I Can't Stand You, Sherlock

Chapter 9: Freeze For A Minute (Or Two)

"Oh, hi." Molly said and smiled widely to Sherlock as he walked into the lab with John and I on his heals.

"Molly." He replied with a nod of his head.

"Hi Rori, John." Molly waved to me and John.

"Hiya Molly." John said politely whereas I just nodded at her. I knew she was a nice and polite but that's what bothered me, she was just too nice, like she never had a bad day. No one could be that happy. Or could they?

"You guys are here about Ian strasser, come on then." Molly said and took us to the back of the room where Ian Strasser lay on a cold metal table. He looked the same as he did when I saw him the last, white, cold and dead.

"You were right Sherlock, he didn't die in that freezer. He had a couple broken rips, look at this bruise." Molly then pulled down the sheet a little lower so we could see his lower chest, there he had a huge bruise that wasn't fully colored. He had to have died not long after that blow was given to him. Maybe this was what killed him.

"Did he die from this?" I asked Molly as I pointed to Ian's side.

"Yes, somehow punctured both of this lungs." Molly said.

I looked at Ian with a frown. I couldn't imagine dying like this. Trying to take a breath and not being able to. What a terrible way to die. I felt sorry for him, I really did.

"He fought back before the clasped though, he has some light bruising on his knuckles." Molly continued and held up Ian's hand to show us. I thought about the bruise that Hershberger had on his arm. I was sure that Ian did that but I needed more proof.

"Isn't this man on TV? Like a cooking show or something?" John asked.

Can Sherlock please remind me why we took John? If he was just going to ask stupid questions, he is a waste of space. "Yes." I stated to him, not taking my eyes off Ian.

"Shhh, John... stop it, stop everyone. " Sherlock said as he closed his eyes.

"Stop what?" I asked as I looked at John for an answer but he just rolled his eyes like he knew what Sherlock was doing.

"Stop thinking." Sherlock mused.

"I can't...." I started to say back to him but John cut me off.

"Humor him." John whispered to me.

There was a minute where no one talked or even moved. All eyes were on Sherlock's, except mine. I didn't care to know what he was doing, I needed to write down everything I knew so far before I forgot. To do that I needed a piece of paper and a pen. My eyes stopped a blank paper on a desk across the room and a group of pens in a cup next to the paper. I walked over to the desk and started to write.

· Ian Strasser was a good worker and married but was hiring hookers under a different account.

· The restaurant was in a chief race.

· Jamarcus Hershberger was his boss, didn't care what Ian did, as long as they won the race. (Don't think he did it.)

· Died in a freezer (but wasn't killed there) of the restaurant at around 3 in the morning. (Why was he there so early?)

· Had a fight with someone beforehand. (Jamarcus Hershberger?)

"Got what you need?" Sherlock said from over my shoulder.

Good, he was done with his little drama moment.I looked up at him quickly as folded the paper and stuck it in my coat pocket. "Yup. You?" We needed to see Hershberger and I am sure Sherlock was on the same page as I.

"Yes." He said and turned to John who had a look of confusion on his face.

"What's going on?" John asked us.

"We need to talk to Hershberger." I stated. I needed to ask him why he was fighting with Ian before he died. A part of me didn't think Hershberger did it on his own, but maybe he had help.

"Correction, we just need to talk to one of the other restaurants." Sherlock said to me.

"Which one?" John said.

"Water Flower is a sweet restaurant, is it not John?" Sherlock asked him.

"What?" he replied shocked that Sherlock knew he went there.

"You have that same sweet sent on your clothes like Strasser did in the freezer and that same smell was combined with a floral smell on your clothes. Doesn't Water Flower have fresh roses on every table? You speck of brown on your white shirt. I'm guessing from the chocolate that the Water Flower leaves out on some of the tables. I've heard it's not a cheap restaurant, you must have gotten a promotion because you where willing to go out with me tonight. You normally don't do that unless you also have the Misses happy and a pay check would do that. I didn't think that Water Flower was in the chief race but your smell has brought to my attention that we should go there too."

We all stood there in shock, even me for a second until I regained my ability to hide what was on my mind. I was amazed that he did that from just smelling the sent on John's clothes. Now that he said something I did smell the faint smell of flowers on him. How was Sherlock able to catch that?

"What are you standing there for, we're on a clock, come on then." Sherlock said to John and I and with that he got his coat and walked out the room without even saying thanks to Molly.

