Sherlock - The Game Is On!

The Blind Banker-Six

Chapter Six

"That's been on the step since Monday." Sherlock stated, pointing to the yellow pages drizzled in rain on the door step. "No one's been in this flat for at least three days." Sherlock then darts down the side of the building, John and I following after. "They're away on holiday. So what?"

"John, do you leave you're windows open when you go away?" I asked. Looking up I see the window of the flat wide open and a brief flicker of a shadow... Sherlock jumps on the dustbin, hauling himself up on the scaffolding, he then reaches the window and climbs in the flat. "Sherlock!" John hisses.

I make a little of a run way away from the scaffolding in order to climb. Running up to it I jump one quarter of the way, hauling myself up the rest of the metal poles. "You think maybe you could let me in this time Sherlock?" John at this point was background noise. Climbing through the open window, I catch a vase just in time from falling. "Sherlock? Sherlock your not the first who's been here because someone..."

"Because he's still here." He finished. We both direct our attention to a Chinese screen. It was the only assumption you could make that the intruder could hide. Sherlock slowly stalks the screen, tugging it quickly only to find nothing there. Sherlock then turns to me, or at least in my direction and quickly pulls me behind him, tugging me so quickly I fell to the ground. The intruder grabbed Sherlock's scarf and started to strangle him with it. Jumping up, I ran to the attacker and thumped him with a small porcelain pot. "Any time you want to include me, that would be great."

I was in hand to hand combat with the attacker whilst Sherlock got his vision back. "I'm obviously wasting my breath... 'I'm Sherlock, and I always work alone because no one else can compete to my massive intellect!'" The attacker caught me in the left side of my face, so whilst he had the chance he grabbed my throat. Sherlock was quick to pursue because he comes up behind him, However my vision was spotting so I stopped trying to fidget for him to stop. The attacker the slips something in my pocket and leaves...

"Michelle?"

"Michelle?"

"Michelle!" I blinked my eyes open, sharply breathing, I stood up tripping slightly and rummaged around my pocket for what the attacker left in. Yet, another black origami flower. "Michelle are you alright?" Croaking, Sherlock looked down at me and placed his hand on my cheek where I was caught. "I'm fine. Are you alright?" He nodded. Realising John was still outside we rushed down and out the flat. "The milk's out of date. The washing, it's starting to smell. Someone left in a hurry. Three days ago."

"Someone?" I pointed to the nametag near the bell. "Soo Lin Yao. We need to find her." I stated. "How exactly?"

"Start with this." Sherlock picked up a not from the door mat.

'Soo Lin.

Please ring me, Tell me you're ok.
Andy.'

Turning the paper over it had a decorative picture. National Antiques Museum, and off we go. Whilst walking John was trying to ask us what was wrong. Why did Sherlock sound croaky and why did I have a forming bruise on my face. We both chose to ignore him and carry on walking.

We made it to the Chinese Antiquities room starting to speak to one Andrew Galbraith. "Three days ago. Here, at the museum. This morning they told me she's resigned. Just like that. Left her work unfinished." Looking around me I noticed a Jade exhibition. Jade like Amanda's hairpin. "What was the last thing she did on her final afternoon?" Andy points to a glass cabinet with a teapot in. "There. She does this demonstration for the tourists, a tea ceremony. She'd have packed her things away and put them there." He then leads us to a staff room, going through isles I pull Sherlock back, Noticing a Greek statue vandalised with yet the same bright yellow spray paint. The same Chinese cipher were yet to tackle.