➳ Chapter Nineteen

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Even after the chaos of the evening, you and Sherlock are still running with adrenaline from solving the only two cases that have managed to stump both of you.

To run off some of the energy while you wait for Lestrade, Sherlock thought it would be a good idea to teach you some new steps.

"You're very light on your feet, darling," Sherlock compliments as he leads you around the room.

"You're not too bad yourself, darling," you reply.

"Well, you know how much I love to dance."

"Of course."

You both smile and twirl around the room until you see John walk in with a smirk.

"Well, glad to see you've pulled, Sherlock, what with murderers running riot at my wedding," he says.

"One murderer... one nearly murderer," Sherlock replies with an arm around your waist.

The three of you turn your attention to the door when Greg walks in with the photographer.

"Sherlock, (Y/N), I got him for you," Lestrade says.

"Ah, the photographer, excellent. Thank you. May I have a look at your camera?" Sherlock asks, walking forward and taking it from the guy's hand without waiting for an answer.

"What's this about? I was halfway home," the photographer says.

"You should have driven faster," you say.

"Ah, yes, yes. Very good. Now you see... perfect," Sherlock says, handing the camera to Lestrade and John.

"What is it? What are you going to tell us?" Greg asks.

"Try looking yourself," Sherlock says.

"Look for what?" Greg questions.

"Is the murderer in these photographs?" John asks.

"It's not what's in the photographs, it's what's not in them. Not in any of them," Sherlock says.

"Sherlock? The showing-off thing, we've discussed it before..." John says.

"There is always a man at a wedding who is not in any photograph, who can go anywhere and even carry an equipment bag around with him if he likes, and you never even see his face. You only ever see the camera." Sherlock suddenly handcuffs the photographer to a pole.

"What are you doing? What is this?" the guy asks.

"Jonathan Small, today's substitute wedding photographer, known to us as The Mayfly Man. His brother was one of the raw recruits killed in that incursion. Johnny sought revenge on Sholto, worked his way through Sholto's staff, found what he needed," you say.

Sherlock continues. "An invitation to a wedding. The one time Sholto would have to be out in public, so he made his plan and rehearsed the murder. Down to every last detail. Brilliant, ruthless, and almost certainly a monomaniac. Though, in fairness, his photographs are actually quite good. Everything you need is on that." Sherlock tosses the phone to Lestrade. "You probably ought to arrest him or something."

Everyone stands speechless as Sherlock walks over to stand next to you again. Mary then walks in as if she's been looking for the lot of you for a while.

"Come on," she says, grabbing John and gesturing for the rest of you to follow.

"It's not me you should be arresting, Mr. Holmes," the photographer says.

"Oh, I don't do the arresting, I just farm that out," Sherlock replies.

"Sholto, he's the killer, not me. I should have killed him quicker. I shouldn't have tried to be clever," the guy says.

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