"Thank you for your help Molly." John said and smiled kindly at her before we walked out after Sherlock.

"Oh, any time." she smiled at us.

"Amazing isn't it?" John whispered as we walked to catch up with Sherlock.

I knew what he was talking about but it took me a second to say something back to him. I didn't want to say too much that could possibly get back to him. "The way he thinks? No. I can't stand it." I stated to him.

"I know how it is, he drives you insane. Always feeling judged? But I have to admit, he catches everything."

That is what I had a problem with. "If he catches everything why didn't he let me go? Couldn't he see that I didn't do it." I said, refering to the death I was framed with. I then quickened my pace to get to Sherlock who was waiting on the sidewalk.

"I already called a cab." He said as he looked a nothing unparticular across the road.

I followed his gaze to see a young looking women looking at us. I knew who she was, I worked with her way back when. She was my age with black hair. She was the closest person I called to a friend, next to Kale of course. But just like all partnerships, they end.

As soon as she caught my eyes she looked at Sherlock and then down the road. I knew she wanted to talk away from them. We had some unfinished business that we hadn't fixed before I got locked up. However I didn't want to talk to her. The nerve she had showing herself in front of Sherlock infuriated me.

"Your friend wants to talk." Sherlock said to me as he watched her go down the road.

"She's not my friend." I stated as I watched her, standing firm with my feet planted in the ground.

"I don't see why you don't just go, you can you know. I won't do anything about it. Shouldn't you see your friends from time to time?"

"I told you, I don't have friends. I have people that are convenient to me, that's all." I said as the cab pulled up to the curb.

"Fine! Then grow up alone! " Sherlock shouted at me, suddenly getting mad.

"I already did!" I said as I got into the front seat of the cab.

We drove in silence to get to the Water Flower restaurant. Quickly we found ourselves in front of a large restaurant as the cab drove away. We walked in to the building and found the main chief. She was quick to talk and willing to share her ideas.

"Where were you last night?" Sherlock asked the head Chief at the Water Flower.

"I was here, perfecting new recipes." She replied calmly. She was a short and plump kind of woman.

"Do you have someone to use for your alibi?" I asked her as I looked around the huge and empty kitchen. "Why is no one here?"

"I gave them the day off because of recent events." She said with a frowned.

"You know Ian Strasser?"

"Of course I did, he was a good man, hard worker better then that slum Hershberger."

"How did you know Strasser?" John asked.

"I use to babysit him when he was just a tot." She said and gave a small smile as if she was thinking about the memories.

"So you knew him well?" John asked.

Please can you leave your stupid at the door John? Of course she knew him, can't you tell by the way she's smiling that she spent a good amount of time with him?

"Yes I did since he was just a little thing. I like to think that he was a chief because of me."

"Do you have a sous chief?" I asked. I knew right away that she couldn't have done it. She had too much connection with him and besides, she wasn't strong enough to kill a man like Ian. The way she was moving so slow I knew that she probably had arthritis.

"Yeah, I think he's still here, let me get him." She said and walked out of the kitchen.

"She didn't do it." Sherlock said as he walked around the kitchen.

"I know she didn't." I said.

There was a minute of silence and then we heard shouts from the other room. I looked at Sherlock and then John to make sure they heard that too. Sherlock gave me a nod and all three of us ran to the next room to see someone running out a side door and the head chief laying on the floor.

"Why do they run?" Sherlock asked before he started to run to the door the man came out of.

'Goodness, I don't know, maybe because they don't want to get caught?' I thought as I ran with him.

"Don't mind me, I'll stay here." John called out to us just before we ran out the door.

Once we got out the door I saw the man running down to the left of me and I followed.

"He went to the right." Sherlock said and went the other way.

I was sure I caught sight of his white shirt turning the corner from the left ally so I took that way. I sprinted down the road and turned the corner to see him running in a straight direction. I took off after him and before long I was caught up to him. This is what I enjoyed doing, the thrill of the race.

I reached out my hand and got the collar of his shirt and pulled it hard enough for him to lose balance and fall to the ground. There he looked up at me but I knew this face too well. I pulled off her wig and said, "What the hell was that for?"

She laughed at me like it was one big joke. "You wouldn't give me the time."

"Maybe because I didn't have the time." I said thinking about how I went the wrong way and Sherlock probably got our man. Once again I got it wrong. I had this competition with Sherlock and knew that if I kept on getting things wrong he would send me back. I couldn't let that happen, I had to show that I was better than him.

