Free Sherlock Holmes in 2012: TIMELESS DUEL by Mohammad Bahareth

preserve the facades as well as the insides of each of these houses in order to purchase any of them?”
    “Yes, Miss Adler. Except that they will need to modernize the indoor electrical wiring and plumbing, to adhere to the new construction laws.”
    “And where is Sherlock? Does he know they are for sale? Did you talk to him since he arrived?” Irene’s questions tumbled out of her mouth as if her frayed nerves were now unleashing the queries she had mulled over ever since she had learned of Sherlock’s trip in time.
    Mycroft chuckled. “Yes, my dear, I’ve seen and talked to Sherlock on a couple of occasions since he landed a few months ago.”
    “A few months ago?” Irene exclaimed, pulling her body to the edge of the backseat, her head now inches from My-croft’s ear. “But I thought he had chosen November 29 as his date of arrival?”
    “I guess you were wrong on that point, because Sherlock arrived in August-for what reason, I don’t know.”
    “But you’ve seen him, you said,” Irene pressed on.
    “Yes, I did, but I could not believe-or bring myself to believe, I should say-that it was him. I had to confirm my suspicions and that’s when I came back.”
    “What about the houses-do you know if he boughtone of them?”
    “We’re pretty sure he did, Miss Adler-number 3321 was sold in the last 24 hours,” Dr. Nebo answered.
    “And how did you find out? Did you talk to these sales agents perhaps?”
    “No-no, we use the internet.”
    “The “internet”-what’s that?” Irene asked.
    “It’s a form of wireless and interactive communication system-a bit like a two-way radio,” Dr. Nebo explained.
    “I’ll show you when we get to my residence,” Mycroft added, moving through an intersection when the light turned green.
    Irene had noticed that all the cars were observing these intersection lights and were moving in a very orderly manner through town. However, she decided not to ask further questions. The fact was that she had expected to witness and experience enormous changes between the time she left and the present day, but this was a bit much to take in all at once.
    When Mycroft had first met Sherlock, the circumstances were far from pleasant. Somehow, his brother had been embroiled in a terrorist action that had seen him discussing the case with agents of the FBI and CIA. Mycroft had been called to address the matter in his capacity as Defense Minister with the British Government. Apparently, Sherlock had managed to discover an active terrorist cell operating from a house in a plush area of London and wanted the CIA to alert the British Government of his discovery. However, and according to the CIA’s sources in England, no such cell existed-at least not operating from the house in question.
    “I am telling you that all facts indicate that some plot against the people of Britain has been concocted in that house,” Sherlock was insisting vehemently when Mycroft entered the conference room on that August day.
    Everyone around the table rose from their chairs when the statesman came in.
    “Ah, there you are!” Sherlock shouted the minute he set eyes on his brother. “Maybe you can tell them who I am, and what I am telling these nincompoops is correct!” He waited for Mycroft to give an answer.
    None came.
    Mycroft could not bring himself to believe that the man speaking to him was Sherlock Holmes. “Before we get into such details, perhaps you could introduce yourself,” he said, taking an empty seat opposite Sherlock. The latter was clad of an old suit, probably the one he was wearing when he disappeared, Mycroft thought, but quickly erased the painful vision from his mind.
    “Who am I? You ask who I am? I am Sherlock Holmes,” the man said, visibly offended by his brother’s lackof recognition.
    “Excuse me, sir,” Mycroft said quietly, but the famous Sherlock Holmes died some hundred years ago in suspicious circumstances, I might add, and I have no knowledge of my family