For John Watson

[howdull]

[Sherlock is still finding pieces of the melted laptop in the carpet.

It had actually been quite an ingenious booby trap to be devised by a fourteen year old boy with only household chemicals to work with but, as Sherlock surmised, rather overkill to keep his mother from finding his extensive porn collection. Not one of their more illustrious cases, but it had been quite entertaining to watch both the boy and mother's faces as he revealed that he did know the how and why. He lost interest after the mother started shouting and John started shouting and the whole thing turned tedious.

He rather thinks John won't actually be doing a full write-up of this one on his blog.

It's been two days since their last case and he's beginning to get more than a little antsy. Lestrade has sent him nothing, just a boring hit and run that he refused to even leave the flat for, and nobody interesting has appeared through the blog. Said blog he is currently scrolling through on John's laptop, having borrowed it again.

He did ask, it's not his fault John hadn't been in the room at the time.]

Bored, John.

[He doesn't even know if his flatmate is even in, but that's hardly a necessity for him to actually speak to John. Frustrated, he throws the laptop across the room to hit the wall, where it summarily breaks. Which is where he can be found whenever John appears, sulking amidst pieces of laptop, both from the melted one of their last case and John's poor broken one.]

Comments

[gallowshumour]

You're welcome to hire your own representation, but I'm the lawyer sent from the Legal Aid team for free representation. If you have a legitimate concern with my counsel, one not based in discriminatory reasons, then I can have someone else sent.

[Jim looks perfectly professional as he sits on the opposite side of the table and watches John to see what his response will be.]

Unfortunately, paranoid delusions of a doppelganger can't be held up as legitimate reasons.

[jumpthegun]

Well, calling me paranoid and delusional in front of the bloody prosecution seems like a reason to think I won't be getting the best counsel, mate.

[General Kurtam will receive his automatic respect and civil language. Jim Moriarty or James Davidson is not a member of the military, and won't receive that deference.]

What exactly are you-

[John breaks off and his eyes widen slightly. If Jim is here, if he can get on base like this, then Caroline...]

What have you done to Sherlock? If you or Caroline have hurt him again, I swear to god. [He looks toward the door, and then moves to leave. He needs to check on his friend who might well be getting kidnapped again.]

[gallowshumour]

Does he not know.. I wasn't informed.

[It's a low undertone from Jim to the General, which goes largely ignored as the older man stands up and barks out with authority.]

Captain! Sit down, this interview has not been terminated!

[Technically he hasn't been charged yet and is therefore free to go, but it doesn't look good for him if he doesn't cooperate.]

[jumpthegun]

[John at least halts. The urge to follow that kind of command is ingrained from basic training, especially from someone at that rank. He's also technically a civilian and doesn't have to obey... it's not like insubordination could make this sort of thing worse. He stands for a moment, caught between doing what he wants and doing what he should.]

There is a man in a Belstaff coat who came in with me, Sherlock Holmes. He may be in danger with this man here, sir. [John's looking at the general, but gestures to Jim.]

Please, I just need to at least call him to make sure he's all right. I can't get reception in this room. He was kidnapped recently and injected with ricin. He's at risk of being kidnapped again.

[gallowshumour]

Your flat was destroyed, your ex-service colleagues have gone abroad to escape danger, and your current employer is in danger of kidnapping?

[The General repeats John slowly, wondering if he can hear just how insane he sounds right now.]

If you leave this room then the interview is terminated, and we will be in touch when charges are officially filed.

[When. Not if. Getting a proper lawyer might be a good idea.]

[jumpthegun]

[John looks from the general to the door, then back to Jim. Sherlock would want him to get information here. They've driven three bloody hours and he's been sat waiting longer than that. The doctor looks to the door once more. If something's happened, it's already happened. He goes to sit down.]

You can check with the Met, sir. Detective Inspector Lestrade can corroborate everything that's happened. Alternatively, Molly Hooper, that man's girlfriend when he's playing Jim Moriarty. [John focuses on the general, not looking at Jim; although, he does point to the man.] Ms. Hooper assisted me in tracking down Mr. Holmes when he was kidnapped, and was with me while he recovered. She can also verify Mr. Moriarty's identity. Or Mr. Davidson's. Whichever he actually is.

You can also check the news for what happened to my flat. My girlfriend informed me it was in the news the other day. In addition, my sister's obituary was in the papers. It was noted that she was murdered.

[gallowshumour]

We will be verifying all avenues of the investigation, Captain, be assured of that. Matters of this nature are investigated in detail in order to reach the truth.

[Regardless of his personal feelings about whether this man is guilty or not, the General is a fair man and believes in seeing things done by the book. He will make sure everything is done properly.]