"Oh yeah because of your new job right? Way to betray the art Rori, working with the Bobbies now?"

That hit a nerve, I couldn't control myself as I slapped her across the face. Working with Sherlock was not planned, I had no choice, but of course she didn't see that. "It's not like that!" I shouted at her even though she was right beside me.

She cupped her now red cheek with her hand with a frown. "Think what you want Rori but it's still a betrayal any way." she said and got up from the ground and brushed herself off.

"I don't have time for this." Getting ready to walk away from her.

"Ok, but I just wanted you to know that he knows you're out. Better watch your back Rori, I'm sure he'll get in touch soon. I just wanted to give you a fair warning." She said calmly then walked down the road alone.

"Thanks." I mumbled out to her but I'm not sure she heard it. I wasn't ever good and telling people thank you for some reason. Another thing I could thank my mum for. I was grateful that she told me but I wasn't a fan of how she did it.

Even though I had been out for almost a month, I still felt out of the loop about what was going on in the white collar world. I forgot about the people that I made enemies with. I was sure that they knew I was out now. I needed to be more careful. I needed to watch my back. But I didn't know how to do that with Sherlock always around. He would start to ask questions that I was not willing to answer. But what was the point when he would figure out even if I didn't say anything.

One thing was for sure, I needed to protect myself. I stood there for a minute as I watched my old 'friend' walk away until I realized I should be finding Sherlock and helping John. "Shoot!" I said as I turned on my heels and ran back to the restaurant.

"Good, you found him." I breathed to Sherlock as I walked back into the restaurant. Sitting on a chair in front of him was the man I should have been chasing. He had long black wavy hair pulled back into a ponytail and he was tan and thin. He had an international kind of look. He dressed and looked like many of the Moroccans I had see on the streets recently.

"Did you have a good chat with your friend." Sherlock asked me.

Instead of showing that I was shocked that he knew, I just shrugged. As hard as I tried I would never be able to keep all of my secrets from him. I hated it.

"Well, the cops are on their way and Mabel is just fine, a bit shaken up but that's all." John said as he walked up to us.

I looked at this man I noticed he was fidgeting in his seat even though he kept his eyes calmly on us. He did wanted to run again. But why did he want to run? We already caught him and we would do it again. Did he kill Ian because I was thinking he didn't. Something was a bit off with this. If he did kill him though he would have better chance in winning the chief race. But the head chief was so close to Ian, if she found out that her Sous killed him.

"Name?" Sherlock asked the man in the chair.

"Francisco Castillo." He said with a thick accent.

"Why did you run?"

"Because he said so."

"who?"

"Jamarcus Hershberger."

"Why are you listening to what he says?" I asked. He was the owner from another restaurant, why would he be following commands from him?

He shook his head at me. He wasn't going to talk anymore.

Why he would listen to Hershberger, he's the same competition as him? But what if they made a deal that he would be the next chief for the restaurant that Ian died in. Hershberger is fairly old so he can be retiring soon. That would mean that after he retired then Francisco would take the job. Or maybe all this running and lies were all distractions from the big picture. "We need to go to see Jamarcus Hershberger now."

"I can't leave him here." Sherlock said.

"Then, I'll take, John." I said and looked at John.

"What?" He asked with a confused look on his face.

"Come on John." I said and pulled at his coat sleeve. We walked out onto the street and I quickly hailed a cab. We got in and the car sped off. I pulled out my phone and texted Sherlock to call the police to meet me at the restaurant. John asked questions the whole drive to the restaurant but I did not respond to a single one of them. I was too busy thinking about what was going to happen next.

"Stay here and wait john." I said to him as we got out of the cab in front of the restaurant. I wanted someone to stay in the front watching just in case.

I walked by myself into the restaurant that jarmarcus worked at and called out, "Jamrcus! I would like to talk to you! I know you're here!"

There was a minute of silence and then he came out with a knife in his hands from the back room. "I knew that Sherlock would figure it out. No matter how flawless the crime seemed to be, there is always something that he could pick out. I knew I had no chance once Mr. Holmes was working on the case." He explained to me as his hand shook.

I was a bit frustrated and hurt that he didn't give me credit. I solved this case but no one would seem to know, but then again, that wasn't that bad. I would be able to keep my name clean from the cops that way. "Just put down the knife please." I said coolly knowing that he would try to either kill me or him or both.

"It's all over now." He voice cracked. His hands started to shake even more then before.

