Sherlock looked the tense woman over, trying to deduce the usual little things but for some reason he couldn't. He couldn't tell anything, not even what she had last eaten or even when that was. There were no stains on her clothes, which would normally make him think they were new but the fabric didn't look as such. The style of the clothes themselves was common and not at all personalized, giving no hint of the woman's preferences. Even the way she styled her long black hair revealed nothing. There were no scents coming from her clothing either and she herself seemed to be without a scent, almost as if she wasn't really there. He was a bit unnerved by all this but ignored that for the moment.
He silently gestured for her to sit down again. She relaxed and sat down. John sat in his chair, waiting for the client to explain her case. Sherlock had L sit in his chair to listen in since the couch was occupied. L hesitated at first but then climbed onto it to crouch on the chair. John frowned at that. He really needed to stop the boy from sitting in such a way; it would really hurt his spine later in life if the habit continued. L refused to sit any other way though no matter what he said.
Surprisingly, the woman didn't question or protest L being there. She glanced over at him but then turned her attention to Sherlock. Sherlock grasped his hands behind his back and started his usual pace in front of the client. Getting the hint, the woman started to speak.
"My name is Akishi. I need your help finding this person." She pulled a photo from her pocket. They all noticed that she had said no surname but didn't question it right then. Sherlock stepped forward to pluck the photo from her hand. She paused as he looked down at it.
Sherlock stared at the Asian man in the photo. He was bound and gagged. Clearly a kidnapping and the fact she had this photo meant they were asking for a ransom. The man's pallor and the hollow of his cheeks revealed that he was ill with very little time left. He handed the photo back to her.
"Who is he?" He asked, prompting her to continue with her explanation.
"Satoshi Takigawa. We came to London for a short vacation. He was kidnapped a few days ago from the park." She said with a sad expression, gripping the photo tightly.
"The Takigawas are a rich, influential family in Japan." John supplied, knowing Sherlock wouldn't recognize the name since he never paid attention to such things. Akishi nodded.
"Yes, the kidnappers are demanding a ransom. I of course went to the police but I heard about you and thought it best to come ask for your help as well." Sherlock sighed. He was hoping for a more interesting case than this. It wasn't really worth the effort.
"If he's from such an important family, you might as well pay the ransom. I guarantee that he'll be returned safely." Sherlock said, turning away.
"They won't pay."
Sherlock froze in his step. He looked back at the now scowling woman.
"The Takigawa's abandoned him years ago, just leaving him with the name. They never cared before and they won't now." Akishi clearly despised the family for that reason. That made Sherlock hesitate in turning down the case. However, the case clearly didn't need him. This was one he was sure even Scotland Yard could handle.
"I'm sure Scotland Yard can handle your case. There really isn't any need for me to get involved." It was then that Sherlock's cruel, usually unintentional lack of tact reared its head.
"It seems like such a waste of effort. It doesn't look like he'll last long anyway." Both John and L were stunned by the unintentionally cruel words but not for long.
"Sherlock!"
Sherlock turned at John's alarmed shout and found himself yanked down by the collar into Akishi's snarling face. He knew she was no real threat, though she was stronger than he expected, so he didn't attempt to break free. He was a little unnerved by how her red eye seemed to glow menacingly in her anger.
"I don't know you. I don't know if today is a bad day, if you have something against me or if you're really just an asshole." She tightened her grip.
"Whatever it is. I don't care. You are going to help me whether you want to or not." She deflated but didn't release her grip. "You're right. He doesn't have long left…" Her somberness vanished as she glared with new determination.
"…But that's all the more reason for me to find him. I refuse to let his last moments be anything but peaceful. It's all I can really do for him." The two remained quietly locked in place as Akishi waited for Sherlock to respond.
Sherlock silently took in the woman's fierce determination and her deep care for the kidnapped man. He knew his brother still would have turned her down without question but he couldn't…not this time, even though he wanted to.
"Fine. We'll take your case."
Akishi's fierce expression softened instantly into a smile. She released his collar and stepped back. Sherlock stared at her as he fixed his collar. He'll admit it was a bit surprising how easily the woman hid her ferocity behind that smile. Looking at her now, you wouldn't expect it. He was admittedly impressed by her tenacity. Many others would have simply stormed out, offended by his words, but she stood her ground.
"Thank you." She said pleasantly as if she hadn't just threatened him. Sherlock let it pass though. John finally relaxed in his chair now that the tense moment had passed. He stood up after a second.
