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He was there for a case, otherwise he would never go into a pub. Even from the outside the place looked dreadful to him. It loomed over him with bright lights and the never-ending chit-chat from people talking while drinking alcohol. Bets had been made, polls shouted, and he ultimately decided to go on his own volition. His lone comfort was that Lestrade was there at his side, and that at least he wouldn’t have to survive an evening in a cramped cellar listening to other peoples’ non-sensical prattle.
Taking the lead, Lestrade opened the door for him and he couldn’t muster the enough energy to tell him to stuff it. His long strides take him inside. His demeanour changes as the chase begins.
They walk down the stairs to the cellar where the rugby team meets after their weekly tournament, it is easy to spot them as they are the nosiest group in the surprisingly spacious place. He waits for Lestrade to pay for his drink and promptly follows the stream of people moving about with their drinks.
He was unamused. So far, he could see some affairs, fraud and the regular mindless players that had no idea what was going on or that one of them was in danger of dying tonight. A free chair close enough to the rugby team gave him a perfect view of everyone in the room, while being far enough from the bustle of the place. He was content to remain invisible to the rest of the place.
That’s when he saw her. She was sitting by the bar with a cocktail in her hand overlooking the players. Her position gave her a full view of the room and an easy way out through the front set of stairs. The moment he laid his eyes on her he knew she was the murderer. Standing up and ready to go talk to her was easier said than done as he found his path blocked by a short but strongly built body. ‘Captain John Watson. I don’t believe we’ve ever met?’
Blond hair, blue eyes and a brilliant smile left him speechless. For a moment he forgot the whole case and the woman sitting at the bar. The entire pub ceased to exist frozen in time at the very moment Captain John Watson introduced himself and smiled.
He shook his head and returned to earth. ‘Sorry! Got to dash, a murderer awaits.’
Looking back and seeing the rugby player following him as the woman dashed made his day, perhaps his entire year.