Page 258 - SHERLOCK transcripts
P. 258
257
(As they make their way deeper into the factory, Sherlock finds a large number of empty sweet
wrappers scattered on the floor around a candle on a plate. Sherlock touches the wick of the
candle.)
SHERLOCK: This was alight moments ago.
(He calls out loudly.)
SHERLOCK: They’re still here.
(The search continues all around.)
SHERLOCK: Sweet wrappers. What’s he been feeding you?
(He picks up one of the wrappers and looks at it more closely.)
SHERLOCK: Hansel and Gretel.
(He holds the wrapper closer to the beam of his flashlight and sniffs the paper before touching
the tip of his tongue to it and grimacing. He looks at the wrapper in startled realisation of what
he has just tasted.)
SHERLOCK: Mercury.
LESTRADE: What?
SHERLOCK: The papers: they’re painted with mercury.
(John groans.)
SHERLOCK: Lethal. The more of the stuff they ate ...
JOHN: It was killing them.
SHERLOCK: But it’s not enough to kill them on its own. Taken in large enough quantities,
eventually it would kill them.
(The police continue searching the building but Sherlock is now locked onto his thoughts about
Moriarty.)
SHERLOCK: He didn’t need to be there for the execution. Murder by remote control. He could be
a thousand miles away.
(Nearby, Sally sees something in the light of her torch. She moves closer and sees a little girl
sitting on the ground with her brother’s head in her lap. His eyes are closed. The girl looks
around at Sally.)
SHERLOCK (softly, to himself): The hungrier they got, the more they ate ... the faster they
died.
(He grins.)
SHERLOCK: Neat.
JOHN (reprovingly): Sherlock.
DONOVAN (calling out): Over here!
(Everyone runs in the direction of her voice. Sally and other officers reach down to the
children.)
DONOVAN: I’ve got you. Don’t worry.
SCOTLAND YARD. Sherlock is pacing outside an office while John sits nearby. The door to the
office opens and Sally and Greg come out.
DONOVAN (sarcastically to Sherlock): Right, then. The professionals have finished. If the
amateurs wanna go in and have their turn ...
(John stands up and walks over to the others. Greg looks seriously at Sherlock.)
LESTRADE: Now, remember, she’s in shock and she’s just seven years old, so anything you can
do to ...
SHERLOCK: ... not be myself.
LESTRADE: Yeah. Might be helpful.
(Sherlock looks round to John and, doing everything but roll his eyes, reaches up and unpops
the collar of his coat, folding it down flat before leading John and the others into the office. The
little girl is sitting at a table looking down into her lap. A female liaison officer is sitting beside
her stroking her arm reassuringly.)
SHERLOCK: Claudette, I ...
(He gets no further because the girl lifts her head, takes one look at him and begins to scream
in terror.)
SHERLOCK: No-no, I know it’s been hard for you ...
(She continues screaming and scrambles to get away while pointing at him.)
SHERLOCK: Claudette, listen to me ...
LESTRADE: Out. Get out!
(Grabbing his arm, he bundles Sherlock out of the room as the girl’s screams continue.)
Transcripts by Ariane DeVere (arianedevere@livejournal.com)