"I'm glad that's all decided but it is rather late. We'll have to start tomorrow." Sherlock went to protest but John quickly stopped him. "L needs to sleep." He said sternly, directing a firm look at Sherlock and at L. L sulked but didn't protest. Akishi sighed but conceded easily enough.
"Is there a way we can contact you?" John asked. He pulled out his notepad, ready to write down a number.
"I don't have a cell phone." Akishi said, looking embarrassed. "You can call Satoshi's hotel room though."
She provided the number then left. It was only then that John noticed that she didn't even have a purse with her. It was a minor thing easily forgotten as he busied himself with coaxing L to bed.
********************************************************
John was asleep for barely three hours before he shot awake at the sound of a choked scream. L was thrashing in his bed, clearly in the throes of a nightmare. John immediately leapt from his bed to wake him. L woke easily enough. He sat up in bed, breathing heavily. The haunted look on L's face reminded John of his own nightmares. He knew not to underestimate them.
John waited till the boy was aware before placing a hand on his shoulder. L leaned into the touch slightly for a second before drawing away and hugging his knees to his chest. He didn't say anything and John wasn't going to ask him about his nightmare. L didn't even look like he wanted John to comfort him but he was going to anyway. Neither was one for much physical contact so he decided to talk instead.
"After the war, I had constant nightmares and this suffocating feeling of uselessness. I had no purpose and nothing ever happened." L peeked over at him to show he was listening.
"It was all too much really. It wasn't until I met Sherlock that life became bearable again." John smiled softly as he thought of the man.
"He gave me something to wake up to each day. Being with him and making sure he survived each day was my new purpose. Even if the nightmares never stopped, I'd still have him to follow to crime scenes and that's enough; they don't control me anymore."
John knew that being so open about such things was unlike him but couldn't seem to stop now that he had started.
"Keeping Sherlock safe isn't easy though. In fact, the first case I ever worked on with him, I killed a man to save that idiot."
Knowing how strong John's morality was, L was shocked to hear that. Seeing his shock, John elaborated.
"It's easy to say that you'll protect someone but the truth is that you might have to do something you'd never thought yourself capable of. Killing someone or putting yourself at risk." John unconsciously placed a hand over his shoulder as he thought about how he got that injury risking his life trying to help his comrades.
"All to protect a friend or even a stranger. To really do that, you need to be strong and willing to do what is necessary. And, if you can, survive to see your loved ones again."
L listened with rapt attention, knowing that what John was saying was important and probably wiser than the man realized.
"You're still young so you probably won't have to worry about such things but I'm sure one day you'll be strong enough to do what you need to." John's smile turned sad but was still reassuring.
"I can't stop the nightmares and I don't even know what to say to really make it easier." John gently placed a hand on his shoulder again.
"But remember that there is more than just the nightmares, there will always be something to wake up to…something worthwhile. You just need to figure out just what that something is."
L still said nothing but he looked a lot calmer. L stretched out his legs again and lied back down. He wasn't really planning to sleep but decided to see if sleep did come back to him. John smiled as he gently brought the blanket back over L. He didn't encourage L to sleep but was glad to see he wasn't afraid of doing so. John risked a quick brush through the boy's hair before stepping away from the bed. L stared after him, surprised by the action. He said nothing though and buried his face into the pillow, trying to ignore the warm feeling in his chest.
John slipped back into bed and peeked back over at L. The boy was curled up and seemed to already be drifting off a bit. John smiled. He had thought of children before the war but didn't think it such a good idea after. He worried what effect his own trauma would have on the child. Looking at L though, he thought there wasn't a better child for him. He didn't have to worry about messing this one up; he was too strong for that.
Sherlock quietly stepped away from the door once he heard John climb back into bed. He had come running when he heard L's scream but stopped when he heard John talking through the door. He had never heard John talk like that before; he never liked to speak of his own weakness, even when it was simply mentioning his old limp. He didn't hesitate to share with L though.
Sherlock didn't really know how to react when he heard John speak of him though a warm feeling had stirred in his chest. He never realized he meant so much to John. In John's mind, Sherlock had saved him. Just as John would never admit such a thing to him, Sherlock would never admit that John had saved him as well. He shook his head, pushing those thoughts away. He ignored the feeling in his chest and trudged back downstairs to his room. He had no time to waste on sentiment; he had a case to work on.
***************************************************************
They were all surprised to see Akishi sitting in the front room again in the morning.
