Chapter Twenty Six - A Not So Pleasant Memory

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{In my memory as far as I could tell this must have been right after Jim found me...}

My cookies were nearly cooled when the doorbell rang. I took off my oven mitts and headed to the front door of our house. I opened the door on the most upset and nervous person I had even met in my life,

"Excuse me ma'am but does James Moriarty live here?" The man asked with a furrowed brow.

"I've never heard that name before," I replied looking at the quivering man, he was slightly shorter than I and his mouth was set in a perpetual quivering frown.

"I know he lives here Miss and it is rather important that I see him." The man continued. 

"The only people who live here are me and my husband and his friend. There is no James Moriarty here." I reply, softly closing the door.

The man stops the door with his boot.

"Please Miss this is a matter of life and death!" He exclaimed through the crack.

I held the door firmly in it's place, my eyes darting over to the clock that hung in our foyer. Only seven minutes till Richard got home. I opened the door slightly and looked at the man's ghostly white face, it seemed that he might fall over if I did not let him in.

"Well alright, my husband should be home any minute, he can clear this up." I replied letting in the poor trembling man.

"Thank you so much miss! I cannot stress how much this means to me." He practically squeaked. 

"It's really no problem, but I fear you have the wrong house." I say honestly.

"I know I don't." The man exclaims.

"Would you like some tea?" I ask leading the man into our kitchen. 

"Alright miss." The man said and took a place at the dining table. "Miss?"

"Yes?"

"What does your husband look like?"

"Well he is about my height and has brown hair and eyes." I smile wanly. 

"Miss... I think your husband is Moriarty."

"I see," I was sure this man was delusional but as he was smaller than I was and quaking so much I figured I could take him in a fight if he became violent.

"You don't believe me do you?"

I gave him a smile in response setting his teacup and saucer in front of him.

"Sure I believe you." I placated. 

"Uh huh." the man replied. "And how did you two meet?"

"Well to be honest sir I don't completely remember." I sigh. 

"And why is that?" He reply's as he stops his quivering. 

"You see I recently had an accident, and I didn't remember him at first." I explain. 

"I don't think you understand what's going on miss. If your husband is Moriarty you are in grave danger."

"Moriarty, is that Latin?" I remark.

"Miss. Moriarty is a criminal." 

I read the man's face and he had no sign of lying, he really believed that my husband is this Moriarty person.

"Richard is not Moriarty and I can prove it!" I remark with a smile.

"Oh?"

I walked over to the wall and took down the picture of our wedding off the wall.

"Miss, this image is photo-shopped." The man says his voice dropping an octave. 

"What?! that's impossible."

"Look here his hand is the same color as your dress."

"What do you mean?" I gasp, grabbing the picture to see for myself. 

"I don't think that you did marry this man, You need to get out of here."

My hands started shaking.

"Honey! I'm home!" Richard announced into the house. The picture slipped out of my hands, landing with a crash of shattering glass.

"Keyland?! Angel are you okay?!" Richard called as he ran into the kitchen.

His eyes hardened as he noticed the man at our table.

"Darling, who is this?" Richard fairly growled.

"Oh, I didn't catch your name." I reply awkwardly. 

"My name is Mark." The man managed to say, before the trembling overtook him again.

"He is looking for somebody named Moriarty." I said carefully watching his face. 

Richard laughed lightly. "Oh that's a common mistake, I have one of those faces." I let out a small sigh of relief.

"Keyland darling, Moran is waiting in the car. He wanted to take you out shooting today remember?" Richard smiles. 

"Right!" I exclaimed kissing him on the cheek. " Well Mark I'm sure Richard can help you find this Moriarty person! Be sure to have some cookies they are fresh out of the oven." I beamed.

Richard smiled at me as I headed out the door.

Much later after the very full day I had had. I was lying in my bed trying and failing to sleep. I felt so grateful that Richard had respected my wishes and as I learned to love him again he had let me have my own room. I was also terrified that I would have the horrifying reoccurring dream I had been having. About a man I didn't even know jumping off a building.

But it was lonely and I could not sleep, the words of the man rolled around my head. What if I wasn't even really married to Richard? Or what if he was somebody else???

I couldn't take the wondering and my thoughts would not let me sleep.

So I made my way to our kitchen for a cuppa tea.

"Hey sweetheart, cant sleep?" Richard asked as he pulled me to him. 

"Yeah, worried I may have a nightmare." I admit quietly. 

"Oh, come with me." Richard demanded as I grabbed my tea and lead me to his office. "I still have some paperwork to do so you can keep me company as I finish." He smiled, but his smile unsettled me for some reason. I let go of his hand and headed to the chair by the window. I grabbed my sketchbook and started drawing. Drawing the face that would not let me sleep.

I Don't know how long I sat there working on my drawing, but I had been finished for a while and had been staring at it when Richard crept up behind me and laid his hand on my shoulder.

I jumped.

"Keyland. What is that?" Richard asked worriedly. 

"I've been having nightmares about this man." I say quietly. 

"Oh?" Richard asks as he pulls a chair up to mine.

"He... keeps jumping off a building and I am always too late to save him."

"Darling..." Richard starts, but as he does, my gaze lands on his white dress shirt.

Almost unnoticeable there is a dark red stain next to his tie, but as he shifts in his chair I see it better and I get the sickly feeling that it is blood.

"Moriarty." I murmur to myself...

Then it's like my brain starts up again.

Millions of memories bombard me as I look into the despicable face of Sherlock's killer.

"Hello Angel, you remember me don't you?" He smiles as he cocks his head to the side. 

"You dirty rotten murderer!" I exclaim as I stand to my feet.

Jim follows close behind me as I make a break for the door.

I rush down the stairs and out the door into the fresh green grass.

Our house stands at the top of a cliff and I rush towards it.

"KEYLAND! STOP!" Jim yells.

"I no longer take orders from you James!" I exclaim, my breath coming in spurts.

"I know Keyland but let's not be rash." Jim replies extending a hand to me. 

"If you take one more step toward me I swear I'll jump!" I exclaim.

"Keyland!" He says pleadingly.

"No!" I exclaim taking one more step backwards. I hear pebbles scuttle down the cliff.

"Keyland, Angel let's talk about this." Jim replies taking a cautious step toward me.

I look over my shoulder to the crashing waves below.

"No! You took Sherlock from me and now I'm joining him." I state, preparing to leap to my death.

But then suddenly i hear something whizzing toward my head.

The blow-dart connects with my neck and I fall into Jim's waiting arms.

"No." I cry weakly.

"Hush sweetheart, its gonna be okay." Jim says tenderly as he strokes my hair.

"Third times the charm." Moran remarks and they haul me back into the house...

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