She didn’t want to be doing this, who would? Standing on a moving train with a ray gun pointed at a young boy’s temple, it more than looked bad. She didn’t have a choice though, she had to get out of there alive.
Irene sold flowers outside of the great detective’s offices. He never saw her when he passed her, never paid her any mind at all. She was in the perfect position to be paid as a spy, and spy she did. She reported on who entered, who exited and how often the detective left his office out of the back way. She kept a ledger hidden under her skirts, next to where she held her purse and her dainty yet effective ray gun. Any woman making her living on the streets needed some protection, protection and a means of income. Selling flowers only gained her so much, but with the addition of the fee she earned for keeping a keen eye on 221-B Baker street kept her fed with a roof over her head and few coppers left over for her ray gun.
She didn’t need much more than that, so why did she get greedy when he asked her to follow him?
It all started so innocuous, her employer told her that tomorrow the detective would be leaving in disguise and meeting his companion on a train. She needed to follow him and when they got to their final destination she was to send a telex indicating where the detective and his companion were staying.
Everything would have gone well had it been that simple. It took two train transfers for her to continue to follow the two men, one time she was sure she was made and pretended to be selling flowers on the station platform to throw off the scent. The great detective wasn’t the only one who was a master of disguise and the quick change. Her overcoat was reversible and she could go from respectable traveler to low down flower girl in a moment’s notice. She kept a plethora of accessories in her handbag for just that reason.
She was sure she had done well and would follow the two men to their destination until she was confronted on the third train. His cane creased the center of her newspaper and lowered it till he could see her face. ”I notice everything, what on earth makes you think I wouldn’t notice you?” Her eyes flitted up to lock eyes with him. He looked very cross and as she knew from observing him in the past, flirting with him wouldn’t let her escape this situation.
What choice did she have? When the newsboy came down the isle again selling papers and candy she grabbed him and pressed her ray gun to him as fast as she could. “Stay back, I just want out of here.”
“We’re in a moving train,” His companion blurted out, “There isn’t exactly a side door.”
Irene wrinkled her nose. “Isn’t there?” She slowly backed up the isle with the kid in tow, her gaze never leaving his blue eyes.
“Who sent you?” He asked her, following her but keeping a good ten feet away.
She giggled, “Oh you ought to know that, he is you nemesis, isn’t he?” She shoved the kid into his arms, “It’s a Pity Mr. Wayne, I was looking forward to this little holiday of ours.” She winked and blew a kiss before ducking out the door to between the cars.
By the time he got out there she was hiding on the roof of the next car, she heard him speak to his companion. “The desperation, she must have jumped from the train. Dick, we can only hope she survived, as for you and I, I fear we will need to change our course once again. We will switch trains and head to switzerland next.”
I cross a lot of fandoms on this one which is odd, since I normally don’t meddle in other people’s sandboxes.
