I believe in you - Sherlock Fanfiction.

Chapter forty one - The vaults.

Magnussen leads us across the room and through the open glass doors of the study. He walks across to the wooden doors at the side of the room and then turns back to us, putting a hand on the doors.

"The entrance to my vaults. This is where I keep you all." He turns and takes hold of the door handles, then pulls the doors open.  Magnussen steps slowly through the doors, looking all around while Sherlock, John and me look uncertainly at what we can see. Inside the doors is nothing more than a small room, painted white and brightly lit. It is no more than few feet deep and the ceiling is about eight feet high. There are no shelves, no library stacks, no filing cabinets, no grotesque dolls, stuffed animals or sculptures. The only thing in the room is a metal and leather low-backed executive chair.

"Okay – so where are the vaults, then?" John asks. Magnussen looks at him.

"Vaults? What vaults? There are no vaults beneath this building." He sits down on the chair, then gestures around the room, "They’re all in here."

I look around the room, John frowns and blinks and Sherlock’s eyes are wide as if he is beginning to realise the truth. Magnussen leans forward and slowly raises the fingers of his right hand to touch his temple. "The Appledore vaults are my Mind Palace. You know about Mind Palaces, don’t you, Sherlock? How to store information so you never forget it – by picturing it. I just sit here, I close my eyes. I can go anywhere inside my vaults...my memories. I’ll look at the files on Mrs Watson." He grins, "This is one of my favourites. Oh, it’s so exciting. All those wet jobs for the CIA. Ooh! She’s gone a bit ... freelance now. Bad girl... Ah, she is so wicked. I can really see why you like her." With both hands, he pushes the imaginary draw he had 'opened' then closed it. He looks at Sherlock, "You see?"

John clears his throat, "So there are no documents. You don’t actually have anything here."

"Oh, sometimes I send out for something, if I really need it, but mostly I just remember it all."

John shakes his head, "I don’t understand."

"You should have that on a T-shirt."

"You just remember it all?" I question.

"It’s all about knowledge. Everything is. Knowing is owning."

"But if you just know it, then you don’t have proof." John speaks. Sherlock just stands there, his expression shows how bady he had miscalculated.

"Proof? What would I need proof for? I’m in news, you moron. I don’t have to prove it – I just have to print it.  Speaking of news, you’ll both be heavily featured tomorrow – trying to sell state secrets to me." He tuts disapprovingly, then looks at his watch again, "Let’s go outside. They’ll be here shortly. Can’t wait to see you arrested."

We watch him leave, then i step closer to Sherlock, "Sherlock, do we have a plan?" Sherlock is fixed in place, still looking down towards the floor of the white room, his gaze unfocused. I sharpen my gaze at him, "Sherlock?"

Me and John walk away towards Magnussen when he doesn't answer. Magnussen walks across the sitting room to a glass door which leads out onto a patio. He goes outside and looks around. The sky is darkening. Me and John follow him out onto the patio.

"They’re taking their time, aren't they?"

"I still don’t understand." John comments, standing by him. Magnussen looks up.

"And there’s the back of the T-shirt."

I turn around and see Sherlock slowly walking onto the patio.  

"It's all in your head?" I question, even though i know the answer. He looks at me.

"Yes. There are no vaults. Sorry to disappoint." He glances at Sherlock, then looks back at me, "We should meet up and have a drink sometime."