INT.
221B BAKER STREET, SITTING ROOM Sherlock is lying on the sofa whilst John sits at the desk on his laptop. JOHN Gonna get dressed? SHERLOCK What for? JOHN Your 4 o clock? We ve got a client coming round, Sherlock. Did you forget? Again? SHERLOCK I ve been thinking. JOHN (Sighing) Anything good? SHERLOCK Inevitably. JOHN Should I ask? SHERLOCK If you want to. There is a silence of a few seconds. Both wait for the other to speak JOHN Well? SHERLOCK You didn t ask. JOHN (Sighing again. Rolling of eyes too) What are you thinking, Sherlock? SHERLOCK I m thinking that your laptop needs a new battery. JOHN What? SHERLOCK Due to Peukert s First Law and the frankly alarming shade of The sound and picture fade out. When it fades back in, John and Sherlock are waiting patiently and impatiently respectively. It s nearly four.
SHERLOCK (Irritably) What s the case? JOHN This guy works for the reptile house at London Zoo. They ve lost a Swamp Adder. No sign of forced entry into the enclosure, CCTV shows up fine. Poisonous snake. Needs to be found. SHERLOCK A lost animal? Isn t that a job for the RSPCC or whatever? JOHN RSPCA, Sherlock. Animals. And no. It isn t. The camera fades out again. When it fades back in, John is helping an elderly man from a seat and showing him towards the door to the flat. JOHN I m sorry we can t help. Try animal control. SHERLOCK Yes, thank you so much for stopping by, Mr O Sade, riveting case, I m sure, but my schedule s pretty packed at the moment. He rolls his eyes and picks up his violin. He begins to play as John glares at him. We fade out once more, fading back in to INT. 221B BAKER STREET, JOHN S ROOM John is sleeping. Light is streaming in steadily through a crack in the curtains. The clock on the table reads 7:23. John is unshaven and sprawled out over his bed; he s had a rough night. The door is thrown open and Sherlock strolls in. John jumps up in surprise. SHERLOCK Time to get up. JOHN Sherlock what re you..? How did..? SHERLOCK All wonderful questions John, but do you think you could get dressed? JOHN I locked my door! SHERLOCK Not to me, you didn t. Get dressed. JOHN Why? Sherlock it s not even half seven! SHERLOCK
(Grinning) We ve got a case, John! A good one this time! Sherlock turns and strides out of the room. John watches him go in irritation. He flops down onto his pillow, wiping his eyes. He then smiles and leaps out of bed. INT. 221B BAKER STREET, SITTING ROOM Sherlock is sitting in his favourite chair, his chin resting on his hand, the elbow of which rests on the arm of the chair. John still unshaven sits at the desk. Their client, dressed in shabby clothing, sits in front of them, shaking slightly. SHERLOCK Now then. Lestrade s told me the basics, now you need to tell me everthing. And I mean everything. Don t leave anything out unless you want this solved. Be quick. Don t be boring. HELEN (Stuttering) W-well, I-I m HeSHERLOCK I said be quick JOHN Whenever you re ready HELEN I m Helen. Helen Stoner. SHERLOCK Heir to the Stoner Estate, yes, we know that, moving on. JOHN The what? SHERLOCK Oh for heaven s sake, John. The Stoner Estate. One of Britain s oldest and richest families, now deceased in the male line, leaving only Helen here and her sister, Julia. HELEN No. There is a stony silence following this. Sherlock frowns in disbelief. SHERLOCK What do you mean, no? HELEN Julia s dead. JOHN And when was this?
HELEN The other night. Police won t help. They think she just copped it. SHERLOCK (Bored) Cause of death? HELEN Well, that s why I m here there wasn t one.