However, if you're refusing counsel from Legal Aid, then we need to send Mr. Davidson away. Is that the case?

[jumpthegun]

I'm refusing him, not counsel. But given the circumstances, I reckon anyone they send over is going to be associated with him. If he wants to watch personally while I'm defamed, he's welcome to do so. You had a question earlier. The answer is no. I'm not denying it. I kept my service pistol, but am no longer in possession of it. I won't be lying to you, General.

[He turns to glare daggers at Jim, momentarily, and his tone is ice cold.]

Not now and not in the future.

[gallowshumour]

You are aware that possession of an illegal firearm may carry a custodial sentence, Captain? Men will be sent to your old flat to search the debris for the weapon in question.

[They'll also hand it to ballistics to see if there's a match on any unsolved crimes where bullets have been recovered, as standard procedure.]

Are you agreeing to continue without legal counsel, then? An application to Legal Aid can be made for a different counsel, but as it's a free service, they'll need a valid reason why Mr. Davidson cannot be used.

[jumpthegun]

I'm aware, sir. And I would rather Mr. Davidson stay here for the moment. I'll put in an application to Legal Aid for a change after this interview. At least if I know where he is, it's not immediately causing mischief to the people I care about.

I reckon him faking his identity is reason enough to request different counsel, though.

[He flicks a glance over at 'Mr. Davidson.']

You really must be good with technology, Jim. Still want to help with Caroline?

[gallowshumour]

[Jim shrugs, looking more than a little nonplussed. He's having so much fun, he does so love when he gets to stretch his acting muscles.]

Then as your legal counsel, if only for today, I would advise that you don't answer any further questions until the legal team has been able to fully look over the evidence provided against you.

[jumpthegun]

I don't have anything to hide. [He half-rises from his chair, bristling in Jim's direction.] Any questions you have about Afghanistan, General, I'm fully and completely prepared to answer.

[gallowshumour]

Are you threatening me, Captain Watson?

[Jim sounds half incredulous, staring at the way that John has half risen from the chair.]

Sit down. [That's the General.] Can you confirm that you served with a Private Oliver Lawson? [Oliver Lawson had been a young lad, joined up straight out of school and shipped out fairly soon after basic training. Not a nice lad, the sort that joined because they liked to feel powerful with a gun and lord it over others in a position of power.]

[jumpthegun]

I'd tell you if I were threatening you.

[He does sit down and turns his attention back to the general.]

Yes, sir. I served with a man by that name.

[gallowshumour]

[Jim doesn't show it, but he's laughing with glee on the inside. This is almost too easy, John is making himself look unstable and potentially violent with hardly any provocation whatsoever. Delightful!

The general pushes a photograph of Oliver Lawson towards John.]

Can you confirm that the man in the photograph is Oliver Lawson? And if you were aware that he is currently serving time in prison for confessed war crimes?

[jumpthegun]

[The mention of charges has John's brows jumping up. He does look down at the photograph.]

That looks like him, yeah. I wasn't aware of the charges. When did that happen?

[gallowshumour]

Six months ago. Last Tuesday, in a meeting with one of the guards, he named you as a conspirator and collaborator in many of his crimes.

[Hence the investigation.]

[jumpthegun]

Okay. I'm assuming there's more than his word to go off of if we're at this point. Had Private Lawson been visited by anyone or received communications recently before that Tuesday?

[gallowshumour]

That information is currently classified, Captain.

[He's asking the questions here.]

I would like you to think very hard about the next question, which I'll ask only once more. Do you have anything you want to confess to regarding your tour in Afghanistan? I will remind you that a guilty plea often results in a more lenient sentence.

[jumpthegun]

I don't have to think about it, sir. I have some regrets about things that happened. I've lost good men under my command, and there have been times when operations didn't go to plan, but I have never committed war crimes. I've never tortured anyone. I've never detained civilians. And the only time I killed someone was when I was ordered to do so by a commander as part of an operation or in defense of my fellow servicemen or myself from enemy combatants.

[gallowshumour]

Very well.

[He isn't going to coerce a confession, he does things by the book.]

I would like you to tell me about the evening of November 19th 2009.

[If he can remember it, considering it likely wasn't a memorable date in reality.]

[jumpthegun]

[John frowns and glances upward.]

I don't remember anything about that particular date, sir. I'd have to check one of my old calendars to see what I was doing.

[gallowshumour]

Records show that you were out on manoeuvres in the Helmand Province between November 17th and November 21st, does that sound as thought it could be plausible to you?

[jumpthegun]

It certainly sounds plausible. Yes, sir.

[Hell if he can remember every single operation or foray.]

[gallowshumour]

Can you recall anything about those manoeuvres?