Page 25 - SHERLOCK transcripts

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(Sherlock blinks, aware that he is probably too weak to fend the man off. Just then the landline
phone begins to ring.)
CABBIE (ignoring it): Funnily enough, no-one’s ever gone for that option. And I don’t think you
will either.
(Sherlock looks across to the phone.)
SHERLOCK: Especially as that’s the police.
CABBIE: I know. (He turns his head to glance over his shoulder at the flashing lights reflecting
on the window pane.) I’m not blind.
SHERLOCK (smiling thoughtfully): Good old Doctor Watson. I underestimated him.
(He turns in his chair and prepares to stand up.)
CABBIE: You make the slightest move towards that phone, I’ll kill yer.
SHERLOCK (slowly hauling himself to his feet, then looking down at the cabbie and smiling):
Oh, I don’t think so. Not your kind of murder.
CABBIE: You wanna risk it?
(The phone stops ringing. The cabbie nods down to the pills.)
CABBIE: Wouldn’t you rather risk this?
(The phone beeps as it goes to voicemail. Sherlock looks down at the pills thoughtfully.)
CABBIE: Which one do you think? Which one’s the good pill?
(Sherlock blinks, as if he’s trying to drag his eyes away from the pills but is unable to, too
tempted by the challenge.)
CABBIE: Come on. I know you’ve got a theory.
(Sherlock raises his gaze and the two men lock eyes. After a few seconds Sherlock looks down
to the pills again and raises his hand, his fist clenched above the table for a moment before he
extends his arm and points to the pill on the cabbie’s left, the one which wasn’t pushed across
the table towards him. The cabbie looks at the pill with interest but his voice gives nothing away
as he speaks.)
CABBIE: Oh. Interesting.
(He reaches out and slides the left-hand pill across the table while pulling the right-hand one
back towards himself. Releasing the left-hand one, he picks up the other pill and looks at
Sherlock.)
CABBIE: So what d’you think? Shall we?
(Still holding his gaze, Sherlock slowly sinks back down onto his chair.)
CABBIE: Really, what do you think? Can you beat me?
(Sherlock blinks several times, then lowers his gaze and picks up the pill in front of him. Both
men prop their elbow on the table, holding their pill a few inches from their mouth.)
CABBIE: I bet you get bored, don’t you? A man like you, so clever. I’ll bet you’re not bored
now.
(Sherlock’s gaze drops to the pill in his hand and he begins to breathe heavily in anticipation.)
CABBIE: This ... this right now – this is what you live for, innit, not being bored?
(Sherlock continues to breathe heavily, his gaze locked on the pill. Slowly he begins to move
the pill closer to his mouth. The cabbie matches the movement with his own pill, his eyes fixed
on Sherlock who opens his mouth as the pill gets nearer.
Just as the pill reaches Sherlock’s mouth a gunshot rings out and the window behind the cabbie
shatters as a bullet impacts his chest, then goes through his body and smashes into the wall
behind Sherlock. As the cabbie slumps forward onto the table, dropping his pill, Sherlock drops
his own pill and scrambles back onto his feet in shock. Staring down at the dead man for a
moment, he then hurries over to the window as police sirens begin to sound outside. Down in
the street another police car screeches to a halt and Inspector Lestrade jumps out of the
passenger seat, calling out to the other police officers already gathered.)
LESTRADE: Did anyone see it? Where did it come from? Who is firing? Who is firing?
(Sherlock looks across the road to the buildings opposite. Most of them are in darkness but one
room is lit and the sash window is slightly open.)
LESTRADE: Clear the area! Clear the area now!
(Sherlock turns back and looks again at the dead cabbie, then turns and looks across to the
open window opposite while pandemonium continues down in the street below.)

LATER. Outside the flat, Lestrade walks towards a nearby ambulance but stops as a police car
whoops its siren briefly. He jerks his head to the car and it drives past him, then he continues
towards the ambulance where Sherlock is sitting on the back steps drinking a cup of water. He
has a red blanket draped around him and a paramedic is just finishing checking his stats with a

Transcripts by Ariane DeVere (arianedevere@livejournal.com)