I knew what he was going to do next. It was my job to try to stop that. "Wait!" I yelled at him to get him to stop. "Why did you do it?" I asked, stalling him. I just need to stall for a few more minutes until the police came.

"You don't know?" He asked as he put the knife on the table closest to him.

"I have my guesses but I want to hear it from you." I said. He was a big guy and I knew that I didn't have the power to stop him myself. I needed backup.

"Ian was getting nowhere and was falling into bad habits. He lost his fire and his desire. He was just going to bring down this restaurant and I couldn't let all my hard work go down the drain."

"So you killed him?" I asked. I had a hard time believing that he killed him because of that. He could have just fired him. That would have been easier.

"No not like that. I confronted him about it. He was high at the time and took it the wrong way. He threw the first punch and from there I punched him back. I lost control and before I knew it, he was there dead." He said with tears in his eyes.

"How did Francisco Castillo get involved?"

"Francisco didn't think Mabel was giving him the credit he deserved and he wanted to work with me so I gave him a deal. If he followed what I said, in a month I would retire and he could have my job. Ian wasn't around and I needed a new Sous."

"He didn't help kill Ian did he?"

"No." He said as a tear fell down his face. I watched him pick up the knife again getting ready to stab himself.

"stop! It doesn't have to be like that! We can work this out!" I shouted at him, trying to talk him down. I frowned, I knew he was torn up about how this unfolded. He was going to get punished for something that he didn't mean to do, but yet he was going to be put behind bars for this. Maybe it was better for him if I just let him kill himself, that way he would be free.

"It's too late for that." He said as he started to plunge the knife into his chest, and I stood and did nothing.

At that moment John came running into the restaurant. He saw what was happening and instantly he ran up to Jamarcus and grabbed both of his wrists and put his back causing him to drop the knife to the ground.

"Nice one." I said to him, knowing that he came at just the right time. I was suddenly glad I brought him along.

"thanks." He said calmly as he put Jamarcus's hands in cuffs so he couldn't move his hands.

I heard commotion behind me and saw police starting to come into the room. Lestrade looked at me and smiled slightly, he was proud. I did my job and that meant I could stay. He walked up to me and asked, "He did it?" Lestrude asked.

I yawned, suddenly feeling very tired. I looked out the window and saw the sun start to shine on the horizon, it was the next day. We had been out all night long. "No, the Easter bunny did it." I said sarcastically to him.

"I just want to make sure."

"Look there is proof all over the place, all you have to do is make the call."

"Ok, I'm going to talk to him."

"Fine." I said as I watched him walk over to Hershberger who was now being put on a gurney.

"Looks like you had fun." Sherlock said as he walked up to me.

"Loads, just ask John." I said as I turned to him. "I'm sorry you didn't get to go out for drinks." I said to John, showing a bit of humanity towards him.

"Oh it's no problem really. This is a lot better in my books. I didn't really want to go out for drinks tell you the truth but Sherlock asked me to come over and..."

Oh my gosh John never shut up. I shouldn't get him going. I was too tired with this day so instead of listening, I sighed and walked out of the room in mid sentence of his.

I sat down on a bench outside as I watched the sun rise. I could feel the sun on my skin and it warmed me even though it was cold outside. All I wanted to do know was to go to bed.

"Can I have a word?" Lestrade asked as he walked up to me.

I looked up at him from the bench and nodded. "What's up?"

"We always have a Christmas party for all the members of Scotland yard and their families and in the past I never was able to get Sherlock to go."

I knew where this was going. He wanted me to convince Sherlock to go but I'm sure he didn't want to come without Sherlock by my side. "So your saying I can go if I get Sherlock to come." I said bluntly.

He frowned but I knew I got it right. "Not like that."

"But that's what you meant, isn't it Inspector." I said with frustration thick in my voice. It irritated me that after a month of slaving away for him, the inspector still did not trust me. He didn't really want me here, but I was convenient so he kept me around. I saw that most people in the office still looked at me like I was a criminal. I had a feeling that I would be nothing more that the girl they didn't want to be seen in public with.

I got up from the bench and look around his shoulder to see Sherlock and John walking up to us. "Did you find what you needed from him?" I asked Lestrade, changing the subject. I knew that he didn't want the others to know what he said to me and honestly I didn't want the others to know either. If he did want the others to know, he would have said it in front of them.

"Yeah, we got him." Lestrade said.

"Rori, ready to leave?" Sherlock asked me.

"Yes." I nodded to him.