Sherlock's Daughter

5 - The Richie Façade

The Richie Façade

The mutters of the police officers start to swell when the darkness of the room becomes unbearable. Darkness is not a particularly nice thing anyway but the fact that there is a dead corpse pinned to the wall adds to the gothic effect. Something touches Juliet's shoulder making her jump but a hand is used to cover her mouth to prevent the squeals escaping. She feels hot breath near her neck and ear followed by the whispers. "Keep quiet. You owe me." The man whispers sending chills up her spine while Sherlock begins to edge forward no longer finding the darkness amusing but boring. The man leaves Juliet's side and she sighs in relief. The lights switch on briefly revealing a silhouette of a man but then they turn off again. "Incy wincy spider climbed up the water spout!" The song echoes throughout the library with an Irish lilt. "Down fell Sherlock after spider killed himself!" The lyrics to the original nursery rhyme have been altered making the occupants of the room tremble. The lights flash on and off again. "After many years it turns out it was fake!" The Irish man continues to sing and the lights turn on fully to reveal the consultant criminal, Jim Moriarty, standing in a prime spot. Juliet gasps. "And incy wincy spider climbed up the spout again..." He finishes with a sly grin.

"I think you may have got the lyrics wrong." Sherlock speaks up when no one else chooses to.

"It was a metaphor Sherlock...my dear because we all know that I am the spider."

*FLASHBACK*

The court room is full ready for the trial of the century; Jim Moriarty. After breaking into the tower, the bank and the prison everyone is expecting this consulting criminal to go to jail for his crimes. Sherlock is standing in the witness box answering questions the prosecuting barrister is posing for him. "How would you describe this man — his character?"

"First mistake." Sherlock begins and raises his eyes and locks his gaze onto Moriarty. "James Moriarty isn't a man at all — he's a spider; a spider at the centre of a web — a criminal web with a thousand threads and he knows precisely how each and every single one of them dances." He explains and Jim Moriarty almost imperceptibly nods his head in approval of the description but the prosecuting barrister clears her throat awkwardly.

*End of Flashback*

Sherlock does not know what to say or how to retaliate. He has been waiting for this grand return for so long but the sudden appearance of his daughter has thrown him off track. "Oh sorry!" Moriarty exclaims dramatically and makes a gesture to the other occupants off the library which include, Sherlock, Juliet, Lestrade, Sergeant Donovan, Anderson and a couple of other officers. Sarcastically he also signals to the dead corpse on the wall. "How rude of me!" He chuckles devilishly making everyone feel uneasy. "Jim Moriarty. Hi..." He takes a step forward and peers at the cadaver. "Shame. She was going places...but not anymore!"

"No rifles?" The consulting detective questions and Moriarty shrugs his shoulders.

"No." He states plainly, "But there is this." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a British Army Browning L9A1 hand gun. "Bring back memories does it? Of our first encounter...such glorious times." He scans the room with the gun and notices the three pathetic officers standing towards the back of the library. "Can you guys just leave please...you are so boring." The police officers scuttle towards the exit followed by Anderson. "Wait!" Moriarty shouts to Anderson who turns around with a shocked expression on his face. "You wait here." He instructs.

Anderson lifts up his hand and points to himself in a stupid fashion making both the consulting criminal and consulting detective roll their eyes. "Me?"

"Actually no you are too stupid so leave please." Anderson frowns briefly but then makes a break for freedom causing Sherlock to smirk. "I see John has been replaced." Moriarty points at Detective Inspector Lestrade who is standing looking gormless with Sally standing slightly behind him. "People get so sentimental about their pets." He looks up at the corpse again before readying his gun and shoots the body that once belonged to Georgie Palmer in the head. "Heard you got tortured in Serbia..." Sherlock hums in response, "So was I. I went around the world looking for my network but I found that it had been dismantled."