? Who?"

"No time to explain! Come on!" Sherlock runs out of the flat, texting as he does. Sherlock doesn't even try to explain anything to me until we are in the cab and on the way to the Sea Life London Aquarium housed inside County Hall. "It was Vivian!"

"Who?"

"The English woman who betrayed Mary and her team and the record keeper for my 'hearing' when I came back."

I shake my head still confused. "What?"

"Just trust me alright, she's the one who did it."

It doesn't take long for us to get to the aquarium, once we are there we make our way along the blue-lit corridors and through the glass tunnels under the water, and there is an announcement over the speaker system. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Aquarium will be closing in five minutes. Please make your way to the exit. Thank you."

But we continue onwards until we reach an enclosed area with benches where people can sit and look at the various tanks all around. A woman is sitting on one of the benches with her back to us. "Your office said I'd find you here."

The woman doesn't turn as she answers Sherlock. "This was always my favorite spot for agents to meet. We're like them: ghostly, living in the shadows."

She turns to us and looks to Sherlock, I can finally see the face of the elderly woman Sherlock had tracked here. I suppose this is Vivian. "Predatory."

"Well, it depends which side you're on. Also, we have to keep moving or we die."

"Nice location for the final act. Couldn't have chosen it better myself. But then I never could resist a touch of the dramatic."

"I just come here to look at the fish. I knew this would happen one day. It's like that old story." Vivian stands up and takes a few steps closer to the tank, before turning to face us again, her handbag hanging from her elbow.

"I really am a very busy man. Would you mind cutting to the chase?"

"You're very sure of yourself, aren't you?"

"With good reason."

"There was once a merchant in a famous market in Baghdad."

Sherlock closes his eyes and lowers his head a little. "I really have never liked this story."

"I'm just like the merchant in the story. I thought I could outrun the inevitable. I've always been looking over my shoulder; always expecting to see the grim figure of... death "

Mary comes into the room and stops at Sherlock's side a couple of feet away from him and I. I don't take my gaze away from Vivian as I greet Mary. "Hey."

"Hey."

"John?"

"On his way."

Sherlock clears his throat. "Let me introduce Amo."

"You were Amo? You were the person on the phone that time?"

Sherlock nods. "Using AGRA as her private assassination unit."

Mary scoffs. "Why did you betray us?"

"Why does anyone do anything?"

Sherlock gives Vivian a rather odd look. "Oh, let me guess. Selling secrets?"

"Well, it would be churlish to refuse. Worked very well for a few years. I bought a nice cottage in Cornwall on the back of it. But the ambassador in Tbilisi found out. I thought I'd had it. Then she was taken hostage in that coup. I couldn't believe my luck! That bought me a little time."