"Sorry I let myself in again…I couldn't wait." She didn't seem that apologetic though. Sherlock sighed but didn't immediately demand that she leave.
"What are you expecting to accomplish by being here?" He asked instead.
"I don't know how much help I can be but I'd like to try. I can't just sit by and do nothing; it's not in my nature." Her eyes were burning with that same determination as yesterday. Sherlock groaned but let her stay for the moment nonetheless.
"How long in advance was this vacation planned?" He asked as he prompted L to take a seat in his chair once more. They should really look into getting him his own chair.
"A couple days at most. It was rather spontaneous. We figured since he…" She trailed off, looking solemn. They all understood what she was going to say though. Sherlock didn't comment. He turned to L.
"This would mean what?" He asked expectantly.
"The kidnappers had very little time to plan." L answered. Sherlock nodded.
"And…?" He prompted with a small grin.
"The fact they didn't know how estranged he was shows they didn't research him before kidnapping him. They either had no time to research or acted purely on the fact that he was a member of the family. It was a spontaneous kidnapping. They saw an opportunity and took it."
"Exactly…I'd be surprised if there was any planning at all. It was an act of complete desperation." Sherlock took the reins then, going full speed from there.
"Many businesses over the world turn to the Takigawa family for either financial support or for help in getting connected with other businesses." He said confidently, as if he hadn't just heard about the family yesterday.
"We're most likely looking for a business that has only recently sought out the family. Others who have before would be more likely to know enough about the family to realize that kidnapping the victim would gain them nothing. I've already looked into it and there is only one that fits that criteria."
Sherlock stopped to open his laptop. There was a business website already open and waiting. John vaguely recognized the business as the one that had recently come up with this new product. He couldn't really remember what it was though but he did remember that the business wasn't doing too well.
"The Winston Company asked the Takigawas for some money to help promote their new product but they didn't give them nearly enough. The company is struggling and in desperate need of money but the Takigawas are refusing to give any more. That's where we'll start."
Sherlock shut the laptop and turned to Akishi. She was staring at them with the familiar awed expression. L especially impressed her because of his age but that was expected.
"See? You're help isn't needed. You can go." Sherlock told her, clearly wanting her gone.
"Please let me stay." She insisted anyway. Sherlock let out an exasperated sigh as he ran a hand down his face.
"You're being needlessly stubborn about this."
"I know but-"
"Can you fight?" Sherlock asked suddenly, cutting her off. She sat there a moment, taken aback.
"Wha-"
"Can you fire a gun?" Sherlock continued, ignoring her attempts to speak. Her silence was answer enough.
"No? So unless you can deflect bullets I see no reason to take you with us." She said nothing for a moment but seemed to be holding in a protest. She spoke after a minute but clearly not what she originally wanted to say.
"You said the kidnapping wasn't really planned so what are the odds that they'd be properly armed?" She had a point there but still…
"It's not that long of a process to get guns if they go through the underground."
"Isn't that just another way to potentially track down the kidnappers?"
Sherlock was admittedly impressed. She couldn't fight but clearly her strength was her tenacity and mind. It was nowhere near as sharp as Sherlock or L's but it was still occasionally impressive. Sherlock didn't respond. Both stared silently, neither wanting to back down. Akishi sighed after a moment.
"Look…you're just investigating now, not confronting the kidnappers. At least let me come with you for that?"
John was grateful for the attempt at compromise; he feared there would have been no end to this otherwise. Sherlock said nothing. He didn't want to have someone tagging along with them but he knew she would just follow them anyway. He spun away and stormed from the room.
"Fine."**
***************************************************************
The Winston Company building wasn't anything special was the first thing they noticed as they got out the cab. The only thing that really made it stand out from the other buildings around it was the sign, without it you'd probably just think it was any other office.
"Sherlock…" John spoke up as a sudden thought came to him. "What are the chances the CEO is involved with is?"
"Of course he isn't. It's obviously only a couple of employees that are responsible. They are probably at risk of being let go now that the company is struggling, which is why they wanted to use the ransom to get their own financial security."
"But there must be many that are going to be let go. How do you plan to find out which ones are the culprits?"
"Easy. We go in asking questions and see who acts suspiciously." He said it as if it was obvious.
"That guy." Akishi snarled suddenly, drawing everyone's attention. She was glaring at a man approaching the building. "I saw him at the park the day Satoshi was kidnapped."
The man looked up from his phone and noticed her glare. He stopped and started backing away. He eventually turned and ran.
