Page 15 - SHERLOCK transcripts

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DONOVAN: Stay away from Sherlock Holmes.
(She walks away towards the house. John watches her go for a moment, then turns and looks
down the road before turning back and calling out towards her.)
JOHN: Thanks.
DONOVAN: No worries.
(John turns again and begins to limp up the road, leaning heavily on his cane. He glances up
towards the sky on his left, then looks up at the rooftops on the right. He stops and stares at
the sight that greets him. Standing on the top of a nearby tall Victorian building which has
many ornate chimneypots on its roof, Sherlock is lit by an almost full Moon. John gazes up at
the sight admiringly before looking round furtively to see if any of the police are watching this
but there’s no-one around. He looks back up to the roof as Sherlock, possibly oblivious to being
watched, is looking all around the area from his high vantage point. Eventually he turns and
heads away.)

Some time later John limps tiredly into his bedsit. Switching on the light and sighing, he walks
across to the bed and sits down on the side. Putting his cane down beside him, he briefly closes
his eyes, sighing wearily, before reaching down to undo one of his shoes. Just then his phone
sounds a text alert. Grimacing as he lowers his foot to the floor again, he takes the phone from
his jacket pocket and looks at the message. It reads:

Text from +44 7544680989

BAKER STREET. COME AT ONCE,
IF CONVENIENT. SH.

John looks up thoughtfully, then puts the phone away in his pocket again before once again
bending to undo his shoe. Almost immediately the phone trills another text alert. John glares
into the distance for a moment before again lowering his foot to the floor and rooting in his
pocket for his phone. The new message reads:

Text from +44 7544680989

IF INCONVENIENT COME ANY
WAY.

John lifts his head and looks towards the door thoughtfully as if considering leaving to answer
the summons, but after a few seconds he puts the phone onto the bed beside him, then picks
up his cane and leans on it as he stands up and walks across the room to the window. He stops
and stares through the blinds. Behind him, the phone lights up and sounds another text alert.
John stays facing the window, though he can’t help turning his head slightly. For several
seconds he tries to ignore the temptation but eventually he can’t resist and angrily stomps
across the room to pick up the phone. The latest message simply reads:

Text from +44 7544680989

COULD BE DANGEROUS.

John looks at the message for a moment, then lifts his head, his gaze alert.

Not long afterwards he is in the back of a taxi, sitting upright and rocking backwards and
forwards slightly as if urging the vehicle to go faster. He looks anxiously at his watch. The taxi
driver sees what he’s doing in the rear view mirror.
TAXI DRIVER: You late or something?
JOHN (leaning forward and looking anxiously out of the window): No, not particularly. Why?
TAXI DRIVER: Sorry. You just look a bit ... wired.
JOHN (snappily): Wired? What d’you mean, wired?
(The taxi driver glances nervously in the mirror but doesn’t reply. John continues to look
urgently out of the side window as the cab continues.)

Transcripts by Ariane DeVere (arianedevere@livejournal.com)