Chapter Three: I understand completely.

New Scotland Yard Headquarters,
New London, New England

"Do you understand, Lestrade?"

The Inspector in question snapped back to consciousness. "Yeah, yeah, I understand fine."

"Are you sure?" Chief Inspector Grayson raised his eyebrows pointedly.

"Yes! No destruction of property, public and/or private, no high-speed chases unless absolutely necessary, nothing life-threatening, keep Holmes out of your hair, no more fun -- er, I mean...." Lestrade grinned cockily at Grayson.

"Lestrade, I am not joking! The bigwigs on top say if they get one more damage report from you, you're history! I won't be able to help."

Lestrade nodded solemnly. So that’s what he’d been yammering about. She did not like the direction this conversation had taken during her zoning out. "I understand, sir."

Grayson sighed. "Lestrade, if I had the choice, you know I wouldn't let you go. So please just try and control yourself a little more, for your sake as well as mine."

Lestrade nodded again and left the office.

*******

22B Baker St.,
New London

Not bothering to knock, Lestrade tried the handle of 221B Baker St. It was locked. "Zed." Humphing, she brought out the key and made her way into the darkened flat. "They would be out, wouldn’t they?" She asked of no one in particular as she made her way to the kitchen.

*******

"Hello, Lestrade! How are you this fine day?" Holmes wrung the rainwater out of his hat.

"Just peachy." Lestrade glared at him.

"Ah, well. That's good to know."

Lestrade resignedly shook her head.

Pouring himself some tea, from the pot Lestrade had set out, Holmes asked innocently "How did your meeting with the Chief Inspector go?"

"How di- no, no, I don’t want to know. Well, Mr. Holmes, if you can figure out that I was at a meeting, you can figure out how it went." Lestrade sniffed indignantly.

"Well actually," Watson admitted, "the only reason he knows is because the Chief Inspector happened to mention it to me."

"Oh. Well, y’know. Stop doing this, don’t do that; same old, same old. No biggy." Lestrade smiled in what she hoped was a convincing manner.

"Of course." Holmes and Watson chorused in the same dubious tones.

"Ye...." Lestrade was cut short by a news report flashing up.

"The, ah, people behind the recent chain of corner store break-ins have now been identified. More on demand."

"More."

"In the most recent break-in one of the security cameras managed to get a shot of the group before being smashed." Here a fuzzy picture of three scaly-skinned...things...with large, lidless eyes, filled the screen. "Police presume they are simply costumed adolescents, but warn citizens that these people are considered armed and dangerous." The blonde newsanchor shuffled her papers and the screen blanked.

"Well," said Lestrade, admittedly rather lamely.

"Well, indeed," replied Watson.

Holmes didn’t say anything.