Team of Seven Heroes Short Tales 5 Chapter 1

1.

“I am Blip.

I am an entity that exist.

I existed in isolation since then.

Till my existence was discovered.

This is my tale.

It all began some weeks ago.

“I am not as keen as you to do a search for a missing person. The missing one may turn up soon. And the missing person may not be …. dead yet.” The one who you spoke was Inspector Lestrade, Grey Lestrade. He was a little sallow rat faced dark eyed fellow. Doctor Watson attributed his sallow appearance to the bad diet but he made up for it with the smart dressing. He reckoned it might assist in his works.

“Inspector, I am listening. What are you not telling us?” The wiser person was one named Sherlock Holmes. He was dressed in his comfortable dressing gown and armed with the pipe of his; stacked with tobacco on his right hand. He was seated on his comfortable seater with him facing the doorway and fireplace.

“Not telling? Holmes, the only reason I am here is because I need your ….. advice.” The Inspector looked at Holmes. He moved closer to the fireplace rubbing his hands to keep it warm. The weather was colder than other nights, and he regretted ever coming there. He was never on equal terms with that man.

“In a minute, Inspector.” Holmes was frantic looking for something. “Watson, did you see my mittens? Mrs Hudson always misplaced them.”

“Holmes, look below you. You dropped it.” Watson replied to him. He then went back to his papers where he was reading on the social pages. He was trying to catch up on who’s who.

“I won’t be here if not for the Commissioner. He is edging me to find the man. He is the Commissioner’s cousin. The one that decided to stay at the countryside.” Lestrade went on. “He took a walk into the fields and then did not return. When he was missing for most of the next day, the Ground keeper called the local station and a search was conducted. They called on the locals to assist and by nightfall, the alert went out. Or rather the Commissioner sent me. I went down to assist and it has been three days since then.”

“Three days, and most times the missing is deemed missing after the first twenty-four hours and if it passed the mark of forty-eight hours, the missing may be deemed dead or …. missing for good.” Sherlock looked up from his seat. “Pardon me, I am not truly myself.”

“Holmes, if this case does not intrigue you then perhaps I will make my way off. We all have our works cut out for us.” Lestrade moved towards the doorway.

“Tell me, Inspector. How many were there? The people searching the land? Five on the sweep? Not a very good coverage given that each person could do like ten feet on his own. He may had missed the narrow rabbit holes or the sunken cover behind the shrubs? Oh, dear.”  Holmes asked. He had on his mitten over his pipe. “How far did you cover? Did you reach the other county?”

“County?” Lestrade was getting upset. “We were covering the immediate grounds and he was not a kid. He was an elderly man and had taken walks before. I feel as if it’s waste of time.”

Lestrade turned to leave but Sherlock stopped him.

“Tell me why are you here? Was it the other missing persons? Two others in the neighbourhood? And three others in the other county in the last year.”

“Missing? How did you know?” Lestrade stopped then. “I was only briefed by Scotland Yard yesterday. There were some cases.”

“You are baffled.” Holmes looked at the flames in the fireplace. “I read all of it and reckoned there may be a case after all. How is the weather there, Watson?”

“How would I know? I have been here with you for the last few days.” Watson was the next one to get agitated. He was not keen to plodding in the fields with the bad weather out there. And more so, he disliked the empty home without Mary, his wife away with the mother in the other home. He did feel miserable and more so when Holmes indicated that they are going to walk in the cold.

“Bad.” Lestrade replied. “No matter. We got the Inn to stay in courtesy of Scotland Yard. They served nice mutton stew.”

“Splendid! We will take the over night train and be there by morning. I am sure the Inspector will like to get home to have a change of clothes. Meanwhile I will send out a telegram to some old friends.” The detective took to his task on the study table. Watson meanwhile moved his haunch to settle closer to the fireplace.

An hour later, Sherlock had his seat by the window after having packed away the case he was carrying. He had packed his clothes for about three days stay and reckoned by then, he would had returned to London. He does travel light and unlike Watson, the doctor was lugging in his luggage then. He picked up the case and dropped it on the overhead compartment before he took the seat opposite Sherlock.

“Are you still upset, Watson? We are to another adventure where your skills in the narrative may sell the tale.” Sherlock looked at the grumpy state friend of his. He had not seen Watson in such a bad light for they have spend worse conditions while on the hunt for criminals. He then sighed when he realised the possible cause.

“Do tell me, Watson? When would Mary be back?” Sherlock tried to struck up a conversation. Watson reply was an un-measurable mumble that sounded more like the breath of the dragon at Sir George when they had encountered.

“Oh, come on, Watson. She is only away for a few days. And you are acting like a spoil child.”

“Do tell Sherlock. Have you ever …. being in love?” Watson asked. “I know that once you were attracted to Irene…”

“Hold that, Watson. I refused to reply that. Irene’ relationship …… perceived one was not to materialise.” Sherlock turned his face and muttered a weak greeting of the evening. It was an affair that he refused to discuss nor acknowledged to anyone including his good friend then. Watson then riled up was not giving the discussion a rest. He sat up and then continued on.

“Tell me, Sherlock. I am a doctor and could considered myself as one to you too.” Watson had seen Sherlock addiction to cocaine and had tried to cure the sleuth of it. “Do you…. No, I meant to say…”

“Love a woman? Heavenly yes but not Irene.” Sherlock replied with the frowned facial when he turned to look at Watson. He crossed his legs and laid back on the seat. “I am also not sexually inadequate if that was next presumption. I am virile but I chose not to display it to you for you….”

“Hold on, Sherlock. I was just asking and you don’t have to get so defensive and more to it, hostile.” Watson snapped back and then looked out the window to the passing scenes. 

“Hostile? Me hostile. I was not. I was ….” Sherlock looked hard at Watson and then changed his tone. “We were discussing as a Doctor to a patient.”

“Yes, purely academic and medically if you want to phase it as that.” Watson replied. “I have …. I mean of concern for you have displayed any affectionate displays even not to Mrs Hudson when she served you tea.”

“For the sake of discussion, Watson. Mrs Hudson had on the dress buttoned to the top and more to it, her bent posture was towards you. Did you get arouse then?”

“I … protest, Sherlock. I have my own views on ….”

“Mary, I presume. She would be fully unclothed before you.” Sherlock hit a nerve there.

“And our conversation ends now.” Watson looked to the other way and closed his eyes.

“So, be it.” Sherlock looked away and watched the train station passed by his sight. It was a ridiculous discussion and now both of them did not get any sleep that night.