Sherlock was immediately suspicious. Akishi had a fierce glare but she clearly wasn't a threat to anyone; there was no real reason for the man to run unless he had done something. He gave chase and of course the others followed him.
It wasn't hard for Sherlock to keep up with the fleeing man. He weaved through the crowd, avoided cars and dodged knocked over trashcans. The same couldn't be said for L though. His shorter legs made it difficult for him to keep up. He was determined though. He ran as fast he could but he was too focused on speed that he wasn't really watching where he was running. He was sent crashing to the ground as his foot got caught in a crevice on the sidewalk. Akishi and John both stopped to look back. The pained look on L's face as he tried and failed to stand up told them that he had at least sprained his ankle.
"Sherlock!" John called out to the still running man. Sherlock stopped and looked back. He took in the situation and hesitated but then ran off regardless.
"Sherlock!" John yelled, torn between following and checking on L.
"Go." Akishi urged him. "I'll take him back to Baker Street. You help Sherlock." John hesitated longer, clearly wondering whether it was safe to leave L with her, but then ran after Sherlock. Akishi watched him go before turning to L.
L stayed where he had fallen, staring down at the ground. He clenched his fists as his body trembled faintly. The trembling wasn't from pain though but frustration. L didn't look up as he heard Akishi approach him with a sigh.
"You may be smarter than most but you are still physically a child. You have limits that they don't."
L knew that already but still…
"I want to help." He admitted, voice soft.
"You do and you will. This is only temporary." Akishi assured him, kneeling in front of him. "One day they will be the ones struggling to keep up with you." She said with a soft grin. L said nothing but he did feel a bit better. Akishi smiled then put her back to him.
"Climb on." L hesitated. "Don't worry; I'm stronger than I look." L still didn't move.
"Or I could carry you in my arms if you want." She said with a mischievous grin.
L scowled; there was no way he was going to be carried like that. He reluctantly climbed onto her back, being careful not to jostle his ankle too much. He looped his arms around her neck as she stood up. She made sure he was secure then started walking back to Baker Street. L didn't question why she didn't call for a cab, as she clearly had no purse or wallet on her, as strange as that was. She started talking again after a few blocks.
"I'm sure you'll be a great detective one day…even better than Sherlock." Her words were soft and sincere but L was still stunned by them.
"Even better?" He was hoping that he would be one day but didn't really believe it possible.
"With him teaching you, of course you will be." She didn't seem to have any doubts at all. L was moved by her faith in him. He relaxed in her hold as they continued on silently.
Akishi gently lowered L down onto the couch in the front room of the flat. L carefully took his sneaker off. Now they could see that his ankle was swelling. Akishi looked rather lost on what to do.
"Ice can help with the swelling." L suggested.
"Uh right." She ran for the kitchen. L could hear her fumble about before returning with ice wrapped in a towel. He gently placed it on his ankle, hissing a bit at the contact. Akishi settled into the seat next to him, watching him tend to his ankle. They sat silently as they waited for Sherlock and John to return.
They didn't have to wait long. The dark look on Sherlock face as he came stomping up the stairs let them know right away that the guy got away somehow. Sherlock ignored them as he plopped down into his chair. He steamed silently as John went to check L's ankle. John carefully wrapped the boy's ankle, pleased that he had thought to use ice to ease the swelling. Thankfully, it wasn't a severe sprain though it will hurt for a while.
Sherlock watched, taking in the scrapes on the boy's hands and knees, which John also tended to. His expression softened with slight regret without him really realizing. He hadn't meant for the boy to get hurt on one of his cases though he knew he couldn't entirely prevent it. It was such a minor injury though, no real need to dwell on it and yet he was. He forced himself to push down his concern and regret. He stiffened in his seat when he noticed Akishi's eyes boring into him, watching every twitch of his expression.
"Alright L, I want you to stay off your feet today and tomorrow at least." John advised him as he led him upstairs to lie down. L wanted to protest but knew he wouldn't get anywhere with that now that John was in doctor mode.
Sherlock and Akishi were left alone in silence. Both stared at each other, lost in their own thoughts. Sherlock eventually stood up to start working on the case again.
"Do you really think it is better not to care?" Sherlock stopped and turned to face Akishi, caught off guard by the unnervingly perceptive question. "You will whether you want to or not."
Sherlock was able to tell from the tone of her voice that she had wondered this before herself.
"And do you want to?" He asked. She hesitated, clearly realizing he was avoiding the question by deflecting it onto her. Surprisingly, she answered.
