holmes_minor | Fic: Doing Business: G

Title: Doing Business
Form/Word Count: 327
Characters/Pairing: Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson
Rating: G
Warning/Content: Holmes is pursuing a case

“Yes?” The thickset man sitting behind the desk looked up at the man who had just entered.

“My name is Sherlock Holmes.”

“I know that. What business do you have here?”

“I have come to see Mr Lloyd-Jones.”

“He’s out and won’t be back until much later, so, Mr Sherlock Holmes, you can leave. And don’t bother coming back.”

Holmes sat down on a chair situated in a corner of the office. “I prefer to wait. I was sure there was a light in Mr Lloyd-Jones’ office.”

The other man walked round from his side of the desk and loomed over Holmes, before grabbing him and pulling him to his feet. “I told you to leave,” he said. “And you can keep your interfering nose out of our business.”

He hauled Holmes to the door, using his other hand to open it. There, he found himself facing Dr Watson, who had a revolver in his hand.

The man loosened his grip on Holmes, who straightened his jacket and said, “As I told you, I have business with Mr Lloyd-Jones, and I would very much appreciate you telling him I am here.”

An oily voice behind them said, “It’s all right, Fletcher, you may leave us. I will speak to Mr Holmes.”

Fletcher nodded and departed.

“Although really, as you have already been told, Mr Holmes, it would be better if you left us alone,” Lloyd-Jones said.

“Better for whom?” Holmes replied. “You, or Mr Jeremiah Whitstable?”

“What do you know about him?”

“I have been finding out quite a lot about his affairs lately. And my sense is that if Whitstable learns that I am on his trail he may well, erroneously, believe you are the one responsible for providing me with those details.”

Lloyd-Jones sat down heavily on the chair recently vacated by Fletcher. “If that is the case, then I may find that, after all, I am in a position to do business with you.”