Status: In progress....
Study of the Housekeeper
Glances
"Well hopefully the ad will work out." I spoke into the telephone. I scribbled yet another number out on the pad of paper in front of me. Finding a decent job in the heart of London with the title "Recent college graduate with no experience" is rather challenging in this day and age. "What exactly did you post on the ad?" my confidant, Lily, queried on the other end. "It describes myself, you know the basics. It reads 'Live-in House keeper and assistant'" There was a pause, "Alex, you didn't study how to properly mop floors or sort the taxes. You spend thousands of dollars at the University to study forensics." Lily said. "Yes well. There isn't much call for that now. I figure I could receive some sort of people skills doing this. At least receive an income." I shrugged through the phone. "Well, Lily. I need to sleep. I have a long day of packing tomorrow. The University is finally kicking me out of their flat." "Alright love, talk to you later." And we hung up. I drew a deep breath and sunk into my desk chair. I looked around the flat, reminiscing. Not much happened in this dorm. Not much happened at all during these few years of my life. It was true, I did study for a career in forensics: crime scenes, murders, what not. Such things fascinate me in an indescribable way. Unfortunately, I had chosen a saturated career, and was being forced to settle for money instead of my dreams.
I stood up and stretched, revealing my stark white stomach to no one. I reached for my phone once more, and slid under the covers of my small bed. I was just drifting into the darkness of sleep when the vibration of my phone woke me. There was a text message from an unknown number that read: "I am in need of a house keeper who can also assist. -SH" I was perplexed at the forward and mysterious message. To this, I replied "Thank you for acknowledging my advertisement. Who is this?" Several seconds later, the alias replied
"Be at the corner coffee shop on Baker's street at 9:00 tomorrow morning. If you are interested in being employed. -SH"
"Alright -AC"
This was a very strange conversation; I was set aback. I didn't like the mystery, but it was indeed a job offer. I planned to be there in the morning, regardless of the lack of information. I went to sleep perplexed but hopeful.
----
As I strode out of the cab onto the sidewalk, the clock chimed 9:00. I'd always had a knack for being on time. I saw a man leaning against the side of the shop. He was tall and slender. His dark curls hung in face. He was sharply dressed; an obvious tailor job that was exquisite. He wore a suit, a long black coat and a gray scarf. I walked closer to the gentleman, and as I approached he looked up. His eyes were a piercing color: a combination of green, blue, hazel, and every color in between. "Are you the cleaning lady?" He asked, eyeing me up and down. I made a point to be presentable for this meeting, so I darned a pair of grey slacks and a navy flowy button up blouse. "I suppose I am." I said shyly. "Right." He said, turning into the coffee shop. I was terribly confused. I followed him in and sat down across from him at a small table in the corner. He peered at me, his eyes burning holes into my skull and his hands steepled below his chin. "Alright. You'll do. You can move in today if you'd like." He began to stand up. "Uh wait, sorry, I'm a little confused...I" He rolled his eyes and interrupted my plea "I will text you everything you need to know." And with that he dashed out the door, his coat flying behind his long stride. I sat in shock at the small table. It amazed me how the man just offered me a job, especially by just looking at me. It amazed me even more that I myself was alright with that. I was sure this wouldn't be a dangerous situation. The man didn't give off a feeling of danger. The Man. The Man. I still was unaware of his name. Oddly enough, that didn't stop me from returning to my dorm and packing my things.
I was stuffing the last bits of my possessions into the moving truck when I received a text message.
"221B Bakers Street. Mrs. Hudson will greet you and help you get settled. -SH"
I looked up to the sky and prayed that this wasn't a scam, and got into the truck. "221B Baker St." I repeated to the truck driver as we drove away.