"A part of me would rather not care for a dying man but another part is relieved to know I still have a heart to care with." Her gaze drifted away from him as she spoke.
Many might think her ludicrous for saying such a thing, that of course she had a heart but he understood. After all he was always trying to suppress his.
"Heart?" He mumbled aloud, caught up in his thoughts. "What good is it really for?" She shrugged, completely unfazed by the question.
"Who knows? I feel that as long as I have a heart, all the love and care Satoshi gives me won't be for nothing and the part of his heart dedicated to me won't be a waste. I want to keep my heart alive for his sake…not my own. So he won't be hurt caring for someone who can't do the same. He doesn't deserve that." Her sad smile turned serious as she glowered slightly at him.
"And I don't think L and John do either."
Damn. She managed to bring it back to him. He didn't want to even consider what she was saying, at least not right then, but he did instinctively store this conversation away in his mind palace.
He said nothing. He turned away and picked up his laptop. He settled in his seat and opened it up, forcing himself to focus solely on the case once more. Akishi glared at his silent brush off but said nothing more. She instead got up to see what John was doing. Sherlock barely noticed her leaving.
Sherlock might not have caught the guy earlier but he did get a good look at his face. The suit he was wearing revealed he was an employee of the Winston Company; he only needed to look up the employees to find him. It didn't take long to find him. Aaron Hayes had worked for the company for several years but wasn't very high ranking. He was a worker the company would have no trouble letting go. Honestly, Sherlock was surprised he hadn't been yet. It will most likely happen soon. Sherlock was one hundred percent certain now that he was one of the kidnappers.
Sherlock pulled out his phone to text Lestrade the information just as John walked into the room.
"One of the kidnappers is Aaron Hayes." Sherlock quickly briefed him as he texted. "He has a small flat not far from the office but he wouldn't be keeping the victim there unless he has no common sense whatsoever, which wouldn't surprise me. Lestrade is going to send some officers to look there anyway."
"If he's not there then where would he keep him?" John asked, taking a seat in his chair.
"Hayes used to own a small bar on the East End of London on Fournier Street. It's abandoned now. It's a good place to keep a kidnapped person. I'm telling Lestrade to head there. I'm positive that's where he'll be." He grinned as he sat down in his own chair.
"Soon it'll be just us again without unwanted tagalongs."
"She was only with us for a couple hours." John pointed out as he picked up the newspaper he hadn't gotten to finish earlier. Sherlock shrugged indifferently.
"Technicality."
Both sat silently for a few minutes when a sudden thought came to Sherlock.
"Where is she?" He asked John. John looked up from the paper and looked around the room as if he expected to see her on the couch.
"She came up to visit L. She was right behind me on the stairs when I came down. I thought she..." He trailed off suddenly.
The sudden panicked look on his face told Sherlock that he was thinking the same as him. They both shot up and ran for the door. John called up to L, letting him know they were going out. He could feel the boy sulking from all the way upstairs but he stayed put like John told him to. They hurriedly called for a cab and clambered in the second it stopped. Sherlock quickly gave the driver directions.
"Fournier Street."
*******************************************************************
Baker Street was closer to Fournier Street than Scotland Yard was so they made it there before Lestrade did. The building was eerily quiet but that didn't mean it was empty. The main entrance and windows were boarded up so they made their way to the back of building. The boards on the back door were no longer nailed in but simply propped up against the door. They moved them aside and opened the door as quietly as possible. John pulled his gun out, ready in case the kidnappers actually were armed.
They stepped quietly through the stale, dark room, listening for any indication that they weren't alone. They headed towards the faintly lit doorway on the other side of the room. They tensed as a sudden loud impact then a thud came from the other room. They carefully peeked into the room to see what was happening. They were surprised by what they saw.
Akishi stood over the unconscious Aaron Hayes. She wore this dark, cold expression but didn't seem to have done anything else to him beyond knocking him out. John wondered if she would have done more if they hadn't gotten there when they did. He hoped not.
"Akishi." Sherlock called as he stepped into the room. She jumped and spun around to fully face them. She fiddled with her hands sheepishly as she scrambled to explain herself.
"I uh…I'm sorry. I was worried the police wouldn't get here in time." Sherlock sighed but wasn't really upset. He was thinking he should've realized sooner that she would do such a thing.
"It's over and done with now." Sherlock swept past her, heading towards the only other door in the room. He opened it and immediately saw the victim tied to a chair. He looked so much worse than he did in the photo. He strode forward and removed the man's blindfold and gag.
