Page 18 - SHERLOCK transcripts

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SHERLOCK: She has a string of lovers. Of course she has one.
JOHN: She could have left it at home.
SHERLOCK: Again, string of lovers. She never leaves her phone at home.
JOHN: And so where is it?
SHERLOCK: You know where it is. More importantly, you know who has it.
JOHN: The murderer?
SHERLOCK (smiling): The murderer.
(Standing up on the chair, he steps off and onto the floor. John rummages frantically in his
jacket pocket for his phone.)
JOHN: Who did I just text?
SHERLOCK: Maybe she just dropped it in the back of his car; maybe she planted it on purpose
to lead us to him, but the murderer has her phone.
(As if on cue, John’s phone begins to ring. He looks at the screen, which reads:

077900955
mobile

Sherlock stares intently at the phone while it continues to ring.)
SHERLOCK: A few hours since his last victim. Now he’s received a text which can only be from
her. An innocent man would ignore a text like that; assume it was a mistake. A guilty man ...
(The phone stops ringing and the screen goes blank.)
SHERLOCK (grinning): ... would panic.
(He turns to pick up his jacket and puts it on.)
JOHN: Have you spoken to the police?
SHERLOCK: Five people are dead. There isn’t time to talk to the police.
JOHN: Then why are you talking to me?
SHERLOCK: You’re here.
(John looks down at his phone again.)
SHERLOCK: Well?
JOHN: Well what?
SHERLOCK: Well, you could sit there and watch telly.
(John laughs and sits back in his chair.)
SHERLOCK: Problem?
JOHN: Sergeant Donovan.
SHERLOCK: What about her?
JOHN: Said you get off on this. You enjoy it.
SHERLOCK (putting on his greatcoat and scarf): And I said “danger,” and here you are.
(He walks out of the door. John grits his teeth, then angrily leans onto his cane to push himself
to his feet and head for the door.)
JOHN: Damn it!

Downstairs, John catches up to Sherlock and follows him into the street. Sherlock turns and
pulls the front door closed and they head off down the road.
JOHN: Where are we going?
SHERLOCK: Northumberland Terrace is a five-minute walk from here.
JOHN: What, you think he’s stupid enough to go there?
SHERLOCK: No – I think he’s brilliant enough. I love the brilliant ones – so desperate to get
caught.
JOHN: Why?
SHERLOCK: Appreciation. At long last the spotlight. To you it’s an arrest; to them it’s a coming-
out party. That’s the frailty of genius: it needs an audience.
JOHN: Yeah.
(He looks pointedly at an oblivious Sherlock.)
JOHN: Yes. I suppose it does.

RESTAURANT. Sherlock leads John into a restaurant and sees an empty table at the front by
one of the windows. He takes off his coat by the seat which has its back to the window while
John sits down in the chair opposite. Outside, the street sign on the other side of the road
shows that this is Northumberland Terrace, W1. Sherlock looks round at John.
SHERLOCK: Twenty-two Northumberland Terrace. Keep your eyes on it.
(He sits down.)

Transcripts by Ariane DeVere (arianedevere@livejournal.com)