----
I stood hesitantly at the door, my hand reaching for the doorbell. I analyzed the plated numbers on the blue door. It seemed comforting. An older woman answered the door. "You must be Mrs. Hudson..." I smiled. "Indeed! And you must be Alex!" She shook my hand and motioned me to follow her. Up the stairs we went and into the flat. When she opened the door, an aroma of death filled my nostrils. It reeked of old food and rot. The living area was filled with books and papers. The furniture was nice and the wallpaper was elegant, but everything was covered in dust and newspapers. There was a man sitting in the chair closest to the fireplace. He had salt and peppered hair, and wore jeans and a gray sweater. He was reading the Post. The man who had met me earlier was pacing in front of the couch. He swiftly stepped onto the coffee table as if it was a trouble to go around, and sat into the couch. " Alex, the cleaning lady has arrived." Mrs. Hudson announce cheerfully. She turned to me. "I'm so glad, you're moving in. I'm the landlord, but they think I'm a maid." The man sitting in the chair stood up. He walked over and reached to shake my hand. "John Watson, sorry. I was unaware we were getting a house keeper." He glared at the man sitting on the couch, who just peered back. "Yes, we needed one." He stood up and began to pace again. Mrs. Hudson guided the moving workers who had arrived up the stairs with my things. "Interview her, John." He said, pacing back and forth. John motioned for me to sit across from the desk near the window. He slouched into the chair behind the oak desk. "Alright then. Alex, was it? What are you doing here?"
"Uh well he," I gestured to the man pacing, "he texted me last night, asking me to meet him because was interested in hiring me. Strange, all he needed was to look at me."
"Yeah, he does that." John rolled his eyes. "Now, tell me a little about yourself."
"There's not much to tell..." I trailed off.
"Oh there's plenty to tell!" The man pacing scolded. "You have dirty blonde hair, 1.625 metres, You have two brothers, both older than you. You're a college graduate. Studied, what was it, psychology? Judging by the way you're dressed I would say that Purple is your favorite color. You also buy clothes two sizes too big, you're insecure. And you used to have a pet ferret. Nasty creatures, thank God you've gotten rid of it before you brought it here." He stared at me. "Anything I missed?" He asked.
I sat in shock and managed to speak "I had two older brother's. Car crash in 2007." A tear fell from my eyes, but I quickly regained composure. "And I studied forensics, not psychology. I hate purple. My favorite color is Navy. Today is laundry day, I also packed all the rest of my clothes. I didn't get rid of my ferret. He died as well."
Once I said this, John's jaw dropped. "What is it?" I asked.
"Well," he said, "he's usually never wrong."
The man glared at me with his powerful eyes, and I could tell he was thrown off. "I'll be back in a hour." He said, clearly to John but still looking at me. He grabbed his coke a reached for the door. Before closing it behind him, he walked back and looked at me once more. "Sherlock Holmes. Pleased to have you with us."
I stood up and stretched, revealing my stark white stomach to no one. I reached for my phone once more, and slid under the covers of my small bed. I was just drifting into the darkness of sleep when the vibration of my phone woke me. There was a text message from an unknown number that read: "I am in need of a house keeper who can also assist. -SH" I was perplexed at the forward and mysterious message. To this, I replied "Thank you for acknowledging my advertisement. Who is this?" Several seconds later, the alias replied
"Be at the corner coffee shop on Baker's street at 9:00 tomorrow morning. If you are interested in being employed. -SH"
"Alright -AC"
This was a very strange conversation; I was set aback. I didn't like the mystery, but it was indeed a job offer. I planned to be there in the morning, regardless of the lack of information. I went to sleep perplexed but hopeful.