"Who are you?" Satoshi asked, voice strained and weak.
"Sherlock Holmes. We're here to get you out."
John came forward to help remove the man's restrains. He also looked him over as he did. Thankfully, he wasn't injured but he was weak from hunger and his illness. Akishi stood close by, waiting to help him up from the chair. Her eyes glowed with affection and relief as she stared at him. However, Satoshi didn't seem to recognize her. She kept smiling though.
"Satoshi, it's me. It's Akishi." She spoke so softly and warmly to him, showing all the love she had for him.
"Akishi?" He repeated to himself, looking confused. His confusion was quickly replaced with awed disbelief. He suddenly fell forward into her and hugged her tightly, collapsing onto her entirely. She didn't falter at his weight though; she held him up easily and returned the hug wholeheartedly. They looked so at peace as they held each other close.
The two separated as Lestrade and a few officers finally arrived. The officers went to drag Hayes to a police car while Lestrade stayed to talk with Sherlock. A few paramedics came with a stretcher to bring Satoshi to an ambulance. Akishi followed along, holding Satoshi's hand. She was forced to let go as they carried him into the ambulance.
"I'll see you at the hospital." She promised him before the doors were closed.
"Of course." Satoshi smiled, looking amused as if it were an inside joke between the two. Akishi watched the ambulance drive off before turning to Sherlock, John and Lestrade.
"Is it possible for me to get a lift to the hospital?" She asked Lestrade.
"Sure. I'll have one the officers take you."
"Thank you." She turned to Sherlock then.
"Thank you Sherlock for taking my case. I know I pushed you to but I still appreciate it."
"We're glad he was found unharmed." John said, as he knew Sherlock wouldn't. Sherlock rolled his eyes but Akishi didn't take offense. She smiled at him. She got in the police car and opened the window to say her goodbye.
"Goodbye Sherlock. Goodbye Dr. Watson." She dropped her smile as she addressed Sherlock one last time.
"Remember what I told you Sherlock and say goodbye to L for me."
They watched the car drive off. Lestrade assured them that he'd get the names of the other kidnappers from Hayes and arrest them. They headed back to the flat to let L know that the case was officially over.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sherlock had been pacing almost nonstop since that case.
"It just doesn't make sense." Sherlock suddenly exclaimed on the third day.
"What doesn't?" John asked, humoring him.
"He didn't recognize her." He continued pacing back and forth.
"Come again?" John finally looked up at him from his paper. L was now paying attention as well. He had watched Sherlock pace a while the first day but got bored and instead started reading some of the books Mycroft had bought him.
"The victim didn't recognize our client at first. Why?"
"He was weak, maybe his vision was blurry." John reasoned.
"You know it can't be just that. She wasn't even surprised…like she expected it."
"I'm sure you're making a big deal out of nothing." John looked back at the paper.
"You know that's never the case with me, John."
"Isn't it?" Sherlock smirked slightly, momentarily amused by John's quip. John returned the look. Sherlock quickly returned to his original train of thought though. He suddenly headed for the door, grabbing his coat along the way.
"Sherlock, where are you going?" John asked, putting his paper down. He was already getting up to follow regardless of Sherlock's destination.
"The hospital of course. I need to have a word with our former client." John sighed but didn't attempt to discourage him. John noticed L watching and stopped.
"Come on." John urged after a minute of consideration. L smiled and practically jumped up to follow.
It wasn't long before Sherlock was impatiently pushing open the doors of the hospital.
"Which room is Satoshi Takigawa in?" John politely asked the woman behind the desk. She checked her records before responding.
"I'm sorry…Mr. Takigawa passed away yesterday. He had a sudden heart attack."
Thinking of how much the two cared for each other, John felt sorry for Akishi. Sherlock of course dismissed that.
"Did his friend leave a way to contact her?"
"Friend?" The woman looked as lost as she sounded.
"Friend. Caretaker. Lover. Whatever. Did the woman who visited him leave any contact information?" Sherlock snapped irritably.
"There was no woman." Sherlock froze.
"What?"
"The only visitors he had were the police." She elaborated.
Sherlock was left speechless. He didn't even know what to think. It just made no sense. Akishi had gone through so much to rescue Satoshi and clearly cared a great deal for him but never went to visit him in the hospital even though she knew he didn't have long left. They had no choice but to go back to the flat with unanswered questions.
In the end it was an unexpectedly memorable case but not because of the case itself but because of the client, who proved to be the real mystery.