----
As I strode out of the cab onto the sidewalk, the clock chimed 9:00. I'd always had a knack for being on time. I saw a man leaning against the side of the shop. He was tall and slender. His dark curls hung in face. He was sharply dressed; an obvious tailor job that was exquisite. He wore a suit, a long black coat and a gray scarf. I walked closer to the gentleman, and as I approached he looked up. His eyes were a piercing color: a combination of green, blue, hazel, and every color in between. "Are you the cleaning lady?" He asked, eyeing me up and down. I made a point to be presentable for this meeting, so I darned a pair of grey slacks and a navy flowy button up blouse. "I suppose I am." I said shyly. "Right." He said, turning into the coffee shop. I was terribly confused. I followed him in and sat down across from him at a small table in the corner. He peered at me, his eyes burning holes into my skull and his hands steepled below his chin. "Alright. You'll do. You can move in today if you'd like." He began to stand up. "Uh wait, sorry, I'm a little confused...I" He rolled his eyes and interrupted my plea "I will text you everything you need to know." And with that he dashed out the door, his coat flying behind his long stride. I sat in shock at the small table. It amazed me how the man just offered me a job, especially by just looking at me. It amazed me even more that I myself was alright with that. I was sure this wouldn't be a dangerous situation. The man didn't give off a feeling of danger. The Man. The Man. I still was unaware of his name. Oddly enough, that didn't stop me from returning to my dorm and packing my things.
I was stuffing the last bits of my possessions into the moving truck when I received a text message.
"221B Bakers Street. Mrs. Hudson will greet you and help you get settled. -SH"
I looked up to the sky and prayed that this wasn't a scam, and got into the truck. "221B Baker St." I repeated to the truck driver as we drove away.
----
I stood hesitantly at the door, my hand reaching for the doorbell. I analyzed the plated numbers on the blue door. It seemed comforting. An older woman answered the door. "You must be Mrs. Hudson..." I smiled. "Indeed! And you must be Alex!" She shook my hand and motioned me to follow her. Up the stairs we went and into the flat. When she opened the door, an aroma of death filled my nostrils. It reeked of old food and rot. The living area was filled with books and papers. The furniture was nice and the wallpaper was elegant, but everything was covered in dust and newspapers. There was a man sitting in the chair closest to the fireplace. He had salt and peppered hair, and wore jeans and a gray sweater. He was reading the Post. The man who had met me earlier was pacing in front of the couch. He swiftly stepped onto the coffee table as if it was a trouble to go around, and sat into the couch. " Alex, the cleaning lady has arrived." Mrs. Hudson announce cheerfully. She turned to me. "I'm so glad, you're moving in. I'm the landlord, but they think I'm a maid." The man sitting in the chair stood up. He walked over and reached to shake my hand. "John Watson, sorry. I was unaware we were getting a house keeper." He glared at the man sitting on the couch, who just peered back. "Yes, we needed one." He stood up and began to pace again. Mrs. Hudson guided the moving workers who had arrived up the stairs with my things. "Interview her, John." He said, pacing back and forth. John motioned for me to sit across from the desk near the window. He slouched into the chair behind the oak desk. "Alright then. Alex, was it? What are you doing here?"
"Uh well he," I gestured to the man pacing, "he texted me last night, asking me to meet him because was interested in hiring me. Strange, all he needed was to look at me."
"Yeah, he does that." John rolled his eyes. "Now, tell me a little about yourself."
"There's not much to tell..." I trailed off.
"Oh there's plenty to tell!" The man pacing scolded. "You have dirty blonde hair, 1.625 metres, You have two brothers, both older than you. You're a college graduate. Studied, what was it, psychology? Judging by the way you're dressed I would say that Purple is your favorite color. You also buy clothes two sizes too big, you're insecure. And you used to have a pet ferret. Nasty creatures, thank God you've gotten rid of it before you brought it here." He stared at me. "Anything I missed?" He asked.
I sat in shock and managed to speak "I had two older brother's. Car crash in 2007." A tear fell from my eyes, but I quickly regained composure. "And I studied forensics, not psychology. I hate purple. My favorite color is Navy. Today is laundry day, I also packed all the rest of my clothes. I didn't get rid of my ferret. He died as well."
Once I said this, John's jaw dropped. "What is it?" I asked.
"Well," he said, "he's usually never wrong."
The man glared at me with his powerful eyes, and I could tell he was thrown off. "I'll be back in a hour." He said, clearly to John but still looking at me. He grabbed his coke a reached for the door. Before closing it behind him, he walked back and looked at me once more. "Sherlock Holmes. Pleased to have you with us."
♠ ♠ ♠
Tadaaaa. Comment If ya like.